Meet Trailblazer Zuliya Khawaja

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zuliya Khawaja.

Zuliya, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started Naturally Zuzu three years ago to share my passion for healthy food and what I have learned through my plant-based journey with my family and friends. Very quickly, Naturally Zuzu became something bigger than I thought and grew to a community of 50,000 plus members in just a few years. It connected me with so many individuals who were on a similar journey as I was and with those who were curious about becoming vegan or trying a plant-based diet for the first time. After having two kids, I struggled with my weight and constant insecurities. In addition, I suffered from inflamed joints and regular migraines. I exercised regularly and ate a pretty clean diet and still struggled. One day, I was scrolling through some health articles and noticed one that was talking about a vegan diet and how it was helping people lose weight and cure joint inflammation, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Naturally, I became very curious and decided to do more research. During my research, I learned about Dr. T Colin Campbell who for many decades had been at a forefront of nutrition education and research at Cornell University and co-author of bestselling book The China Study. In summary, The China Study is a 20-year study that examines the relationship between the consumption of the animal products which includes dairy and chronic illnesses such coronary heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, and RA. In this study both Dr. Campbell and his partner conclude that people who eat a whole food plant-based diet will escape, reduce, or reverse the development of numerous disease. I was convinced after watching a documentary FORKS OVER KNIVES on Netflix which extensively covers about the benefits of the plant-based diet. Growing up, I always enjoyed being in the kitchen with my mom. My favorite part about cooking with her was the presentation of food. She always let me plate the dishes and make them look pretty. When I was little, I loved playing with my food just like any kid was at that age. I would make clouds from mash potatoes and flowers from string beans and carrots.

At that age, I already knew that we humans eat with our eyes first. I was very much into making my food look “pretty.” I think about how my creative side was born. I grew up in Uzbekistan when it was part of the former Soviet Union. When I was 16, my parents moved us to Moscow, Russia where I attended a university there and graduated with a degree in Business and Economics. My parents and I moved to the United States in 1997 as political refugees. We settled in Parsippany, New Jersey after immigrating to the US. I moved to beautiful San Diego in the summer of 1997, after meeting and marrying my husband. After I moved to San Diego, I decided to pursue a career in Real Estate. For many years, I worked for various real estate development companies as a broker and analyst. My career was financially rewarding and I was living an American dream.

In 2017, I quit my career to spend more time with my kids and pursue my own dreams. I started doing freelance projects as a broker a few times a week and the rest of the time inspire people to live healthier and more active lives by coaching them through fitness and plant-based diet. I also became a dance fitness instructor and now teach ZUMBA and BollyX the Bollywood workout at the Bay Club Carmel Valley and at the Scripps Performing Dance Academy in Carmel Valley.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road for sure. Everything in life comes with obstacles and challenges.
I started my Instagram and Blog Naturally Zuzu so I can document my plant-based journey and create recipes to share with my friends who were curious about my new lifestyle. There is a misconception that vegan or plant-based food is bland and boring. I wanted to show the world that I could create scrumptious vegan meals that anyone would enjoy. My goal was to make vegan food look sexy and lose weight in the process by eating it. I wanted to share how easy it was to make plant-based meals and inspire others to live healthier lives by adopting a plant-based or vegan diet. I never knew when I started this that my food would become so popular. In the process, I lost about 20 lbs. first four months of transitioning to plant-based got my pre-mom body back and the best part I no longer suffered from the migraines and joint pain. My food was my medicine and I found a cure.

For me, one of the challenges was initially a sense of guilt for quitting my well paying job and deciding to do what I wanted to do. Everyone around me was telling I was making a big mistake. My parents were asking why I was throwing my career in the trash just so I can teach people to live happier? Would that make me happy? How about the money? My past career was financially very rewarding and their concern was how I would be able to maintain my lifestyle by pursuing my so-called “dreams.” My family didn’t understand how much stress I endured at my well-paid job and how miserable I felt every day. The money didn’t bring me happiness so I looked at other options in pursuit of my own happiness. When I started Naturally Zuzu Instagram account, there were only a few followers there who consisted of my close friends and family members. My goal at that time was to grow my account to just a thousand members. Every day, I created a recipe that was easy and delicious and didn’t take much time. My focus was busy moms or dads who needed a quick plant-based meal idea for their families every day. I stayed consistent with my content and delivered quality recipes every single day.

In just a few months, my recipes were shared in many health and fitness related accounts which helped me to grow my audience. There were times, I felt like my account wasn’t growing at all and I wanted to stop creating recipes and focus more on teaching dance classes. My friends kept encouraging me and telling me how much they enjoy my recipes and how much I was inspiring them to eat healthier. They asked me to start cooking classes and teach them how to make plant-based meals. I had no idea where to start but inquiries kept coming in. I attended a few cooking presentations to get myself familiar with the cooking class set up and to learn what sort of equipment and supplies I needed to buy to run successful cooking classes. My first cooking class I did was somewhat a disaster. My blender blew up in front of my face as I was making vegan ice cream. That was a lesson for me to invest in a better quality commercial blender. My student cut herself trying to peel a zucchini which prompted me to get proper vegetable peelers.

As I was running the class, I remember telling myself that this was not fun at all. I wanted to forget about cooking classes and just focus on developing recipes for my blog after that incident. Little that I knew, that people who came to my very first class loved making the food and eating it so much, they asked me to have another one just in a few months after. My second class didn’t have any technical disasters but was challenged by time as I had to empty and clean the facility by a certain hour. After that, I decided to run my cooking classes at the homes of my friends who opened up their kitchen to me. Teaching people how to make delicious plant-based meals and educating them about the benefits of a plant-based diet was truly making me happy. The best part was when I would get emails from my past students thanking me and telling how my cooking classes changed their lives. And how because of me, they eat healthier and feel better. I think for me there no better reward than that!

Alright – so let’s talk about your blog. Tell us about Naturally Zuzu – what should we know?
I am the founder of Naturally Zuzu. Naturally Zuzu is a healthy lifestyle blog that focuses on a plant-based and aesthetically pleasing food. Recipes published on my blog are everyday, easy to follow yet exquisite tasting food that you can make in less than an hour. Everything is plant-based or vegan. I hold cooking classes two-three times a year depending on my schedule. Usually, they are held at a host sponsored location. I advertise them on my Facebook and Instagram pages @naturallyzuzu. I work with individuals who are transitioning to a plant-based or vegan diet and need to meet their dietary goals. I teach them where to shop, how to shop, and how to prepare their meals.

What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
Follow your heart and be consistent with your brand. Have a clear vision and don’t give up. Support other women especially ones whose ideas align with yours. Be fierce!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.naturallyzuzu.com
• Email: naturallyzuzu@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/naturallyzuzu?utm_source=ig_profile_share&igshid=iectqptguhe9
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naturallyzuzu/

Image Credit:
Nuria Winne

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