"Eating to your Health” – A Healthy Lifestyle Journey. 
By Franchesca Fontus

      As a young child weight issues were never identified as a struggle for Sandy Isaac. It wasn’t until around the age of 10, after spending the summer in the beautiful island of St. Martin that she had gained a significant amount of weight. Prior to entering high school, weight didn’t impact Sandy much in a negative way. She was often seen as the “chubby girl”, but in her Caribbean culture heavier women are embraced and frequented compliments for having shapely bodies, even at a young age. She didn’t see herself as overweight, but knew that deep down inside she was not comfortable with her size.
In 2011, Sandy had reached her maximum weight of 200lbs. at an average height of 5’7”. This was considered obese and she felt like something needed to be done for primarily her health. Aside from weight issues, Sandy had dealt with embarrassing body acne. While doing research Sandy learned about the internal and external health benefits of implementing fruits and vegetables and eliminating man made processed foods from her diet. Sandy made the decision to detoxify her body and after this process she was astonished to see that her body acne had disappeared and that she had started to lose some pounds. With the intent of seeking a healthier lifestyle, weight loss came along with it. 

   In June 2012, Sandy and her family experienced a devastating loss with the death of her father. He had suffered with prior heart issues and Sandy recalls constantly encouraging him to eat better to improve his health. However, he continued to eat the wrong foods and although it was his time to go,
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Sandy felt that his short lived stay on this earth was a direct reflection of his poor eating habits. This motivated her to change her diet, which dropped her weight from 200lbs. to 125 lbs. over the course of one year.
    Since embarking on this health journey, Sandy has experienced a brand new sense of confidence. She feels great about herself, is more comfortable in her skin and people have greatly embraced her weight loss. She has been able to help others become more health conscious and aware of what they are putting in their bodies. Ultimately, she wants to impact people who have dealt with health and/or weight issues. Her change in diet taught her a lot about discipline and the true meaning of if you want something in life you have to work hard and go after it. Through her story, she hopes to tackle food addiction, eliminate misconceptions about living a healthy lifestyle and help those who can’t seem to break the cycle of obesity that has continued to plague our society today.
About the Author:

Franchesca Fontus (@toofancy4you) is a young, confident and ambitious Haitian-American woman who currently resides in beautiful South Florida. Presently she is pursuing a Master’s degree in Marriage & Family Therapy, while exploring different ventures and bringing her dreams & talents to life! She enjoys writing, traveling, coordinating social events and impacting the youth. Franchesca has a passion for helping to cultivate purposeful lives, personal growth and self-esteem. She also aspires to help young girls and women break down negative cycles in relation to self image and worth. She hopes to ultimately empower and instill self improvement in all.