Coloma Cox
What happens when someone comes to the end of a personal road, and then decides to make a new road? Wow, that inspires me.
That is what we hear in my interview with Health Coach Coloma Cox. Coloma became a health coach after her own health struggles and journey.
When she faced having a third surgery for the same issue, she describes weeping in her car and coming to a place of acceptance about what she was facing. It was another moment in the back of a taxi in Mexico, on a mission trip she was working as an interpreter, that she encountered the first steps to becoming healthier and leading to her passion and work now as a health coach. Healing comes in so many ways, and it starts with acceptance of where you are and what you’re facing. It makes me wonder what we can all discover if we are open to a different way of healing.
Coloma teaches us that proper nourishment helps the body heal. She also tells us what she wishes she had known years ago: That self care is a vital part of our body's healing process. And spending moments away will give us a time and space to sustain a happy lifestyle and take care of others in our lives.
She teaches that “input equals output”, and that caring for our selves with “primary food” relationally, physically, and spiritually allows us to engage in our lives in the way we really want to.
Coloma has been an educator for 20 years, serving as a Bilingual/ESL teacher in various school districts. In addition to academic learning, she also enjoys educating individuals in social, emotional, and physical arenas.
Over the past 7 years she has been on a wellness journey that has opened her eyes to the great role food and exercise play in overall wellness. Additionally, she continues to discover and nurture the influences of relationships and environment have in the process. Her personal journey has ignited a fire and passion for health and wellness, leading her to become a certified Health Coach. Coloma takes this experience, passion, and knowledge to families and walk with them as they make simple, attainable and sustainable steps toward wellness.
Coloma is warm, funny, and wise, and her story has insights not only for health journeys, but really for coming to the end of a road in your life and finding a new way forward. I am so excited for you to hear this interview.
Listen to the interview below or wherever you get your podcasts.
(Transcript of Audio Recording Below)
Monica:
Well I wanted to interview you just because you know, when I heard a little bit about your story, I thought it was so compelling. Um, just that you know what I do now and I can't wait to hear more and for other people to hear it is, you know, your own personal health journey, um, led you to make changes in your life and then actually led you to a new profession, which is really a cool story. Um, so I don't know if you'd be comfortable just sort of introducing yourself and telling us about yourself
Coloma:
Sure! I'd be happy to. I am Coloma Cox and I've been an educator for 20 years. I'm mainly as a bilingual ESL teacher. Um, I was focused mainly on dual language learners. Um, I too where the language, when they're growing up. So I had two languages spoken in my house. So there'll be times that I think in two languages. So if that happens in this interview
Monica:
I actually speak Spanish. So that would be, um, I would understand it. I understand more than I speak, but I, but I will understand.
Coloma:
Yeah.
Coloma:
We think up at the 20th year and if you keep saying, um, but over the past two years and furnitures in, um, uh, along side the dual language learners, I've also been working as a gifted and talented teacher introducing students to social emotional learning and mindfulness.
Coloma:
And, um, so that's been a new venture there. So as an educator, we're constantly learning. I use the word educator because, um, I'll be teaching different types of, uh, of content. And so, um, at this time today out. So I don't want you to know that I'm also certified as a health coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition out of New York. Um, and so I've also, for my birthday, I became an instructor over two summers ago as a Zumba instructor and most recently and affiliate personal trainer with Camp Gladiator. And um, and I will begin training the end of July, 1st of August. So just super excited about the whole health aspect of, of, of who I am.
Monica:
Absolutely. That's amazing. It's an amazing combination of, um, educator in all the different ways into health coach, which I would imagine. Um, and even, you know, personal training has so much of an education aspect to it.
Coloma:
Yes. You're very right. Monica um, and often times have the educated, you need an outlet and I have seen that, um, going into the health aspects of it has helped me become a better educator.
Monica:
Oh, wow. So it's been, uh, been been a circle in that way.
Coloma:
Yes. Very much so.
Monica:
Well, um, tell us a little bit about your own health journey that led you to kind of discover this new focus, um, what was going on for you, um, that, that steered you in this direction.
Coloma:
Yeah. Interestingly enough, my health journey began seriously after the third born and, he will be paid to lie. And so over the past seven years, but when my primary care doctor had sent me to the ear, nose and throat doctors stating that I would need a third sinus surgery.
Monica:
A third surgery.
Coloma:
A third sinus surgery and um, in that, um, that for me was probably the lowest point, um, in, in just knowing that, okay, I have a, at the time he was nine months old and he hadn't quite turned one. And so at that point I was just, you know, a mother of three, I was still working. Um, and knowing that I didn't necessarily the time or the resources to make a third sinus surgery happen because then I'd be down for two weeks and a mother of three... Who has time to be down two weeks?
Monica:
Right now, that's not in the timetable,
Coloma:
That's not even an option. So at that point, I was so discouraged, um, when I heard that diagnosis and I remember receiving that phone call and sitting in my van, it's just weeping and crying. And just saying, Hey, I just want to feel better. And I, I was constantly felt like I was in a fog. Like always foggy. didn't have clarity. Um, and so to have to go through life like that with young children, that to me was probably one of the lowest parts in my health journey. That's, that's where it began. And like, okay, this is what's been dealt to me.
Monica:
And was what was the turning point for you? Was it that, you know, when you, your back was against the wall of being faced with this third surgery and it not being a real life possibility for you? Was that when you started to discover new things and dive into your own personal journey?
Coloma:
Absolutely, yes. And so, in learning about the diagnosis and just knowing like, okay, so obviously, you know, there was no denying that there was something. Definitely something that I needed to do and just coming to peace with that. I mean, as sad as it sounded like a third sinus surgery, I've already had two of them and obviously after those surgeries and you have and then you have immunotherapy, and begin this whole regimen and just saying, okay, this is what stands out to me. I've got a figure out what I will need to do. But obviously that route wasn't going to give you the results that I needed. And so I was just seeking different ways of becoming a healthier version of myself. And so it wasn't until I was asked to go and interpret on a mission trip and I remember visiting in the back of the taxi with the passwords device is her visiting with me about a chiropractor that she's been using for health reasons. And at this point I was very open and was willing to give it a chance and something that I discovered through that process and say that, you know, our bodies were made to heal itself. This with like the right nourishment then your right framing with the body can reset itself. And so that's what I discovered when I was just open to a different way of healing that I saw some results there. But, um, it was at one conversation in Mexico visiting with this after pastor's wife in the back of a taxi.
Monica:
Would you say, you know, I'm thinking about what you're describing and thinking about what, so many of us come to the end of our rope. Was it, um, was it that, that, that coming to the end of something that created a new openness for you that then you just, you know, discovered this, was it, that acceptance of this is the end of this road, um, that that helped open you up to a new idea?
Coloma:
Definitely coming down to that aspect. Um, and just, just knowing like, obviously, you know, there's, there's always room for growth in this particular area because I had already tried it two other times, this route with western medicine there is a time and a place for it, however, what I was needing was something different. Yeah. And so, um, that's specific chiropractor that also, um, work with, um, allergy testing, um, and, and just his practice as more holistic approach. And, and that was something that was new and different for me. And just to be open to that. Um, I noticed from the 12 visits, cause that's kind of like the, a standard practice that they do. Beyond that I knew I needed more and because it didn't take overnight. So to get to the point where I was that it honestly takes three months for me to truly see a difference in, in my care. And so it wasn't until month three that I really felt different. Yeah. I wasn't foggy, I had clarity, but it was just those subtle changes that I noticed my body just got a resetting itself. I did get put, put on what is called a candida diet. It was just basically an elimination diet and that was something new and different because I hadn't necessarily been put on a specific diet at the time. Um, I grew up with Tacos and enchiladas as a diet.
Monica:
Yeah.
Coloma:
Which was not a bad thing.
Monica:
Sounds delicious but may not fit with the candida diet. Exactly.
Coloma:
So or my or my body, you know, and mass quantities of it. Yeah.
Monica:
Right, right.
Coloma:
Recognizing what my body needed to nourish itself was kind of too much corn, too many peppers, too many cases of tortilla. Just knowing and just having those subtle changes, made the biggest difference.
Monica:
What um, what would you tell someone, um, who finds themselves at the end of their rope in the way that they feel health wise and having to um, maybe, you know, change things that really might be the way that they grew up eating. Maybe something that's very familiar to them. Um, what would you, what would you say to encourage them, um, since you know, you've been through this journey yourself,
Coloma:
Is to recognize how we prepare our foods, the foods that we enjoy? A, um, definitely, you know, part of it culturally going up, you know, we, we basically see how we were raised and often times we don't recognize that some of the ways that we have prepared our food, um, you know, time and time again that too many mass quantities of it, you know, day after day is not good for our body to be able to digest it all and therefore, you know, we're feeding, feeding the body more than what it actually needs to be nourished. And so, um, my encouragement would be in how we prepare it in, um, is going to be important. Um, I know, you know, we grew up doing the vegetable oil, well are switching it over to coconut oil, um, as well as olive oil in making those subtle adjustments just to how we prepare the food and what that's going to, to look like as well as making an adjustment to our taste buds.
Monica:
Absolutely.
Coloma:
It's a term that I would call "crowding out" is that we're just introducing the subtleness of something, tweaking, tweaking that in the diet per se.
Monica:
Tell me more about the "crowding out."
Coloma:
So with the crowding out is basically if the person who's not used to, um, say eating vegetables per se, um, per se they like a smoothie. Um, how can you introduce, um, of vegetable is that you wouldn't, you would incorporate the, the fruits but incorporate with it the fruit smoothie, a Kale as well as maybe a spinach per se in the smoothie itself. Therefore they're getting a green, but because of the sweetness of the natural sugar that they don't even recognize that they leave introduced the Kale in their diet with the small smoothie. And so through, through that time, I'm like, Oh, let me try it with a little less natural sugar and see what that's going to taste like. Just with a little bit more of the Kale. And so with all the body begins to once again reset itself, just introducing it just to that, that one vegetable and so the body craves that. And so little by little, they start crowding out the artificial sugars in there, introducing it more to something that's natural and soil base instead of processed based. And so that would be an example of being able to crowd out those things,
Monica:
which I mean that, I've never heard that term. And that's just such a great metaphor for any kind of change really, you know, to introduce the good and the new and give your body and yourself time to adjust, um, and then introduce some more. I love that.
Coloma:
Absolutely.
Monica:
What would you tell yourself then that you know now when, you know, when you think about being in the van and getting that call and um, you know, feeling sort of stuck and at the end of your rope, um, what would you tell yourself then that you know now as you've journeyed, um, this far forward?
Coloma:
Well, as a mom, I always felt guilty about spending time away from the family or spending time apart from the boys and from Michael, at this time, just to know, do not feel guilty of taking care of yourself, taking time away to recharge. And so learning about what it is to have a healthy version of what is called self care. Self care is a vital part of our body's healing process. And spending moments away will give us a time and space to sustain a happy lifestyle. That is something that, oh, I wish I would've learned even before I had the boys. Because this learning about what it is to you have a healthy version of self care. Um, and basically another way to prevent this to what, you know, what I input into my body equals the output. Um, what I put into my system, um, such as, um, I called this version, it's called primary food is about my relationships and who I hang out with about my physical movement. You know, what does that look like in about my spiritual wellbeing? All of that has helped and get me into this, into a sustainable, healthy lifestyle and just giving you, giving my body proper nourishment that I can have the proper energy to do the tasks that I will need. Um, in order to get what I need to get done. Self care is a huge thing.
Monica:
And the, the permission to do that and the knowledge that what you put into your body is what's going to come out and spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically.
Coloma:
Exactly. That's what I call primary food even before whatever you put on a physical plate.
Monica:
That's great. I love that. Um, how has changing, um, your life and you know, it's much what I'm hearing, you know, much bigger than changing what you eat. It's changing your orientation to self care even. How has that changed your life personally and for those around you?
Coloma:
in doing so I've noticed that in making these subtle changes, these to me are just nonnegotiable now. Something that, um, is important. Um, I've noticed that the more I do it, the more energy comes my way. Yeah. Um, and I've also noticed that I do not feel anxious. I didn't realize was anxious. Um, and I also noticed that I'm not as short with my boys because I notice that I would get really short with them. They would either say something, do something, just naturally. Yeah.
Coloma:
But I noticed how was really short with them. And, you know, we want them to stop or you know, just this could be skills that this wasn't going to happen. But I've noticed I am not as short with my boys.
Monica:
That's amazing. I think that's something all parents want to be able to say, right. Because we all know that moment or those moments right. When were shorter than we want to be. That's, that's really amazing.
Coloma:
Yes.
Monica:
Well, um, you know, what a two part question, um, it's, one is, you know, what encouragement would you give to a woman or a man or someone who is, um, facing their own roadblock in this way? What would you, what would you encourage them with? Um, if they're facing a roadblock in their own health...
Coloma:
Something that I would encourage an individual is for them to know that it's not going to be an easy fix. And I think that's something that as a society we have said that, hey, if you take this one pill it'll take, you know, um, instant to, to repair. Yeah. Um, it's just noticing that in order for someone to stay focused, they need a support system. Like to know why, why is it that they're doing what they're doing? Is it because want to, you know, gain a certain physique, get certain points, or what is the goal? And so when there's a true focus, um, of meeting that goal and milestones along the way that they can see progress. And so being able to mark progress with that and having a support system, I think will make the difference. I think often times individuals, they focus on multiple areas and they get so overwhelmed or, you know, they start out and say by week two or three, they're like, okay, I'm done. I tried it....Just encouraging individuals just to focus on the one area of need, at a time instead of being so overwhelmed with multiple things.
Monica:
Yeah. Start with one thing, like introducing that Kale into that smoothie. Just one thing to start with. Exactly. Um, and what about, you know, you have this amazing career trajectory of, um, you know, being an educator, which I, it seems like it's still continues into this new journey that you've been on. Um, but what would you tell someone, um, who might like to change their focus professionally? You know, as you've kind of taken this personal journey and, and made a professional move as well to being a health coach, what would you say to someone who was thinking about that? Because we're often scared, you know, to do that once we're kind of have our seatbelt on in this one one lane, it's, it can be scary to switch lanes and try something new,
Coloma:
Right, yes Monica you're absolutely right. Especially as you have been doing something for so long. I mean, I think about 20 years and it seems like yesterday, but to be able to be open to switching or transitioning per se, to me, when you make it your "why" I can see, um, individuals being able to make that transition a little bit smoother. My why and why I started working out a little bit more intently or intentional is because I have a young family. Yeah, my oldest is 12. My oldest I had at 32. So if you add up the numbers, I'm a, I'm an older mom and so I think about, hey, I want to be, I want to give this to them as a gift. I want to be able to sustain being able to run out and play with them, be able to, um, to support them in their endeavors of, we'll have to see their grandchildren. I think when, um, when I made that switch over to say, why am I doing with transition, you're looking at, uh, uh, personal training full time as well as health coaching. Um, I mean, you can see the purpose, the intent of why you're doing it, then honestly it becomes almost effortless. Wow. So yes, it can be very scary.
Monica:
Yes. Yes. But the why gives you the courage to do it.
Coloma:
Exactly.
Monica:
Yeah. That's so great. Um, so one final question that I've been asking everyone is, what's one person or event that helped you become who you are today that helped you become who, the Coloma that we're speaking with today?
Coloma:
Well, if I haven't picked one person, I would say that that's my mom. Wow. Um, she has been the backbone of, um, my family growing up. Um, I definitely have both my parents and been very fortunate to do so. Um, but I always saw her working diligently, um, being able to, um, to work as well as to make sure that we have fun. Yeah, I can definitely see that her efforts in, um, in producing, um, me as an individual, um, to know that she had done the things that she has done for her children and so on. Just to see her, uh, her courage, um, when things were difficult. And I can honestly say that, you know, it's been able, I've been able to see her also gain a different trajectory. And also, you know, having been introduced to Kale, and things for myself and to know that her efforts were not in vain is to know about you, wanted to always give us good and in great things and to know that she is always produced. Um, you know, gave, gave it her all is always given her own. And so, um, I think about her is, she's in, uh, uh, a solid backbone for, for me in my journey and always supported me. I think about her often.
Monica:
Wow. I love that. Thank you so much for talking and for sharing some of your story. Um, it, you really have so much wisdom. I think if, um, all the different sort of vantage points that you have, um, pointed out really apply to so many parts of life, right? Identifying the why and, um, and you know, even the crowding out idea, you know, introducing things slowly and that, you know, and that things take time. It's not easy, but, um, it's worth the journey. You have so much wisdom. Thank you.
Coloma:
Yes, really good. Thank you so much for allowing me to have this time and space to be able to share in my lifestyle journey. Um, so it's only been seven years, so I can only imagine what seven more will look like!
Monica:
Yeah. I love that. Absolutely. I love that perspective. That's awesome. .