🌍 Retracing My Roots: Part 1 – Roots, Rhythm & Restoration

Recently, I began the journey of uncovering my ancestry. The results reminded me of something powerful: our roots are more than a history lesson. They are a map to understanding our health, our balance, and our restoration.

My DNA traces back to multiple regions across West and Central Africa, as well as Europe. Each percentage represents not only bloodlines but also a rhythm of life, foods, healing practices, and cultural wisdom that live within me today.

🌍 My DNA Ancestry Breakdown in

• Nigeria – 36%

• Ivory Coast & Ghana – 11%

• Cameroon – 11%

• Mali – 11%

• Benin & Togo – 9%

• Western Bantu Peoples (Zambia, Angola, Mozambique, etc.) – 5%

• Germanic Europe – 10%

Seeing these numbers reminds me that my health, my balance, and my restoration are connected to a history that stretches far beyond America. My ancestors lived in environments where food, land, and healing were deeply tied to the cycles of nature. When those rhythms were disrupted—through displacement, colonization, and cultural erasure—so too were the natural wellness practices that sustained them.

✨ Why This Matters for Holistic Wellness

Each region represents a piece of wisdom for me to rediscover:

🌱 Nigeria (36%) – Rich in traditional herbs, roots, and communal healing practices that emphasized wholeness.

🌱 Ivory Coast & Ghana (11%) – Known for plant-based staples like yams, millet, and palm oil that nourished generations.

🌱 Cameroon (11%) – Deep herbal knowledge and connection to rainforest medicine.

🌱 Mali (11%) – The history of Timbuktu, scholarship, and balance between intellect, faith, and healing.

🌱 Benin & Togo (9%) – Cultural practices deeply rooted in spirituality and ancestral remembrance.

🌱 Western Bantu Peoples (5%) – Agricultural innovation, respect for land cycles, and resilience.

🌱 Germanic Europe (10%) – A reminder that ancestry is diverse, and balance comes from honoring every piece of the whole.

For generations, our DNA has carried the wisdom, resilience, and adaptations of those who came before us. What our ancestors ate, how they moved, the lands they lived on, and even the traumas they endured are still imprinted in us today. And when we are unaware of those roots, we may unknowingly create imbalances in our lives.

Ancestry and Holistic Wellness: It’s All Connected

As a holistic nurse and wellness advocate, I’ve seen how imbalance shows up when we are disconnected from our true needs.

✨ Physical Wellness – Illness often takes root when our bodies are fed foods and lifestyles far from what our DNA was adapted for. Traditional, ancestral diets nourished with plants, grains, herbs, and movement were replaced with processed foods and fast-paced living. Reconnecting to those rhythms can restore balance.

✨ Mental & Emotional Wellness – Generational trauma and displacement impact how we view ourselves and how we cope. Healing requires both knowledge and action: acknowledging the stories of those before us and creating new, healthier narratives for those who will follow.

✨ Spiritual Wellness – Ancestry is a reminder that we are never disconnected. Our spirits are interwoven with generations past. When we embrace that connection, we anchor ourselves in peace, guidance, and purpose.

✨ Environmental Wellness – Our ancestors lived in harmony with the land, the seasons, and the elements. Restoring balance today means planting, foraging, resting, and respecting the cycles of nature.

Restoration Through Understanding

Uncovering my ancestry is not just about knowing where I come from—it’s about reclaiming balance. It’s about honoring my body, mind, and spirit with the practices, rhythms, and knowledge that my DNA remembers but that society often overlooks.

This journey is a reminder: restoration begins when we reconnect with our roots.

🔑 Next Up

This is Part 1 of my journey. In the next parts, I’ll be diving deeper into the cultural practices, diets, and healing traditions of my lineage and exploring how they guide me toward holistic balance today.

Because the truth is simple: to heal forward, we must look back. And when we do, we see clearly—It’s All Connected.

💬 Join the Journey

I invite you to pause and reflect on your own roots. What stories, traditions, or foods from your ancestry have shaped who you are today?

Share a piece of your journey in the comments below, or journal about how your ancestry might be influencing your wellness. Together, we can begin to reclaim balance and honor the wisdom carried in our bloodlines.

Because when one of us heals, we all heal. 🌿✨