Health is Love

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Anisa Shomo, MD
Family Medicine Physician, Cancer Survivor
Healthy Aging Specialist (Geriatrician)
“Helping People Live Healthier, Happier Lives”

11/14/2026

❤️ I’ve spent 20 years helping other people improve their health. But becoming a patient myself taught me lessons that medical training never could.

In November 2017, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. In December 2017, I underwent treatment.

Now, almost 9 years later, I’m preparing to celebrate another CANCER-VERSARY! 🎉❤️

As a physician, I’ve spent years helping patients navigate their health journeys. But becoming a patient myself gave me an entirely different perspective on what it means to be healthy.

I learned that health is about more than medical appointments, lab results, and diagnoses.

It’s also about HOPE when life gets difficult, HEALTH that goes beyond the physical, and HAPPINESS even when life doesn’t go as planned.

Over the years, I’ve learned so much from my family, my patients, and my own experiences navigating life as both a healthcare professional and a patient.

And I decided to put those lessons into a workbook! 📖

❤️ Hope, Health, and Happiness: Building a Legacy of Health and Happiness

Created through my company, Health Is Love, this workbook combines personal and family stories, lessons from 20 years in healthcare, and interactive exercises to help YOU:

✨ Find hope during challenging seasons

✨ Make intentional choices to support your mental and physical health

✨ Discover what happiness means to you

✨ Build a legacy of health and happiness for generations to come

Because I’ve learned that being healthy doesn’t mean life will be perfect. It means learning how to care for yourself and find joy through every season of life.

As I approach my 9-year cancer-versary, I’m especially grateful to be here, sharing what I’ve learned and hopefully helping someone else along the way. ❤️

🎁 Wishing for better health, more hope, or greater happiness?

Health Is Love has you covered!

📖 Order your copy of Hope, Health, and Happiness today! It’s a meaningful gift for yourself or someone you love. Available on Amazon or on our website: www.HealthisLove.co

💬 Comment “HOPE” if you’re ready to start building your own legacy of health and happiness!

11/13/2026

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and I want us to have a different conversation about diabetes, prevention, and healthy aging.

As a family medicine physician and geriatric specialist, I’ve learned that you cannot determine someone’s health simply by looking at them.

❤️ Diabetes doesn’t have a body type. And health is more than a number on the scale!

You can be thin and have diabetes. You can live in a larger body and have healthy metabolic markers. And you can feel perfectly fine while your blood sugar is elevated.

That’s why we need to focus less on judging bodies and more on understanding our health. ❤️

Here are 4 things I want you to remember this month:

❤️ 1. Know your risk. Family history, age, genetics, and other factors can influence your risk of developing diabetes.

💕 2. Know the signs. Increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, blurred vision, and slow-healing wounds can be warning signs. But diabetes can also develop without noticeable symptoms.

❤️ 3. Small changes matter. Moving your body, eating more fruits and vegetables, choosing unsweetened beverages, and getting adequate sleep can support your metabolic health.

💕 4. Your body size doesn’t tell the whole story. Let’s focus on blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, physical function, and overall well-being—not just BMI.

My father’s 30+ year journey with diabetes inspired me to become a physician and continues to shape how I approach prevention and healthy aging.

My message this Diabetes Awareness Month is simple: Know your numbers. Know your risk. And don’t wait until you have symptoms to talk with your healthcare professional about screening.

Because health is love, and taking care of ourselves is one way we build a healthier legacy for the next generation. ❤️

💬 Let’s talk! Have you ever been surprised by a diabetes or prediabetes diagnosis despite feeling healthy? What questions do you have about diabetes?

11/12/2026

✨ WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU MADE ROOM FOR JOY? ✨

Sometimes life happens. We experience disappointments, loss, trauma, and unexpected challenges. And somewhere along the way, we can become so focused on surviving, showing up for others, and getting through the day that we lose touch with the things that bring us joy.

But what if we made space to rediscover it?

I’m excited to invite you to UNWRAP YOUR JOY, a special event hosted by me, Dr. Anisa Shomo, in partnership with the Health Gap! ❤️

We’ll begin with a conversation about how trauma responses can disconnect us from joy. Then, we’ll work our way toward reconnecting with the people, places, and experiences that bring us happiness and discovering a newer version of ourselves.

Because joy isn’t just something we experience when life is perfect. Sometimes, reclaiming joy is part of our healing, growth, and becoming.

🎁 UNWRAP YOUR JOY

📅 Saturday, November 21, 2026
⏰ 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
📍 Evanston Recreation Center
3204 Woodburn Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45207

❤️ Open to adults of all ages!

✨ REGISTER TODAY:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unwrap-your-joy-with-dr-shomo-tickets-2004613269251?aff=oddtdtcreator

Let’s make time to reconnect with ourselves, rediscover what makes us happy, and unwrap a little more joy in our lives!

I hope to see you there!

11/10/2026

My father’s journey with Type 2 Diabetes helped shape the physician, and the person, I am today. ❤️

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and I find myself reflecting on my father’s 30+ years of living with Diabetes.

His journey inspired me in three important ways:

1. It inspired my own health journey.

I was about 13 years old when my father began experiencing complications related to Diabetes. One of his biggest challenges was drinking soda/pop and other sweetened beverages. Watching his experience motivated me to stop drinking those beverages as a teenager and become more intentional about my own health.

2. It inspired my career in medicine.

I became a Family Medicine physician because I wanted to help people prevent Diabetes, manage the condition, and live healthier lives.

3. It inspired me to specialize in geriatrics.

I wanted to learn more about how to support people as they age. We spend so much time trying to fight aging, but one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is that we also need to learn how to SUPPORT the aging process. Our goal should be to age as healthfully and meaningfully as possible.

My father lived to be 73. He passed away in 2025, but the lessons from his life continue to influence mine.

After his passing, I wrote a workbook reflecting on lessons I’ve learned along my journey. It’s called Hope, Health, and Happiness: Building a Legacy of Health and Happiness.

This Diabetes Awareness Month, I want to open up a conversation.

What has Diabetes taught you? What questions do you have about preventing Diabetes, living with it, or aging with better health?

Let’s talk about HEALTH, not just body size. Let’s talk about prevention, awareness, and building a legacy of health for the next generation.

11/09/2026

One of the best parts of my job: taking care of older adults who are not afraid of aging. They live fearlessly without worrying about a fat pad, a wrinkle, an ache, a gray hair, etc. It’s hard to worry about the signs aging when you are busy having fun or focusing on your purpose. They inspire me to live my life to the fullest everyday ❤️

11/08/2026

What if one of the secrets to healthy aging is learning to be FAT, FUNCTIONAL, AND HAPPY?

I actually learned this from my older patients.

Over the years after residency, I gained about 40 pounds. Some of that was related to stopping birth control, getting older, and honestly, becoming more physically fit through things like marathon training. Yet people still called me fat.

It made me think about how much emphasis we place on body size rather than actual health.

Let’s talk about BMI. It was developed in Belgium by a mathematician using data from a population composed primarily of men. It was never designed to be a comprehensive measure of individual health, and applying it universally across women and diverse ethnic populations has limitations.

Waist-to-hip ratio may offer additional information about health risks, but here’s what I’ve noticed:

My 80-, 90-, and even 100-year-old patients aren’t spending their days worrying about whether they’re the “right size.” They’re living. They’re enjoying life. They’re focused on what they can do, not just what they weigh.

And maybe there’s a lesson in that.

I believe being fat, functional, and happy deserves a place in our conversations about health.

Can we focus more on strength, mobility, metabolic health, longevity, and quality of life instead of obsessing over a number on the scale?

Because confidence and happiness matter, too. And let’s be honest… nobody is making nearly as much money selling self-acceptance as they are selling weight loss. 🫣

And one more thing: Fat discrimination is real. People deserve dignity, respect, and quality healthcare at every size.

Let’s start talking about HEALTH, not just BODY SIZE.

11/07/2026

Six months ago, I went viral for saying “STAY A LITTLE FAT.” Here’s why I’m not taking it back!

It’s Diabetes Awareness Month, and I think it’s the perfect time to have an important conversation about HEALTH versus BODY SIZE.

Many people are surprised when they receive a diabetes diagnosis, particularly those who are thin or considered to be at a “normal” weight. But the truth is, you do NOT have to be overweight to develop Type 2 diabetes.

Likewise, being thin doesn’t automatically mean you’re healthy, and carrying a little extra weight doesn’t automatically mean you’re unhealthy.

In my experience caring for older adults, many of my patients who are thriving well into their later years fall into the overweight or mildly obese BMI categories. Research has also found some interesting associations between body weight and survival in older adults.

Does this mean everyone should gain weight? Absolutely not! What constitutes a healthy weight varies based on genetics, muscle mass, medical history, and individual circumstances.

But I want us to stop equating thinness with health.

Let’s focus on the things that truly matter:
❤️ Maintaining muscle and strength
❤️ Eating nutritious, balanced meals
❤️ Staying physically active
❤️ Monitoring blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol
❤️ Getting preventive screenings and appropriate health checkups

You can be thin and have diabetes. You can be overweight and have healthy blood sugar. Your body size does not tell your entire health story.

Let’s stop chasing a particular body size and start prioritizing our health!

The goal isn’t simply to live longer. It’s to live longer AND live well!

11/07/2026

Where are my crochet girlies? I found a new mousse to save this crochet hairstyle. I usually use the ORS Olive Oil brand but it was not working on these crochet braids. Whispers: this is a $200 hairstyle so I was wanted to try a different mousse to see if it could help.

I went to my local Kroger to find a new mousse. I also did a Google search for recommendations. Camille Rose mousse was in the chat and also at my local Kroger so I bought it for $12.99. I used a lot of product initially and it really helped to detangle the hair. I still have some of the bottle left over after 2 weeks of use.

It definitely helped me save the hairstyle and save money! We love saving money so I wanted to share the news in case any of my crochet girlies needed this info 🤗❤️🥰

11/07/2026

Who wants to be Blue neighbors in Cincinnati? Inspired by Mr. Rogers 🤗

Won’t you be my neighbor 🙌🏽 IYKYK

11/06/2026

The irony of calling your movement “victors not victims” and then re-victomizing people who have been abused. I’m so glad they lost. We showed y’all the real victors, the real movement. Blue tsunami baby!

I’m talking about Ohio politics if you didn’t know. They ran a dirty campaign talking about “victors not victims”

Address

2692 Madison Rd
Cincinnati, OH
45208

Website

http://www.healthislove.co/

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