By JULES LAVALLEE
Carol Lake Captured the Age 50 & Over “Bikini” Title at the 25th Annual Monster Mash Bodybuilding Event: How is this Certified Health Coach Helping Clients Today?
Carol Lake is a Certified Health Coach, natural intuitive, 7th Generation Shamanic Reiki Master and an Ageless Grace Educator. She is 57 years old, a mother of two grown children and loves being a Nana.
With her NOW Approach, this Certified Health Coach, is a teacher, guide and a Vitality Specialist co-creating her client’s lives to the fullest potential.
“I deal with energy, consciousness and the 4 domains which are: Mental, Emotional, Physical, and Spiritual.
Because I dive deeper, I find your inner strengths and inner power to be successful.
I will have you “Transforming” from the inside out to your highest potential.
You are strong enough to navigate through these life challenges and age is not going to define who you are and what you are capable of.”
Carol at 57 years old, captured the age 50 & over “Bikini” Title at the 25th annual Monster Mash bodybuilding event in Oxford (Greater Cincinnati/Ohio metro area). This was Carol’s first ever physique competition, who has aspirations of turning pro in 2025.
Share your health issues and how you changed your life?
As to my own health issues and what I did to change my life…
My mom would say that, “she came into this world being very sensitive, highly emotional and cautious.” I was born feet first and a surprise as my mom did not know she was carrying twins! As to the sensitive part, my health issues began at a very early age. Unable to have regular formula, my mother resorted to soy milk. As a toddler, I was allergic to cow’s milk and certain foods did not agree with me. I was often sick, coming down with strep throat, head colds, flu, and other strange maladies. I was always fed a cocktail of antibiotics without knowing the long-term consequences of it on the gut and digestion. I always had low blood sugar as well as low blood pressure and that to me was a new normal. My health took a turn for the worst when I was put on birth control at age 18. I was a competitive gymnast, and I might be lucky if I had one period a year and the doctor thought that I had a hormonal issue and being on birth control would correct it. Unfortunately, it made my health issues worse. By now it is the mid 80’s (1984-1988) and the foods that we can find in the grocery stores were also changing with additives, preservatives and “enriched” with vitamins so they can stay on store shelves longer. As I continued to eat the Standard American Diet, (very SAD indeed) my body became more sensitive to foods and everyday products. I basically learned to live without feeling well, had major migraines, was always exhausted, and suffered from anxiety and fear. I developed acne (cystic at times), IBS, thyroid issues, eye problems, acid reflux, hives, welts, or mouth sores (depending on what I touched or ate.) I was told I am diabetic, in the early stages of lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and other diseases or conditions, yet not one doctor could confirm what “it” was. As I hid behind my health issues in silence, there was a part of me that was so confused, embarrassed, scared and downright desperate to find an answer. I literally could not stop thinking of what was wrong with me. One time I got stung by a bee and I broke out in hives for over a year. Again, no one could explain the “why.” After countless visits to doctors, thousands of dollars spent, misdiagnosed symptoms, drug, after drug, antibiotic after antibiotic, my health issues were classified as “idiopathic. I was labeled as highly sensitive and told I am fine. The last doctor that I went to told me it was all in my head while I was showing her the huge welts on my forehead. It was at that last doctor’s visit that I decided to take matters of my health into my own hands. I stopped seeing doctors because they ended up hurting me instead of helping me. Please do not get me wrong, Western Medicine is needed, and it saves lives, but for me and my circumstances, I was unique. The medical field was just learning of autoimmune issues and causes, and I was a puppet. That day after the doctor told me it was all in my head, I began my journey of healing. I started reading books, going to seminars, researching my own health issues, reached out to some great holistic practitioners that supported me on my own healing journey by removing all known allergen causing foods (diary, wheat, sugar, corn…etc.) from my diet while I was trying to understand why I can have a delayed reaction anywhere from 1-3 days. Sometimes it made no sense as I kept a journal of everything I ate, did, touched, put on my body and how I felt mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually. It was also around the same time that I really dove into my spirituality. I was raised catholic and loved God but at a very young age and having all kinds of hormonal issues, I reached out to Mary, Mother of God and she was my go-to person. I felt that she was a “woman” and would understand what was going on with my body. I read up on all kinds of spiritual practices that helped me develop my own intuitive abilities, beliefs and understanding of energy, frequency, and vibration with faith based concepts. After all, we all are energy, are we not? I noticed through trial and error; I was able to heal myself with certain conditions when I called upon my angels. This then led me to becoming certified in Reiki but then took it to the next level and became a Certified Shamanic Reiki Master while learning about the power of crystals, sound energy and light healing therapy. While doing my research on the computer with my symptoms, I came across this long word, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and that would change my life for the better. I finally had the “why” is this happening to me and my body but now why is this happening for me answered. If this word is not familiar to you, MTHFR produces an enzyme that helps convert homocysteine to methionine. When the MTHFR gene is mutated, the enzyme may not function properly, resulting in elevated homocysteine levels in which your body especially the liver and kidneys and cannot filter out toxins properly, especially fake forms of vitamins, mineral and other chemicals especially the synthetic form of folate, “folic acid.’ I was tested and confirmed that I carried one of the mutations known as A1298C. Once diagnosed, I was able to remove the toxins and start repairing my “gut” and my liver, my life transformed and family, friends and co-workers started to notice. I was starting to have people come up and start asking me questions about their health and I would listen to them and be able to give them an answer or know already what was wrong with their health. I even had complete strangers come up to me in stores and ask their health or spiritual questions, I would give them an answer and they moved on. I finally realized that my own health issues were a way for me to be of service to others and that is when I went back and got my certification as a Certified Health Coach. I knew that I wanted to share my history, experience and the knowledge gained to bring my clients to a new level of optimal health and self-awareness with less utilization of our current healthcare/pharmaceutical system. That is when Total Wellness Coach came to fruition.
Who has been your inspiration?
My inspiration came in the form of physical and spiritual awareness. It all started with my family’s eyes glued to the television, watching the 1972 Olympics with gymnast Olga Korbut. I wanted to be just like her. I was in awe of her flexibility and strength on the uneven bars and balance beam. That truly started my love of being in the gym and how you can control your muscles with mind and through visualization. I spent over a decade being a competitive gymnast and it taught me that when you put your mind to something, anything is possible with hard work and determination. When my gymnastic days were over, my inspiration came from workout gurus Joanie Greggains, Suzanna Somers, Jane Fonda, Denise Austin, Kathy Smith, and Julian Michael. I loved their workout philosophy and being committed to keeping our bodies strong and healthy especially as we age. Also, along this journey I became very spiritually aware and inspired by the power of our minds. You are what you think. My philosophy and spiritual awareness came from some amazing women; actress, author and spiritual teacher, Shirley MacLaine, Louise Hays, Caroline Myss, Sonia Choquette and Mother Teresa. My faith in God, Universe, and Mother Gaia, along with my angels is what keeps me grounded and in a state of love and gratitude each day.
You competed in the 25th annual Monster Mash Bodybuilding event, a physique and bodybuilding contest that took place in Oxford, Ohio. You walked away with the age 50 and over bikini title. Tell us about your training and how you felt winning this title?
When I decided to compete, my intentions were to go out on that stage and show the world that a 57-year-old woman can rock a bikini. I was not thinking about winning but proving to myself that “I am Vibrant, not Vintage” ™ (A phrase that I coined when talking about the Gen Xer’s because all of us are now looking for the Fountain of Youth and how to reverse aging!!) Many women after the age of fifty think it is all downhill with our bodies changing and all the horror stories we hear about weight gain and the dreadful menopause. I knew that by competing, I would be fulfilling a dream of mine and I went for it!! The decision to compete was also a way to show my clients that I “talk the talk and walk the walk.” I want to show my credibility, be held accountable and that I keep my promises. If I am going to ask my clients to watch what they eat by cutting out the foods they love (and age us) to get physical exercise every day, and to practice daily positive affirmations and meditation, I want to be that inspiration. I want to show them that if I can do it, so can they! I was on stage with the most incredible women, who like me, devoted hours in the gym after my full time job and my health coaching practice (again keeping in mind that most of us have full time jobs as well as families, or other endeavors that take up our time) and it is all about priorities. You must ask yourself “why did you come here, what do you want to achieve, and are you willing to commit yourself to changing your life for the best outcome? If you can answer yes to those questions, then you are ready for the transformation.
My training started seven weeks out from the competition. Not much time to procrastinate, I went into a mindset of “let’s make this happen.” I developed a diet for my body with counting proteins, carbs, and fats, basically counting your “macros’ daily and by adhering to a strict caloric intake of lean protein, carbs which consisted of vegetables, limited fruit, rice, beans, and healthy fats such as organic olive oil and avocado oil. I eliminated bread, eating out and any processed foods which for me were so easy because I already adhered to a very clean, lean and green diet. I then devoted 6 days of being in the gym after my day job which included 30 minutes of cardio (walking at a 4.0 mph pace, or a combination of 10-15 minutes on the stair stepper/followed by 20 mins of walking/jogging on the treadmill) Once that was done, I followed a circuit of weight training which included working the different muscle groups using free weights and weight machines. The weight varied to what equipment I was using and the number of reps. Plus, because of this routine, drinking at least three liters of water a day, getting in the correct vitamins and minerals was essential to flush toxins and waste from my body. There were days I did not think I could make it; it was emotional and even doubted myself, but I kept writing down everything I was feeling in my journal that I kept daily and I always reminded myself that in the end, it was so worth it. Also, before I went to bed, I visualized me winning, out there on that stage, having fun, engaging in the crowd, and enjoying every moment!!
To be honest, I was amazed at how my body transformed!! I felt the best that I have ever felt with the protocols I followed, and I transformed my body into a strong, lean, and healthier version of myself when I was in my twenties. It is amazing what our bodies can do when you put effort into making it happen.
As to winning the title, it was the most liberating and exciting moment that I have not felt since competing in gymnastics. I felt like I was on top of the world and Wonder Woman on that stage; beautiful, powerful, and unstoppable. I was proud of myself, thanked God and my angels for giving me the strength and determination to compete and the commitment I made to show the world that anything is possible. It was truly one of the happiest days of my life that I was blessed to experience.
Carol Lake’s Winning T-Walk at Monster Mash Bodybuilding Competition
Carol Lake’s Winning T-Walk at Monster Mash Bodybuilding
As a certified health coach, how are you helping clients today?
I have been a certified health coach for over six years, and I concentrate on the four domains which are mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. I also look into life choices/behavior patterns be it relationships, career, and stress management. Because I dive deeper, I find my clients’ inner strengths and inner power to be successful. I want to get to the root cause of what is causing their dis-ease or blocks. Everyone is like an onion, and we must pull back the layers and release, remove, and recalibrate our “physical and metaphysical bodies” to bring about healing.
The trends that I have been seeing most recently with many of my clients are needing help with making better decisions about the foods they consume, the products that they are putting on their bodies, managing stress and finding time to exercise. It seems that “time” has sped up and many of us are finding it harder to balance life and all the demands that come with it. I came up with a game plan that allows my clients to still feel “in control” and be able to manage life while also taking care of their own needs and possibly the needs of others. For my Gen Xer’s and Boomer clients, many have aging parents or are dealing with their own health issues and need the additional support that they cannot get from Western Medicine. I let my clients know that they are strong enough to navigate through these life challenges and age is not going to define who they are and what they are capable of achieving. I work in conjunction with Western Medicine but also utilize other healing modalities such as Shamanic Reiki, Color Light Therapy, Crystals or Sound Healing to bring about wellness. Most importantly, I really listen to what my clients need to say and to let them know that I hear them and that they are not alone on this journey.
What will people notice when working with you?
The first thing my clients will notice about me is my energy level and being so passionate about helping them achieve their goals. I treat each one of my clients like they are my family. They can call me, text, or email me and I will get back to them quickly because I know personally what it feels like when going through a crisis or meltdown and need support. I remember those days for me, and I appreciated the wonderful practitioners that supported me. I would not be the person I am today if it were not for their love and guidance, and I bring that passion to each of my clients.
Also, as my mission statement states, “To treat each one of my clients with enthusiasm and professionalism as we form a team to achieve your goals for a longer, happier, dis-ease free life by harnessing the collected healing power of the mind, body and spirit.” I work one-on-one with them, offer training, motivation, and support to help hold them steady while they transform their lives to having more health, more energy and more abundance in all areas of their lives.
What are your aspirations for 2025?
For my personal aspirations, I am in the process of writing a memoir about my life and how to inspire women to overcome any obstacles in their life. I want to share my history, the good and the bad and what has taken me to become the person I am today. I hope my story will inspire hope, courage, and a renewed sense of faith that anything is possible to achieve when you believe in yourself.
Also, I would love to compete again in a bikini fitness competition and go for my pro-card. I would love to take it one step further by competing internationally as well.
Finally, for my business, to take Total Wellness Coach to the next level by becoming an advocate to help make consumers aware of the toxins in our foods/products and the harm that it is causing our bodies. We live in the greatest country, yet our food system is the most toxic. I want this to change so that our future generations (our children’s children and so forth) are not subjected to the chronic illness that is happening today. We are in a huge crisis, and it is up to all of us to get the toxins and poisons removed and go back to wholesome, natural ingredients that are safe to eat and put on our bodies to process.
Should you be interested in how I can help any of your readers, they can reach me at:
or by visiting my website at:
