What is poise?

Poise is a health and wellness service founded by physicians that is focused on creating customized nutrition and workout plans. The goal of this service is to create plans that both educate our clients but also fit into the reality of everyday life. Both of us - Donna and Jessica, the founders of Poise have extremely busy lives working full time as clinical physicians, being mothers, running households, and simultaneously wanting to lead a healthy and fit lifestyle. We have tried multiple different exercise and nutrition plans, however none of them managed to fit into the reality of our lives. In addition, as physicians we witness the dire need for actionable lifestyle interventions to promote people’s overall health. We believe in medicine when it’s needed, but prefer to prevent and combat disease through lifestyle changes rather than mitigate disease processes with prescriptions alone. Although genetics plays a role in disease, movement and nutrition is definitely the best medicine for everyone.

“ Genetics loads the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.”

- Caldwell Esselstyn

Our personal experiences and the barriers to optimal patient care were very frustrating and we wanted a solution to the problem. With these concepts in mind, Poise was founded to tailor a Fitness and Nutrition program to you that fits into YOUR life. We not only want to help you achieve your goals, but ultimately help you develop a healthy mental perspective regarding food and lifestyle that can be taught within your household to your children.

While growing our business we have added other services we think is important for leading a healthy lifestyle both inside and out. We have partnered with Fullscrips to offer the highest quality supplements and vitamins as well as with Olive Tree People to provide waterless skincare that will give you the glow you have been searching for. Click on the links at the top for more information regarding these products.

Poise does not provide medical services at this time, but we will use your medical information to tailor plans suited to you.

Meet the Team


  • Donna did not always know she wanted to be a physician. She moved to the United States from South Africa in 2005 during her high school years. Since she was unfamiliar with many of the American sports, but loved to stay active, she signed up for personal training sessions at a gym. This is where her love for fitness, and specifically bodybuilding started. Unfortunately, also around this time of her critical teenage years, she struggled with body dysmorphia and an unhealthy relationship with food. After graduation she herself became a personal trainer, training one-on-one clients as well as running large outdoor bootcamps while getting a degree to be a high school English teacher.

    It took years for her to develop a healthy relationship with food, but ultimately, she was able to achieve it through intentional work and dedication by broadening her understanding of the body, how we process food, and breaking away from all the myriad of false advertising. She was able to utilize this information to help her clients achieve their goals and break through their mental barriers to success regarding health and fitness. Upon graduating Magna Cum Laude in the honors college at UTSA and teaching 11th grade English, Donna realized that she was more fulfilled by educating clients regarding health and fitness, but there was something missing. She didn’t just want to focus on the physical aspect of an individual, but the whole person. This is when she embarked on her journey to pursue her medical degree.

    While Donna’s passion for body building continues, she also loves riding her Peloton bike for cardiovascular health and going on walks. Furthermore, she has a background in Russian Ballet, Karate for which she held the Junior World Championship title representing South Africa, and Jiu-jitsu. Donna is also the mother of two young girls, Natalya and Logan, both of whom were born during her medical school training. Donna understands what it means to have career goals, a busy family life, and still want to take care of your health. Her goal is to help people take care of their health mentally, physically, and emotionally so that they can live their longest and fullest life doing the things they love to do.

  • Jessica Sikora joins Donna Ayala as one of the founders of Poise Wellness. Jessica completed her MD through Texas Tech and will be practicing Family Medicine in Amarillo.

    Before medical school, Jessica owned and operated Real Results Fitness which focused on integrative health and wellness for clients of all ages, demographics, and backgrounds. Real Results had seven trainers and two nutritionists Jessica personally trained to work with clients both virtually and locally. Jessica also worked with several local physicians as a wellness coach and nutritional consultant for their patients; it was this aspect of fitness that inspired her to apply to medical school. Client testimonials proved she was making a positive impact on people’s lives, but she wanted to reach a greater audience and serve on a larger platform. Jessica is excited that as a physician she will have a greater knowledge base from which to teach and treat and therefore influence a larger sphere of patients.

    Jessica writes fitness and nutrition articles for several magazines and is a published author; she penned a book geared towards teaching women with Type 2 Diabetes how to exercise and develop healthy relationships with food. Teaching has always come naturally to her; and in fact she was a 3rd grade teacher, diagnostician, and eventually the Special Programs Director for Dumas ISD before she left education to pursue a career in health and wellness.

    Growing up Jessica had a multitude of health issues and found herself significantly overweight by high school. This was devastating to her since she was an athlete, and it negatively impacted her sports performance and self-confidence. Eventually, Jessica figured out how to eat properly and transform her body all on her own. Because she has been “fat” in the past, she is empathetic to the plight of those wanting to lose weight and is passionate about helping women and men feel confident in their bodies.

    Fitness has always been a passion of Jessica’s and she has competed in a myriad of sports including triathlon, mountain biking, boxing, running, and cross fit. One of her favorite competitive memories is representing the USA as a triathlete in the World Championship; she finished as the 3rd American and 18th in the world. Jessica has two children that are the light of her life, Jaycie and Brody. Jaycie graduated from Texas Tech with a degree in Biology and Brody is currently pursuing an Athletic Coaching degree from Texas Tech. They enjoy going to the lake together, playing card games and hanging out at the pool. If Jessica’s life could be summed up in one phrase it would be, “Live Fit to Live Fully.”

    She cannot wait to teach you how to do the same!