Trustworthy Magazine, Vol 16, April 2023

Trustworthy

“you always have to make some time for yourself”

Photo: maria-orlova

Trust

Letter From The Editor

We are in the second quarter of 2023. Are you where you want to be? Are you doing what you are supposed to do? We can’t control everything around us but we can control what’s in us. It’s not an easy task but a mission worth striving for. Life can take us by storm. It’s easy to be busy, but are you working towards your dreams, or are you caught in a trance, letting everything around you but your own intuition lead you? Are you listening to people or your inner voice? These are questions worth thinking about.

In this issue, we’re closing out Women’s History month with some strong women. Our cover star Jazz Buddafly talks about her next chapter of turning 40 and what she wants to do more of versus less. Holistic health and transformation coach Andrea Somer tells us what habits we can build to improve our wellbeing. In addition to healthy habits, the Wellness Wardrobe shows us what to replace unhealthy snacks with. Remember, it’s all about taking one step at a time. Remind yourself of what you want to make out of this year!

Dancing on the Moon

Interview & Photography by Amina Touray

ina London is a mother, wife, and best-selling author from Los Angeles who wanted to create a safe space for her children during the lockdown.

Together with her, now, six- year old daughter Maliyah London, she wrote the children’s book Dancing on the Moon.

The book is a story about unlimited accomplishments and dreams coming true. London’s goal is to teach children to go after their dreams, which she instills in her children. And like her mother, Maliyah wants to be a mommy and author when she grows up, as well as a ballerina.

This story is about how a mother responded to the lockdown by building a legacy in her home through education and creativity.

Amina Touray: You and your daughter Maliyah wrote the book Dancing on the Moon. What is the book about, and what inspired you to write it?

Mina London: Dancing on the Moon is an inspiring story about a character named Nala, who has big dreams of dancing on the moon one day. Her dreams were so big that her peers started to think that it was impossible. They were like, - “there’s no way you can dance on the moon”. We wanted this book to be a motivation that you can do anything you set your mind to. As you read the book, you’ll see she eventually accomplished her goals.

AT: And I heard that you, Maliyah, like

to read bedtime stories for your brothers. How do you come up with those stories?

Maliyah London: I like to use my imagination. I remember what my brothers like, and then add that to my stories, like dragons and dinosaurs and stuff like that.

AT: What stories would you like to tell?

MAL: I would like to tell more stories like Dancing on the Moon, and I want to make funny stories to make kids laugh.

MIL: I would love to make a book with my sons in mind on becoming a sibling.

I have three children that are 6,4 and 1. I feel as though it’s an adjustment for some kids to step into their new role as siblings. They have to share, learn how to look out for one another, and how sometimes the younger sibling wants to do everything the big sibling does. I want to shine more light on that but make it funny and relatable.

AT: And you have written another book. Can you tell us about it?

MIL: Yes, Shenomenal Women- It’s an anthology book with twenty-three inspirational storytellers that share our own stories of triumph and victories with transparency.

“

Women Who Gave Up Excuses and Made a Way Through Life’s Most Challenging Times”.

In this book, you can find women from all walks of life. Women who went through hardship and how we overcame it. For instance, I shared a little bit about my childhood. I told my point of view of living with someone dealing with drug abuse, schizophrenia, and mental health issues. Sometimes we focus on the person dealing with mental health, and we don’t realize how it impacts the caregivers. I was just a child, so I experienced and saw a lot. You can find Shenomenal Women on Amazon.

“I was trying to find different ways for us to be creative and have a fun, safe environment at home.”

AT: What was the step-by-step process for you to write Dancing on the Moon with Maliyah?

MIL: Well, Dancing on the Moon came about in 2020. That was around the time Covid 19 had the world on lockdown. I was trying to find different ways for us to be creative and have a fun, safe environment at home. So we started doing what we normally do. Acting silly, telling jokes, rhyming words, then using our imagination to create our own stories. After creating the storyline. We begin imagining how we want our main character to look. Her hair, skin color, what she would wear, and how young she would be. Then finding the right illustrator. That was the most important part because we wanted our images to catch people’s attention. The next step would be figuring out if you want to do self-publishing vs. traditional publishing.

AT: I noticed the beautiful imagery in the book. How did you find an illustrator?

MIL: I haven’t told anyone but finding an illustrator was challenging. The first illustrator that we hired scammed us. We paid a little bit, and he started the work, but then he slowly stopped communicating with us. He didn’t finish the job, and it was very discouraging. However, I knew I had Maliyah’s little eyes watching me, watching how to handle this challenge we were facing. We couldn’t give up. We had to keep going. So then I just kept researching on Facebook. I joined illustrations groups/writers’ groups. So I pretty much was watching people put out their artwork, reaching out to different people because we al-

ready had a certain image of how we wanted her to look. When I finally found Ananta Mohanta, everything aligned perfectly. They were very professional.

This book has opened up so many opportunities that we are thankful for. Inglewood Library put on a beautiful event for us where we did a book signing, and working with Gerber children’s wear was a dream come true.

AT: How did the book signing make you feel, Maliyah?

MAL: It made me super happy. I was very excited! People came out to support us and to hear us read our book. We got dressed up and played in the jumpers they had there.

Follow Mina & Maliyah London: @Lovehealthbeyond & @Dancingonthemoon2023

Dancing on the Moon is available at Inglewood Library & LA County Libraries. Online @ Walmart, Amazon & Barnes and Noble.

Wardrobe Wellness

By taking your time to learn about your eating habits and slowly replacing them with better meals, you will feel much better within yourself physically, mentally and emotionally.”

ealthy eating along with exercise is very important for maintaining proper body function and living a well balanced life. However, eating a healthy diet is not always convenient or easy to do in our fast paced, junk food culture. Wanting to make this change is the first step on the road to health success, but itcan also feel difficult to know where or how to start! If you struggle with healthy eating, then you know that breaking unhealthy habits can be the most difficult part of the process. Therefore, if you truly want to make a lasting impact on your diet, you can start by making some easy food replacements and switching some daily habits in order to start living the healthiest lifestyle possible.

A great first step when you want to start eating your way to a healthy lifestyle is to rid your home of all temptations that will distract you from following better eating habits. Ideally it would be wise to keep junk foods and beverages out of your house so as not be tempted to snack during the day. If you’re worried about getting hungry, keep healthy snacks like carrot sticks, yogurt, fresh fruit, or mixed nuts on hand. If you cannot bear to toss out the sweets, try some healthier alternatives to keep your sweet tooth satisfied. Afterall, it is about progress over perfection. Eating a few, (emphasis on few) of these won’t ruin your diet but crowding out your pantry with healthy food swaps can make a huge impact on your food choices in the long haul!

Preparation is a major key in commencing a new healthy diet. You must take into consideration your schedule for meals. If you often eat in a rushed hurry at odd times of day, you are probably more inclined to grab a rushed meal which will probably do more harm than good. So plan ahead! Instead of grabbing a fast food lunch on the go, take a bagged lunch to work, complete with a healthy wrap and some fresh fruit and vegetables. For your evening meals, making a meal plan is an ideal way to have your food ready to prepare for when you get home. You can plan this the week before you do your weekly shopping, and designate a couple of hours to food prep before you start a busy week. Be forewarned, when going to the store, do not go shopping hungry because if you’re anything like me, when hunger strikes, venturing off task can be easy and some temptations may sneak their way into your cart. A great tip is to stay away from the center aisles of the grocery store as that’s where all of the junk food lives. The outer aisles are filled with your fresh produce and health food items which should always be crowding out your cart and your meals.

Initially many won’t find it difficult to make those necessary changes to healthier eating. However, some may not feel well for a short period of time due to sugar withdrawal that is added to many of these junk foods. Don’t let this discourage your progress, as this feeling is completely normal. Your body is adjusting to your new and improved lifestyle and is cleansing itself from the unhealthy toxins built up from poor eating habits. If this feeling

continues or you are worried about these symptoms, a visit to your doctor would be the correct thing to do. Finally, start with baby steps. Even if you only replace one soda a day with a glass of sparkling water with lemon, you are really improving your calorie intake, and even adding a huge health benefit to your day. If you eat fast food every day for lunch, try replacing that half of the time with better quality foods. When you start by taking small steps you aren’t cutting out all of the foods you love all at once. By taking your time to learn about your eating habits and slowly replacing them with better meals, you will feel much better within yourself physically, mentally and emotionally. Remember, progress over perfection and you will be well on your way to becoming as healthy as you can be in no time!

TIP: TAKE ACTION!

It is always important to know the quality of the food that you put into your body.

I recommend downloading the free app, “Fooducate ‘’ which you can use while grocery shopping. This app allows you to scan barcodes on any food item and then shows its nutritional value. This app not only helps you find clean eating options, but it can also help you track your meals and even lose weight!

Health Swap RECIPE: Avocado Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients

4 cups non- dairy milk

¼ cup chopped avocado

6 pitted Medjool dates

¼ cup unsweetened cacao powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in blender

2. Blend on high until dates are broken up for even sweetness distribution

3. Divide amongst chilled glasses and garnish with fresh berries

4. Enjoy!

Photo: helena-lopes

Photo: helena-lopes

Jazz

Jazz Buddafly is a superwoman! You probably know her from the duo group Black Buddafly which includes her twin sister Amina and originally their older sister Sophie. Not only is Jazz an amazing musician, but also a fitness instructor and mother of two who lives in Germany, where she was born and raised to a German mother and a Senegalese father.

“I don’t have it all figured out myself. The only thing I know for sure is you always have to make some time for yourself.”

e had the opportunity to sit down with her while she was in LA and talk about her ambitions, life as a mother, and what she envisions for her next chapter of turning 40!

Welcome back to LA. How does it feel to be back, and what are your plans while you’re here?

It always feels great to be back, although this time, it’s a bit different having my baby girl with me. It’s a challenge getting anything done. So we didn’t really make big plans except for recording a song for Amina’s new album and possibly some visuals, taking some pictures together for our big 40 next month, and just enjoying the Cali vibe a bit.

You’re turning 40 next month. How are you stepping into this new decade, and what are you most excited about?

To be honest, I have mixed feelings about turning 40. I do like getting older and wiser, but at the same time, I feel like time is moving too fast, and there’s still so much I wanna do. Life is so short. Being a mother definitely slows down the process of reaching your goals, but I pray that I stay healthy, fit, and strong enough so that I have enough energy to do it all. Even when I’m 50-60 or 70. So yea, I’m definitely excited to see what this next decade has in store for me!

What do you want to do less of versus more of?

I just want to try to get back to the music. That’s one of the things that I’ve been missing most in the past few years. I’ve really been focused on fitness and being a mommy. So yea, more music. As hard as it is for me to find producers to work with in Germany, I need to figure this out. Maybe even go a different direction with the sound. I’d love to do something I haven’t done sound-wise. My boyfriend always tells me to look for solutions, not excuses. I will try to do that!

You now have an 8-months old daughter and an 11-year old son. How are you balancing out motherhood with the age gap of your children and the new routines?

Actually, the age gap is great. My son helps me a lot, he understands that the little one needs more attention, and he soft-pedals, which is so sweet. But personally, I just had to get used to being a newborn mom again, it’s been so long. It’s very challenging, but I love it all over again. Especially now having a little girl. She’s the sweetest.

You and Amina are amazing mothers that stay healthy and fit while also working and pursuing your goals. What are the key things you’ve learned that help you juggle everything?

The truth is, I don’t have it all figured out myself. The only thing I know for sure is you always have to make some time for yourself. Even if it’s just 10 minutes. Try to do something for your mind, body, and soul. Physical activity, for me, covers all of that!! So that’s always number one. Also, what I had to learn is to make a schedule and try to stick to it as well as possible. Write down your goals for each week. Prioritize. See what’s important and what maybe can wait. And then do the best you can with what you have, where you are.

You also have an app together (Duo x Active). What is it about?

So our Duo X app is a fitness and lifestyle app for anyone who’s trying to start a routine or anyone who needs a bit of

motivation and help getting started. We have lots of on-demand workouts that are pre-recorded, and also we try to do a live session at least once a week for our community to work out with us live. It’s great. Also, we have recipes and a community board where you can connect with likeminded people. You can subscribe here: https://duoxapp.web.app/splash

For those who don’t know, you live in Germany and are currently on maternity leave. But what is a typical day like for you?

Okay, so normally, I wake up, take my son to school, and then before really getting my day started, I take my hour me time (coffee, music/ meditation) just to spend time with myself, setting good intentions for the day. Then I go check my emails and do my administrative work. After that, I normally get ready for a PT client, followed by my own workout sometime around noon. Depending on what day it is, I often have to run errands, get groceries, and/or cook for my son before he gets out of school. Do some housework. Then, my real work usually starts in the afternoon. I prepare my classes, write workouts, create playlists, etc., before heading to teach the class. I work as a group fitness instructor, so before I had my baby girl, I mostly worked evenings and weekends, but that may have to change once I start again.

What’s next for you?

Like I said earlier, music. I’m not gonna say too much about it because I like to work and have things ready before talking about it, but that’s on my list for this year for sure. What I can say, though, is I’m gonna be on Amina’s Album 4.0, which is dropping on April 18th (our birthday). Other than that, we have our Brand (Duo X) that we definitely want to build. Launch the clothing line, possibly some workout equipment and stuff. It’s a lot of work, and we suck at the business side of things, so we’re trying to find a good team that can help and bring all of this to life and to the next level.

Photo: roman-odintsov

“

I uncovered so many tools and modalities that I wish I had had access to earlier in life.”

Interview & Photography by Amina Touray

Breathe Transform Heal

wedish-born, holistic health and transformation coach

Andrea Somer specializes in helping women heal their bodies from the inside and out through retreats worldwide and with coaching and mentorship programs. Somer is also a personal trainer, gut and hormonal nutritionist, meditation teacher, and somatic breath work practitioner based in Los Angeles.

Through her past traumas, she uncovered tools that put her on track to create the life of her dreams, which she now teaches other women.

Have you always been health conscious, or was there a specific experience that made you change?

Growing up in Sweden, I was fortunate enough to grow up with good quality produce, home cooked meals and movement as the foundation of health. However, when I was 19, I backpacked in Australia for 3 months, eating fast food and drinking alcohol every day. It made my body react in a negative way, and I came home with a few extra pounds and gut health issues. I was diagnosed with IBS, had to eliminate things from my diet to heal my gut, and I became more health conscious from that point.

What do you do as a holistic health and transformation coach?

I help women heal their bodies from the inside out, heal their trauma and work through their limiting beliefs on a conscious level through mindset work and through somatic and embodiment work. I believe in a multidimensional approach in order to truly optimize our physical, mental, and

emotional health. I help people truly find alignment in body, mind, and spirit by teaching them how to connect to their truth and how to honor that, how they can follow their unique path and live the life that they truly desire. I believe everyone needs someone to walk with, to calibrate to, that can pull out of us what we can’t pull out of ourselves - I am that someone for my clients.

What inspired you to become a holistic health and transformation coach?

I started out as a personal trainer, but it was always about more than physical health for me. I always had a more holistic approach and was passionate about mental health. At the beginning of my career as a trainer, I lost my father to mental illness and addiction. Through my own healing journey in grief, I uncovered so many tools and modalities that I wish I had had access to earlier in life. In my teenage years, I dealt with depression and anxiety, growing up with a bipolar and alcoholic father. The work that I started doing for myself helped me heal a lot of trauma and find alignment in life through truly living my purpose. This is what I want for everyone, for us to know that no matter what we have been through, we can heal and create the life of our dreams. I know that this work changes people’s lives and that I was put on this earth to bring this medicine so that we can create ripple effects and become a more conscious, free, and loving collective.

You have a coaching and mentorship program. Who is it most suitable for?

Women - of all ages. It’s never too late, and it’s definitely never too early to learn about ourselves and unlearn anything that is holding us back from living in the truest expression of ourselves and in our power. I truly wish I had been given this level of support and tools in my 20s and even my teenage years.

When it comes to health and wellness, what are some of the biggest mistakes you see people make?

I believe that the biggest mistake people make is to think that all information out there applies to everyone. The most important relationship we have is with ourselves and with our bodies. Our body holds wisdom, and we need to learn its signals, its needs, and learn what WE need in order to feel our best. It will never be a one-fits-all approach, we are all unique. I also think that people still try to treat symptoms instead of dealing with the root and don’t understand the correlation between mental /emotional suppression and trauma with a decline in physical health/disease.

What simple habits can a person do every day, in their busy lifestyle, that will improve their well-being?

It’s hard for me to say one thing because I know that there are multiple habits required for us to optimize our health. Such as eating clean, moving our bodies, sleeping good, getting outside, and practicing mindfulness. It is never about how busy we are, it is about priority. But one thing that we all can do that will improve your well-being is - mindful breathing / breath-work for 5 minutes every day.

You’re passionate about women’s empowerment and how the mind, body, and spirit are connected. And you mentor and coach women to reach their full potential. How did you reach the level of consciousness that you have today?

Through self-discovery and questioning

everything that I ever knew to be true. I sit with myself, face my darkness and my shadows, question my conditioning, and continue to strip down the layers to come closer to my truth. It started through healing my grief of the loss of my father, and through that, I realized there was so much more trauma for me to unravel. It became the start of the beautiful journey of rediscovering the woman that I truly am and who I want to be. I am devoted to my vision and my purpose, it is stronger than anything else which requires me to rise to these levels.

Are there any good tools, books, movies, or podcasts, you would recommend to check out for a “holistic beginner” or someone that wants to begin better mind and body habits?

There is a lot of good content out there, but here are some of my favorite books;

The body keeps the score

Becoming supernatural

The 4 agreements

The power of now

I am more about the tools that will inspire us and connect us to source and our own power, rather than the “how to’s”. I think it’s easy to get lost in what everyone else is doing and want people to tell us what to do. I believe it’s important to study the material that interests you and learn from people that can bring you back to yourself so that you can strengthen the relationship with your own inner wisdom and compass. The answers are inside of us always, we just don’t listen to our body and soul enough, living in an era with a lot of external distractions and things that disconnect us.

You just hosted a retreat in Costa Rica. Can you share details about it?

The CreateYou Retreat is a luxury wom-

en’s retreat, a unique and transformative experience designed to help you reconnect with yourself, nature, and other powerful women. It is a beautifully created safe space for healing & transformation, for women to work through their traumas & limiting beliefs and connect in sisterhood. We take you through different experiences and ceremonies that will support you in your journey to become the most authentic & powerful version of yourself.

The March retreat was located in breathtaking Costa Rica, surrounded by nature, the ocean, and even our own private beach. A full weekend: Thursday-Monday, filled with yoga, sound baths, meditations, workshops, breath work, personalized coaching, energy healing, dancing, private

chef, and more.

What should people do more of?

Disconnect from social media and external distractions and connect more to nature and to themselves. In the time that we live in, I think we get more and more distracted from being in the present moment, being connected in our bodies, in our hearts, and souls. So detoxing from everything that clouds our connection to self should be done more regurarly.

To learn more about Andrea Somer, visit: www.bodymindspiritcoaching. net/ andrea-somer.mykajabi.com/ createyou-retreat

To learn more about Andrea Somer, visit: www.bodymindspiritcoaching.net/ andrea-somer.mykajabi.com/createyou-retreat

Photo: janiere-fernandez

“

hitting my head on the wall and floor both times. It was then I realized that I had to snap out of this depression...”

Personal trainer, model, and aspiring actor Karl Brown sat down with us to discuss how dealing with his mental health helped him lose 100 lbs and saved his life.

Photography by Amina Touray

Brown Karl Wealth Is Health

What one event changed your life?

It was an extremely cold morning with about six inches of snow. I remember my dad, brother, sister, and several close friends being at the hospice in Blue Ash, Ohio, when I arrived. About an hour after my arrival, I remember the hospice nurse coming into the waiting area where I was with my brother and saying to us, - “It’s happening, Your mom’s legs are getting cold, and her breathing is very labored.” Words I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Walking into the room, I immediately stood over my mom and started crying and saying, “I love you, mom!” She just laid there full of morphine and pain meds. I said “I Love you” again and again, and nothing. I needed closure, so I shouted “I love you”, and my mom’s eyes opened. She looked at me and said, “I love you too, son.” Then she went back down into a sleep-like state and eventually died. Not many people get to hear their dying mom say, “I love you,” and for that, I’m thankful, but the death of my mom was a traumatic event I was not ready for.

How did you gain over 100 lbs, especially being a trainer?

The death of my mom really sent me into a deep depression as I was also dealing with a divorce. Dealing with these two things, I stopped exercising and began drinking and gaining weight because of out-of-control eating. As I began gaining weight, I would wear bigger clothes and tell people I was getting into powerlifting

and bulking up. When in actuality, I was depressed, anxious, and had zero energy to dedicate to my workout. Excessive eating was the way I soothed myself. The combination of all these things led to me gaining over 100 lbs.

When did you make the connection between physical health and mental health?

The actual moment came when I blacked out at home twice, hitting my head on the wall and floor both times. It was then I realized that I had to snap out of this depression and get myself in some sort of shape as I come from a family with a history of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

What physical changes started happening to your body as a result of the weight gain?

At 311 lbs, it’s hard to have a nice phy-

sique, and mine was absolutely awful. I had love handles, the fatty tissue in my chest area made me look as though I had developed breasts, I gained weight in my face, and I couldn’t run a quarter mile.

How did you begin the journey to losing over 100 lbs?

Losing over 100 lbs was not easy as I would lose the weight in 5 lb increments. In doing this, I began to understand that change starts from within with your mindset. Once you believe in yourself and do not let anything or anyone get in your way, change is inevitable. When I first started on my journey, people were happy. As I lost 30-40-50 lbs, people would tell me; - “You look great now. Don’t lose any more weight.” As I began to drop upwards of 60-80-90 lbs, those people said to me, -” You’re too skinny,” “You look like your sick,” and “What are you trying to prove?”. Then soon as people

found out I was modeling, those same people would say, “You look amazing!”. I say that to say only you know what you want to accomplish, and whether people are praising you or ridiculing you, you have to stick to what you believe.

What motivates you now?

My motivation is my mental health and the fact that a lot of opportunities I had in my 20s and were too insecure about taking advantage of are coming back to me now in my 50s, which is crazy in its own right. That’s what motivates me now. I want to see how far I can push the envelope. Who knows, I always dreamed of performing in a Cirque de Soleil, maybe just maybe.

Follow Karl: @Mochaskinmodel

Photo: quintin-gella

Photo: leticia-ribeiro

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