Tonya Lewis Lee continues her mission to promote women's health.

Wife of Spike Lee, Tonya Lee Lewis does it all, producer, author, philanthropist and entrepreneur. Through Movita, her wellness platform, she is creating a conversation and educating women about health and wellness, and working to bridge that gap for black women.

Video Transcript

TONYA LEWIS LEE: Health is everything. Health towers everything that I do. If you don't have your health, you're struggling.

TATIANA PILE: Hello, everyone. My name is Tatiana Pile, and I am so excited to talk about all things beauty, inside and out. This week, we're sitting down with producer, author, philanthropist, and entrepreneur, Tanya Lewis Lee. Wife of Oscar winning director Spike Lee, Tonya is an advocate for prenatal care and recently launched Movita Organics, a health and wellness platform aimed at making wellness more accessible to women of color from marginalized communities.

You've been vocal about women's health, especially when we talk about women who are pregnant or are giving birth, the morality rates. Where does that passion stem from?

TONYA LEWIS LEE: I've been on every single diet one could think about and was always so focused on my size, and finally, I just got to the point where I couldn't do it anymore. And around that same time, I became a spokesperson for infant mortality awareness raising campaign. I had the opportunity to travel the United States and meet women from all walks of life.

I was really traveling the country, learning about women's health issues and all the complexity of it. Because what I know is that health is everything. Life is hard enough as it is not to have to add health issues on it.

TATIANA PILE: What do you think is fueling the glaring health disparities that exist between black and non-black women?

TONYA LEWIS LEE: These issues are really about our social determinants of health. The numbers are dire and stark, but there are good people out there trying to make change. I think that we as black women are recognizing and understanding our own power and are really learning how to use it and put it into motion. What needs to happen is people need to understand who we are.

Demystify the black woman. Yes, she can be strong when she needs to be, because she has to be. But at the same time, she's super smart. She knows what she's doing, and then when she says she doesn't feel well, she doesn't feel well. There needs to be a real understanding and recognize that we are human beings just like everybody else, and we should be treated with dignity and humanity just as anybody else.

TATIANA PILE: What does an entire day of wellness and self care look like for you?

TONYA LEWIS LEE: To me, wellness and self care starts with a half hour of something every day. It can be yoga. It can be a run. It can be a bike ride. It can be just some sort of activity.

It can be a walk, but just really doing something physical I really enjoy every day. Not to shamelessly plug Movita Organics, but I love my Movita Multi. It's a baseline nutrition, and I love it. And I think it probably helps with my skin overall, and my nails, and all of that.

I just recently discovered the JLO Beauty Mask. Oh, my gosh, I love this mask so much. I mean, it's just so thoughtfully created, and I think it really does deliver what it says it delivers.

And then the third product that I really, really love is from Golde is their turmeric blend that I add to my smoothie. It tastes delicious. I love turmeric in general. I think it's a really good, natural inflammatory, overall immunity boosting. The turmeric Golde blend is just really wonderful to add to my smoothie.

TATIANA PILE: What advice do you have for other working moms when it comes to prioritizing health care?

TONYA LEWIS LEE: The bulk of the work of the home tends to fall in women who are working, and I would say to those women who are doing it all, give yourself a break. Take it step by step. Do the best that you can.

TATIANA PILE: And I want to close this out with the question that we ask everyone. My beauty is?

TONYA LEWIS LEE: My beauty is my heart, and then my spirit, and my soul.