Moments after I violently cough into my phone, Styles P springs into action. Wielding the casual certainty of a trained wellness coach, he prescribes a concoction for my shitty, yet manageable ailment; lemon juice, garlic, and cayenne pepper swirled together in a teacup. I’ll try it out, but for now, I’m a little too surprised by the speed and clarity of his instructions. It’s almost like I’ve forgotten that this is who Styles is now.

If you were to take even a cursory glance at Styles P’s Instagram page, you’ll notice a prolific wellness streak. In one post, he’ll tell the youngins that, if they don’t make sure to eat their fruits and vegetables, their body is technically older than his. In another, he’ll remind knuckleheads not to get an out-of-shape trainer. Then you’ll see clips of him tossing a medicine ball. You get the idea. He lives this shit, and he’s been doing so for years now.

While it’s a layered story, Styles P’s health journey began much like any other adult’s: on the job. Traveling the country as part of The Lox, he noticed the all-around difficulty of trying to be healthy on the go. And seeing wealthier communities — before he moved into one — picked up on something else.

“If you live in an affluent neighborhood, there’s not multiple fast food spots,” he tells Okayplayer. “You see the differences, and depending on what you could get to eat and what you have to drink depending on where you live. So I took it personally and just said, let me find a way at least to get the message into my people and take care of yourself.”

Launched in Bronx’s Castle Hill 14 years ago, Juices for Life is a personification of Styles’ mission — a healthy juice spot for the type of community where it’s typically been easier to get a honey bun than an apple. For SP, it’s a tool in a socio-economic struggle that stretches decades.

“We’re in a war that most of us don’t recognize, but the numbers prove it,” he shares, noting rates of heart disease and other health issues certain folks face in disproportionate amounts. “I think we’re all targeted, but Black people are first on the list.”

Chopping it up with Okayplayer for the latest edition of Pursuit of Happiness, Styles P breaks down his own wellness journey and the importance of eating clean.

Styles P: I think mental wellness, physical wellness, and spiritual wellness go hand in hand. Being in this business, you have to pick and choose to say you’re going to be mentally well. In it, things happen, and if you don’t have control over your mind, you’re going to snap. When I started my wellness journey, I was just making sure I was watching what I eat and watching what I drink. I was on the road trying to visit juice bars when I knew you can’t eat fast food all day.

I became more in tune with what’s around me. All the chemicals in processed food can disturb you. Not everybody, but I think it affects some people in a different way. Everything on Earth is based on energy. I think the saying, ‘You are what you eat’ is absolutely the truth. It’s inside your body, you ate it and now you have energy from something you eat. If a calf is ripped from the cow and then they rip the baby away, the cow knows you took its baby. Now when you kill it, the cow’s depressed and now you’re eating meat that’s depressed. I used to have post-nasal drip. I used to be overweight and used to have a bad temper. Eating clean helped me resolve all of those things.

I’m 50 years old. Before people were talking about mental wellness, it was just, ‘That nigga’s crazy,’ and that was it. For Black men coming up in the ’90s, you had to put your mind in a place to think better and move better, especially when you are able to make it from one place to another. The transition is so crazy and the things you’re able to see are so crazy that you have to let your mind be strong enough to take what’s going on with it. Back then, you chopped it up with your homeboys about how to get better, how to live better, your aspirations, your dreams, where you want to get to. I believe that was a positive mindstate to have. Things became advanced as time went on and people started talking about mental wellness and therapy. As time advances, technology advances; there’s computers, there’s social media sites where you could say, ‘Okay, I’ve seen therapy work for this guy. I’ve seen therapy work for this person and that person.’

Everything starts with your brain. So I always look at it once your brain tells you to do something good and it works for you, even if it’s physical and it works for you, that’s your brain sending you on a journey for your body to feel better. I’ve experienced a lot of loss in my life. I’ve experienced happiness. I’ve accomplished goals I never thought I would. So the best way to deal with it all is to have your mental on a swivel. When your brain is doing what it needs to do and you’re mentally prepared to handle what life brings you.

Mentally and physically, I’m always a work in progress. I’m good, but I could always be better. When I wake up, I’m blessed to be here. My mind is sound. I feel good, but I could be in better shape physically. I could be in better shape mentally. As long as I’m alive, I’m pretty sure that’s going to be the case. When I get to the point where I don’t need to grow anymore, I don’t need to be here.