Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandria Ruiz.
Hi Alexandria, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is Alexandria Ruiz, but please call me Alex! I am an SGV native and of Mexican, Spanish, and Native American descent.
All my life, I struggled with my weight. No matter how active I was or how healthy I ate, it always felt like this challenge that would never end.
After years of depression, eating disorders, body image, and struggles with self-esteem and self-worth, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in 2010 and then with the autoimmune disease, Hashimotos in 2016.
In 2019, I had this revelation. That even though my weight wasn’t any different, my relationship with food was the healthiest it had ever been; I was the happiest, the most confident, and had the most energy in years. Yet, I couldn’t help but feel like these accomplishments were not as celebrated as someone’s weight loss. That the only way people labeled someone as healthy was by the size of their jeans.
So then it clicked.
Why is weight the only thing we fixate on? Why are all of these critical things not as important in society’s eyes.
Because at the end of the day, health is so much more than weight.
Health is how you feel, how you see yourself, respect yourself, and can be based on your endurance or increase of strength, energy, mental state, happiness, confidence, or even how you can decrease your stress. It’s setting boundaries, fixing relationships, going to therapy, recognizing past trauma, or even advocating for your own health.
So, I decided to do something about it.
This September, I am excited to share that Health is More Than Weight will be launching an online community. A podcast and Instagram account dedicated to helping women see their worth, acknowledge their progress, build confidence, and take a look at their entire health story.
Health is More Than Weight is here to break the stigma that thin equals healthy and empower women to see beyond the scale.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Although my health journey has been more than a bumpy road, I consider my diagnosis my superpower. If it wasn’t for my autoimmune disease, I wouldn’t have this new passion in life to help women thrive and find love for themselves again.
At times, I can get this overwhelming feeling of, “Who am I to do this?” that my story isn’t worth sharing, but every story is worth sharing.
Between juggling freelancing, school, and creating a community, there never seems to be enough hours in the day. But when you love what you do, you find a way to make it happen.
To support the community and fulfill this passion, I quit my corporate job, currently freelance full-time, and am a couple of months away from completing my training to become a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner.
As you know, we’re big fans of Health is More Than Weight. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Health is More Than Weight is an online community that empowers women to see beyond the scale.
Our mission is to inspire women to build confidence and self-love by understanding their entire health story.
This September, Health is More Than Weight will be launching a podcast, Instagram account, and 1:1 nutritional therapy coaching services with Founder Alex Ruiz.
We are proud to be an inclusive brand of all races, shapes, and sizes to all women and female-identifying persons from around the world.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I wouldn’t say I am a risk-taker as my personality type loves structure and rules. Yet, there will always be a time when rules need to be broken, ideas need to be changed, and systems need to be uprooted.
Just because something “works” doesn’t necessarily mean that there isn’t room for improvement. And when it comes to the wellness industry, significant changes need to be made now.
By creating Health is More Than Weight, I will be fighting diet culture, fatphobia, and body shaming head-on. There will be backlash, outdated ideologies, and hateful people fighting against this constantly.
I’m proud to help leave my mark and help change the industry for the better. And if that makes me a risk-taker, then sign me up!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.justalexrae.com/
- Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/justalexrae/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justalexrae
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/justalexrae/?hl=en
Image Credits:
Eric Fisher Joel Marasigan
