Tia Mowry Didn't See Any Black Women in Wellness, So She Became One

From Woman's Day

It took years of struggling with endometriosis, a painful condition that causes the uterine lining to grow outside the uterus, and a heartfelt plea from her doctor before actress Tia Mowry seriously considered a foray into the wellness space. "I was so used to doctors writing prescriptions and saying, 'See you later,' but this was the first doctor that I felt seemed to care," Mowry tells Woman's Day.

After several surgeries and prescribed pain medications, her doctor explained that if Mowry was to experience any significant change in her quality of life — including a better chance of becoming pregnant — she would need to alter that life significantly. "She cared about my wellbeing, and she cared about my happiness," Mowry says. "She said, 'Tia, we need to change your lifestyle, starting with your diet.'"

Mowry immediately started researching food options and available supplements, tracked down health and wellness authors, including Donna Gates, who penned The Body Ecology Diet, and Jessica Porter, who wrote The MILF Diet. She took cooking classes and made changes in her own diet. She avoided foods that cause inflammation in the body, practiced meditation, and began taking supplements. "Once I saw this huge change and shift in myself, I didn't want to keep that to myself," she says. "I wanted to share my story."

In order to adequately share her story with others, Mowry created Anser, a supplement brand that makes vitamins for women, men, and kids. Beyond the details of her own health journey, it was the utter lack of diversity she saw in the wellness industry that moved her to start a brand that centered around diversity and inclusivity. "I didn't see women of color or women of diversity being represented in the wellness and health industry," Mowry says. "It's so important that you see representation because that brings relatability." She hoped to "start a dialogue with someone who didn't feel included or represented in this space," to both inspire women to prioritize their own wellness and say, in no uncertain terms, "I see you. You are not alone."

And as a working mother of two, Mowry also wants to emphasize the importance of self care for women who are not only busy taking care of others, but who are socially discouraged from prioritizing themselves and their mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. Even though more women are working outside the home, for example, the majority of child-rearing and household responsibilities fall on moms, according to a 2015 report published by the Pew Research Center.

"I find that women tend to put others first," Mowry says."It seems like the more exhausted you are and the more in pain you are, it's almost as if you're applauded for it. But you're sacrificing your health and your wellness, and I felt like a lot of women put other people's needs before their own, and I wanted to change that." Thus began Anser's motto of #SelfCareIsntSelfish. Mowry says the hashtag was created as another reminder to women, and moms in particular: It's OK to take care of yourself; to put yourself first when you need to. "When I first had my son, Cree, I felt so much guilt that I went to work and was leaving him home," Mowry says. "But how can I be a good example to my children if I don't show them that Mommy works, it's important for Mommy to be happy, it's important for Mommy to take care of herself?"

Not only are working moms setting a positive example for their children, they're also setting them up for success in the future. A 2018 study published in the journal Work, Employment and Society found that girls with moms who work outside the home are more likely to have lucrative careers, and boys of moms who work outside the home are more likely to care for their family members when they're adults. Still, Mowry knows that mom-guilt is difficult to dismiss, even when science tells us we should think about it differently.

Mowry now has two children, 2 and 8, and a better hold on her health. She exercises often, eats well, and makes time for herself when she needs it. "I used to always question 'why me?'" Mowry says of her health struggles. "But now I know why me. Because I'm able to share my story, and through my story and my vulnerability I'm able to help other women."

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