If you’re like us, you’ve probably wondered what famous people add to their carts. Not the JAR brooch and Louis XV chair but the hairspray and the electric toothbrush. We asked actress Tia Mowry — who stars in Netflix’s Family Reunion and is the founder of wellness brand Anser — about the chips, facial oil, and food processor she can’t live without.
I’m a big snacker and I really love salty things, especially chips. If I’m just sitting there with a big bag of chips in my hands, I can eat the whole thing. It’s like an addiction. But I don’t feel bad when I eat a lot of these chips — I eat about half a bag a day. I can’t get enough. They’re an incredible alternative to other brands that maybe aren’t as healthy. They’re organic, GMO-free, and freaking amazing. You’re not sacrificing the quality of taste. I like the original flavor, but I really love the barbecue.
My gosh, this book. It has shown me that you can have heaven on earth, despite the old line saying that’s not possible. It can exist, through peace of mind. How we discover that is by understanding and controlling the thoughts in our head. The book talks about how we should become more aware of the words we use, because words have meaning. We all walk around thinking about what people have said and done in the past, and in order for us to get rid of that weight and darkness, we have to forgive. But that forgiveness is for you, it’s not necessarily for the other person. It takes patience and practice, but I’ve been focusing on this perspective, which has really changed my overall mindset. Not long ago, I lost my grandmother, and before that, we lost a family member in the Thousand Oaks shooting. And when Kobe Bryant died I started to realize how short life really is. My grandmother lived until she was 90, but even that felt so short. So my goal has been to find peace of mind and true joy in everything I do, which are concepts I discovered through this book.
I don’t have a lot of time to have a 20-step routine. I wish I did, but I don’t. This oil is very practical: As the name implies, it’s everything in one — a moisturizer, a lip balm, a hair oil, a hand cream, everything. It’s truly a genius product; it even has clean ingredients, and it smells so dang good. I haven’t been using it for that long, but it’s already become a staple in my daily routine.
What I love about Prose in general is that the products cater to you. Before you buy anything, the company asks for details like what your hair texture is, whether you have curly hair, what type of curls you have, and how oily or dry your hair is. The whole process just feels more personal than picking up any shampoo off a shelf. My specific shampoo and conditioner have a ton of moisture because I have curly hair and I live in California, so that’s absolutely necessary. The stuff is also natural and very gentle, so I don’t harm my scalp in the process of washing my hair. I feel like my hair has looked very vibrant since I started using these.
I love food and I love to cook. I had a cooking show, and now I have my YouTube program Tia Mowry’s Quick Fix. Having a great food processor is an essential in the kitchen — you can chop, purée, slice, and more with it, and using the machine is so much easier than doing that all by hand. This is probably one of the tools I use the most; it’s versatile and easy. I make everything from cheesecake crusts to banana ice cream with it.
I can talk about this bike for an hour. It really changed my life. I know that sounds dramatic, but let me tell you, it has made the biggest impact. I was first introduced to Peloton when I was on a family vacation in Hawaii. I always try to keep up with my workout routine wherever I am, and the hotel gym had a Peloton, so I gave it a shot. After playing around with it three or four times, I bought one for myself while still on that vacation. I work a lot and have such a crazy schedule between my career and my kids, so I’m also the type of person that needs to be pushed when it comes to working out. I really need an instructor guiding me and telling me what to do, as opposed to going to the gym by myself. So this is really the perfect alternative. Now I have no excuses for getting a workout in. I love the variety and flexibility it offers: There are 20-minute programs and 45-minute programs, depending on how much time I have.
My family and I watch Netflix a lot — we watch on Apple TV. We have it on every TV in the house because it’s so convenient and easy to use. I love watching movies and TV shows with my kids. It was really fun watching Family Reunion with them and seeing their reactions to it. I think they loved it? But we are also really into Stranger Things. We’re always looking for new shows to watch together. It’s a big thing for us as a family.
I’ve been on a wellness journey ever since being diagnosed with endometriosis in 2006. Endometriosis is an inflammatory condition with many symptoms, most notably it causes infertility and extreme abdominal pain. My doctor was like, “Look, you want to have a child and you do not want to have surgery, so you’re really going to have to start making changes.” One of those changes started with my diet: I had to make sure that I was not eating anything that could exacerbate my condition. A lot of times we’re not aware of how ingredients can affect us, or the fact that we aren’t getting all the nutritional support that we need from whatever we eat. That was kind of an aha moment, and with that newfound understanding, I wanted to create a vitamin that paid extra attention to ingredients and was easy for people — women especially — to look at and say, “Okay, I understand exactly what this will do.” The multivitamin has all the essential nutrients that support a healthy lifestyle, and the formula also has key digestive enzymes to help prevent any stomach discomfort.
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