Podcast Transcription: The Wealth of Health: Exploring the Connection Between Health And True Happiness with Jeffrey Boadi

Ted Ryce: Jeffrey Boadi, thanks so much for being on the show today. It's been many months in the making.  

Jeffrey Boadi: Yes, thanks for having me, man. I know. We, uh, we were chatting, I think it was, uh, around Christmas time or something, but yeah, good to finally get this going. 

Ted Ryce: Yeah. And, uh, the reason, well, I want to talk about how we connected because it has to do with your story, but, uh, before we go to that, you're one of my favorite people to follow online, both on Twitter and Instagram.  

One, because we both share the values of being, let's say, evidence-based. I hesitate to use that term, but we want to bring the most accurate information to people. And the second value that I see that you and I both share is that we're open-minded. I'm not plant-based. You are plant-based. But the way you talk about it, it's aspirational, it's leadership. I saw an exchange today where JT tagged someone else on Twitter. Are you connected with JT as well? Yeah.  

Jeffrey Boadi: He's the, um, the bodyweight guy. Right? 

Ted Ryce: Exactly. And he helped a client lose a bunch of weight. I don't even think he named how much, but the guy was just eating cheeseburgers. The whole diet was based around cheeseburgers. And a vegan chimed in and went after him.  

But it's like, what I love about your message is maybe you don't agree with that approach, or it's not certainly something you wouldn't do, being plant-based. But you are trying to help people get better, and that's what JT does. That's what I do. So, how'd you get into this whole thing of plant-based, focusing on nutrition and then becoming a leader for other people? 

Jeffrey Boadi: Yeah, I mean, you know, I appreciate a lot of the sentiments, you know, I think it's, as you know, seeing a lot of what you are doing as well and, as you say, trying to be a leader and trying to guide people in the right way.  

I just think that, look, people are going to do things in different ways, you know, when, as you just mentioned there with the vegan going into chime in negatively towards someone losing weight in a way that maybe doesn't agree with them. I don't know what that the vegan was expecting to happen. You know, I don't think, I can't understand what they're expecting to happen in that instance. 

So, look, as you say, I think for me, I stumbled across something that worked well for me. You know, my sister showed me a documentary called What the Health. I'm not saying that nutrition documentaries probably aren't the best place to get your information from. But having said that, for me, it was like, uh, it was a catalyst to try something new. 

You know, I was becoming quite open-minded at that point and I wanted to then, you know, dive into research and start looking at scientific papers and listening to, you know, esteemed people within the space. And of course, trying it for myself and seeing what's happening and all of these benefits that I was experiencing, you know, better sleep, feeling lighter, mental clarity, you know, recovering quicker after training. 

I just thought to myself, this is actually really interesting. So, I just kept on doing it and I think. It's funny because before I went plant-based, I wasn't, I mean, I was very into sports. I played a lot of sport growing up, you know, football, soccer, as you guys call it, tennis, rugby, cricket. I played, sport has essentially been my whole life, multi-sport athlete in school. 

So, you know, I thought my kind of nutrition information was limited to, you know, meat for muscle and dairy for calcium. So, I wanted to, I guess I was eating as healthy as I thought with regards to the information that I had.  

I guess going plant-based it exposed me to that way of eating, but it also exposed me just to health on the whole, and I guess how I've arrived at this point was kind of noticing a lot of the things that I was kind of experiencing with regards to, you know, the positive changes regarding health and just wanting everyone to feel that way in some kind of fashion. 

Not, maybe not all the way, but just to feel, you know, like it really improved their heath and take control. So, I arrived at a point where I was making decisions around nutrition based off of my own choices as opposed to, you know, tradition or what society dictates or what culture dictates. And yeah, wanting to bring that into the kind of social sphere, one of the things that I've really realized is that everyone's life circumstances different. 

You know, I'm, if someone decides to go from a junk food diet to a diet that's 75% plant-based and they're still eating some fish and meat, to me that's a win. Like I obviously understand the, you know, the ethical arguments and I think that is obviously a very noble argument.  

And I guess my kind of pathway into plant nutrition was from a health standpoint and I do, of course, also, you know, wear practical and possible, kind of not go for animal byproducts, whether it's through leather and stuff like that. But I'm not going to be here to judge people. I'm not going to be here to tell people that you need to do this or you need to do that. I want to just try and lead, and if people find value in some of what I do or all of what I do, then I feel like I've done my job. 

Ted Ryce: Well said. And if you're listening right now, Jeffrey is someone you need to follow for sure. Even if you don't want to go a hundred percent plant-based. Shares great information. Sometimes I see some of your reels on Instagram. I'm like, man, I wish I could do reels like that. I mean, I'm more of a Twitter guy at the moment, but I really appreciate not just the information but the delivery as well. 

I think you do a great job and it's no wonder you've created this community of over a hundred thousand people who are looking to you to help guide them to a healthier lifestyle. Jeffrey, I want to also talk about something that I saw you say, because you also have some strong opinions, one of which I share with you as well, this sentiment in let's say Western society. 

So, Western English-speaking countries. Where we're kind of, Hmm. What would you say, it's, we're falling into this trap of trying to be cool to people, trying to be accepting and tolerant, and we're kind of losing our standards, especially for our health on the way. Tell me more about your stance on that and what you see happening. 

Jeffrey Boadi: So, I guess, in terms of, I'm trying to think on what tweet I might have mentioned that in, I think in Western society, I have tweeted a lot recently about, you know, the standards where people feel that they just let their, when they get to a certain age and they let their standards slip when it comes to their health and feeling that, oh, when I hit 30 or when I hit 40, that's just it. It's downhill. I'm aging, blah, blah, blah. And then you then go ahead and do nothing. And then you just allow yourself to age really poorly. And I think it's a very lazy way to look at things. 

I think because you know, we see so many instances of people, whether it's their being in their fifties, their sixties, and what's actually quite ironic is that if we see, you know, if you and I see someone, you know, you're in your late forties and in incredible shape, you know, you're really a. You know, someone who's setting the tone for people of that age, but to many people what you do with your physique , to many people that would be a surprise. 

But for me, it's just just like...It's not a surprise because you're just doing the right things. Like, I don't know where this belief has come from that once you hit 40, that's it, it's done. It's game over.  

You know, I think in the UK there's a very big focus on, and I'm sure in North America as well, processed foods, drinking, things like that. 

And, you know, people get comfortable when they get into these kinds of ages. They, whether they get into a relationship and get comfortable or maybe just don't have many aspirations. They just get a little bit comfortable. But I think, and I'm sure you can probably align with this as well. I think when you're trying to really push the boundaries of where your life can go, your health has to really be a foundation of that. 

You know, so getting up to train, getting up to exercise, discipline in your life, doing certain things that you might not want to at the time, but you know that's going to be beneficial for you. You know that the whole, as the saying goes, you know, mood follows action. So, I don't see where this belief has come from that if you're a certain age that that's it for your physical health and mental health.  

Like, if anything, it's actually even more important as you age to prioritize these things because naturally, of course, we're all going to age. But there's a difference between aging gracefully and, you know, still being able to maintain lean muscle mass well into your forties, fifties, sixties, and seventies, and you know, get to your later years, 80 and not have to be supervised. 

You can just live, you know, and I just worry that so many people who maybe don't care about things now are going to get to a point where they're in their later years and they maybe would've wished that they'd done certain things to make those later years more kind of, more easier, essentially.  

So yeah, it's something that I don't like seeing. Like I saw a tweet the other day from someone saying, "when you hit 25, your body shuts down." 

And I was just like, it's 25. If that's where we're going now, we're all in trouble. So yeah... 

Ted Ryce: That’s such an important point because there's a difference between having really bad habits and being able to... like when I was in my twenties, I don't know what your story is and I want to get into that next, but I was ripped. I was a personal trainer in Miami Beach, training celebrities and multimillionaires, and I drank on Wednesday nights because one of my clients owned a restaurant and club.  

So, it was Wednesday nights at the Forge, right? Then Thursday nights at Tantra. So, I was drunk that night, so I was just a total mess. And then I was going, of course, I was going out to clubs on the weekend and drinking and taking ecstasy, and I was ripped.  

And a lot of people in that time, and I worked with very successful people, they all looked at my body and thought, oh, this guy knows what he's doing. It's like, yeah, it's the vodka tonic, ecstasy, have no car because I'm, you know, struggling financially, diet. 

So, what you're saying, it's so true. We don't realize... it's just our... the younger... things do change with age and you have to be smarter, but it means like your earlier habits weren't so... they just weren't sustainable.  

Uh, Jeffrey, I want to talk about how we connected because I shared a tweet about my story and certainly everyone who's listened to this podcast for, for, you know, a while knows my story, but I want to talk about your story and, um, you know, you suffered a tragedy and health and fitness was a big part. It's not something you and I share was a big part of getting you back from that. Talk about what happened and how you got through it. What were the things that helped you get through that time? 

Jeffrey Boadi: Yeah, so it was around... well, unfortunately, in November 2021, I was unfortunately widowed. I lost my wife, you know, God rest her soul, an incredible person, incredible human being. Um, and actually in many ways, a huge reason is to kind of where I am and all the stuff that I'm doing today.  

Like, she was such an inspiration for me. She supported me in so many ways and we just got married six months beforehand. So, you know, of course, it's never something that you ever expect to happen, you know, at 33 years of age, you never expect that to knock on your door. 

But, I think it was perfectly put the other day I heard, I was listening to a podcast, um, I think it was Chris Williamson. I don't know if you've heard of him. He's the guy from the Northeastern England. So, he has the Modern Wisdom podcast. He mentioned, I'm not sure if it was on his podcast or someone else's podcast, he referenced something that David Goggins had said in terms of the fact that unchosen suffering going to come to all of us in our life in some way, shape, or form. 

Like a bad day is going to come for everyone. And the way in which we can manage it, and it's still going to suck, but the way in which we can manage it and prepare for it and ourselves through it, it's through chosen suffering. So chosen suffering. The way that I see that is training hard in the gym, building your body physically, pushing yourself to the boundaries mentally, you know, reading books, challenging your beliefs, widening your perspective, doing difficult things, whether it's a long run or ice baths or cold showers, things like that. 

Things that are just going to help to steel you and almost build you, you know, from inside out and really kind of fortify your mental king of strength and give you that fortitude so that, when those days do come, and they are going to suck, it's going to suck, you'll be in a much better place.  

And knowing that these habits that I've cultivated over the years, they help you to feel good. You know, as you know, you feel great after a training session, or whether it's jujitsu or muay thai, or you go for a run or a swim, or you go in the sauna or you go in the cold shower, you feel good. So, for me, after it happened, after about a week, I was like, I need to get back to doing those things that I know helped me to feel good. 

So, I need to get back in the gym. So I was, I'd moved back in with my parents at the time, so I was going to training in the gym with my younger brother. Every day we were just hitting the weights and I was going for my walks and I was getting back into making sure the diet was kind of locked in. 

Because of course, like yes, emotionally at the time I was a complete mess, but I was still able to physically feel pretty good and still have those endorphins going on. So, I just feel like it's, for me, it's something that's interesting because of course I can't quantify it, I can't put it in writing or numbers or prove it in that regard, but from my own personal experience, I cannot stress for anyone listening to this podcast, like, as mentioned, we're going to have bad things happen to us in life and, you know, being mentally strong and that comes through doing difficult things and training and widening your perspective and, you know, approaching challenges, that's going to help build you up, is going to help fortify you, is going to strengthen you so that when these scenarios do come, you have that mental clarity, you have that way in which you can deal with it in a much better way. 

And of course, that's not to say, you know, I didn't have friends who were, you know, right there beside me and my family, you know, really, really, as, as, you know, they, as they would like, you know, they were there for me in so many different ways. You know, I'm someone who believes in God, so, you know, praying to God and just asking for those, you know, that kind of, that kind of guidance to, you know, know what, what was kind of next for me in my life. 

But I do think health and fitness and, and, and just immersing yourself in that realm, it's going to be one of the best things that you can do physically and mentally for when those bad times might come in life. 

Ted Ryce: Obviously, I found the same thing. I was, uh, I've had several tragedies and after each one, you know that you feel terrible and the reason is because of what happened. But if you exercise, you feel better. And if that's true and it didn't change the external circumstances, it didn't change the past, then we have more control over how we feel.  

And I love how you said you have your family and also your faith as well because I feel like that's something that a lot of people are lacking, Jeffrey. And of course, you know, my condolences. That's... I read somewhere that losing a partner is on par with losing a child in terms of the amount of stress that you go under. And could you talk a little bit more about... someone might be listening to this and you made a great point. We're all going to go through things. 

Can you talk a little bit more about, you know, did you have trouble getting back in a week later? That sounds pretty quick. I mean, there are people who I've known who are going through a divorce and they're shattered by it, of course, no judgments there, but it's just what are some lessons that you took away from that, other than what you've shared, where someone right now might be able to use them and push through whatever they're going through? 

Jeffrey Boadi: I think one of them is very, very cliché and it really is just to take each day as it comes. Because when it all happened for me, I was kind of just like, I know a week getting back into the gym is probably quite quick for most people, and I completely understand that. And that's not to say that I was using the gym to block out everything that I was going through. It would be like I'd go to the gym and then I'd come back home.  

And I'd probably be crying and then having to deal with some other kind of admin thing that relates. Well, I mean, one thing that people don't realize is that when someone dies, there's so much admin and paperwork and stuff that you have to go through. Like, so true. You just have no idea. There's so much stuff you have to do. So having to do all of that stuff and then, you know, fielding the thousands of people who are trying to get into... 

You having to obviously go here, there, and everywhere and you know, see how other people are doing and try and obviously be there and be available for people. You know, there's a lot going on, so it's almost like you have to just take, just break your life down into just days. Just days, essentially.  

And get to the end of the day and kind of see, you know, I, I'm right. I feel like I've got through that day. I think I feel like I've done okay with this day, and then you go on to the next one. So that's a really important way to look at things and try not to look too far ahead into the future. And also, I think, you know, the kind of person that she was, she was someone who I know would want me to live a life of purpose.  

She would want me to continue and be happy. She would want me to, you know, not, you know, kind of be curled up in a ball in the corner. Because she was someone who had so much energy, she had so much drive and determination. 

So, I know that she would want me to continue, you know, and I, there were even times that I almost like even felt her just kind of... maybe sometimes I'd want to stay in bed and just kind of feel her giving me a bit of a nudge.  

So, then I'd kind of get out of bed and, you know, I think I also, and again, this is really difficult and there's no right or wrong way to deal with grief because it's a very unique circumstance for everyone. There's no right or wrong way. Like, for example, I don't know what it feels like to lose a friend, you know, she obviously had so many friends who she left behind. I don't know what it feels like to lose a family member. She had family.  

You know, I don't know how to understand or kind of make sense of those things because I'm looking at it through my lens of being a spouse. But I also think for me, I quickly shifted to a place of gratitude. You know, when I met her, I was in a place in my life where, you know, not much was happening for me. You know, I was trying to play professional sports. It wasn't working out for me.  

I was quite bitter in my life. And she just showed me so much love, so much patience. She saw things in me that I didn't see in myself. So, she, you know, I almost had when it happened, you know, of course it's difficult and, you know, it's very, very emotional.  

But there was also a lot of gratitude there for being able to have my life blessed by this person who, you know, maybe in many ways I didn't deserve at the start, but like, you know, I was just so grateful to have had that, those moments with her. And, you know, as I said, in many ways she changed my life. She changed the course of my life.  

She just widened my perspective on so many things. So, I've got so much, so much love for her. And of course, I think life is, of course, going to move forward. I'm really happy to say that I'm, you know, I'm engaged again now and I'm going to be getting married next year. Incredible person. Like, she's like beautiful inside out and she, of course, understands the situation and has a sense of maturity that maybe other people wouldn't, because it can be quite a difficult situation to come, you know, to, to, to, you know, be with someone who's had someone before them in this, in this circumstance. But, you know, what we've built has been absolutely incredible.  

We actually got engaged like six weeks ago, so I didn't put anything on social media because, you know, sometimes close and. But yeah, so I'm in a really, really good place and I can look back fondly on my years with Jess and everything that, you know, we went through. So, yeah, I just guess, a kind of place of gratitude is, you know, because we, this life can be difficult, life is difficult, but it can also be very beautiful as well. So yeah, I'm just very grateful for where things are at. And as I said, you know, grief is a very difficult thing. It's very unique.  

There's no right or wrong way to deal with it. Just before I kind of wrap up, I do think, um, speaking about my experience, it was something that I was quite nervous about, but I spoke on a podcast about it and I got an email from someone who was basically saying that hearing me speak about grief gave her hope because she'd gone through so much loss in her twenties, and you know, countless therapy sessions and things like that.  

And she said, listening to the way that I was speaking about trying to move forward and live with purpose and, you know, almost live in honor of the person that's passed, that gave her hope to kind of approach things in a different way.  

And for me, that was incredible to receive that because as I said, I had so much, like almost trepidation as to whether I wanted to speak openly about what happened. But if it can help people and navigate their own kind of, you know, navigate their own circumstances around grief, then, then it can only be a good thing.  

Ted Ryce: I agree. Well, thanks for sharing it again. It's always... I don't know how you feel when you retell your story. But it does, uh, you have to relive a little bit of it and it... but if it helps people and, you know, it's worth it for sure. One of the things that I think is missing from the health and fitness conversation is this mental health issue where you see...  

I'm not familiar with the mental health statistics in the UK, but I'm sure they're similar to the US. Anxiety is on the rise, depression is on the rise. And at a time where... I mean, you've traveled the world when you were trying to make it as a professional football or soccer player.  

I've traveled quite a bit and you start to see, whoa, in the States, I mean, we have everything. The toilet flushes when you press once and you don't have to throw toilet paper away in a trash can, you just put it in the bowl because the plumbing's so good.  

And that sounds like a silly thing, kind of ridiculous, but you start to realize like there's this comfort that's been created in modern society and in Western countries like the UK, like Australia, like the US, like Canada. And yet there's this huge rise in anxiety and depression. Do you have any thoughts about that? 

Jeffrey Boadi: I mean, it's a difficult one. You know, I see a lot of people, obviously, you know, there are definitely factors at play where people aren't, you know, engaging in certain behaviors which, if we look at the science, there's a lot of evidence that exercise is protective against depression.  

That eating the right foods and getting the right balance of nutrition, you know, antioxidants, healthy fats, all of these quality foods into the diet that are going to be beneficial and protective against, you know, the likes of depression and anxiety.  

We're not doing enough of that in Western society. We are a very sedentary, I mean the UK especially, and I am sure the US and Australia, and Canada as well, very sedentary nations. Like, it sounds quite weird even though, you know, we're in this corner of Twitter that's very, very focused on health, but we are very much in the minority in the grand scheme of things. People are sedentary, people are eating junk food constantly, not exercising, you know, stress in their lives, stress at their jobs.  

And I also think a really big one that's underrated as to why people are, you know, really struggling just to... We'll come to what you mentioned about the kind of comfort and ease as well, is the fact that people don't have much purpose. People don't know why they're here. Like, if you don't know why you are here and you're getting up every morning and you've not got that fuel in your belly, that fire to kind of, you know, go out and whether it's what you want to lead or you want to kind of continue to grow something that you're growing.  

And you kind of wake up just thinking, you're really content and happy with where life is and really looking forward to where things are going. That can be a recipe for feeling quite low because you're just almost just like, well, the days are the same. You know, get up, go to work, get up, commute, go to work. You know, stay at work however long, come home, eat, sleep, Netflix, whatever. It's very monotonous.  

There's, there's almost nothing to look forward to. So, I think a lack of purpose in society is a really, really big one as to why people are struggling with these mental health conditions. And of course, look, we know mental health is multifactorial. There's not going to be one thing that we can point at and go, this is what it is, you know?  

And, you know, I'm sure you know, we've obviously seen that there was data that came out relatively recently about selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and how they're, you know, people should throw them out for depression.  

I'm sure they probably work for some people, but I do think that, you know, dramatic lifestyle change could really be beneficial for a lot of people as well. I think exercise in particular... So yeah, and as you say, like we've become so comfortable. Everything is just so comfortable in society. You know, you've got escalators everywhere. 

You've got elevators everywhere. You've got the option to, you know, not leave your house and get dinner brought to you. You can get your groceries brought to you. Everything. Like, there's no incentive to actually go out and do things, you know, everything is just there. It's easy. These phones and the technology are kind of created. 

And that's not to say technology is bad because it's not. It's actually, you know, technology's allowing us to have this conversation right now. But you know, we have to actually actively go out and seek a bit of discomfort, actively go out and seek to do the difficult thing and not the easy thing. And that would allow us to kind of keep that sense of, that, keep that fire burning within us essentially. 

'Cause if we don't try and actively go and do hard things, we just stagnate, and stagnation in many ways is death. So, just something for a lot of people to think about. You know what? 

Ted Ryce: I was thinking when you were talking about that? I spent a few months in Lisbon earlier this year, and I rented a place on Airbnb. 

It was on the third floor. There wasn't an elevator, and my suitcase was packed to the limit at 22 kg, so about 50 pounds. And so, I was just, and the stairs weren't like in the States stairs are to a certain code. And perfectly, you know, spaced. And these were not that, I mean, if you had mobility issues, you weren't going to do well on this staircase. 

I had to carry it up, wasn't a problem. But I was just thinking how many people couldn't do it in the States, and I think we lose sight of that. I love what you said about purpose too. And um, I find that a lot.  

You know what's interesting, Jeffrey, is I have this feeling like, and, and this is partly my fault 'cause I'm always talking about nutrition because I know it gets more clicks, right? 

Talking about it, I can say, "Hey, manage your stress and here's the 10 ways how," but if I talk about calories or whatever, it's like,everybody wants in on that conversation. So, I do it more, but I don't talk that it's probably 10%, 20% of what we talk about is nutrition and it's more about this other stuff. 

I have a client who was really struggling even with my help, even with strategy, great strategies that are not extreme and that allow for a lot of flexibility. And she was struggling to lose weight and we started to have a conversation about like, "Well, what's going on in your life?" Because there's part of the narrative that's missing. 

I think. Like what you mentioned, this purpose, you can't just, it's like, "My life sucks. I'm overweight or maybe obese, so let me go on a diet because that's going to fix it." It's like, but your life doesn't suck because I say it sucks or you say it sucks, Jeffrey. The person feels that it's not exciting them. 

And once you work on that, it's a big change. What do you think is going on with purpose in general? What are your thoughts about it? 

Jeffrey Boadi: It's a difficult one because, you know, we have to obviously appreciate the fact that, you know, people have got responsibilities in life. When you get a job and if you've got a family, you've got a mortgage, you may, you know, a lot of people may be in jobs that they aren't enjoying, and you get all these gurus on social media going, "Quit your job and this and that." But is it not that easy. 

That's not to say that you can't maybe dive into things that you loved as a child, you know, whether that's taking up another sport or picking up a little hobby or building a little side project and trying to manage your time to find things that still bring you joy, still give that purpose, give you that fire in your belly. Do you know what I mean?  

So, you know, I think, I think that's one of the things as well where, you know, it's just been lost. Whether people think that certain things are just in the past or whatever, or they shouldn't, you know, they don't have the time or the energy to focus on a project that they may or wanted to do for however many years. 

You know, people should always have something that they really enjoy, that they want to kind of get out of bed for. I think that's really, really important for human beings, I think, to have something to chase, to do. You know, if you don't have that, things just become a little bit difficult. 

I think you're just going through the motions a little bit, and as I said, it's not a case of just dropping everything and going onto something new. It's not that easy. You know, people have responsibilities, mortgages, children, family, but just finding things that you truly enjoy that, you know, maybe you don't have to monetize it or anything. Just find something that you enjoy and just do it or find, you know, find a purpose even.  

I think that's why faith is important because having something bigger than yourself is really, really important, you know, and, and, and following that. So, yeah, there's a lot of things that I think people can look towards and just try to, you know, move the needle in a better way for themselves. 

Ted Ryce: What's getting you out of bed in the morning these days? 

Jeffrey Boadi: Got you excited. I think the desire for me, you know, I want to just continue bringing as much value and be a leader for people when it comes to building healthy habits. And as you know, of course, I come from the plant-based standpoint, but the amount of messages that I get from people saying, "You know, I'm not fully plant-based, but you've helped me with this." 

Or, "I'm getting more fiber into my diet, which is great," or "I've dropped this weight, or I'm feeling great." You know, "I love your recipes." Like that means so much to me, and I want to just bring that onto the biggest scale possible. You know? And of course, you know, I obviously enjoy the side of things where I'm optimizing my own health. 

You know, I want to be the best version of myself. I guess ultimately, that's what gets me out of bed. If we think about it from a high level, being the best version of myself that I can possibly be, the fittest version of myself, the healthiest version of myself, the most mentally dialed in, the most mentally, you know, a lot of mental fortitude, wanting to continue to cultivate those things and filling up my cup to then be able to deliver value to other people. 

So that's really my aim. That's really my goal. You know, I've, you know, obviously my social media, continuing to build that. I have some projects that I'm working on as well. And I just want to give people value because, you know, I think everyone deserves the opportunity or the knowledge or, you know, the awareness to be able to build healthy habits and build kind of routines into their life that can help them to feel better. 

And if I can help to bring them to people and, you know, maybe they see a bit of themselves in me or they can kind of resonate with me, and that leads them to making those changes, then I'm all for it. And it's funny because I was never, as I said, I was never a social media guy. 

I never really liked it before, you know, sort of 2017. But realizing that, you know, there was a way of eating and a way of living that was just giving me so much value I wanted to just pass. I've almost felt compelled to want to pass it onto other people. So yeah, that's really what gets me out of bed in the morning. 

And you know, I guess wanting to leave a legacy and then all the other things like, you know, I want to have a family and instill these kinds of habits and discipline into them as well. And, you know, I'm really excited for the future with that. So, yeah, I've got a lot of things and I'm grateful for that. 

I'm grateful for having those things that, you know, get me out of bed. 

Ted Ryce: Yeah. It's funny, you know, people also ask me about how I've gotten through things and it's like, well, having these podcasts, speaking to people like you on the podcast, like I, this lights me up. So, some, some of what I do, like trying to write a thread on Twitter. 

It frustrates me sometimes, some of the social media stuff that I do, I bet you have stories about some of the content you create and the challenges you've gone through to be this prolific content creator. But the purpose is there, and if you spend a lot of your time with things that you feel are making a difference for other people and they're contributing to yourself, your own evolution as well. 

I mean, it's hard not to get past whatever you've been through, I think. Yeah. Jeffrey, I would love to talk a little bit. You've traveled to different countries, uh, and even got a professional football contract. You played semi-pro professionally in the UK. You played in some clubs in Norway, Austria, and even in the US, which is getting more popular in the US. 

Tell me a little bit about the journey there because you mentioned earlier you weren't able to make it professionally, but you were trying, you were traveling. Talk a little bit about the journey and what you learned from it and how you transitioned into something else because I think it's so important that knowing, having a passion, but when something doesn't seem to be working, like transitioning. 

Jeffrey Boadi: It was really, I mean, football had been what I wanted to do from a young age. Like, I remember watching games when I was like five years old and just thinking, yeah, I want, I want to do this professionally. Like, I want to play. And I just remember just playing in school and secondary school and, you know, just always just playing, trying to hone my skills, and you know, being in the best teams in school and whatnot. 

And then kind of went to, I mean, ideally, if you want to play professional football in the UK or even anywhere, really, you want to be in an academy from a young age. But I guess, you know, going through the education system as well and trying to balance the two, you know, I guess made things a little bit more difficult. 

But I still felt that, you know, if I was to maybe go somewhere else and play after I'd finished university, I could still maybe find a route in. So I went to the States, I think it was 2010, so that's a long time ago now, 13 years ago. So I was, you know, doing some open trials with a few clubs and playing with a few clubs, and, you know, there was the whole green card issue. 

And then, you know, rather taking players from their areas and played a lot of semi-professional in England. You know, people would always say, in England, if you play semi-professional, you know, you could get spotted by a professional club, and you know, then get taken through. Didn't materialize that way, and then went to Norway in 2013, was playing with a club for a bit. 

Again, didn't quite work out, and then came back to the UK. More open trials, more playing with kind of smaller, smaller clubs. And then 2015, I went to Austria, and I remember at the start of playing in Austria, it just wasn't really the kind of way that I wanted to play football. I was more of like a technical, kind of slower type player, more continental type player. 

Um, whereas in Austria, it was very, kind of hella leather ball was in the air a lot, and it just didn't really suit my style. And at that point, I started becoming a bit disillusioned with the game. You know, I'd loved, I'd loved football growing up so much, like completely loved. It was my first love anyway. 

It still is, but I was just kind of becoming disillusioned because I wasn't enjoying it anymore. I wasn't enjoying the process in 2015. So, I was just around like my mid-twenties. And I guess if you've not found a club by that point, you're, you know, you're really, really struggling and finding it difficult. 

Um, so there was a couple of years where I was what wanted. Um, I thought about going to Thailand, but, you know, getting the resources together wasn't, you know, easy. And as I said, so then up to 2017, that was when I met, you know, my deceased wife, Jess. And at that time, I wasn't really sure where I was going. 

I'd become quite bitter about everything that had gone on with my football journey. But then, kind of, as I said, she kind of gave me just this belief that I could do other things and that it wasn't just football. Because I was very, very narrow-minded. It was like, if I don't play football, I don't know what I'm going to do. 

I could never have pictured doing what I'm doing now. So, for me, I think now that I look back on it, I'm very glad that I took that journey even though it didn't work out because, you know, I put myself into uncomfortable situations. I was in different countries, but, you know, often by myself. You know, not knowing what to do and having to, you know, just approach people without having the contacts. 

So, and I think it helped me to grow up quite a lot in terms of, you know, really seeing the value of if you want to do something, just go for it. So, yeah, I've got no, like when I look back on that experience, you know, I can only say good things about that, you know, 'cause I'm obviously super happy with where I am now. 

And I think, yeah, a lot of those learnings and, you know, that growing up and maturing process, you know, definitely played a part in, you know, going to those different countries and experiencing those things. So yeah, I definitely would say that that was, um, it was a really interesting part of my life, but I look back on it now and I think, yeah, it definitely served many purposes. 

Ted Ryce: What do you think was the biggest lesson that you learned from that whole experience?  

Jeffrey Boadi: I would say the biggest lesson is that just because one thing doesn't work out doesn't mean that's it. Like, we, you know, we have so many strings to our bows as human beings, and I think maybe trying to, 'cause as I said, I was very one-track-minded. So, I'd say probably the biggest lesson was actually maybe to not hold so rigidly onto something. 

You know, I always think now with certain beliefs, I thought I was having a chat with someone, uh, not long ago, and they said it's good to have strong opinions but hold them loosely. 'Cause that allows you to hold, that allows you to almost have a wider perspective and actually learn and, you know, maybe come across new opportunities. 

I held onto football quite rigidly and I didn't let it go. Whereas, you know, potentially I could have maybe held onto it very rigidly or I could have held onto it and had the strong belief as to, you know, my qualities as a football player but being quite fluid in the way that I looked at things and maybe, you know, had an eye on exploring other things. 

Even though, you know, people talk about having a plan B is detrimental. I do understand that as well, and I think there's definitely value in that as well. I guess particularly to where I was coming up to the age where it wasn't working out for me, I still held onto it really rigidly where I maybe should have started to, you know, open my eyes up to other things. 

So yeah, you know, when one door closes, I don't think that's the end. It's not the end of your life, you know, as I, as I potentially could have thought. So yeah, I think that was the main thing for me. 

Ted Ryce: That's a powerful lesson. And I don't know if you saw when I tweeted about this, but I sold everything, moved to Thailand in 2018 with my ex-wife, and we had the plan of, I was going to go around teaching seminars in the Philippines, in Australia, and other things. And that was 'cause we had no income at the time. We had the podcast, it was doing well and all of that. None of it worked out. And eventually, I found my way into what I do now and I'm super happy with it. 

And it's just such an important message, and I don't think people can hear it enough like. Strong opinions, what you said, the other person you had a conversation with. Strong opinions held loosely. You got to kind of go for things, but you also have to know when to switch, and there's no problem in that. In fact, it can lead to what you have right now, where it was, what led to what you have right now. 

It was what led, uh, to what I have right now. Jeffrey, I'm also curious about your travels. I've traveled a lot. How has that influenced your, or has it influenced your thoughts on health, seeing how different countries operate, different cultures operate? Who would you say you learned from those traveling experiences about health? 

Jeffrey Boadi: Yeah, I mean, when you go to other countries, you definitely do see that. You look at the rates of obesity in the Western world, it's skyrocketing and so prevalent now. I just believe that people in other countries are a lot happier as well. They're happy with a lot less, which I find really interesting. 

'Cause as you mentioned, with the comfort, we have pretty much everything that we want, that we could ever possibly want in the West, yet rates of depression, anxiety, etc., are absolutely skyrocketing. Whereas, for example, if you go to, I don't know, for example, why I was in Ghana with my fiancée earlier this year, and obviously they're in, you know, amazing, beautiful parts of Ghana. 

We spent a lot of time with her family. Then, of course, you come to other areas where people, you know, maybe don't have as much, but you look at them and they're just so happy. You know, and I think that plays into health as well when you are happy with not having as much as maybe people in the Western world. 

You know, you never really feel the need to, whether it's compare or you never really feel the need to have more, and you're never on this hamster wheel of trying to get more and more and more, which is what I feel a lot of people are in Western society. And that definitely plays into reducing your stress.  

And we know how much stress is a killer. And of course, you know, when you go to places like Ghana, the sun's out pretty much all the time. So, you know, getting that sunlight is obviously huge, and you know, makes a huge impact when the weather's good. So yeah, I think the fact that in Western countries, people have so much, it's almost like a plethora of options to do whatever they want. 

Yet there are still so many people who are unhappy. That's really telling. For me, I think that's very, very telling and something that, you know, potentially learn from.  

Ted Ryce: What does it tell you?  

Jeffrey Boadi: To me, it tells me that, you know, well, I don't think humans need that much to be happy. If we think about Maslow's hierarchy of needs, we don't need that much to be happy. 

We just need, you know, food in the fridge. We need shelter over our heads. We've got community around us. People who we, you know, love and people who we trust. And if we've got our health, do we need much more than that? You know, do we need, like, you know, we're seeing so many people get on this hamster wheel of stuff, whether it's, and look, it's not to say that stuff is bad. 

Like, I like the idea of having nice things. Like, there's nothing wrong with, there's nothing inherently wrong with that. It's when you make those things your master and you feel like they kind of almost, they are who, they are you, like you, you build your identity in these things. Whether it's, you know, a million Instagram followers or it's the nicest car, it's a pound-dollar watch. 

These are just things, but you have to separate yourself. You never find your happiness in things and finding more and more and more.  

You know, I think people, particularly in Western society, we may be looking for happiness and we are looking for acceptance through things, and that will never ever come. 

It's never going to come. Happiness comes from you. It comes from how you see yourself, it comes from how you treat yourself, which is actually why discipline with your health and your nutrition habits and your training, that's going to be the cultivation of that happiness, and that's going to be the cultivation of that self-love. Discipline is that kind of self-love emotion, and that's where you're going to gain a lot of that happiness from. 

So yeah, realizing that you don't need much stuff to be happy is a realization that I think a lot of people, if they came to it, they would realize that, you know, it could really make, you know, change their life for the better.  

Red Ryce: Well, I'm with you there. And yeah, it's become such a focus, and it's like you said, I like nice stuff too, man. But it's-- 

Jeffrey Boadi: We all do, and there's nothing wrong with treating yourself. There is nothing wrong, but you know that you don't find your identity in those things. Those things don't define who you are because someone buys a 40,000-pound watch, and they almost kind of see that as the gateway for them to be respected or to be kind of, you know, revered or whatever. 

What happens when you take the watch off? Are you all of a sudden now a different person? Are you a lesser person? Absolutely not. That's not how you should see yourself. Because at the end of the day, someone's always going to have something better than you. You know? So if you've got a pound watch, someone's, someone's got a bigger SUV, someone's going to have a bigger one and then a bigger one, and the more expensive ones, it's literally never-ending. 

So, you have to find value and you have to find, um, you know, importance in what's real, in what matters. You know? And as you say, for me, that's having the ability to have food in the fridge, have your health, your faith, you know, family, community, building strong relationships. You know, it's just those are the things that truly matter. I think we've kind of gone far away from that in Western culture. 

Ted Ryce: Yeah, I like that you mentioned Maslow's hierarchy and something that you mentioned earlier that's at the tip of the hierarchy. It's like evolution, like growth, personal growth continually growing because if, I'm sure you know, people like I do who have a lot of money in the bank. And if you're doing well financially, it continues to grow all the way until you die, and you can even die with more money than you've ever had in your life. 

But that doesn't necessarily lead to personal growth, especially if you've mastered the money game. You'll have to invest in other things other than stocks, crypto, and real estate. So, such an important message, Jeffrey. I feel like we're just scratching the surface here, but we're coming up on time and I want to thank you for coming on the show today. 

It was, I knew it was going to be a great conversation, but I appreciate you even more after getting the chance to speak with you. 

Jeffrey Boadi: No, I appreciate that. And I think, yeah, likewise. I think it was, you can always tell when you, when someone, you know, the way that you kind of communicate on social media, you can always tell it's going to be a fruitful conversation. 

And, and as you said, like, you know, these kinds of conversations just light me up, you know, I don't prepare anything. I just, yeah, just fire off. Cause it's all just, I, I want to just kind of express how I feel when, you know, have a great conversation and hopefully my most importantly, you know, give the listeners value and something they can take away from as well. 

Ted Ryce: Well, you definitely did today, and I'd love to have you back on the show because I think we could get into some of the more science-oriented information that you're into. I mean, I'm looking at a recipe right now, uh, some photos that you posted and it just looks incredible. And if you're listening right now, you definitely got to follow Jeffrey. 

We'll have his social media, his social media handles in the show notes for this episode, and you should also go to www.thewealthofhealth.co.uk/eatmoreplants and get his recipe ebook. And I can't tell you, you don't have to be plant-based to enjoy these things. I'm not a hundred percent plant-based, but I'll tell you, learning some of these recipes will make you eat more of this stuff and certainly it's going to do nothing but improve your health. 

So again, that's thewealthofhealth.co.uk/eatmoreplants. And of course, that will be in the show notes of this episode, which you can find at legendarylifepodcast.com if you want to go there and learn more. And Jeffrey, do you have parting words for the listeners today? 

Jeffrey Boadi: I would say just really focus on what's important in life. You know, I think as we've talked about, I'm someone who's very passionate about health, plant-based nutrition, but also I think it, it just feeds into so many other areas of life. They all kind of tie in together. 

If you're training or you want to nourish your body in the best possible way, I feel that a great way to do that is through plants. If you're doing that, you want to sleep or you want to rest and recover. And then other elements of life, like building healthy relationships. I just think we've gone so far away in Western culture, just going back to what's simple, what works, what we know works. 

Being healthy, having good community, building strong relationships, family. Those are the most important things. And really just dialing those in, focusing on those things is really going to, you know, in this kind of instant gratification social media era, you're, you can't lose by doing that. So yeah, just find what's good for you, find what works for you. 

I mean, eating more plants is a great start and getting all those benefits in. And I'm sure, as mentioned, we'll come back and have more of a scientific chat about a lot of these things. But yeah, I think that's probably what I would leave the listeners with.  

Ted Ryce: Well-stated. Jeffrey Boadi, really appreciate you and thank you so much for your knowledge, your wisdom, but most importantly your time.  

Jeffrey Boadi: Thanks for having me on. I really appreciate it.