We’re looking forward to introducing you to Maca Ramos. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Maca, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity will ALWAYS win over everything for me. In the last 15 years of being in Health and Wellness, I have seen so many trends come and go along with people who promote things they don’t believe in just to make a buck. In all that time, I’ve never chosen to bash others who I feel haven’t had the best intentions nor have I gone the route of promoting things I never believed in for a following or financial gain.
Whether I have 2 people following my journey or 200,000, you will always get the same version of me: a working wife and mom of 3 sharing a life I genuinely live with recipes I created and products I buy with my own money before ever recommending them to others. I don’t follow fads and I always hope to inspire others to live a healthier lifestyle because they WANT to feel their best knowing that it is possible to do so without stress, fear or comparison being at the root of it all.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Maca (pronounced May-sa) and I own Healthy Mess, a Lifestyle & Wellness brand that I started in 2017 to share my life as a Wife, Mom of 3 and Health Coach living a life focused on simple nutrition for Brain and Immune health along with my delicious recipes and an Ingredient Meal Method to make healthy food for even the pickiest of eaters!
Our journey into living a healthier lifestyle is something I never shy from sharing the real, raw truth of. I was a pack a day cigarette smoker living on energy drinks and fast food while working all the time never getting to see my daughter or my husband. My husband was diagnosed with Cancer and that was when my eyes were opened wide. I not only dedicated my energy to transforming our health and helping my husband heal (which he has) but also to chase after the idea that I could live a life I didn’t need a vacation from.
I took a break from being a Hair Stylist to work in Health and Wellness full time from 2011-2019 then circumstances in our life changed and I needed to go back. I own HMC Studio (Healthy Mess Collective) on our property where I do hair! In the last 15 years I have been a yoga instructor, Doula, Health Coach, Entrepreneur and Hair Stylist so to say it’s been a wild ride would be an understatement!
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
My Dad! He was a Firefighter who always had side jobs building things when he wasn’t at work. All my life I’ve watched him help people without recognition or reward and he always did the right thing simply because it was the right thing to do! My Dad instilled hard work, dedication, honoring my word and unconditional love all rolled into one. While he has always been an incredibly hard worker who lives and breathes sacrifice for others, he also made me believe that I can do anything I put my mind to and work hard for. That’s probably why I am such a relentless optimist who will never give up! He’s the best.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
YES! In 2022 my health took a drastic turn due to trying to navigate my Health & Wellness business, working in the Salon full time, my husband being a First Responder gone a LOT and 3 very busy kids. This drove me to the point where I was getting sick multiple times a week in the studio that would render me bedridden. I was experiencing anxiety for the first time in my life and felt absolutely hopeless in spite of continuing to eat, supplement and exercise – doing all the “right” things that should make a person be healthy and happy. To make a long story short, unmanaged stress coupled with root issues I wouldn’t discover until 2023 made me truly consider giving up altogether.
I am not a person who will put on a fake face for an audience but instead of giving up, I dove head first into more research to discover what was actually going on in my body at a root cause level. Discovering Mold in our home, gut infections, and more were just the start! 2023 was my discovery and comeback year! Being diagnosed with Hashimotos and Hypothyroidism was not the awful thing I know that it can be for many. I have been gently loving myself back to health ever since and encouraging so many others on their journey which has given me renewed purpose! Showing how I had the most beautiful life I worked so hard for and then lost it all for a season to now being back in such a different but still amazing way is what my heart has always been about!
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
That being “healthy” was as simple as eating the right foods, exercising and proper supplementation. While it is inherently TRUE, there is so much more nuance to it. We are all individual and unique so what works for one person may not work for the next. Applying foundational wellness tools in someone’s lifestyle will absolutely help move the needle in their goals but there are some hidden issues that often must be discovered in order to achieve lasting wellness to heal or at least still be able to live a full life in spite of whatever diagnosis we may face.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
If I were to delete everything, I would still be the exact same person that I am now. Everything I build is with the intention to serve others in my real life and authentic expression. It can be hard to know if I’m making a difference in a world filled with other voices doing bigger things with larger audiences, but I’m in it for the long haul thinking of true connection with individuals, not impressing the masses or following the fads. So if I deleted it all – I’d still remain as I am. Does that make sense?
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.healthymess.co
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/healthy.mess_
- Youtube: @healthymess
- Other: Tiktok: @healthymess
