Hi, my name is Mindy Kaye. This part of my story begins in early in 2009 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. With no known risk factors to give me a heads-up, I began trying to find out the "why" of how I got cancer. I began to research, and found that much of what related to my situation pointed to the same common denominators; Stress and the Standard American Diet (SAD).

After prayer and support from my husband, I made a big decision to quit my stressful job of 12 years. I then began to dig deeper, researching more on nutrition.

I began holding cooking classes in my home after other women started noticing my healthier choices and asked me to share what I was learning. I created a Facebook page called Healthy Choices Lifestyle initially as a community page for updates on classes and sharing recipes. Since then, it has slowly increased its audience and has become a place where I can reach folks I don’t even know to embrace a healthy diet, a healthy lifestyle and a healthy spiritual life.

I also started a blog called ‘It All Begins With Dirt’. Read this post, and this one to learn more on why I started this blog.  My hope is to inspire others to start taking on a healthier approach to the food we eat. I am trusting and relaxing in God that if just one person benefits from what I share, they will share it with someone else, paying it forward for others to make healthy lifestyle choices.

When I quit my job in 2012 I had no idea what I was going to do. I dabbled in a few things, and eventually started a business in event planning. I had been praying for God to open doors and lead me where He wanted me to go, yet I continued to pursue what I thought I would be good at and follow that path.

One day, about a year ago, my friend and I were talking, and not surprisingly we ended up talking about health. My mouth wouldn’t stop! She smiled at me and said, “I know you are good at your job, but you really glow when you talk about health. That’s your passion!”After my conversation with my friend, God began to remind me that without Him I can do nothing. Nothing I make happen will bear fruit without God leading me.

One of the sermons at church shortly after that hit me right between the eyes.  Our pastor said "God opposes our plans when: our initiatives are not from the Lord, our building is not for the Lord, and the glory is not to the Lord." He went on to say "we are most fulfilled when we work to make God famous.  Therefore, everything we do must be God directed, God devoted and God dependent."  I heard God loud and clear! 

I switched gears. I went back to school to become a certified health coach, I started working at a local gym, and I have recently become a licensed Zumba® instructor. As I began learning dance fitness, I realized quickly I wanted to incorporate gospel music into my fitness routines and began searching for music and choreography. I love how when we stop trying to do things on our own and allow God to direct our paths, things just start to fall into place. Then lo and behold, I “suddenly” came across Shazzy Fitness!

Fast forward to present day 2015. I am cancer free and still learning. As I move farther away from being a cancer patient to trying to live a new healthier, cancer-free life, I’ve learned much about nutrition and fitness and the way it affects our bodies. A bigger lesson I’ve learned is to stop trying to do it myself. For almost three years I struggled with not knowing what to do. Once I gave it to God, the blessings started pouring in and things started falling into place.

Psalms 127:1 "Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain."

I’m still learning, but I’m excited to be on God’s team and see where He takes me.  

Health and Blessings,