have to do all the preparation for a healthy
“Don’t tell them that you are going to make
meal by yourself.
a change” ……just do it.
Mary: So how did you get your family
Debra: Yes, because their brains will
to get on board with the healthier food in
shut off and they will start saying, “well I
Debra’s Healing Kitchen? Especially since
don’t like the taste of this.” HINT: Just don’t
we often hear mothers say, “I cook healthy,
say what it is, just serve the food.
but my family won’t eat it, they want me to
Mary: Well, the last question is about
fix something
Debra. Tell the
else.”
audience about
Debra: Well
your background,
God
led
me
to
shape
my
passion,
my husband
just a little bit
healthy cooking into a business. And
agreed to support
about Mrs. Debra
me when I started
Haynes who
really, it’s not about passion, it’s
addressing my
founded Debra’s
about
purpose.
He
revealed
to
me
my
personal health
Healing Kitchen.
purpose which is about how we need to
issues. My
Debra: Well,
husband agreed
thank you. I
take care of our temple.
and my holistic
appreciate that.
doctor gave me
I was born and
a list of things to do and recipes. Some
raised in New Jersey, so I consider myself
things I knew to do on my own. I cooked my an East Coast person. I was raised off of the
greens in a healthier way with no meat. My
ocean which I miss (oh my gosh), I miss it
husband agreed to eat what I ate. Well, my
so much ……. I miss it so much. However,
daughter was born when I was vegan, and
I was 16 when my father passed, he was a
she grew up seeing what I cooked and eating Pastor in New Jersey. We moved to Detroit
what was served. She was born into a family to be closer to my sister and brother who
household that made healthy food choices
were married with their family, so my
a lifestyle. The other thing I tell women
mother and I moved to Detroit. I graduated
is “look, if you have a husband you are
high school and went to Eastern Michigan
cooking for, do not explain to him, oh I am
University. I majored in Fine Art with a
making this healthier, I am doing this and
Marketing minor. I have been in sales for
that. Just prepare the food, put it in front of
many years. I was a commercial real estate
him and let him taste it. Once he says I like
broker for many years, as well. When the
it, then you can tell what it is, but don’t start real estate market dropped years ago, that
explaining stuff before he tastes it.
was when I asked God what He wanted me
Mary: Probably all of our readers like
to do? I knew that I needed a change from
Debra’s Healing Kitchen tip of the day…
what I was doing because real estate was not
26 HimPower May/June 2019