Kelis Recounts The Changes She And Her Family Made On Their Health Journey Before And After Husband’s Death
Singer and entrepreneur Kelis' formula for living a healthy and fulfilling life is boiled down to two simple rules: watching what one consumes regularly and reducing stress.
The 43-year-old recently dropped some gems for her followers as she opened up about what influenced her decision to live on a farm with her family, her healthy eating habits, and how her late husband, Mike Mora, inspired her wellness journey.
Mike, who passed away from stage four stomach cancer on March 14, 2022, was married to Kelis for about eight years. The couple share two children, a son Sheperd Mora, and a daughter Galilee Mora. Kelis also has another son, Knight Jones, who she shares with rapper Nas. On the first anniversary of Mike's passing, Kelis mentioned that her journey living on a farm and growing her own food began long before he was diagnosed with cancer.
Kelis On Living On A Farm And Her Husband Mike's Cancer Diagnosis
In an Instagram video, the "Milkshake" vocalist revealed that the particular moment she realized the importance of eating well and having a healthy lifestyle began when she became pregnant with her daughter Galilee in 2019.
"So lately, lots of people have been asking me how did I get started with my wellness and my farming and kind of all that stuff," Kelis said while addressing her fans. "For me, like really everything started years and years and years ago. Just wanting to eat well, I guess. When I got pregnant, really, that's when I really started to care and think about it."
Kelis shared that as soon as she started incorporating healthy meals and other practices in their lives, Mike was tragically diagnosed with cancer in 2020. "Then my husband Mike got sick. This was a couple of years ago. It was right after we had our youngest, Galilee, and he was diagnosed with stage four stomach cancer... It was just such a shock," she explained.
The mother of three went on to describe how "overwhelming" the entire experience was with Mike going through rounds of chemotherapy and her trying to balance the household.
"We were already eating well and really focused on what we put in our bodies," Kelis stated. "After he [Mike] did eight rounds of chemo which was beyond intense, there were things that we were doing that we saw, like how we're going to get through this period of time? How are we going to get through chemo? I can't even imagine how he was really feeling, but for me, just being a caretaker, being here, being a mom, and being a wife, and all these things just felt so overwhelming."
Further in the conversation, Kelis disclosed that her knowledge of mushrooms and their effectiveness in one's diet expanded while researching methods to help Mike's battle with cancer. During the research process, the pair found various solutions for the disease, which included hyperbaric chambers and ozone therapy.
The Food and Drug Administration reports that hyperbaric oxygen therapy uses hyperbaric chambers, often considered a healthier alternative, to help the individual's "lung collect more oxygen" so that it can combat infected cells.
According to Medical News Today, the purpose of ozone therapy for individuals with cancer is to "increase oxygen levels to fight cancer cells," and it could help reduce the adverse effects of chemotherapy. The site states there is insufficient research to showcase its effectiveness.
Still, Kelis added that while researching, they found out that medical professionals in other countries like Russia, Japan, and Cuba would often group chemotherapy with ozone therapy to help their patients with cancer, something she described as a "game-changing" experience for Mike. But sadly, Mike's cancer would come back and spread.
Shortly after, Kelis and Mike tried finding other alternatives. In that process of continued research, they met the man that created the hyperbaric chamber, who ultimately suggested that they make a particular mushroom recipe and take it regularly.
"So we ended up meeting with this beautiful, brilliant man who actually invented the hyperbaric chamber," she said. "He was just like, 'hey, this is what you need to do.' He gave us a recipe, and it was a list of these mushrooms to start taking. I was like, 'oh, I do this, and I already take this.' He was doing these really potent B12 shots and all this stuff, and he was like, 'No, it's this recipe specifically.' So, what I started doing was, I really started making the recipe myself."
Kelis On Diet And Stress
Near the end of the clip, Kelis emphasized why it is essential to have a good diet. The "Bossy" songstress pointed out that when people go to the hospital to figure out what is going on with their health, they forget that it all starts with what they consume.
"We've gotten so far away from it and just so far removed that we don't know who to trust anymore. We don't know where to go. We go to doctors for things that don't make any sense when really it's like it's our food. It's how we're eating. It's how we're living and breathing and putting our feet in the soil. So I started making brain food for that. Unfortunately, it was late for Mike, but I give it to my kids. I give it to myself." she said.
Another thing Kelis suggested that people need to look out for is stress. In addition to that revelation, the "Caught Out There" singer shared that was the sole reason she and her family moved out to a farm so that they could escape the "angst" that came along with living in a city.
"Just to add that, just a tidbit, stress is--every doctor we saw, every specialist, every nutritionist, every human being we found that had any expertise in this whatsoever was like, 'stress kills,'" Kelis expressed. "I moved to the farm, and we wanted to separate ourselves from all the silly things that had us stressed out and worried and angst and all these things that didn't really matter."
Kelis would wrap it up by saying that these life lessons she's learned within these past few years are the factors as to why she is very vocal about health and supporting farmers, mainly Black farmers because they care about others' well-being.
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Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Russell and Nina Westbrook Dish On The Key Ways To Avoid Resentment In Relationships
Russell and Nina Westbrook are one of those low-key, unproblematic couples we don’t talk about enough. They met in college and got married in 2015. They also have a beautiful family with three kids. While Russell is an NBA star, Nina is a licensed family and marriage therapist and a mental health advocate.
She recently launched the podcast The Relationship Chronicles with Nina Westbrook, and in the latest episode, she had none other than her husband on as a guest. The college sweethearts dived into important topics from marriage to children and how they navigate it all.
One of the topics they touched on was dealing with resentment in your relationship. The former MVP highlighted the sacrifices his wife has had to make in order for him to pursue a career in the NBA, and that’s why it’s also important for him to support his wife whenever he can.
“For me is respecting and understanding what your partner do and the time it takes,” Russell said. “Not kind of downplaying what they do, understanding the time and energy and effort they're doing to make sure whether it’s their job or making sure home is taken care of, and understanding that, I think that is the challenge of not being resentful.”
Nina agreed and also shared her thoughts on resentment. According to her, one of the best things couples should do is have their own identity and passions outside of the relationship in an effort to be fulfilled.
“I also think that when you’re in a relationship, that’s why it’s so important that each individual kinda pursue their own passions and follow their own dreams as I feel like it only becomes or leads to resentment when one person is not feeling fulfilled in what they're doing in their lives,” she explained.
“And so, they will start to look at the other partner who’s happy or excelling or promoting or moving along in their journey, then they’re left feeling stuck like they sacrificed themselves, their happiness, their career, their future and have not pursued it in the name of the relationship or their partner. So, it’s so much easier to avoid those feelings of resentment when you’re each equally pursuing your passions.”
The couple has many passions that they work on together and separately. Outside of basketball and his family, Russell has become known for his eclectic style and started the fashion brand Honor The Gift. Nina has her podcast, and she also started the mental health website Bene. Together, they run the Why Not? Foundation, which works with kids in underserved communities.
“I’m a firm believer that one person can’t be everything to you, so you have to sort of seek out those different friendships or groups or hobbies or activities that help to fulfill you,” Nina concluded.
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