Mothers are struggling during COVID. Mrs. North Carolina’s new docuseries could help.
With a 6, 5 and 2 year-old, Mrs. North Carolina Ashley George understands firsthand the challenges of being a busy mom. Add in a global COVID-19 pandemic and the mental, physical and emotional toll mothers are facing can feel insurmountable.
After tackling her own well-being in preparation for the Mrs. North Carolina pageant, George gathered the same team of experts and put them to work helping a group of Charlotte-area moms. The result is a docuseries called “emPOWER” that is being released on YouTube this Friday, Feb.12, at 8 p.m.
The statistics around mothers are unnerving. One in seven new moms struggle with anxiety and depression. Almost 1 million mothers have left the workforce due to COVID-19. Nearly 70 percent of mothers say that worry and stress from the pandemic have damaged their health. As the New York Times declared, America’s mothers are in crisis, and George wanted to help empower and inspire them.
“So many moms are silently suffering,” George said. “They are being forced to choose between career and family. They are hurting but afraid to be vocal. I wanted to help moms see that when they commit to themselves, they are giving their family the best version of mom that they can.”
Setting the stage
George engaged physical trainer Craig Hughes, functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner Courtney Bursich, emotional expert and therapist Sherri Robins and mental management coach Heather Summlin to help guide four local women on their wellness journey.
George and the team gave the women the tools to change their habits, and videographer Andrea Childress documented what happened. To show that this program can work regardless of situation, George chose a stay-at-home mom, a single mom, a career mom and a mom who runs a business from home. Participants Candace Dimeo, Brianna Wattenberg, Lark Miller and Tiffany VanDeventer shared their at times emotional experience over the eight weeks.
“What I realized right off the bat was that each woman had different life circumstances, but they all had similar stories. They were motivated, hard-working moms who were saddled with immense responsibility during one of the hardest times we’ve ever faced,” Bursich said.
A major area of focus for Bursich was hormones. “It was very clear that high levels of demand and stress were creating a ripple effect of imbalances in their bodies. Nothing can hide from the influence of chronic stress patterns.Thyroid, gut, brain and metabolic processes all fall victim to the layers of stress that our body carries day in and day out,” Bursich said. To help each woman, Bursich established daily regimens that included a focus on nutrition, supplements and sleep.
Renewed spirit
A self professed foodie who doesn’t enjoy exercise, Wattenberg decided to enter the program because she was “not loving herself physically.” She had struggled to lose the last 10-15 pounds of pregnancy weight she was carrying but had focused her time and energy on her two young children.
Although the program helped her establish a sustainable nutrition and fitness program, the biggest surprise was the therapy portion. “Therapy had me so nervous. I grew up very poor. There was no money for therapy, even if we needed it. You just had to power through any problems you had.
“I was also told ‘only crazy people’ go to therapy. Culturally, it was more on the taboo side to seek therapy,” Wattenberg said. “After going, I was like, oh, this is great. I can pour out my feelings and cry my eyes out and not be judged. Knowing that I was talking to a professional was a relief.”
The most noticeable change for Wattenberg? Her spirit. “It is up! I am smiling more and happy. Everyone close to me knows I’m a happy and positive person, but this was on another level,” Wattenberg said.
Inner strength
Miller’s goal in agreeing to join the wellness effort was to not only help herself but to help other moms. “Being a mother can be isolating. I’m someone who thrives being with friends and who is very vocal about the good and the bad,” Miller said. “I love not feeling alone, and I wanted to help show others that they aren’t alone either.”
During the program, Miller was able to discover and address her hypothyroidism — an issue that had plagued her for years but that doctors had failed to identify. “Through this process I learned to be my own advocate. You know when your own body is off. Feeling like you can speak up for yourself is powerful.”
Despite suffering broken toes and battling COVID-19 during the eight weeks, Miller was able to emerge from the program stronger physically, mentally and emotionally. “I started out really wanting the physical change, but I’m most excited about what the program has done for me mentally. I’m kinder to myself, I talk to myself like I would talk to my mother or children. I’ve always been quick to point out the positives in others, but now I can recognize the positives in myself,” Miller said.
Feeling better physically
Juggling work, three kids and trying to find time for her mental and physical fitness, VanDeventer decided to participate because she needed a reset — physically, nutritionally, emotionally and spiritually.
VanDeventer was nervous about the time commitment involved in the fitness aspect of the program and was worried that she would not be able to keep up due to injury, but after eight weeks she was down 13 pounds and noticeably more toned. VanDeventer was not only able to get in better shape, she was also able to tackle gastrointestinal issues that she had been struggling with since she was 18.
“I’m proud I made the commitment. It wasn’t an easy one. I don’t think I noticed how bad I felt because I was so used to eating foods that cause inflammation. I didn’t know what it was like to feel good until I started eating healthier,” VanDeventer said.
Regardless of their own personal outcomes, the women all agreed on one thing, “We developed a bond that is unique and unforgettable during a time when we needed it most,” VanDeventer said.
Trailers for the “emPOWER” documentary are available now, and the full feature will be released on YouTube at 8 p.m. Feb. 12.
This story was originally published February 9, 2021 at 1:55 PM.
