Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ludmilla Wikkeling-scott. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ludmilla, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?
A defining moment in my career was when I decided to choose a whole food plant-based lifestyle in 2020. During that year, my husband and I returned from Abu Dhabi in the middle of the CoVID pandemic. I had lost my dear father five years earlier due to what I believe was the result of unnecessary medications that are known to cause side affects detrimental to one’s health. My father was my hero, the man who taught me how to love, walked me down the isle and cheered me on every step of the way, particularly when I was writing my dissertation to earn the Doctor of Public Health. Devastated over the loss of my Dad, I began to explore things I did not learn in school, how what we eat, impacts every part of our life, every aspect of our quality of life and ultimately our longevity. After I earned a bachelor’s, master and doctorate degree, finally done with school and no desire for another class. Yet, when I realized how much I did not know about lifestyle and wellness, I decided to go back and educate myself on food. God knows, I have done plenty of research in my life, written health policy in the U.S. House of Representatives and written plenty of grants in my career, and I began to wonder how I missed this “plant-based lifestyle” boat. I realized that what I read was nothing I could keep to myself, so I began sharing with doctoral students I was teaching and mentoring at that time, encouraging them to look at public health in a way we hadn’t done before. I realized, I still needed more education , back to school for in-depth plant-based lifestyle education. First, I was introduced to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s (PCRM) award-winning nutrition education and cooking class program, Food for Life. This certification provided me an innovative approach to food-related chronic diseases, based on the latest scientific research and I realized I was on the path to a new career. You see, I live in a 55+ community where I talk to so many people who have accepted the fact that as we age, we automatically start taking more medications because we have more ailments due to aging, and that is so far from the truth. One thing I am grateful for and that is my ability to organize and build community, which I learned as a college student at San Francisco State University. Determined to build a healthier community, I also became certified in plant-based nutrition, gathering more tools to empower my community. So, I went from a public health educator and researcher to a plant-based lifestyle coach. While moving back to the U.S. during CoVID was quite traumatic, and exhausting, I had renewed energy to begin the journey of building healthy communities, one person at the time.
Ludmilla, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Helping others to change their lives, as an entrepreneur, and create healthier communities is a passion that is deeply rooted in my own health journey and that of family and friends around me. At a young age I was always fascinated with healing others, but it was not until I began to heal myself, using a holistic approach, that I began to understand the journey to health is not a straight path. Although my background in public health did not exactly set me up for entrepreneurship, I found that I could better serve my community by building a business around health and wellness. While the idea of entrepreneurship was intimidating at first, the researcher in me helped me to find tools and resources to invest into this new journey of starting my own business. With the support and love from my husband and daughter, I became more confident as I struggled initially to understanding business and building my own brand. I started off with a tea business that was built after I lost my dad, to represent our Suriname culture of centuries old traditions using the herbs, roots and fruits to heal our body. This tradition seemed to have been lost in this era of pharmaceuticals and quick fixes, but my faith and strength were instrumental in building a business around it all.
I use my creative mind and determination to always improve my product, with the many tools available today, and always focus on my customers who are looking to me to help them solve problems with their health and lifestyle in general. It is important to me to remain disciplined to continue learning, and asking myself where I can improve, so that the outcome continues to be one that benefits both the customer and my business. I offer authentic blends of hibiscus teas, sourced from in Egypt, Rwandan Sudan, and Thailand, packed with the most powerful antioxidants to address chronic disease symptoms, reduce inflammation and energize the body to function better. I created a unique program, the Hibiscus Health Program, where I coach women and their spouse/partner, to transform their body, mind and soul, using a whole plant-based approach. This program is my pride and joy, and has been a blessing to my own community where I have empowered more than 100 women and men to understand that aging doesn’t need to follow a lifetime of disease conditions, if only you are willing to change your lifestyle. I never could have imagined the number of people whose lives I have touched by simply giving them the confidence to step into a healthier way of living, a more vibrant lifestyle that everyone deserves.
In my business, I meet people where they are, and approach each person without judgement. One shoe does not fit all, so my program remains flexible, which is something that my clients appreciate very much, as each of them comes with their own personalized needs. I begin with “tea time” where I provide clients with the hibiscus detox blend I created to begin cleaning the body, with a blend that tasty, soothing and calming to the body. The feedback I get is always one of amazement, and surprise at how it impacts healing. I remind anyone that small changes are just as important as the bigger ones. One thing I tell my clients is to give themselves grace and as long as they are taking steps towards improving their own health, they deserve applause, no matter how long it takes. Since my audience is over 50, there are many habits and traditions that may be difficult to change but somehow, God has given me the strength and the courage to build a business where change is inevitable, if only you take that first step. Seeing the smiles on women’s faces when they initially show skepticism about the possibility of changing their health outcomes using their own strength and determination, is the most heartwarming every time.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
On my journey, I found resilience after several health events tested my faith, and left me wondering if I would ever be able to live a life of peace and calm without the fear of additional adverse events. At 24 I experienced a sudden onset of seizures, that left me very discouraged. No doctor could figure out why I had seizures when I was on my menstrual cycle, and I lived for 10 years knowing every month I would have one or multiple episodes that left me in constant fear and anxiety. During that time, my beautiful daughter, Maria, was born and I felt like I could not be the mother I wanted to be for her. She was born knowing her mommy would pass out once a month, and as she got older, she would often help me get to the bed after she found me on the floor, completely limb from an episode of seizures. While I often felt so defeated and suffered major depression, my daughter deserved a normal life, and I kept fighting to find answers, going to various specialists, until we finally reached a point of control. I had dropped out of medical school in my second year, unable to complete the rigorous requirements with a debilitating condition, and once the seizures were under control, I became empowered to finish what I started. During the 10 years suffering from this seizure disorder, I did work as a biologist on HIV related research and began to notice the stark differences in communities affected by not just HIV but other chronic diseases. This dramatically changed my interest from clinical medicine to public health, and I decided to return to school to complete the master and doctor of public health. I no longer had to fear passing out and with the support of my husband I was able to be the mother I wanted to be for my daughter, who was now in middle school. This did not happen without a few more episodes of seizures, and four miscarriages, and the acceptance that my daughter would not have at least one sibling, but most importantly, we had each other. I was back, I was free from seizures, and I had found renewed strength to continue my career in health.
In 2014 my husband received a contract to work in Abu Dhabi, and in 2015 we returned home for 7 months caring for my Dad. As my sister and I held his hand while he took his final breath, I wanted to continue to honor him and build his legacy, so I began a tea company in Abu Dhabi where I had unlimited access and o authentic herbs and spices. After returning to the U.S. after the pandemic, I realized I had more to offer, given the strength God gave me through all the health challenges I experienced. Suriname, where my family is from, is one of the Caribbean countries where hibiscus and ginger are a daily part of life, whether at home, parties, funerals, you name it. So I once again embarked on research to understand the power of hibiscus and created a lifestyle program that is literally infused with hibiscus detox blends for my clients.
I look back at all the health challenges I have faced and stay empowered to help others rebuild strength after adverse health experiences. My own health journey has given me tremendous strength, and resilience, so I aim to share my story and build resilience in others, no matter how old they are. Age is just a number.
If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?
As a college student, I learned that empowering yourself and others is one of the most important things in leadership, and I was trained early on to be a leader. I do believe I would have chosen the same profession, but I would have taken more of a leadership path than the initial path I chose of becoming a clinical doctor. I say that because a leadership path to public health would have led me to recognize that simply looking for treatment is not the only way to wellness, it actually does not lead to wellness and for a lot of people, it’s a life of depending on pharmaceuticals . Starting with my personal journey to overcoming disease, no one ever told me that there are foods that trigger seizures, and while that may not have eliminated the condition, I am convinced that my diet would have made a difference in what I experienced. From the physical to the mental aspects of dealing with disease, simply eating more whole foods, rather than ultra processed foods, particularly as a student, has been shown to impact both physical and mental health. Who knows what I could have done for myself and my family, knowing how plant-based lifestyle could positively impact all that we were going through, especially my daughter. However, the experiences made me who I am today, and for that I am grateful. I now have the knowledge, the energy and the passion to change lives as an entrepreneur in health and wellness.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hibiscusandwholefood.com/
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/hibiscusandwholefood
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hibiscusandwholefood/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hibiscusandwholefood
Image Credits
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