Today we’d like to introduce you to Selina Ramirez.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Growing up was difficult. I had always been overweight and it was constantly on my mind. Towards the end of my teenage years, I was at my heaviest. I felt like I was 19 going on 40. I knew I had to do something to change the direction I was going in. I had started to train jiu jitsu but my weight didn’t change much. It clicked that I would need to change my eating habits.
So I started to look into nutrition. But like many people, I fell for all the wrong things. I was eating hardly anything but as the weight fell off, I thought I was doing something right. Unfortunately, I lost most of the muscle I had. Training jiu jitsu became so difficult. I had absolutely no strength. I decided to start lifting weights. I really couldn’t even lift 40 pounds off the floor. Thinking about it now, I can’t even believe I had become so weak. And it was all because of poor dietary choices.
Thankfully, I realized I wouldn’t be able to lift, train jiu jitsu, stay awake through college classes, and function at work while eating 900 calories. Yes, I slashed my calories to dangerous lows. I started to read books on nutrition and looked towards people that had degrees in the field. I was able to make the changes I needed to and made sure I wasn’t going to waste away again. I started weight training in 2014 and ended up falling in love with it. I’m glad to say I’m still lifting daily today.
The more I got into training jiu jitsu and weight lifting, the more I paid attention to my nutrition. I finally understood how to feed myself and why I always felt so hungry when I was younger. I started to look at my community and saw them succumbing to all the bad habits I had when I was younger. I read about how diabetes and cardiovascular diseases were hitting the Latino community hard. While I was teaching high school biology, I realized students had no knowledge of nutrition. Even though there was a tiny section in the curriculum dedicated to nutrition, it was usually scrapped because it wasn’t tested by the state. I tried to educate students on the basics like reading nutrition labels and developing a good relationship with food. But there was only so much I could do.
I realized I enjoyed education but what I really wanted to teach was nutrition. I wanted to go about this the right way and be able to help people of all ages and all situations. I decided to return to school to obtain a master’s degree in human nutrition. The program was difficult but I was so happy to be a part of it. I graduated. from the University of Houston and quickly began my own nutritional guidance business. My aim was always to be mobile/online so the circumstances of 2020 actually helped to normalize this business model.
I love working with people and helping them develop a better relationship with food. I just hope to reach as many people as I can and ultimately help people age gracefully.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been so many struggles! Of course, my own struggles with nutrition. Although I do feel that this has helped me become a better nutritionist. I know how it feels to struggle. I understand all the anxiety that comes with working towards better health. As well as the frustration of changing our habits. It has really helped me relate to my clients. But I always reassure them that it takes time to see progress. It is just a matter of keeping on.
Business-wise, also tons of struggles. Haha! It’s been a whirlwind. Being a small business owner, you really have to be everything when it comes to your business. But it’s been great to see how much I can achieve. Also, how much I have learned. I had to learn a tiny bit of coding to build my website, graphic design to make promotional material, working with ads, and of course, navigating social media. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing. But it really does feel great to see what you are capable of.
We’ve been impressed with Cualli Nutrition, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I own Cualli Nutrition. The word Cualli is a Nahuatl word that means good or a good thing. I believe that nutrition can be a good thing for everyone. It might just take some of us a little longer to figure out what that means to us.
I try to help people build a healthy relationship with food without giving up the foods they have grown up with. Sometimes it feels as though ethnic food is deemed as unhealthy or too indulgent. Which is so far from the truth. It is one of my goals to help people keep these foods as part of their everyday diet while becoming the healthiest they have ever been.
My clients have many different goals, From athletes looking to optimize their nutrition for training or the avid gym go-er looking for a quick macro calculation. But I specialize in working with middle-aged adults. It is never too late to change our habits and I love helping people realize this.
I would love for readers to contact me and see how we can work together or if they would let their loved ones know of my services.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I believe I feature my weight training more than jiu jitsu on my social media profiles. People are usually surprised when they find out I am a black belt in jiu jitsu. I’m also a great baker. I love trying out recipes from all over the world.
Pricing:
- I offer several different services but a one-time consultation is $80
- 1 month of coaching $99
- Quick macro/calorie calculations are $54
Contact Info:
- Website: cuallinutrition.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cualli_nutrition/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CualliNutrition/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/sel525/videos
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@cualli_nutrition
Image Credits
@kungfukenney
