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When Tracy Medlin decided to get into bodybuilding in 2017, one aspect she had to factor in was nutrition.

While she always ate healthy and competed in sports in school, she discovered eating right was 80 percent of the effort and the physical effort was 20 percent.

Now Medlin, who is also a nurse, is taking healthy eating to the next level and will be talking with Lake Gaston Coffee to get her sweet, sugar-free treats in the business.

The Lake Gaston business has already sold her granola, pumpkin rolls and blueberry muffins and the products were well-received. “A light bulb clicked. I had a wonderful response.”

(For more information on recipes or placing an order call Medlin at 252-578-0712)

Customers of the coffee shop are interested in foods linked to the Keto plan and since 2017 Medlin has found a way to turn any dessert, including cheesecake, into healthier versions. “Any recipe I alter it to a healthier version — no sugar, no plain flour.”

She will alter the recipes to the order of the client’s liking. 

“People are so used to sugar,” she said, and eliminating it from the diet is challenging. 

In fact, she said, “It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change.”

What she will be presenting to Lake Gaston Coffee is her Keto dessert recipes.

Social outreach

Her recipes gained traction when she posted them to social media. “The response on Facebook was wonderful.”

She has had requests for her desserts in Raleigh and Virginia and so far, she said, “I haven’t had a bad review. Basically, any dessert you can turn into a healthy version — the chocolate eclairs I make are sugar-free and to die for. If someone asks me to make something, I can flip the recipe.”

Her ultimate goal in creating healthier eating for the area and beyond is to take the recipes on the road. “My dream is to have a food truck. I don’t want a restaurant. I don’t want a business. My stress relief and joy is cooking. Some people don’t realize that healthy choices can taste good.”

At home she has started making her own nut butters and her meeting with the coffee business will determine what will benefit the customers of Lake Gaston Coffee.

Fuel for training

That she makes her own healthy foods is beneficial in her bodybuilding competitions. It is a 20-week process to prepare for them doing cardio and weightlifting exercises. 

She plans out her meals three days ahead and repeats the process. 

She also has a weekly check-in with her coach, Quincy Roberts, who in Greensboro. It is a thorough conference which not only includes her meal plans but the hours which are required for the poses which are mandatory in the competitions.

Going out to eat can be difficult and she typically will bring her own food with her if there are no healthy options on the menu.

The results have paid off for her in the competitions. 

Her very first show in 2017 she ended up “dead last.” 

After that she learned the process and the sport. In the third show she placed first and after another show in November of that year she won overall and two first place finishes.

And just recently, in Greensboro, she had two first-place and two overall finishes.

The recent win in Greensboro came as Medlin was dealing with her son Cameron’s unexpected health scare. 

Cameron, she said, is doing much better now. “I tossed around the idea of not competing or showing my kids when life gives you struggles you conquer them and don’t back away from them.”

Giving and seeking advice

Medlin doesn’t claim to be a nutritionist — she does what works for her. 

But what she will do is give advice to those who want to better themselves physically. “When people ask me for advice, I help them and suggest to them how to start their journey and nine times out of 10 I will direct them to Tammy Crowley and her staff at New Day \Fitness where I’m currently a member. Tammy has been in bodybuilding for over 30 years. When I’m at a crossroads she’s a phone call away to give support I need.”

Medlin said Crowley is “very honest” and very thorough. “She gives her clients body scans and tells them how to do a specific diet for their body.”

Medlin’s husband, Jesse, has experienced his wife’s healthy recipes firsthand. “I love it,” he said. “It’s good and healthy.”

Under his wife’s guidance, Jesse has started going to the gym and “eating right and being healthy. It’s something you’ve got to get your mind into.”