Meet the face
behind the posts
Hi, I'm Marnie Robinson. Welcome to my blog, Simply Marnie. This website covers the topics of faith, family, fitness, and food is medicine.
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First, let me share that I am not a licensed fitness trainer, a wellness coach, or a nutritionist. I am a middle-aged woman who is a fitness enthusiast, an advocate for plant-based living, dedicated to my family, and committed to living a life to glorify Jesus Christ.
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For more than 25 years, I have served as a public relations and communications professional for major corporations and the not-for-profit sector. Some of Chicago's most notable journalists and media executives from television to print media mentored me. For the past ten years, I have worked in the health care industry as a public relations and communications leader.
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I love beauty pageants and bodybuilding competitions. I have been competing in pageants for more than 30 years. I won some, placed in the top three a lot, and also lost some. In 2015, at the age of 46, and after taking a 25-year hiatus, I was recruited to compete in the Mrs. Illinois America Pageant and placed 3rd Runner up. That same year, I competed in my first NPC bikini bodybuilding competition and placed 4th. In 2016, I placed 2nd in another NPC competition. A few years later, in 2018, I competed in the Mrs. Illinois International Pageant and was crowned Mrs. Illinois International 2019.
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I have a real fascination with the healing power of food and advocate plant-based living. I have lived as a vegetarian for more than ten years and tested the vegan lifestyle. Although I do not eat meat, I have recently embraced the benefits of adding fish and eggs while maintaining a plant-based lifestyle. I adopted this lifestyle because I genuinely believed we are what we eat. The older I get, the more I learn about the association between chronic diseases and food, especially in minority communities.
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A study published in the March 2017 issue of JAMA linked overeating meat and too few vegetables to early death from heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and even some cancers. Researchers observed consumption of 10 foods linked to cardiometabolic diseases (e.g., heart disease, stroke, diabetes) and tracked mortality rates from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Results showed that almost half of all deaths from cardiometabolic diseases are associated with low intakes of fruits and vegetables and high intakes of sodium, sugary beverages, and processed meats. The authors stress these findings should inform revised policies to lead to more effective disease treatment and prevention through improved clinician education, lifestyle counseling, and improved access to healthful foods. (PCRM, 2020).
During my reign as Mrs. Illinois International 2019, I promoted the platform "Food Is Medicine." I had the privilege of serving as the international spokesperson for the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine and working with clinicians on the front line, healing people just by changing their lifestyles. Lifestyles that include plant-based food and omitting processed foods, fatty meats, and sugary drinks have rendered astounding results and improve people's overall health.
Additionally, music and the arts runs very deep in my family. We are singers, songwriters, playwrights, dancers, artists, producers, and musicians. Growing up as a child, all I remember is singing and going to church. My dad was the minister of music at our church, my mother was a lead singer and recording artist, and we all participated in the choir. Eventually, my dad formed the group, The Barron Family Singers. Although I was only in grade school, I had a strong alto and second soprano voice and eventually became a lead singer in church. As time moved on, I was also in several singing groups with several well-known Gospel and R&B artists and spent time in the recording studio with my brother and sister. As an adult, I led praise and worship and still participate in this capacity today.
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Faith. Family. Fitness. Food Is Medicine.
Information shared in this blog are things I've personally learned along the way or that I've learned from experts in the field of medicine, nutrition, and fitness. Although I spent a great deal of time singing and traveling the country, I have spent more than 45 years of my life as an athlete. I was a competitive gymnast and ran track. As a kid, my dream was to be just like Romanian Gymnast Nadia Elena Comăneci and Olga Valentinovna Korbut, an Olympic Gymnast from the Soviet Union.
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At the time, I was considered a very talented gymnast for my day. I trained countless hours in the gym, competing on the weekends, and soaking my body in green alcohol or Epson salt after long hours of practice. I had appeared on the NBC show "Fantasy." Fantasy was a combination game and human-interest show in the early '80s starring Peter Marshall and Leslie Uggams as co-hosts. My dream was to be a world-class gymnast. Producers of the show flew my mom and me to LA to film me training with Olympic Gymnast Kurt Thomas for one episode. The show aired nationally that year, and I appeared in a few reruns. It was a great experience.
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I never actually stopped training and competing. I later went to college and cheered at Wheaton College, a Division III program. Like beauty pageants and singing, fitness is a part of who I am. I lived in the gym and still do today. When COVID-19 took the world by storm in early 2019, I began building a gym in my garage. I train about five days a week, paying attention to each part of my body and working in two-three days of cardio and abs. My son, Myles, stays on me to ensure that I am encouraged along the way. He says to me often, "You have to say ready."
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Concerning family life, well, let's say life has qualified me to share my story. Everyone should maintain a level of privacy in their lives. But I believe people are healed by the power of our testimony and by the Blood of the Lamb! Life is tough. As we overcome our trials and tribulations, we can help others get through their difficulties by sharing our stories. Therefore, I will openly share certain aspects of my life as the Lord leads if I think it will genuinely help another person receive healing. And, we may not always be able to relate to everyone's experience; I still believe that we all have an encouraging word, a prayer, or a listening ear to lend to others.
A Message To Every Woman Reading This Blog
I love women my age. There is something to be said about women in their 50s. Women in their 50s are amazing. We have gained a wealth of knowledge and experience. We are strong and resilient. Oftentimes we don't stop to think about all the obstacles with which we are presented. Instead, as we are presented with life's most difficult challenges, we roll up our sleeves and immediately work through them, then keep it moving. As time passes by, we look back and realize we made it through whatever the situation was at the time. We may have endured much pain during the struggle or have invisible scars, but we still made it out.
While I do not diminish the role men play in our lives, I have to recognize and honor women's contributions. The Lord created us to serve in ways we cannot even imagine. We are often overlooked, unappreciated, and undervalued.
Without women, a man cannot exist—point-blank. Women are the vehicle through which human life is born. The word woman even means "man with a womb." Men cannot become pregnant, and women cannot become impregnated without male sperm. These are scientific facts and not my opinion. But when you look at these scientific facts, it merely highlights the unique roles each of us plays in the world. And for me, I understand the parallel between God's creation and science. I also understand the importance of our physical bodies and how sacred they are! Our bodies are temples that we must protect and care for at all costs.
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In a conversation with one of my nieces, she and I talked about how women face some terrifying situations. At times, the challenges we encounter may even be so overwhelming at the time that it nearly knocks the wind out of us. We feel so alone. We may walk around with unspoken brokenness that is only between the Lord and us. Yet again, we come through it with a subtle hardness to our core that may come across as if we have a chip on our shoulders. But what people are seeing is how the Lord is rebuilding us and putting us back together. The reconstruction process is so painful in and of itself.
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Furthermore, living this life is like living in a war and fighting one little battle after the next. And no one escapes a fight without a few scars. That is why I can testify to being a survivor of life's many challenges. And, women, so are you! As you continue through life down the path of greatness, you can look back to encourage yourselves in remembrance of all the little battles you have won and how you have experienced breakthrough after breakthrough. Let that be your fuel to propel you to the next level!
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Why Are We Sad?
When I was a child, I recall hearing stories of middle-aged women slipping into depression every birthday after 30. I thought that was just so silly. I didn't understand why anyone would get depressed on their birthday. They were getting presents, right? So what was all the fuss about? After going through each phase and now a half-century later (sounds so crazy), I understand. I realized it wasn't about the presents or the birthday.
After experiencing all that I have so far, I, too, have dealt with bouts of depression from time to time. During the housing market decline of 2008-2009, I was part of the massive wave of layoffs. I was so discouraged and felt so lost. I realized my sadness had very little to do with the actual layoff but many contributing factors. I was not pleased with my life for a woman in her 40s.
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Notwithstanding, some of the people around me at the time made me feel like a failure as well. Year after year, I struggled with who I was and my future. As we endure these critical moments, we have to be careful about who is speaking into our lives. Words are powerful. Every word spoken over us will become part of our self-talk and can be very detrimental to our future. The more I heard about what I was not doing, the sadder I became. But as I read the Word of God and how I am more than a conqueror, or how I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I gained strength. I also had to change my environment so that I could move forward.
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Remember, ladies. We are God's daughters! And as an earthly father cares for his children, our Heavenly Father is concerned about everything that concerns us. (Psalm 138:8). Also, just because we hit a rough patch that delays our progress, there is a perfecting process. We are not losing time. We are gaining experience for the next phase of our journeys. Not even the time we think we lost, the sadness, the abuse, years of rejection, economic lack, or any of the things we have all experienced along the way. We have to take whatever disappointment and pain and allow all these experiences to propel us to a more fantastic future. As I write this, trust me as I share that I am also encouraging myself. We are strong and resilient!
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All Women Are Accomplished – Stay In Your Lane
I used to struggle with looking at what everyone else is doing. While I was genuinely happy for other women as they were exalted, I was overwhelmed by my hardships. My problems were very pronounced and overshadowing God's goodness and the work He was doing in my life. Let me say that in every phase of our lives, God is always working on us and is faithful to complete what He started in us. (Philippians 1:6)
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One day while driving down Interstate 57 (a highway in Chicago) after dropping my two sons off at school, I heard the spirit of the Lord so clearly. I will never forget that day because the voice grabbed my attention. The Lord said, look to your left. I looked to my left. The car swayed into the left lane as I obeyed what the Lord had asked of me. Then He said, look to your right. I looked to my right, and again the car swayed into the right lane. Then He said, "Look straight ahead." An obvious lesson, the car kept moving ahead without wavering. Then I heard these words so clearly with great power behind them, reminding me that I will sway and get off course when I look in someone else's lane. But if I keep my focus on Him and pay attention to the talents, He's entrusted in me that I will live out my purpose.
As difficult as things may be right now, we have to get out of the habit of comparing our situations with other women, our husbands, or women 10-20 years younger than us. Trust me, and social media may only present us at our very best. So we don't get a real perspective of what others may be experiencing.
We have to remember that God has given each of us unique fingerprints, which tell us that everyone is unique. We all have a purpose and a different calling to pursue. If we stay true to who we are, we will live a life of victory. Every day I am reminded to stay on the course and trust the Lord's process.
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We all have something about that we can celebrate to keep ourselves encouraged. Think about it. We are dedicated mothers. We are committed wives. We have lived altruistically and unselfishly, putting other's needs before our own. So when you want to diminish your self-worth, think about how many lives you have touched just by being who you are. Trust me. I do this all the time. I remind myself about what God says about me and that I am more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ.
"Don't Give Anyone A Stick to Beat You." Wisdom From My Elders
My mother has never been the kind of person to brag about her contributions to our family. The proof is in the pudding. You could feel her love for all of us in her everyday movement. She is an amazing woman. Today, after all her hard work and dedication to our family, she is in her 80s, completing her master's degree.
Everything I learned about being a woman and a lady was from watching her maneuver through life in quiet elegance. How she seamlessly cared for each of my siblings without ever seeking praise. She was just always there. No matter what. She also worked outside the home, cooked a full meal for the family, and made my dad's plate every night. I watched her plan for the future by putting all of our things on lay-away to ensure we never went without. Although we were able to pitch in to help her cook meals and kept the house clean when we all grew up, we learned so much from just watching her movement. My mother used to say, "The kids didn't ask to be here. Take care of your children. They are a blessing from God." I felt the love in that. I literally mimicked how she cared for my siblings and dad in my family.
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The wisdom didn't stop with my mom. The Lord always makes sure you get the lesson somehow. When I married my husband, my late mother-in-law, Mary Robinson, became my second mother. We had such a special relationship. She called me her darling daughter. We spent a great of time together over coffee at her little round kitchen table and on the phone. One day I recall a few enlightening comments that I live by today. She said: "Don't give anyone a stick to beat you with" and "Eagles don't chase flies." I had no idea what she was talking about at the time. But then she dropped a few other words of encouragement on me that stuck with me for so long, "Enjoy your journey, baby girl."
Today, I can say that everything makes sense. Instead of looking at all of my inadequacies, I finally embrace the lessons in each of my trials. I am learning to rise above unfavorable circumstances to soar like an Eagle. I understand the power of living in the now until the Lord opens the next door in my life.
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To the Fifty-Something Woman
When I turned 50, I had never felt so alive! I paid more attention to the little details of self-care. I understood how if you do not care for yourself, no one else will. People will beat you down more when you do not have confidence. I embraced my inner and outer beauty and realized how accomplished I was. I felt my professional growth and began excelling at work. I owe it all to the Lord and how He protected me. The Lord had preserved my mind and my heart. Not to mention, although I had many scars, I did not look like all that I had endured. I was truly living under the direct care and grace of God. He covers us in ways we are not even aware of. During this time, I had also competed and won the Mrs. Illinois International Pageant, despite how much younger the other women were.
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To the fifty-something group, I share another group of phrases from my late mother-in-law. "We have lived out loud in our roaring 20s. We thrived in our 30s. We became fortified in our 40s. And now we are fabulous in our 50s!" At the beautiful age of 53, I realize that women have to do what is right for themselves because no one is walking in our shoes. It is time to stop asking for permission and step into whom we are created to be. For me, living out my faith in the Lord and encouraging others by promoting a healthy lifestyle is a priority.
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Circling Back to This Blog
Every day, the Lord reveals to me more about who He is and my purpose. While it seems I would have learned these lessons a long time ago, like an oak tree, it takes time to grow strong roots. Growth and development happen during our struggles. We can't avoid life or speed up God's process. We get to learn things along the way and then how to help other women on their journey. God's process always involves attention to detail but refines us. When the time comes, He puts us on display to show off His handiwork.
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As I share so much about my life, my journey, and what I've learned from some of the nation's leading health experts, I hope I can lead every reader on a path of health and healing.
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Enjoy Your Journey to a Healthier Lifestyle!
