Women In Wellness: Shemellar Davis of The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Initiative On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
Make dietary changes — I started adding healthier foods to my diet, gradually replacing unhealthy foods, and watching my sodium intake.
As a part of my series about women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Shemellar Davis.
Shemellar was diagnosed with hypertension and postpartum cardiomyopathy just after giving birth to her second son at 29 years old. Taking care of a new baby took priority and her health, and new diagnoses, was put on the back burner. Just weeks later, Shemellar’s mother passed away from heart failure. It was then that Shemellar knew she had to start prioritizing her own health in order to be there for her loved ones.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
I am a mother of 2 boys and teach fifth-grade math and science. I was diagnosed with Post-Partum Cardiomyopathy after giving birth to my second son at age 29.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
Since partnering with the American Heart Association, I’ve been shocked with the number of people who have contacted me to share their own heart health stories. You never know who you are helping and inspiring to take control of their heart health.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
My main mistake was not prioritizing my health. As a mother, I always put my children’s needs first. We are nurturers and tend to forget ourselves, but I’ve learned that if I am not prioritizing my health, I am taking away from my ability to be there for my children.
Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women® Movement, nationally sponsored by CVS Health, has afforded me the opportunity to tell my story. This platform allowed me to address the nation as a Real Woman, someone relatable, to help others like.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
- Know your numbers — I check my blood pressure every morning before I get out of bed.
- Make dietary changes — I started adding healthier foods to my diet, gradually replacing unhealthy foods, and watching my sodium intake.
- Physical activity — I try to run a few miles every week, but when I can’t, I go on long walks.
- Managing Stress — I stopped worrying about things that I couldn’t control with my heart health and focused on the things I that I could.
- Enjoying Life — I used to be embarrassed of having heart disease. Now I tell my story to help others.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
It would be a movement centered around Black Women because we are disproportionally affected by heart disease. Through my work with the American Heart Association, I learned that 58% of black women have hypertension.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
- That I was not alone at the age of 29; women this age can and do have heart disease.
- Heart disease is not a death sentence, and you can still live a full life.
- How and why genetics matter in prevention and management of heart disease.
- How to better manage my hypertension.
- To be my own health advocate.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health, and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
Mental Health because it affects the mind, body, and spirit. If one’s mind is sad, then it is very difficult to heal one’s body. If the mind is healthy, then the body will follow.
What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?
For more information on AHA’s Go Red for Women movement, visit https://www.goredforwomen.org.
Thank you for these fantastic insights! We wish you continued success and good health.