TV Producer, Actress And Author Tshiamo Modisane On How Writing Her Debut Book Liberated Her
Earlier this year, TV Producer, actress and author Tshiamo Modisane released a memoir that detailed her journey to healing from past hurts and traumas. Growing up, Tshiamo always felt that she was born in the wrong body and assigned the wrong biological gender. True freedom finally showed up at her door when she changed her name from ‘Kgosi’ to ‘Tshiamo’ and embraced womanhood entirely – this, despite the rejection she faced from loved ones.
On penning I Am Tshiamo: My Journey To Self-Acceptance and Womanhood, she says: “I call it my shedding and healing phase. I cried so much while writing this book. I wanted to be as honest and authentic as I could possibly be. I understood that this was a God-given assignment and thus needed to be treated with the respect it deserved.” Was she ready to relive some of the past hurts? Certainly not, she admits. “In all honesty, I wrote most of the book scared. But nothing could’ve prepared me for the warm feedback I’ve received from all corners of the country and world.” Below, she lets us into her wellness routine.
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Best way to start my day…
With prayer, a scripture reading then, depending on the weather, I will step outside to work out – something I really love doing. When that’s done, I tackle emails, calls and deadlines. On a really good day, I usually sneak in a lunch or dinner.
Best way to shake off a bad day…
A good worship song, church sermon and long phone call with my manager-friend Makgotso Kgooe usually lift me out of a bad space. And if any of these don’t work, a cuddle session with my two fur babies – Oreo and Pompom – over a series definitely does the trick.
Go-to quick, favourite, healthy meal…
I’m obsessed with grilled fish or a Thai chicken salad. There’s never a week that goes by where I don’t find myself face-deep into a Nandos chicken salad. In 2021, after arriving at the decision that I needed to write my book – as part of my healing journey I made the decision to cleanse myself off red meat and follow a strictly pescatarian diet. This helped me heal both physically and spiritually. My weight dropped to a size that I’d always desired.
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Wellness rule that you secretly break all the time…
Sugar! I have a sweet tooth and I won’t even lie about it. It’s a trait I inherited from my late mother. I will deny myself any and everything except a slice of cake or ice cream [chuckles].
If you could bottle up any personality trait of yours and sell it as a wellness product, what would it be?
Attention to detail. I always aim to do everything right. During workouts, form and technique are important to me. Kindness too – I believe the key to healthy skin is found in being kind to people.
What’s one weird healthy food combo that you swear by, even though everyone else thinks it’s gross?
I don’t have one. I do, however, believe in not skipping breakfast. Whenever I skip breakfast, I find that I’m less effective and tend to even do fewer workouts in the gym.
Assign a song to your morning routine…
Say A Little Prayer by Aretha Franklin. It literally sums up my mood every morning. I always imagine myself singing it for my baby – with my husband in the shower singing it too.
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Road running, weight lifting or yoga/Pilates – which one would you marry, date and ditch? And why?
Marry: Weight-lifting. Nothing gets you that sculpted, toned body like weight-lifting. It also just reminds me that I AM THAT GIRL!
Date: Road running. I am a dog mom, that just means endless walks that often end up with me chasing after my fur babies.
Ditch: Yoga. I can never get the flow right which stresses me because I have rhythm. Apart from the breathing techniques that I’ve now adopted into my daily routine, the flow of things always has me stuck between child and lotus pose.
Skincare routine that you swear by…
Serums! Your skin will thank you. That paired with minding your business and drinking water will set you on the right path [chuckles]. I chop and change between serums, but my top three favourites are Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Supercharged Serum, Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Face Serum and the Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate. More