This nutritionist turned grief into a wellness movement, helping 400,000 people

As a young girl, Ifeoma Judith Obiefule possessed an instinctive human concern that made family relations call her “small doctor.”

She wanted to know if someone had eaten, offering comfort if they were unwell, radiating a maternal warmth beyond her years. 

Raised as the youngest of six in a modest Nigerian household, she was curious and seemed inclined towards science, her favourite subject being biology.

Despite a science bent, she didn’t envision herself “treating people with injections and drugs,” she said. “But I actually wanted to read medicine.”

All of these girlhood acts were early signs of a future career as a nutritionist and wellness advocate. Today, through her wellness brand, she offers science-informed meals, dietary consultations and nutrient-rich juices—tools she uses to fight lifestyle-related diseases and promote long-term health.

Although Ifeoma’s studies in Human Anatomy at the University of Benin exposed her to the rigorous medical field, her father’s illness was what shaped her life’s work.

A former employee of the Nigerian Air Force, who also served as a boxing coach, her father was seen as a bastion of physical strength. But severe complications from prostate cancer, Ifeoma recalls, had left him bedridden. 

“And with my knowledge of physical therapy, doing all kinds of massage, body therapies, style massage, acupuncture, and everything, it still didn’t go because he was still eating the same thing [diet].” 

After her father pegged out in 2017, Ifeoma developed a deep interest in nutrition-based wellness. It dawned on her that even strength can suffer in the absence of proper nutrition and preventive wellness—a wisdom that was lost on her father.  

“Wellness is actually 70% nutrition and 30% physical activity,” says Ifeoma, who became a certified health and nutrition life coach in 2024. 

In Nigeria, unhealthy dietary habits are not uncommon. While 85% of the population favour processed meals and snacks, only a small share—17% and 15%, respectively—consume fruits and vegetables daily, according to a 2019 research.

This preference for ultra-processed foods is largely responsible for the rapid growth in the country’s fast-food sector, as later studies showed. 

Current food consumption surveys indicate that just around 20% of Nigerian adults meet the minimum recommended servings of fruits and vegetables each week. This low consumption is due in part to scarce knowledge of nutrition. In one study, for instance, more than half of respondents were ignorant about the benefits of fruits and vegetables.

These trends contribute to increasing incidence of obesity, hypertension, and other non‑communicable diseases among the populace.

To fill this knowledge gap, Ifeoma launched Venjaz Fruitfilz N Treatz in January 2020 as part of an agro-based wellness hub that fosters healthy living with an emphasis on natural foods and drinks. 

“We don’t mix fruits blindly,” she says. “Our recipes are built from knowledge, designed to heal, not harm.”

In March 2024, Ifeoma launched the “Fruit to Fitness Challenge” to encourage fruit consumption and raise awareness about lifestyle diseases. 

What began as a simple online campaign quickly became a community-driven movement, with 5 editions in its first year alone. 

By May 2025, participants for the challenge had risen to over 1,100 men and women, including religious leaders. The challenge, which is hosted on Instagram and WhatsApp, offers daily nuggets on fruit consumption, healthy cooking practices, and exercising.

In its one year, the show has recorded many testimonials. After completing the 21-day challenge, one woman reported that her severe menstrual bleeding had stopped.  

“She saw her menstrual flow in a very normal state without [the] heavy bleeding that resulted in her using about 2 packs of sanitary towels in a month [previously],” Ifeoma recounts. “So she was able to use just maybe less than one pack for that particular month after the challenge.” 

Another participant, a nursing mother, shared how the challenge eased a persistent postpartum pain in her back.  “Now she’s able to eat breakfast as fruit because she has never done that before,” Ifeoma says. 

With others reporting progress in digestion and sleep quality, the challenge demonstrated the effectiveness of nutrition when practised with understanding and intent.

With a master’s degree in Clinical Anatomy, Ifeoma became a lecturer at Benson Idahosa University. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in Neuro Reproductive Health at the University of Benin, deepening her knowledge about wellness.

In 2024, she launched a second platform, Live Healthy with Judith Consult (aka LHJ Consult), as a spinoff of her company, Venjaz Enterprise, focused on tailored nutrition and fitness solutions

LHJ Consult is  led by “God’s wisdom to empower individuals to take charge of their wellness journey,” she says. 

Beyond entrepreneurship, Ifeoma maintains that “community service responsibility has always been the core of my life.”

Along with community-level outreaches, she’s organised free training sessions on nutrition-based eating for women. In addition, her YouTube channel, which boasts more than  2,000 subscribers and 300,000 monthly visits, offers practical lessons on health, lifestyle, and responsible eating. 

Even at work, Ifeoma is popular for her fitness and wellness coaching.  “If I put everything together,” she reflects on her influence, “including my outreach programs, church engagements, and my YouTube audience, I would say I’ve impacted about 400,000 people since I began this journey.”

An acronym that captures her philosophy is RED, short for Rest, Exercise, and Diet. For her, diet, which means shifting from calorie-heavy, processed meals to micronutrient-rich foods, is the most essential of the three. 

Being a wellness advocate hasn’t been smooth sailing, Ifeoma says. “People weren’t so convinced with the kind of product we were introducing,” she recalls of the skepticism that trailed her first offering. 

It was the peak of the pandemic, and many were wary of consuming fruit products made outside the home. In response, Ifeoma turned to social media, hosting health sessions to prove that her brand was professional. 

“We had to build competence and confidence in our audience,” she says, “to help them see that we knew what we were doing.”

Regulation also posed a threat. “We were new, and getting NAFDAC certification was a challenge,” she explains, describing the struggles to penetrate the market without official approval. 

Perhaps the most severe blow came from high inflation, especially after the pandemic. “We started out buying pineapples at a good price. But post-COVID, everything skyrocketed.” Balancing quality amidst increasing inflation was an uphill task.

Ifeoma fought all the setbacks with considerable resilience. “Several times, we had to close down and then reopen because of the unfavourable economic conditions. But resilience won’t let us stop. If we’re shut out, we go in, restrategize, and come out again.”

That resilience resonates even in her profession. Despite graduating at the top of her class, Ifeoma didn’t become a lecturer until nearly a decade later. 

Her downtime is spent listening to music, reading and exploring nature. She has even taught herself professional design, which she now uses in her wellness branding.

She sees her journey as deeply spiritual. From reciting memory verses as a child to surrendering her life to Christ at 17, Ifeoma sees her mission as divinely guided.