Episode 39
December 10, 2024
How Visualization & Nutrition Helped Ruby Lathon Overcome Cancer
Listen on
Amazon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1hZzQoGCRE
<
In this transformative episode, Amber sits down with her cousin, Ruby Lathon, who shares her powerful journey of healing from thyroid cancer through holistic nutrition. Ruby reveals how she defied expectations, explored natural treatment options, and found her purpose in helping others heal through plant-based diets and emotional wellness.
From her career pivot from engineering to holistic nutrition to her strategies for addressing emotional and mental barriers to healing, Ruby’s story is one of courage, empowerment, and resilience. Together, Amber and Ruby discuss the power of visualization, the role of food as medicine, and the profound impact of mental and emotional balance on overall health.
Whether you’re curious about holistic nutrition or looking for inspiration to take control of your health, this episode offers insights and actionable tips for living a more vibrant life.
Key Points
-
Ruby’s career transition from engineering to nutrition
-
On navigating natural treatment options
-
Mind power, healthy eating, and emotional wellness
-
Ruby’s journey of healing from thyroid cancer
-
What are the pillars for healing?
-
The importance of having a clean and plant-based diet
-
On addressing emotional, mental, and energetic blocks in healing
-
Veganism, dairy reduction, and healthy eating habits
-
Some meal plan recommendations
-
What does Ruby refuse to feel guilty about?
Quotables
“I learned more about meditation and taking control of that visualization. Worry is just negative visualization.” – Ruby Lathon
“If you can take all the supplements in the world and eat the cleanest diet, and if you’re still holding on to resentment, anger, and just putrid emotions, it’s not gonna work.” – Ruby Lathon
About the Guest
Ruby Lathon
-
- Instagram | @rubylathon
The Guilty Privilege Podcast is produced by EPYC Media Network
SPEAKERS
Ruby Lathon, Amber Cabral
Amber Cabral 00:00
First guest episode of the day. There you go. Oh, I forgot to say this to you. I’m gonna introduce you after so that’s a separate process.
00:14
All right,
Amber Cabral 00:17
okay, hey, cousin.
00:19
Hey,
Amber Cabral 00:20
I’m so happy to have you here.
Ruby 00:21
I’m excited to be here. Yeah, this
Amber Cabral 00:22
is good. I was thinking to myself, I was talking to Jess earlier this morning, and was like, I’ve never had a family member conversation before. So this is this is unique. It feels special. So I’m excited about it. Okay, so I’m super excited about what you have to share, because I think you have a really amazing testimony, but also I think you have some good nuggets to share, and because you and I have a little bit of a different lifestyle in some ways that are that matter to this episode, I think that it’ll be a good dynamic for people to see the fullness, which I think is one of the things you try to talk about. So let’s start by first just saying, like, who are you? What do you do?
Ruby 01:04
I am a holistic nutrition educator. So I’m a health coach, I’m a vegan chef. I do a lot of things, but that that encompasses what I do. I help people heal naturally, focusing on food and energetics. Yeah,
Amber Cabral 01:20
and you have a you have a very different background, though. What is your background originally? Yeah.
Ruby 01:24
So I started in engineering, computer science. Actually started in computer science, and then I did industrial engineering. And I always wanted to be a doctor when I was a little so I was like, when the opportunity came for the PhD, I was like, yeah, it’s not quite the doctor I was thinking of, but it’s a doctor, so and then I did my PhD in Industrial Systems Engineering with a minor in statistics and artificial intelligence,
Amber Cabral 01:50
which is very different than what we would imagine a person who is a nutritionist, right, right? What? What prompted the shift? Like, what made you transition?
Ruby 01:59
Yeah, yeah. Well, my own journey through health, yeah. So I was working in defense, 2007 I was surprisingly diagnosed with thyroid cancer because I had the test done and I was like, I don’t have cancer. It’s like, I’m just doing it, because the doctor said to do it, yeah. So I was shocked when I got that information back, and I asked the doc, you know the treatment? He’s like, you just take your thyroid out and then we put you on this medication, and that’s it. And I was like, what are the alternatives? And he’s like, there are no alternatives. I was like, What about natural treatment? He was like, no one’s ever been healed naturally from thyroid cancer. And that kind of just struck me, like, Really, wow. And so it was at that moment that I decided I was not going to do the surgery,
Amber Cabral 02:45
wow. So like, real time, it was just like, it was such
Ruby 02:49
a visceral, immediate response. And what made it such a response was he starts saying, we’re going to do this, you’re going to come and have the surgery this, you’re going to do this. And it was like, You’re and I’m a rebel at heart tells me what to do, right? You know, I’d even tell my mom when I was little. I didn’t say in my mind, I’d be like, You’re not the boss of me. Yeah? You know, I would never would say that, but that’s what I was thinking, right? So I’m like, you just gonna hijack my life for the next couple of months without even, you didn’t even ask me, right? So that caused that reaction, like, well, first of all, how do you know no one’s ever been healed, right? First and two, let me, let me do some research.
Amber Cabral 03:29
So okay, I feel like, for most people, the experience of, like, I have been diagnosed with cancer and I am going to cure it myself, is a bit more of a journey. Like, I don’t think people are like, No, I’m not getting my thyroid removed. Like that feels very you
Ruby 03:46
think so. The other thing is, he said I would have to be on medication forever. Like, yeah, you do when you have your thyroid. And I was like, I don’t want to be dependent on anything like that. Another part of my independent spirit, I was like, I don’t want to be dependent on this. So maybe if he had said, you know, you wouldn’t have to be on medication, I might have considered it, but it was the combination of, we’re taking over your life, and you’re going to be on medication forever. And I didn’t even ask you if you want to do this or not,
Amber Cabral 04:15
right, right? Okay, so where did you start? Like, I mean, in your mind, you’re like, Okay, I can fix this, which I think is amazing, because, I mean, I can’t imagine, first of all, I can’t imagine getting a cancer diagnosis, but I cannot imagine making a decision about my own treatment plan and just feeling confident about it, like, I feel like I would have had a ton of anxiety. I don’t know if I would have had confidence in my own, you know, ability to research. You’re like, yeah, I could do some research. I just what, please talk to me about that
Ruby 04:42
it’s just a background thing of knowing that there are natural remedies for most things, yeah, you know, just my grandmother, mother, you know, it’s just we use, we use vinegar and apple cider vinegar for stuff, you know, we use natural things to heal. And then I just, it just triggered memories of people. People talking about how they’d heal their cancer naturally, yeah? Like this woman in my church who was like 70 something, that she’d, you know, 20 years ago, she had breast cancer, and she didn’t do the natural so I was like, it’s been done, yeah? So I was like, you know it so I’m not going to be the first one. I just got to figure out what people did, right, right? So, yeah, so I was a little. I was more shocked than afraid, yeah, and I happened to be, like, with my family, like, the next day after I found out, and so I let them know, and then everybody started crying, and I was like, I’m not dying. Yes, like, we’re not I’m not dying. I’m just gonna get through this. I’m gonna figure it out. So I went to this natural life treatment center that was affiliated with the church that I went to at the time that teaches you how to use food as medicine. So about three weeks after that, they had an opening, and I went after the diagnosis. And in the meantime, I was just like researching what to do. So that was step one. Let me figure out how to use the natural remedies absolutely and then after going there, I learned it was like a download of information. I learned so much in such a short amount of time that I felt confident coming back, that I could do this. And then I had a friend who was studying to be a naturopathic doctor, and I was her first patient.
Amber Cabral 06:18
Oh, nice. Okay, that’s a great friend to have what look at timing, yeah. So
Ruby 06:22
Wow. Between that information and her, I felt like, I can, I can do this.
Amber Cabral 06:28
That’s amazing. I think a lot of people who get a diagnosis that would like, be scary, like, I think a cancer diagnosis would really scare me. I think having the reaction of, I feel like, having a sense of empowerment is that’s that had to be incredible.
Ruby 06:42
I just felt like I had to be in charge of this process, because it just evoked such a you’re a cog in this wheel. It just, I felt like you’re about to enter the cancer machine exactly. You no longer have control of your life, right? And I was like, wait a minute, I’m not participating Exactly, exactly, yeah,
Amber Cabral 07:02
I can resonate with that. That could be, yeah, that doesn’t definitely resonates with me. So, how long? How long like, how like, Well, what did you do? But also, how long, yeah,
Ruby 07:12
so, so, when I was at that treatment center, people that ask us Yuchi pines, there are many like that, and many others. That’s just the one that I went to, yeah, I saw people healing there. Like, this woman had a tumor in her mouth, and it was shrinking in that three weeks that I was there, wow. So I was like, mine is a centimeter, and hers was like inches. And I was like, so this should be gone in three months. I was like,
Amber Cabral 07:37
not, I set a date for my cancer, the power of the mind. Like, we’re gonna talk about that too, but, like, the power of the mind, you were like, oh, that’s what’s going on. Oh, we’ll be done with this, right?
Ruby 07:49
Wow. Like, I jumped all in, you know, I’m doing everything they’re telling me to do. And so I was gonna have another ultrasound in a few months to in three months to because the doc said, Well, you have a couple of months do what you want, and then we can schedule the surgery in three months. So I went back, and it was still there, and I was devastated, and it was the same size, no change. And he took the opportunity to discourage me. Of course, I almost left in tears because I was so like emotional about it. And then that’s when the other pieces of the puzzle started coming together. Okay, let’s
Amber Cabral 08:24
talk about the other pieces of the puzzle. Like I always say when people, when I talk to you about people, I’m always like, I have a cousin. She’s a famous vegan because, you know, I, I’m, you know, I’m gonna eat the things. But like, I admire that. You have been like, so deliberate about healthy eating, but you have been really clear, like, there are other elements to this. It’s not just what you are. There’s other stuff. What? What? What are the other puzzle pieces that came in?
Ruby 08:47
I saw food as the foundation. Let’s make sure we’re not putting junk in. Let’s clean it up. Let’s give my body the most potent nutrients it can possibly get. Yeah, that was the food. And then different supplements, supplementation, from juices to wheat grass and a whole bunch of things. The other piece that I realized I was drowning in some fear, even though I was appeared to be like, I’m in charge. There’s no fear. Yeah, you were
Amber Cabral 09:11
resilient, but you were like, I’m a little nervous, right?
Ruby 09:15
Doesn’t work, yeah? What am I gonna do next? Yeah? You know, I’ve let my entire network. No, I’m doing this because I was, like, searching for information, not to be like, Oh, look what I’m doing. Was like, right? If you have any information, help me. Yes, yeah. So, so when it wasn’t done in that three months, then I was talking with my friend Phyllis, who was studying to be the natural path, and she’s a very successful one. Now, she’s like, let’s uncover a little bit more the emotional piece. What does the thyroid represent, you know? And when you get more into Eastern medicine and philosophy, where you get sick and how you get sick gives you an indicator of what you need to work on. Okay? And so at the time, my thyroid was also enlarged, which is one. The reasons we were looking at it to begin with, and they’re saying, you know, if it gets too large, it wraps around, it wraps around your vocal cord, Oh, wow. And so it’s already there, but if it gets too large, you can start impeding your speech. Oh, wow. And you can either become horse or not not be able to speak at all. And so she’s like, what is that? What do you think? And I was like, that
Amber Cabral 10:22
sounds like someone’s been suppressing. Is that a suppression? That’s what I would think. Yes, it
Ruby 10:26
is very much. So no, I
Amber Cabral 10:28
do not suppress a word. So yes, I
Ruby 10:30
know, I know. But I was, I was the consummate people pleaser, yeah, do everything, right? I was the teacher’s pet. I was like, I’m not even though I was like, the rebel, I still want to get in trouble, right, you know what? Right? We talked
Amber Cabral 10:43
a little bit about that last night too. Like, just, like, about that, like, the southern energy, sometimes that kind of creeps in, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Ruby 10:49
So I was working as an engineer. So I had left the laboratory that I was working in. I was working at a partnership. We started our own engineering firm, and I was leading up Albuquerque division of that. Okay, however, it wasn’t a fair or equitable partnership, okay, I was doing most of the work and getting the least amount of money, yeah, right, and it was all male, right? Oh, well, yeah. Okay. So, so I was, like, actively trying to figure out how I’m gonna get out of this partnership, because I’ve got money in it. How am I going to get my money out of it? What am I going to do next? What do I want to do? I even want to stay in this field. I don’t like working in defense. I don’t like optimizing weapon systems. I like the money, but I don’t like the actual work. Yeah, I liked people when they were happy with the solutions. But when I’m realizing you guys are actually using this in real time, right? I don’t want to be a part of this war, right in Afghanistan, right? Things. I don’t want to. This is not me. So I realized I was suppressing a lot. So I quit. I quit the job. I was like, You know what? I can’t heal and still work when I’m pissed off, right about how this partnership,
Amber Cabral 11:59
you’re holding your tongue right actively every day.
Ruby 12:04
And I was like, I’m out. I want my money, you know, so do what you got to do, you know, that’s good. And I was like, and I don’t care how it’s going to fall out, everything’s going to be okay, because I didn’t really have a plan of what I was going to do next, you know. So I was like, I’m just going to do what I have to do. And that felt freeing, because they never heard me, like, speak up and be like, I’m done. They’re shocked. It was really one person. The other partners were good, but it was the one. It was always one. Yeah. So I felt free. I was like, Okay, now and then I was like, You know what? I’ve been saying a yes to a lot of stuff. I don’t want to do yes to organizations. I don’t want to be it because I didn’t have the gumption to say no, and I felt guilt trip. Well, you don’t have kids, you’re single, you’ve got time. Oh, wow. You know all of that I should give back, but I want to give back the way that I want to get absolutely. So I start saying no to everything. I knew no was my new word because I had never used it enough. It was like go along to get along right now, and so that was what changed about me, was like, No, I’m not going to be the pushover anymore. Nobody’s having peace if I don’t have peace.
Amber Cabral 13:10
So you legit had thyroid cancer, and we’re like, I’m leaving my job. Yeah,
Ruby 13:15
yes, okay, because I just didn’t think I could heal in that environment, right? Like, I’m not, I’m not doing it. But what happened is, I was as valuable as I thought. And they were like, don’t quit. Just take a leave of absence. And I was like, Okay, I’m probably not coming back. But okay, right? It’s more secure, right? But, you know, health insurance, right, right? So, so that’s what I did, um, and so that was part of the journey of, like, unpeeling the people pleasing, and then unpeeling the fear, you know, just a whole lot of stuff. So I really started delving into that, the energetic part of healing, because I would be so fearful going to that doctor to get the checkup. That’s when I decided to fire him. I was like, You know what? He works for me. Why am I paying to almost come out in tears exactly? You get somebody else who’s gonna just do what I’m telling you to do, which is do the thing, tell me the results, and let me go on. I’m my doctor, exactly. So, so I just started taking more control of that, and then that let me I was like, how do I deal with the fear that keeps creeping up. That’s when I learn more about meditation and taking control of that and visualization, instead of because worry is just negative visualization. Because people say I don’t know how to visualize. I’m like, Yes, you do. We all have been doing it. Wow. I’ve never heard that before life. Yes, when you worry because you’re thinking about what could happen negatively, and you’re getting very upset about I’m thinking, what if I don’t heal? So now I’m envisioning not healing. And that’s, that’s visualization. Oh
Amber Cabral 14:49
my gosh, it’s so good. I never would have thought of that. I was
Ruby 14:53
like, All right, let’s flip this. So whenever I’m like, feeling like, worried negative visualization, it is absolutely. Absolutely And so now, even now, I use that when I’m like, Oh my gosh, what am I gonna do about this? I was like, Okay, how do you want it to go? Start thinking about that. Spend five minutes visualizing what, how you want this situation to flip and just just get into that emotion and feeling. I live
Amber Cabral 15:18
in that space, yes, and people think I am out of my mind, like they’re like, how are you doing this? Because this is what I want.
Ruby 15:25
Mantras that I hear all the time. You can have whatever you want, and those kind of things, those are real.
Amber Cabral 15:30
I live it very much. So I live it, but I don’t think I’ve ever had the counter language of worry is visualization. Like I never, I’ve never even considered that. But, like, that’s such a that, for me, that’s a very groundbreaking perspective, because I oftentimes folks are like, but how do you have whatever you want? How are you thinking about that? And it’s literally, it’s that it’s, it’s the opposite of flipping the script. Yes, wow, that was a good moment. Thank you for that. I needed that. Okay, all right. So, okay, so you you got to a place where you’re like, I’m not gonna continue to allow all these things that are around me to continue to suppress me. I am going to get out of the negative visualization. So you started practicing positive visualization techniques. So meditation, I’m assuming there were some other modalities.
Ruby 16:16
My body healing. I visualized the tumor shrinking till you couldn’t see it anymore, or just exiting my body, I started planning, like, what if you would be healed? I was like, I’d have a party. So I’m gonna have a wellness party when this is done, that’s what I would do, you know? And so I just started thinking, What would life look like if what you want to happen happens, and let’s plan for that. And so that’s when the fear went away, and then just some other pieces, you know, because I was focused initially on, how did I get this? So, how did I get this? So I’m like, was it radiation, these dental X rays, all this stuff. So I was able to go to the center where they measure radiation in your body, because I worked at the labs, and they have it for those folks. Yeah, and I did find that I had a higher level of certain elements that shouldn’t have been there. And I felt like, Okay, I got my answer now, and I can shift from trying to find the problem to fully focusing on the solution. Yeah. And so I was able to relax. And then finally, I was like, you know, I’m taking vacation. I’ve been studying, like I was studying cancer recovery for like, six months every day, like what to do, and so I was tweaking my plan. I was taking like, 100 different things. Finally decided to take a break go to the beach at a friend’s condo with my sister and another friend, and then I ended up the last week by myself. I’m sitting on the beach in bliss because it’s beautiful blue water. Yeah, I’ve got guacamole and chips and water, and I’m sitting there like this is heaven for me. It’s parking it really doesn’t get better than peace and just being here by myself and listening to the water. And then that’s when I got a download of this is what you need to be doing. You’re taking too much. You can leave these things out. This is how you need to structure your healing routine.
Amber Cabral 18:03
So wait, so you got just like a download that was like, I am, I am cons. I don’t need all of the things that I’m trying. So you were, oh my gosh. So you were like, I’m researching, yeah, I’ve got all these things,
Ruby 18:13
adding stuff, I’m taking crazy stuff. Yeah. I was like,
Amber Cabral 18:18
Whatever, whatever it is, I’d rather do that, right? Oh, because
Ruby 18:21
I was meeting with all kinds of doctors, you know, I was like, on a quest. Yes. I wasn’t sitting at home chilling every day. Was like, more information, wow,
Amber Cabral 18:29
yeah. And so you had this moment that was like, Okay, you’re doing way too many things, yeah, yes.
Ruby 18:34
And that was like, it came to me. I was like, Okay, we need to reduce inflammation in the body. Because the thyroid is enlarged, that’s what we need to focus on. We don’t need to take everything that reduces inflammation. We do need to take some things that specifically target cancer. We don’t need to take all of them. That’s just a few. And then we need to have the nutrients, you know, that you need in your body. So it’s like we’re giving ourselves the right food. Now we’re giving ourselves the right supplements and reducing inflammation. That’s it. We don’t have to take every single thing. And so I was like, okay, that’s what I’m gonna do. So I just like, when I got back to the room, just kind of marked off the things that were redundant in that area. And that’s where people get so overwhelmed with cancer. I’ve heard of soursop, I’ve heard of this. I’ve heard of there. I was like, there are 100 different things, but you don’t have to take them, all of them, you know. And
Amber Cabral 19:26
I can imagine that’s way more anxiety inducing anyway, because you’re like, I got all this stuff. I have a schedule. Literally, there was
Ruby 19:31
so much. So now I’m like, okay, just a few things. I’m already taking the teas in the morning. I’m doing, I’m not doing pounds and pounds of juicing. I’m doing wheatgrass, because it’s so potent, I only need two ounces a day with some ginger to help settle the stomach. And then then I just, you know, stripped down to some basic supplements. And I was like, Okay, now I can do this. I can do this. And that’s when the next time I actually got the new doctor, the thyroid had shrunk to the normalcy. Eyes. I was like, It’s working. It’s working. The tour was still there, though, but I was like, but my body is a response, responding, it’s responding. And I’m gonna go back when I feel healed, not on a schedule. I’m in charge. I’m just gonna do instead of, you know, still, right?
Amber Cabral 20:15
Three months, three months, three months, right?
Ruby 20:16
Oh yeah, I’m gonna go back when I feel healed, and that’s it. Because what am I checking? I’m just gonna go when I’m ready. So this was a year, so I’d given myself this year to do it, because I was like, by the time cancer shows up, it’s been growing for years, doesn’t usually pop up like that, so the expectation for it to go is good, but I felt like it didn’t go immediately, because I needed to learn these other pieces of the process, these life lessons. Because if I had healed in three months, I probably would have jumped back into the people pleasing of this same habits, and I would not have become evolved right into the person I needed to be, right? You know, I was the type of like didn’t want to be seen. I was always very quiet. People always think, you’re very soft spoken. I’m really not. I’m like, You are not spoken with people that I’m comfortable with, right? Very
Amber Cabral 21:05
loud, exactly. Yeah, you talk. You’re weird, chatty, for sure, a
Ruby 21:09
ruckus bunch, right? That’s not how I’m perceived, you know, so and I would wear muted colors. I was very like, I’m gonna slip into the back of the room. I don’t want to be seen. I don’t want to make any waves. Now, I’m like, No, I got Pink, hot pink, red, right? That’s my whole wardrobe now, because I feel safe to be seen, yeah? And those are some of those things that you have to uncover, childhood traumas and things like that that really kind of shape how you move in the world. And I didn’t realize it, wow. I was like, No, it’s safe. You’re safe. So
Amber Cabral 21:42
let’s just, like, just to recap, because before I have a couple specific questions about what happened, because I’ve heard pieces of this story, but I’ve never heard this told in this entirety quite this way. So I just want to cover a couple of things. You essentially started out fairly successful. You were successful. You had a you were making good right? You were making good money, right? Bonuses. You were perceivably for, you know, well liked, right? Like you were successful. And then you get this diagnosis, and you’re like, it was almost like it triggered you to realize that you were really not living your life. You were living a life I was, but it wasn’t your life. It
Ruby 22:16
wasn’t it was what I thought I needed to do. Yes, you know, I wanted a career, obviously, that made good money. That was always my thing. I want to be poor. I need to make a lot of money. So get the highest education. So you can do that. So, but I realized I’m not, I don’t want to do this. I’m not getting this is not joyful, yeah. And I was like, what would you do if money wasn’t a thing? And that’s how I shifted.
Amber Cabral 22:42
You were ringing so many of my bells. So I’m a big fan of deprioritizing money as the focus. Like, I think people make so many poor decisions because the only focus is money. And what’s hard about saying that is that we live in a society where so many people don’t have it and need it, so it’s literally all they can think about. But like, I always tell people, like, if you have access to making money, like, figure out what you actually want, right? Because you’ll get all the money, right, and you will be miserable, right? Because
Ruby 23:09
I would go to work. I’m like, I can’t wait to get out of here. It’s 915 right?
Amber Cabral 23:13
You still have a whole day, exactly. You know, I
Ruby 23:17
hated that structure, so, yeah, so it was like, so the first transition out wasn’t directly to holistic nutrition. I was like, I went to this headhunter. I was like, I need to get out of engineering. What do I do? You know? So he said, put in the keywords of what you want to be doing on a daily basis and see what pops up. Oh, that’s a good idea. And like, a job search. And this job came up with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which was teaching people how to use food as prevention. I was like, oh, yeah, particularly plant based food, right? And I was like, Oh, I can this is it, yeah. So I was like, this is the job for me. I couldn’t once I looked at it and saw, I was like, this has my name written all over
Amber Cabral 23:56
before you got to the new job. Where did you still have thyroid cancer at this point, or did you not know? Were you still in that window where you were like, I’m
Ruby 24:04
not going back until I’m here? This was after I was healed. Okay, yeah.
Amber Cabral 24:08
So how long from probably that pivotal moment when you were on vacation where you were like, Okay, this is the right formula. Here’s what I need to be doing to take care of myself. Here’s how I want my life to feel, to healed. What it was like six
Ruby 24:21
months, because I was about six months in, yeah, yeah. So I went back about a few months after, I felt like, I feel like I’m healed. So we go somewhere, still there, and then something came in. I was like, let’s do another biopsy. Because we weren’t doing biopsies. We were just doing ultrasounds. Oh, so you just were seeing it, but there was no right? And I was just expecting it to disappear. And I was like, having studied this the for a year, sometimes the body just changes it front to benign tumor will still be there. So I said, Let’s do another biopsy. And the doc said, Okay, so we biopsy all the little nodules around it, everything, about 20. Needle pricks, and week later, come back. And I always say, this is the saddest good news I’ve ever received, because he’s going through each piece of paper with each result. And I’m like, there must be bad news at the end of this, because he’s going, there’s no cancer on this one. There’s no cancer there. And he gets the last one, it’s like, so there’s the one that had the cancer. It’s no longer cancer. Is now benign. Why?
Amber Cabral 25:26
Why would you do you know what? This is a thing. Just as a side note, doctors, if you’re listening, I have had the experience of getting a diagnosis that was shocking for me. It was something very curable, very minor. It was several years ago, but it was shocking. And what I didn’t appreciate in the conversation was exactly that I felt like she, like, almost danced around like, well, this is what we saw, and here’s this thing, and you’re literally like, can you just tell me none of the nodules have kids, right? Hey, the results for this thing are right. Like, Lee, can you give us please? We know you nervous, baby. We nervous too. Tell us the thing so we can do what
Ruby 26:09
we gotta do. Why are you not happy, right? So, but anyway,
Amber Cabral 26:13
the way it was fed, well, okay, but yeah, okay. He says,
Ruby 26:16
Yeah. So I am changing your diagnosis. You’re no longer a cancer patient, you know, because you no longer have cancer. I was like, Thank God, right. Give me this paperwork and let me get the
Amber Cabral 26:25
hell up out of here. Exactly. Okay, so I
Ruby 26:30
had the bonus party four days later. It was Wednesday, yeah, so I had it that week, party
Amber Cabral 26:34
in four days. Yes, I already, you had already thought it out. Okay, all
Ruby 26:38
right. So I just let people know, if you can make it, you can make it, right? I had a house full of people. We celebrated. It was awesome. So, so then, you know, I told everybody I was healed, because everybody was wondering what was happening. And so then people wanted to know, well, how did you do that? What can you talk to my person? Can you do this? And I was like, yeah, so. But then I was like, okay, so what am I gonna do as a job now? I don’t want imagine that anymore. I’m not going back to defense. I’m not helping optimize killing people, I guess not, yeah. So that’s when I started the job search, and that was what came up. And in the meantime, I had done things like help rehabilitate a whole center for people recovering from drugs and alcohol, like we each had a room to renovate. I was like, This is what I want to do with my time, as opposed to what people are telling do. And for a short time, I became the executive director of that center. Oh, that’s awesome, yeah, and so. But I was like, Okay, what next? And that’s when I did the job search, and then that’s when I found PCRM. And I was like, Yeah, I do this job for free. I had already packed up my house, although I’m not gonna do it for free, right? So I already packed up my house, and still hadn’t gotten Yes, oh, wow. And it was like, Tuesday, and the movies were coming on Friday. And then that’s when I got the call that got the job. And I was like, I’m out of here. That’s amazing. Great. I was like, just, just, I just, the thing is, when I get locked in on something, I was like, I couldn’t physically search for another job, because I would feel bad every time. I was like, this is the job. And I had the interview, and I always have this thing, if I get the interview, I get the job.
Amber Cabral 28:14
I’m very similar. I’m like, I get the interview, I’m gonna land it right every same way. Yeah. The
Ruby 28:19
only time I didn’t is when it was a job, I didn’t want exactly. It was a terrible interview, right? And I didn’t want it anyway. I’m like, I’m good, right? Yeah. So, so that’s why I had the gumption to just pack up, removing, make the plans and and then from there. So
Amber Cabral 28:36
the pillars, when you when you describe the pillars. Now I just want to make sure that they’re not lost. For the audience, what are the pillars of let’s just call it healing, because people may not necessarily have cancer, you know, but maybe they’re just looking for, like General,
Ruby 28:47
I work with people with several other illnesses, so it’s number one, we do get a foundation of food. So whether that’s going to be fully plant based or extremely clean, we have to, we have to look at the food. We can’t be taken in junk, right? So that’s number one. And I usually recommend plant based diets, so I always do but some people want to do hybrids. You can do what you want to do. I’m just going to tell you what I think, right? So, so there’s the diet, there’s the supplementation, because usually most disease comes from a lack of certain nutrients over time and things like that. So let’s make sure we’re feeding our body with the supplements that will fill any gaps and help support whatever it is we’re trying to heal. And then the third one is what I call the emotional, mental or energetic piece of it, and that is really almost the strongest piece of it, yeah, because when you read stories like from Joe Dispenza and other people about how just thinking you have a disease, or thinking you have a cure, and you’re curing and you’re really just taking a placebo. I mean, the placebo effect is a testament to how strong our mind is. It’s so it’s there. So this is not new. It’s learning how to harness. That in a way that is getting you the results you want. And then, for a lot of people, I just help them uncover, and that’s one of my skills, is to clearly, just after meeting with someone, seeing where the energetic blocks are, and like, this is what you need to to deal with. You know, I’ve had people who were, you know, having, like, incontinence issues, right, which they shouldn’t, and they had a parent that had moved in with them, and that’s when it started. I was like, you know, see that, yeah, you don’t notice. This is the you now feel like a child, exactly. And I was like, Yeah, you’re doing a thing a child would be. And when they stood up to that person, it stopped. And I was like, So, and they had been given all these medications. And I was like, there’s nothing wrong with you. This is not a medical issue. This is a feeling issue. Yeah, yeah. So, so that’s what I feel like, is one of my just, like, God, given gifts, because I don’t have to work at that. It just, I just see it, and usually after one consult, I can pinpoint if the person is open right where we need to focus, and then how we need to navigate through that while doing the other things. Because if you you can take all the supplements in the world and eat the cleanest diet, and if you’re still holding on to resentment, anger and just putrid emotions, it’s not gonna work, yeah? And that’s why we say people on a vegan diet have less probability of a lot of things. But it’s not a panacea. It’s not, yeah, a sure thing. It just reduces your probability, but it doesn’t reduce it all. So what I really
Amber Cabral 31:34
love about this conversation is because I always tell people, like, you know, she’s not one of those vegans, you know, that’s like, oh, you eat meat, you know? Like, it’s
Ruby 31:42
not like, what’s the point?
Amber Cabral 31:45
Exactly, not it is exactly, it’s not helpful. But like, I think what I also hear in this conversation, that I think is really great, is just like, really, like, what being vegan really does is it gives you a better starting point, absolutely. But like, if your brain is still crap, or you’re still not making sure that you’re getting the nutrients, just being vegan alone is really just like, Okay, well, you’re probably starting at a better place. But like, in the grand scheme of things, your probability, yeah, exactly. But like, you’re but you’re still at risk if you are taking in this other form of, like, abuse, which I think is like, a good perspective, like the pronged approach, approach really matters. And I also like the idea that you know your mind has so much to do with it, like how you think, what you put in, the way you make decisions, the stuff you decide to hold on to, if you don’t deal with the
Ruby 32:33
emotional piece, you’re not going to follow the plan that I’m exactly, because you don’t even believe it
Amber Cabral 32:37
yet, yes, exactly. So I love that, because I, I just am a fan of, like, I get a choice, I get a choice, right? And I’m going to, at every opportunity I’m taking my choice, like, period, like, this is not up for debate. And so so often, I think that, you know, we are put in the position very much, like when you describe being young, where it’s like, Okay, I’ve got to take this. I don’t want to make people mad. I, you know, I know I’m the only woman, and I want them to think that I’m emotional, or whatever it is, and we fall into that loop, and you’re just like, I can’t this. That’s not me. I’m going to, no, I get to have what I want. I’m going to do what I want to do. I really value you having that element of like, No, these are the three things that you have to think about, and all of them need to really be in order, especially if you’re working on targeting, addressing a specific concern,
Ruby 33:24
right? Because it only gets you so far when you do part of it. Yeah, yeah.
Amber Cabral 33:28
Oh my gosh. Okay, amazing. So I have to ask you a few other like, specifically food questions, but I want to talk about one other thing. First, you’ve been in a couple of you know, we’re in the documentary phase now, right? So I feel like every few years there’s another one that’s like, hey, just so you know, you can eat healthy and life gets better. I appreciate these, you know, I think they’re a good tap and nudge to, you know, remind you to eat well. But I would love to just, you know, just kind of get your thoughts and insight around, like, the the idea that, like, you can watch this and you can be, for lack of a better description, scared into going vegan. What else do people probably need to think about. Thing is,
Ruby 34:08
so many people have gone vegan for watching movies like, what the health new one that’s out now, you are what you eat, yep. But a lot of people fall off because they didn’t get the full message of it, or they just don’t do it quite right? Yep. They’re like, I’m just eating peanut butter and sweet or white, right? There’s such a variety of things. Yeah. And that’s
Amber Cabral 34:28
why I’m asking, because I feel like this idea of going vegan just means like, Okay, I eat celery and guacamole and like, all this, but you’re not. I’m like, how are you getting what you need? Because I do think sometimes these movies do a good job of showing, like, you can still be strong and eat just plants and like all that, but, like, I don’t know that you also get the other side, which is like, but what, what is it? Is that?
Ruby 34:48
And that’s, that’s what I help with the coach. I do the menu plans. And that’s how I got into cooking, because one of my pet, pubes, is nasty vegan food. It is the reason I’m not. Vegan, because I know that it turns so many people off. Yes, and I’m like, this can taste good if you know what you’re doing. Yeah, it’s really, it’s it’s not that hard, if you have a skill set to begin with, like cooking and just education. So it was, for me, definitely a stair step education. Because when people were like, making cheeses and mayonnaise, I was like, I’m not making condiments. I barely want to cook now, you
Amber Cabral 35:22
make my own condiments. And also, like, I don’t even use mayonnaise that much. So, like, Give me something, and then if you’re gonna give me some cheese, can it be like, good, at least a little like cheese? Yes. Like, I don’t want it to taste like cashews, please. Can I get it tasting like cheese? Right? Yeah,
Ruby 35:37
in 2007 eight, when I was going through this. There weren’t that many things on the market, so you really did have to make your own stuff. But the more I got into it, I was like, oh, because I love the good grilled cheese. But then when I learned how to make the cashew cheese, I was like, I can have
Amber Cabral 35:53
grilled where it doesn’t taste like cashews. It does not, it doesn’t, yes,
Ruby 35:57
and so that’s
Amber Cabral 36:01
we never know if it’s gonna toot like it’ll if it just keeps going, and we could when it suits. Was an issue. Well, she was talking about cashew cheese, that’s what. Yeah, okay, oh, this one is very committed to the whole it was, it felt like it was right here. Okay, all right, okay, so you were saying, you know how to, so probably start again from, I know how to, I figured out how to make cashew cheese.
Ruby 36:35
So when I figured out how to make cashew cheese, I could make my own grilled cheese. I could, like, breathe a sigh of relief, because I was like, that was the one thing. I was like, Ah, I really hate giving that up. It’s so good, yeah. And so then from there, I was like, Oh, this isn’t that hard. I can just learn a little more. So I just added a little by little on learning how to make it really taste good, some trial and error recipes, recipe books, those kind of things. So, and then I’m like, Okay, this, this is doable, yeah, this is very doable. And it does not have to be a chore, you know, I’m a southern girl. I like hearty, you know, things, yeah. So I love a good salad, of course. But you know, there’s more to life than salad Exactly. And when I have a salad, it’s not Iceberg lettuce and tomatoes Exactly. It’s got sun dried tomatoes. It’s got, you know, it’s got beans, it’s got, it’s got a ton of really good nutrients. So teaching people how to make it accessible and taste good is one of my passions, yeah, because I know that it can be in it. Every time people have my food, they’re like, Well, if I could eat like this every day,
Amber Cabral 37:39
I said, I have personally said it. So now we have to talk about that for just a moment too. So you also you, you’re based in DC, and you have a vegan food service, right? And I’m gonna tell you all the food is good, and I am not vegan. I have no plans on becoming vegan, but if I were going to be vegan, I would probably need to move back to DC. So tell us about Ruby Red’s vegan. Because everything I’ve eaten has been amazing, yeah.
Ruby 38:04
So, yeah, Ruby Red’s vegan. Meal delivery service. So we, we service DC, Baltimore, and all the surrounding within 40 miles, okay? Of it. And so it is recipes. And how, again, it came about was, you know, people, I did videos on how to make food, so you can watch those. And they were like, Well, can you just make the food? You know, I can see that. So, and then some people were really sick. Were like, can you just do it? I was like, Okay, I’ll do it for a couple of people. And so then I started doing that. And then I said, Okay, I do want to do a service. And then during the pandemic, that’s when we decided to launch it, because so many people eating at home and needing good food to nourish them through this, you know. So
Amber Cabral 38:45
let me tell you the ways I am kicking myself because, you know, I was in DC during the pandemic, yeah, and, you know, for family reasons, we just hadn’t really got in touch, in touch like that. And so if I had known, yeah, if I had known, I You brought me a quiche. I still tell people about this quiche. I don’t know what the quiche was made of. I obviously was vegan because you made it and you brought it to me. But, like, it was so delicious. It was like, I think even quiche that is made with real eggs has not been this flavorful. Sometimes you end up with, like, this very it’s very heavy on the egg, but you’re not getting like, the robust flavors that run through it. This was delicious. The crust was good. The texture was right. I was gluten free, and it was glitches. Okay, so you brought me this, you know, you dropped it off, and they’ll tell like, I’m doing food delivery. I’ll bring you something. You brought me. It was so good. And I was just like, I cannot believe I don’t live in DC anymore, because I would absolutely, even in the ways that I’m always like, I’m never going vegan. I mean, you never know. I might you know, but like, I to your point, one of the reasons why is because, like, I felt like I had to go gluten free. At one point, I realized that gluten was causing a ton of issues, and so now I eat it very, very rarely. But you know, when I went completely gluten free, it was so. Hard. It was so painful, so many things were disgusting. They are right. It was so difficult to, like, even monitor, like, food labels and, like, how to identify it that, like, the idea of trying to go through that again, I’m almost like, Nope, I’m not doing crap completely. Just give me the thing as it is, right? And I, you know, and I obviously try to eat responsibly, like, I don’t want to overeat in any specific category. But what I really valued was exactly what you just said, is that it was it was delicious, and you’re thoughtful about it being delicious. It’s not just about putting something in that’s going to serve the purpose of checking a box for eating
Ruby 40:33
not it is a truly a passion. And when I make food, I make food I don’t even cook when I’m not feeling happy or good, because I’m like, the energy goes into the food. It’s not going to taste the same. So I’m like, if I need to take a nap, whatever, you know, because I don’t, I like to have my full energy, because it’s a creative process. Yeah? So I even have time, hard times, like doing recipes, because I was like, I don’t really do it like this, but this is close as I
Amber Cabral 40:58
could get, yeah, to the recipe. You do it by feeling the ancestors come through
Ruby 41:03
my, you know, from my aunt and my mom, that’s right, cook, we literally this little of that, because my aunt Ruby, who I’m named after, would give me the recipe for her sweet potato pie. She was like, put enough, you know, until it’s enough
Amber Cabral 41:17
and you’re like, Okay, thank you. Just put it up. So it’s about, right? Just keep going.
Ruby 41:24
I was like, but you know, I know what you mean, right? I get it right. And it did, came come out really well, right? That is what, you know, that’s my passion. And hoping soon to be able to ship further, you know, to ship outside of the DC, yeah, so that that’s on my list of, well, I must put
Amber Cabral 41:42
me on the list. I’ll be there. I will be a recipient. You sent us a pie. We ate it straight out the pan. We didn’t even cut it. We just were like, Oh, this is good. So absolutely okay. So I want to ask for some, like, just kind of tangible tactics. You’ve given me some, but just for people who are like, you know, I don’t know if I don’t know if I really want to go vegan, but I watched this movie, and now I’m like, maybe I need to think about it. If you were to make, you know, some just three recommendations, like, three things that it’s, like, cut or reduce. Like, what would those things be?
Ruby 42:12
Um, so the dairy, dairy has to go because it’s just, it’s for baby cows, yeah. And it can be very inflammatory, and it causes a lot of issues, and it has a lot of hormones, and we’re dealing with things like cancer, we reduce hormones, like, when people are have breast cancer or other things, the first thing they do is put you on some type of medication that suppresses, oh, the hormones, the estrogen, right? Okay, so I’m like, but if you’re drinking milk or eating it, getting it anyway. Let’s, yeah, let’s, let’s just do it naturally. Okay, so dairy, and there’s so many alternatives for dairy, I feel like it’s easier, almost, to go dairy free than vegan.
Amber Cabral 42:51
It absolutely is. I mean, when I think about dairy consumption, honestly, my biggest issue is cheese, and I have to watch it, because I love cheese, but, and that’s usually the thing, yeah,
Ruby 42:59
I can get away from milk.
Amber Cabral 43:00
I can get I mean, like almost everything else. I’m not a coffee drinker, so I don’t really use creamer. Like, you know, they have coconut
Ruby 43:04
creamers. Yeah? There are others. There’s so many options. So if you can, like, start merging into the cheeses, the vegan cheeses, or no cheese, that would be better. Yeah. The other thing is different, food additives, I’m like. So if you can stay away from the additives like hydrogenated oil, any artificial food colorings, high fructose corn syrup, those three, basically you’re going to eat at a higher level, because those are put on very cheap foods. They’re going to last on the shelf forever, okay, and so all your packaged, you know,
Amber Cabral 43:41
cakes and pies, yeah, typical American gas station diet, yeah,
Ruby 43:45
you’re gonna find that. So if it’s in there, it’s not really food, right? It’s, it’s, does a lot of you know, we don’t have time to go into what that does. Yeah, it’s not good. Stay away from that. And then focus on what you can eat. Focus on how many vegetables you’ve eaten today. Like making broccoli. The main thing, how am I gonna do this broccoli? You know, right? We can jerk broccoli. We can do this to it. We can do that so many things. We can roast it. They’re making those things. The main thing, it’s so
Amber Cabral 44:12
bad because you said broccoli. And the very first thing I thought about was cheese, but I don’t even eat Cheesy Broccoli. Like, what I’m thinking? Like, do something the broccoli. My first thought was, ooh, cheese. And I was like, oh, no, none of that. Then my second thought was butter, and I was like, Oh, wait, not that either. That’s what most people were like. So yeah, we do, but like broccoli, I was like, and there’s so
Ruby 44:31
many ways, so I would say, find some good follow me online. I have great recipes. Wait, wait, wait, tell us, where can people follow you? Um, Ruby, lathan.com, so it’s my name, r, u, b, y, it’s probably on the screen here, L, A, T, H, O, N, so follow me there. I’m always given tips. I do classes. Can order the food, and then I have a cookbook coming. So, but it’s already out there. You want to follow trusted people that you know make. Food that you think you would like, right? And try that look at the reviews, because not everybody is created equal. When they come to, yeah, their tastes and everything. So you find somebody who has the taste that you like, right? Because there’s some very extravagant vegan books that are like, wow, when I want to get fancy, I use that, yeah. But most of us aren’t trying to spend two or three hours, no, make it a dish. That
Amber Cabral 45:18
was my next question, honestly, was like, timing. Like, what can someone expect? Like, I think when you commit to something new, that is, you know, like a whole life change, like eating, you have to commit the time. I had to commit the time to gluten free. It took me a long time to, like, really feel like I could, I could even just casually go to a restaurant and be like, Oh, I’ll be fine, right, right. What? What kind of time should someone expect? Like, just starting out to decide, Hey, I’ve seen this movie. I’m watching this podcast. I want to make this change. How much time should I really kind of give myself to make that shift?
Ruby 45:48
Yeah, in the beginning, it’s going to take longer, because you need to read labels, and then once you find out the labels that are good, you don’t have to do that anymore. So I can just go in the store and be in and out. But I like to do a little more batch cooking on the weekend so that I have a base, like if I make a lasagna, or if I make a three bean chili or something that I’m just going to add salads to or side vegetables. Yeah, then during the week, it’s not as long, and I know most of us are on the nine to five kind of thing, right? So making taking two to three hours on the weekend and make something that you’re gonna add things to. Can make it work a lot easier. Yeah, and plan, plan for it.
Amber Cabral 46:28
Okay, okay, that’s super helpful. Um, I do have a question about folks who you know I think would probably say Eating healthy is expensive sometimes. What? What recommendations do you have? Because I think people immediately, especially this day and age, will will say, Okay, I’m gonna go to Whole Foods, which, because, you know, it’s Whole Foods Exactly. And so, you know, I think people see, you know that whole foods will eat your whole paycheck. And so, you know, we, we get a little nervous about making a food choice, even though it’s absolutely worth investing in that way. What? What are some recommendations you might have for people who are worried about the expense?
Ruby 47:06
Yeah, well, first, it depends on what kind of vegan you’re trying to become. So if you’re doing all the faux meats, they are more expensive, and so that’s gonna run up the bill. But secondly, buying some things organic, things like that. Whole Foods are often cheaper than the regular grocery store. Okay, so I don’t shop for vegan food at the regular grocery store because I see the markup by two or $3 Oh, wow. Okay, whereas at Whole Foods, this is, this is what they do. So it tends to be cheaper for certain things. Okay, so I like to shop, and it takes a little more prep, but shop the perimeters. You know, I stay most of the time in the in the unpackaged food, the produce section, you can buy things in bulk, the rices, the oats that are not expensive, yeah. And so you’re gonna have to do some prep with it, though, right? But if you have the recipes, you know, have a plan. I have, like, a 28 day plan that maps it out for people with shopping lists, I
Amber Cabral 48:02
need you to say, I’m not making no promises, cousin, but I would like to have access to some of this sounds like achievable that’s
Ruby 48:11
on my website. You can just download it so it helps you. Here’s what to eat for the next 28 days. Here’s a weekly shopping list so that you know you’re getting everything you need. Here’s some frequently asked questions, like, am I gonna get enough protein? Yes, you and this is on your website for free. Some of them are, okay, yes, yes. I have a blog that has a lot of stuff. The 28 day program is not free, but I have other free, or free or accessible, yeah? Okay, yeah, there’s tons of free stuff. Yeah?
Amber Cabral 48:36
I mean, listen,
Ruby 48:37
I see a lot of stuff that you’re all free, right? Blog, so, yeah, so that it’s all right there that you can get. So it’s like, you want to plan going into it. Don’t just wing it, yeah, don’t wing it, because you’re going to be buying packages of tofu that you have nothing to do with and not and then you’re going to try to treat it like chicken and just roast it, and it tastes terrible, exactly. And then that’s why people say I don’t like tofu. I’m like, Yeah, but you haven’t had it when I haven’t had it done right. In my lasagna, instead of ricotta, I use tofu. But nobody notices, because it gives you the texture, because I season it with basil and all kinds of seasonings, and so it actually tastes good in itself, but in the lasagna, it just gives you the texture
Amber Cabral 49:15
of, oh, this is like, it gives you the texture Exactly.
Ruby 49:19
So that’s the important of having, like, a plan, you have to
Amber Cabral 49:21
tell me next time you make lasagna, yeah, that sounds amazing. Love that lasagna.
Ruby 49:25
And then you get the protein in, right? And that, and there’s protein in all fruits and vegetables, yes, you just have to eat more, like, of the beans, nuts and seeds that have the higher amount of protein, yeah, to do it so that you feel satiated, that’s important.
Amber Cabral 49:38
So okay, I love all of these. I’m gonna ask you one more question. Then I’m gonna ask you the magic question I always have to ask at the end. So there’s a lot of there are a lot of ingredients that are banned in Europe, but are not banned in the US. And this comes up often in a lot of those documents. Yeah, it comes up in a lot of those documentaries. And you’re like, right? I just wanted to get your thoughts. That’s your take on that. Like, what, what? What’s your impression like, and then also, like, is there, you know, is there something we can do to, like, maybe encourage like, the food industry? Yeah, to be more thoughtful, absolutely.
Ruby 50:11
I mean, they’ve already responded. The food companies have already responded to the demand for vegan food. Yeah? Because after you know what, the health and many others, the demand went way up, yep. And I still get emails about that all the time, yeah. So you number one, write to these food manufacturers and complain they do actually listen. My mom wrote to one of these folks that makes greens and they put too many stems in it. Do you know they changed from, I
Amber Cabral 50:37
love that, I love that. She
Ruby 50:39
wrote, we get in stems. We need the leaves, you know. So yes, write them. Complain. Tell them what you want, because they respond to dollars. So the other thing is, stop buying the junk, because when that market share goes down, then they’re going to start shifting to what is selling, yeah. So speak up, and then speak up with your dollars, yeah and not buying it. So I’m just not going to buy things that have the artificial food colorings, the hydrogenated I just don’t It’s not food because you’re just poisoning yourself.
Amber Cabral 51:08
Yeah, starve it out.
Ruby 51:09
So if you start, if you starve out the profits, and then we know that it’s money. It’s all about the money. Yeah, you know. And that’s what those movies highlight, is that they are sacrificing our health on purpose, yep, to make $1 then to feed you into the sick care system exactly to make more money, and particularly targeting black communities to do that and that, that pisses me off. It pisses me and so I just have to be like, I’m not going to be a part of that game, right? Not only am I not going to be a part, but I’m going to educate other people about
Amber Cabral 51:37
it, right? I love that. This was so great. I have one more question I want to ask you. So every episode, I always ask the guests this question the show is called guilty privilege. I call it guilty privilege because I think people feel really guilty about the privileges that they have. I think that they, you know, they, you know, hold on. They, you know, hide them. They are defensive. I think there’s all of this feeling that occurs, and I really want people to instead see privileges as something that they can embrace and use to be impactful. So my question for you is, what is one privilege that you have that you refuse to feel guilty about?
Ruby 52:12
I think it’s been a good education, and having the benefit of learning how to learn gives me so much confidence into part of the confidence of doing what I did, because I’m like, I can learn anything. And being an engineer, they kind of teach you how to break down and break down the logic, and, you know, all of that. So it just gave me the confidence to do what I do, and I feel like I can learn anything and adapt as needed. Yeah. And that is a privilege of having that confidence that you can pretty much tackle anything if I give enough time and or find figure out how to get help to do it. Yeah,
Amber Cabral 52:49
you have, like, a good framework of, like, how to think, right? I always say that grad school taught me how to think exactly where I feel, like undergrad was kind of like, you have to do this just to prove that you’ll stick with a task. You know what I mean, like, but like, but like, when I went to grad school, I felt like I walked away with, like, Okay, this is how to think about this critically. Yeah, yeah. I love that fantastic answer. Thank you so much for joining me for this. Thanks for great. Yeah. Oh, I want to make sure you know too. If y’all have any questions or want to reach out all of the details to get in touch with, Ruby will be in the show notes, great. Okay, we gotta do the intro, and then I gotta do a little thing for this. Okay, so, yay. Oh, look at Amanda back there clapping. Amanda, you going? You gonna cut that horizon creamer down the 28 day plan? Okay, because she’s in DC, good. I’m excited about that. That’s fantastic. Okay, so stay and then what’s gonna happen is I’m going to, I’m gonna introduce you. And basically, you want to imagine that I’m introducing you to a person. So you kind of your energy wants to be a little of that back and forth, you know? And then I just want to make sure I say the right thing. I was what I’m going to whatever comes out of my mouth is what is. But I want to make sure I at least refer to you correctly as a holistic nutritionist and wellness coach. Okay, is there anything else you want me to add? Holistic nutritionist and wellness coach? Is good? Yeah, okay, I’m going to add Ruby Red’s vegan in there. I’m probably going to say that you were in what the hell? Okay. Oh, they’re trying to trying to kill us. I didn’t even, I ain’t seen that one.
Ruby 54:25
So, yeah, because they were working out how to distribute it, they had it was released for a little bit, and they were trying to get it on Netflix, but they weren’t getting the price. So I think it’s now,
Amber Cabral 54:35
oh, now it’s out. Yeah, okay, all right, I’ll probably just slide with the health thing, because I know people know that one. Yeah. And whatever comes out my mouth. I just want to make sure I call you correctly. Okay. I had a one take streak yesterday. Let’s hope I can continue no yawning. Okay. Welcome back to guilty privilege. My name is Amber cabra, and today I have the privilege of talking to my cousin Ruby Lathan. She’s the founder of Ruby reds, vegan, a meal delivery service in DC. She is also a holistic nutrition coach and, ah, holistic nutritionist and wellness coach, I gotta do it again. Holistic nutritionist and wellness coach, holistic nutritionist and wellness coach, Okay, welcome back to guilty privilege. My name is Amber Cabral, and today I’ve had the privilege of talking to Ruby Lathan. She is my cousin and also the founder of Ruby reds vegan. She’s also a holistic nutritionist and wellness coach, and you may have seen her actually in some pretty popular films like what the health and they’re trying to kill us, because we know that we’re all trying to eat better and we’re also trying to live so in today’s conversation, we talk about some ways that you can do that, and some of the inequities that exist in our food system, some of the decisions that we can make to help us live better, and some things that you can do right now that don’t have to change your entire life, that can literally change your entire life. So let’s get into the conversation. Thanks for joining me, Ruby,
Ruby 56:16
glad to be here.
Amber Cabral 56:19
Okay? And then I gotta do this. I My name is Amber. I’m Amber Cabral, and this is guilty privilege, okay, this is, this is the part that kills me every time, okay, oh, I’ll usually put these away for that. So let’s do this. I’m Amber Cabral, and this is guilty privilege, done. All right, now we can take a photo, all right, and you are free. I am not, but you are okay.
57:00
HBO Tamika
Amber Cabral 57:07
is running a little late. She said, 440
57:13
Okay, so we have two that’s perfect with that business. Exactly.
Amber Cabral 57:22
I It’s gonna be so.
