Tuesday, June 14, 2022

#AuthorInterview with Marsha Roopchand-Walker, author of Transcendence


Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Lily Andrews is talking with Marsha Roopchand-Walker, author of Transcendence: A Woman’s Guide on How to Heal, Discover Self-love for Better Health, Happiness and Abundance.
FQ: What were your goals and intentions when writing this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
ROOPCHAND-WALKER: My goals and intentions for writing this book is to help women to be able to discover their true potential and ability to heal in various ways. What is really keeping individuals from being truly happy are their own mental blocks in their mind. When they can remove these mental blocks they can discover true full happiness and abundance.
Based on feedback and reviews I received from readers, they find the book to be useful as well as valuable. So yes, I feel I have achieved part of my goal but there is still more to do.
FQ: Self-love is so important and yet so many people have trouble with the concept. Why do you think that is? Does our society make it more difficult?
ROOPCHAND-WALKER: As women, we tend to naturally put our own needs aside for the sake of others, especially those who are mothers. I think society does make it a bit more difficult because women are doing much more than in the past years when women stayed at home and raised their children. They are juggling having careers in the workforce, and are not just staying at home raising the kids. Work in itself can be stressful as well as demanding and then we still need to show up and be there for our families by cooking dinner, helping with school work and supporting the kids in their other interest with sports or other activities, not to mention being a supportive wife. Some women are empty nesters yet they are faced with demanding jobs and or taking care of their elderly parents. It is hard to make time for yourself without feeling guilty for doing so, but it is very necessary.
FQ: You have shared with readers personal experiences that mirror the topics discussed across the chapters including the lifestyle changes that you have worked on over the years. How would you compare your life a couple of years ago and now? How about before writing Transcendence and after?
ROOPCHAND-WALKER: My life compared to several years ago has been nothing but growth and continued learning. I didn't know how important it is to have sufficient vitamin D levels years ago when I lacked vitamin D. It can impact your health by causing muscle cramps, fatigue, hair loss and even depression. Having blood transfusion and 2 procedures to stop my continued bleeding episodes really made a major impact on how I needed to improve my health. In comparison to the present moment I am more health conscious now than before where I make self care a priority!
I actually have been writing since my teenage years. I find that I express myself better by writing. I used to write poetry as a teenager and wrote music when I was in a singing group. Now after the book I am continually learning more not just about how I can do better, but more about myself and how I can be more of service to my community of women. I love women empowerment!
FQ: The variety of subjects covered in your book is vast. Is there a particular subject that you found difficult to write about?
ROOPCHAND-WALKER: Yes, discussing my childhood was very vulnerable for me as I am an introvert and very private person. Discussing my dad, my childhood memory of him and my mom arguing in addition to discussing the abuse by a neighbor was very vulner for me. I never revealed it to anyone growing up. Also, admitting to living with ADD was something I needed to share despite how critics may view those with brain health issues, I know for me sharing my own diagnosis will help others and I won’t fit into any labels nor do I take any pills!
FQ: As I mentioned earlier, there is an extensive list of topics covered in Transcendence. How did you decide what to include and are there topics you didn’t have room for, that might perhaps be in a follow-up book?
ROOPCHAND-WALKER: The Nutrition section could have been a book by itself alone! There’s so much that you can talk about as far as food and nutrients, but I just provided some basics and the importance of food choices and vitamins. I decided I needed to talk about all the topics in the book because they are all quite necessary for personal growth and healing. I didn't discuss emotional maturity and I think I only touched on the topic of communication and yes, I may need to discuss those in another book. My next book on food will cover more on gut brain health if not a cookbook. I haven't decided yet.
FQ: What is the most important lesson that you would want your audience to draw from your book?
ROOPCHAND-WALKER: The most important lesson anyone can learn from this book is no matter what you may have experienced growing up or any challenges you may have faced such as health issues, loss of a loved one past trauma, you can still triumph and rise above it all. Once you decide to no longer be the victim and change your mindset you can literally change your reality. Once you do that you can change your entire life!
FQ: Please tell our readers a bit about your business, Health Coach 4 Women Wellness Studio. How did it come about and what are your on-going goals for the company?
ROOPCHAND-WALKER: Health Coach 4 Women Wellness Studio started with my own health journey dealing with continuous bleeding from fibroids and getting a blood transfusion which led me on the path of healing. I wanted to help those on their journey and became a health and life coach along with neuro linguistic training on reframing the mind. My ongoing goals for the company is to not only provide coaching and meal plans but to open my actual wellness studio and spa that will provide various services for wellness such as lymphatic drainage messages, meditation sessions, facials, healing herbs education and much more. I want my business to be the place where people come to escape and find serenity of pure relaxation and peace as they continue to move through life living in a state of FLOW Feeling Love Overflow Within.
FQ: The country, and indeed, the whole world, has been through an unprecedented pandemic. How did the self-quarantine and overall worrying about one’s health during the pandemic hurt us?
ROOPCHAND-WALKER: Oh my goodness, this is a great question. Many people were and still are living in a state of fear! Being afraid of the unknown, afraid of the future, afraid of dying and adding more stress and anxiety to their lives without realizing that they are weakening their own immune system. Stress is the silent killer! We need to learn how to adapt to changes that are out of our control without losing control. We only have control of how we react to certain situations. The pandemic has caused increased mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Alcohol use and the increase of domestic violence has increased as well putting us more at risk to develop illnesses and diseases.
FQ: In your book, and on your website, healthy eating is one topic that you discuss, and how the wrong foods can hurt your body. Why do you think Americans have such a love/hate relationship with food, and why do so many eat so poorly?
ROOPCHAND-WALKER: Advertising! They make it so tempting! They make these foods look so good and they tell you that they're good for you when it’s quite the opposite. We love the food for the taste, then we feel guilty after eating it because we know it’s unhealthy! Added flavors, fat and sugars is what makes the food so tasty.
Portion control! If we can limit our food portions this can be a useful benefit. Using a smaller plate can help you not to overindulge. Make veggies half your plate as well as protein and carbs, should both be a quarter of your plate size. When eating out, eat and you're served a large plate, eat half of your meal and box the rest. Never feel like you need to eat all that is on your plate.
Lack of knowledge about food is another issue. But if people knew the real facts about sugar which is more addictive than cocaine and what it does to the body, then they may reconsider their food choices. Recognizing food labels is something we should pay attention to. Ingredients such as maltodextrin which is a bioengineered food additives should be avoided just as much as fructose corn syrup which the liver processes and turns it into fat should also be avoided.as well as other added sugars they are unhealthy for you and these sugars metabolize quickly in the body spiking your sugar levels. Let’s eat to live rather than live to eat by learning educating ourselves more on food choices and how to prepare them.

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