When a woman cuts her hair, she's about to change her life; but when a woman changes her diet, know that she's about to take over the world. A breakup can trigger some pretty dramatic changes in your life, including but not limited to the way you eat. According to R&B singer and entrepreneur Mya, a relationship gone bad was what led to the lifestyle change that has her body looking like 'whoa' more than twenty years after releasing her debut album.
In a recent interview with Hot 97, the entertainer opened up about how her separation from a former lover transformed her life in more ways than one. Mya may be known for her affinity for healthy living and all things vegan, but she told the hosts that she grew up as a cornbread and chitlins type of girl. This changed as she got older and began to explore trendy diets she discovered through the grapevine:
"I've always done these crazy challenges. I started off as pescatarian. I grew up on meat, chitlins, everything you can imagine. Pescatarian then eventually transitioned into vegetarian, years and years ago."
Just as she was getting started on her vegetarian journey, she found herself embarking on another new adventure: a new relationship.
"I got in a relationship, gained a lot of weight, went back to my old way of eating. I felt depressed, angry, frustrated, I went back to what I was doing when that relationship ended, which was vegetarianism, that was for six months by the way."
In an interview last year, the Girls Cruise reality star said that although the relationship wasn't toxic, she felt like she got "lost" in loving someone else before she truly loved herself. When it ended, she was on a mission to put the pieces back together one-by-one, and that started with becoming a better person than who she was going into and coming out of her last relationship. Mya told ESSENCE:
"I didn't know what I was getting into when I went vegan, but so many things changed. I shed 30 pounds. I felt better. I was doing better mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I was healing myself from the inside out."
Self-love is the best love, and Mya says that affirmation motivates her to continue her vegan journey, even if it's challenging AF. Mya says that although she says that taking care of herself is a priority, the goal was never to "look good". Mya told the Hot 97 hosts that real reason behind her dramatic lifestyle change was her desire to feel good.
"I don't focus on pressure, things can be so much worse. And it's not really about how you look, that's not my goal in life. And [having] a business, obviously you want to be presentable and I think taking care of yourself speaks volumes. But you're not always going to have it together. You have more to offer than looks as a human being, that's just one dimension."
While going completely vegan was a challenge initially, Mya says that six years later, she's better for it. But according to Mya, don't dare try to touch her mac and cheese, because no matter how bad the breakup, she's not giving that up:
"Every year I'm learning something, this is year six now for me, but hey, I still love me some mac and cheese that's vegan, I still love the processed foods and sometimes that's not the healthiest."
We won't tell if you don't, sis. Your secret's safe with us.
Watch Mya's full interview below!
Mya On Drama During 'Girls Cruise' & Her Vegan Journeywww.youtube.com
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'Sistas' Star Skyh Black On The Power Of Hypnotherapy & Emotional Vulnerability For Men
In this insightful episode of the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker talked with Sistas star Skyh Black, as he opened up about his journey of emotional growth, resilience, and self-discovery. The episode touches on emotional availability, self-worth, masculinity, and the importance of therapy in overcoming personal struggles.
Skyh Black on Emotional Availability & Love
On Emotional Availability & Vulnerability
“My wife and I wouldn't be where we are today if both of us weren't emotionally available,” he shared about his wife and Sistas co-star KJ Smith, highlighting the value of vulnerability and emotional openness in a relationship. His approach to masculinity stands in contrast to the traditional, stoic ideals. Skyh is not afraid to embrace softness as part of his emotional expression.
On Overcoming Self-Doubt & Worthiness Issues
Skyh reflected on the self-doubt and worthiness issues that he struggled with, especially early in his career. He opens up about his time in Los Angeles, living what he calls the “LA struggle story”—in a one-bedroom with three roommates—and being homeless three times over the span of 16 years. “I always had this self-sabotaging thought process,” Skyh said. “For me, I feel therapy is essential, period. I have a regular therapist and I go to a hypnotherapist.”
How Therapy Helped Him Heal From Self-Doubt
On Hypnotherapy & Empowering Self-Acceptance
Skyh’s journey is a testament to the power of tapping into self-development despite life’s struggles and being open to growth. “I had to submit to the fact that God was doing good in my life, and that I'm worthy of it. I had a worthiness issue and I did not realize that. So, that’s what the hypnotherapy did. It brought me back to the core. What is wrong so that I can fix it?”
Watch the full podcast episode below:
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Quinta Brunson Gets Real About Divorce, Boundaries & Becoming
Quinta Brunson is the woman who chooses herself, even when the world is watching. And in her June 30 cover story for Bustle, she gives us a rare glimpse into the soft, centered place she's navigating her life from now. From leading one of television's most beloved series in the last decade to quietly moving through life shifts, the creator of Abbott Elementary is walking through a personal evolution and doing so with intention, grace, and a firm grip on her boundaries.
Back in March, the 35-year-old filed for divorce from Kevin Jay Anik after nearly three years of marriage, citing "irreconcilable differences." The news hit the headlines of news outlets fast, but Quinta hadn't planned to announce their dissolution to the public so quickly.
Quinta Brunson On Divorce, Public Scrutiny & Sacred Boundaries
"I remember seeing people be like, ‘She announced her divorce,’" she told Bustle. “I didn’t announce anything. I think people have this idea that people in the public eye want the public to know their every move. None of us do. I promise you. No one wants [everyone] to know when you buy a house, when you move, when a major change happens in your personal life. It’s just that that’s public record information."
In regards to her private moves becoming tabloid fodder, Quinta continued, "I hated that. I hate all of it."
"I Am An Artist First": Quinta On Cutting Her Hair & Reclaiming Herself
Still, the diminutive phenom holds her crown high in the face of change and is returning to the essence of who she is, especially as an artist. "Cutting my hair reminded me that I am an artist first. I want to feel things. I want to make choices. I want to be a person, and not just stuck in having to be a certain way for business." It's giving sacred rebirth. It's giving self-liberation. It's especially giving main character energy.
And while the headlines keep spinning their narratives, the one that Quinta is focused on is her own. For her, slowing down and nourishing herself in ways that feed her is what matters. "It’s a transitional time. I think it’s true for me and my personal life, and it’s how I feel about myself, my career, and the world," Quinta shared with Bustle. “I feel very serious about focusing on watering my own gardens, taking care of myself and the people around me who I actually interact with day-to-day."
That includes indulging in simple rituals that ground her like "making myself a meal" which has become "really, really important to me."
That spirit of agency doesn't stop at the personal. In her professional world, as the creator, executive producer, and lead actress of the critically-acclaimed Abbott Elementary, Quinta understands the weight her choices carry, both on- and off-screen. She revealed to Bustle, "People used to tell me at the beginning of this that the No. 1 on the call sheet sets the tone, and the producer sets the tone — and I’m both of those roles."
She continued, "I understand now, after doing this for four years, how important it was that I set the tone that I did when we first started."
Quinta doesn't just lead, she understands the importance of curating the energy of any space she enters. Even amid a season of shifts and shedding, her power speaks loudly. Sometimes that power looks like quiet resistance. Sometimes that power is soft leadership.
And sometimes that power looks like cutting your hair and taking back your name in rooms that have forgotten you were an artist long before you were a brand.
Read Quinta's cover story on Bustle here to witness the fullness of Quinta's becoming.
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