Having been a group fitness instructor for over 30 years, Shemane Nugent is an ambassador for healthy living. The multi-talent is also a motivational speaker, author, award-winning TV producer, host and filmmaker, plus, she’s a passionate proponent for helping people make a positive impact on their health and overall well-being.
On her website, ShemaneNugent.Rocks.com, Nugent shares her views on spirituality, faith, family, fitness, fashion, politics, healthy living and her long-standing marriage to rock ‘n roll legend Ted Nugent, which has lasted 27 years. “Relationships aren’t easy, but we’ve managed to weather terrific storms a few times,” Nugent reveals to Tinseltown Mom. “We’ve gone to counseling together and individually. To have a lasting relationship takes commitment, laughter, love and forgiveness. Plus, we spend time apart and that helps us to appreciate the time we have together. We can miss each other! We send sweet texts and Ted buys me flowers a lot—Well, he needs the brownie points!” Nugent continues.
When Shemane and Ted first married she had a promising and enviable career in broadcasting but made the tough decision to forgo her professional plans to be a stay-at-home mother. “When Ted and I got married, I quit my job as the traffic reporter at a Detroit radio station and moved into Ted’s country home, away from my family. Most of the year, Ted toured and I stayed home raising our son Rocco and my stepchildren, Sasha and Toby. At times, I missed my job and being productive, having a girls’ night out once in a while, and spending time with my family. But based on the priorities in my life at that time, I made the choice to sacrifice a career for being a stay-at-home parent. Today, I’m so happy I did! I can never get those times spent at home with my son and stepkids back. Now, it’s a lot easier to supplement income through home-based businesses. Back then, we didn’t even have the Internet.”
In 2001, the Nugent’s house was featured on MTV cribs, then later that same year a tragic discovery was made when toxic mold invaded their home and the entire family was affected. “It took several years, dozens of doctors and testing the home three times. Mold discussions weren’t as prevalent as they are now. At least people are beginning to understand it’s a serious problem. Doctors told us we were overworked, which was true. No one believed that your house could actually make you sick… Around 2002, I began to have flu-like symptoms and debilitating migraines. I knew something was wrong. I went to several doctors. One of them told me I might be too healthy and I should try eating at McDonalds! I was constantly tired and hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in years. Ten minutes into the exercise classes I was instructing, I couldn’t get enough air, and I was scared. I knew something was terribly wrong but I couldn’t figure it out. My son, Rocco, was sick with constant allergies, anemia, and severe asthma. My husband had symptoms similar to mine. Neither of us could sleep. We had short-term memory loss, achy joints, and flu-like symptoms. I couldn’t walk up a flight of stairs if my life depended on it.”
It wasn’t until a year after the family moved out of the house that they began to feel better. Their son Rocco was on breathing treatments for asthma for ten months, so it’s no surprise that Nugent took drastic and definitive steps to regain her and her family’s health. “We did alternative remedies like infrared sauna, vitamin IV and oxygen. We got rid of chemical cleaners, potpourri, scented candles, and fabric softener that can cause headaches and flu-like symptoms. Now, the three of us make our health a priority rather than waiting to get sick then taking medicine. We eat organic food and stay away from unnecessary chemicals and preservatives in our food.”
With all that Nugent has experienced and suffered through over the years it’s no wonder she’s so excited to share her latest endeavor. “…In my new book, I talk about how you can change your life, find your passion and live the life of your dreams in only 4 minutes a day! We are all busy with work, family, cleaning, laundry, running errands, etc. Time is of the essence. The book guides the reader through a series of steps that can help them create the life of their dreams—whether that’s as a stay-at-home-mom, or in addition to their current job. We can say we’d like to be millionaires or billionaires, but if we fail to react to opportunities, to take chances, to move forward, we may still be hoping and praying to win the lottery someday.”
Her book, aptly titled, 4 Minutes a Day, Rock ‘n Roll Your Way to HAPPY, came to Nugent in mere days and she talks about everything from the benefits of wine, to smiling more, to fitness to food, topics she felt were important for building that dream life. “…The message for this book came to me through Divine Inspiration. The words flowed off my fingertips in three days! Ultimately, I wanted to share my journey from illness to wellness. How else can anything positive come from losing our home and our health? I want to share my passion for healthy living with others. That makes me happy!”
A few minutes a day doesn’t seem like asking for too much of a commitment, a premise that Nugent says was Heaven sent. “The ‘4 Minutes’ theme came from Divine Inspiration so that was God’s message, but it makes sense. We are all busy. We have work, family, errands to run, and we never seem to have enough time. The dirty little secret is that four minutes is the catalyst to get you started. Oftentimes four minutes can turn into ten or twenty. Each section is designed to be consumed in about four minutes. If you want to spend more time—that’s great!”
And, as if being a wife, mom and business woman doesn’t keep one busy enough Nugent is working on a multitude of other projects. “I am developing an on-line program based upon my book for people who want to intensify the journey and make serious changes in their lives. It’s been fun to interact with people on Periscope and Facebook Mentions, so I’ll continue to share free healthy lifestyle content there. My husband and I are involved in dozens of charity events and we’ll keep raising money for children, veterans, dogs and our communities. Fitness is a huge part of my life, so I’ll keep teaching exercise classes and sharing my passion for healthy living with others. Also, I wrote a screenplay based on my son’s life called Off Guard. It’s about high school basketball and the struggles teens go through. We are in development and hope to be in production this summer.”
Ultimately, Nugent says her goal is to inspire people to live the life of their dreams. “…We all have a gift in life, and I believe our purpose in life is to share our gifts with others. When we do, we are happier and healthier too!”
For more on Shemane Nugent visit her website at ShemaneNugent.Rocks.com
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