Healthy Ramblings

a pounding heart isn’t always a concern...

8/18/2024

Exercise: The Unexpected Self-Care Hero... Forget spa days and fancy face masks—your new self-care secret might just be lacing up your sneakers. Exercise isn’t just for athletes or gym buffs; it’s actually a top-notch self-care tool. Here’s why moving your body is like giving yourself a high-five:
Why Exercise is Your Self-Care BFF

Mood Booster: Ever heard of endorphins? They’re like the brain’s little party guests, making you feel happy and pumped. Exercise kicks these guys into gear, making you feel like you’ve just won a mini lottery.
Brain Reset: Think of exercise as hitting the "refresh" button for your brain. A good run or a dance-off in your living room can clear away the mental cobwebs and help you think straight—plus, it’s a great excuse to wear sweatpants all day.
Emotional Outlet: Exercise is a safe place to let your feelings out. Had a bad day? Channel that frustration into your workout. Think of it as a therapy session where the only person you’re shouting at is yourself, and the only thing you’re lifting is weights.
Mind-Body Connection: Activities like yoga help you become best friends with your body. It’s like having a heart-to-heart with yourself, where you discover that, yes, you can touch your toes (or at least get close).
Routine with Benefits: Adding exercise to your day is like creating a new, healthier habit—think of it as adulting with a side of “I’m doing something good for myself.” It brings structure and a sense of accomplishment, making you feel like you’re actually winning at life.

How to Make Exercise Your New Self-Care Routine

Pick What Makes You Smile: Whether it’s salsa dancing in your kitchen or pretending you’re a superhero while jogging, choose activities that make you happy. If it feels like play, you’ll want to stick with it.
Listen to Your Body: Your body is like a temperamental cat—if it’s not happy, it’ll let you know. If you’re feeling sore or just plain tired, give yourself permission to chill. Self-care means not pushing it too hard.
Set Achievable Goals: Set goals that don’t make you want to hide under the covers. Start with small wins, like a 10-minute walk, and build up. Celebrate those little victories like you’ve just conquered Everest.
Create a Fun Routine: Make exercise a regular part of your day, but do it in a way that feels fun. It could be a morning stretch, a lunchtime walk, or an evening dance-off. If it’s enjoyable, you’re more likely to stick with it.
Find Your Workout Crew: Enlist friends or join a group. Having a workout buddy makes sweating it out a lot less of a solo endeavor and a lot more like a social event where everyone gets to wear athletic gear.

So, forget the myths—exercise isn’t just about getting fit; it’s a fantastic way to show yourself some love and care. Put on those sneakers and get moving. Your mind and body will be doing a happy dance in no time!
JP Jenn x

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It's not Always Barbells & Deadlifts

5/17/2023

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Walking is a simple way to exercise that’s accessible and affordable and can be done anywhere improving your cardiovascular health, strengthening your muscles and bones and enhance your overall wellness. It helps to maintain a healthy weight easily as it’s an effective way to burn calories and when coupled with a healthy eating plan, it can be a game changer for incredible health transformations!

Walking helps to combat fatigue by stimulating circulation and delivering oxygen and nutrients throughout the body helping the cardiovascular system as well as contributing to a better quality sleep for nighttime rest.

Use it or lose it! If you think joint health is important when you’re in your 30’s, wait until you’re 50… or even 70! Walking is a low-impact activity that helps to alleviate stiffness and joint discomfort and is particularly beneficial for people with conditions like arthritis.

When it comes to brain health, there is so much research about the neural connections and the impact walking has on helping to reduce cognitive decline and dementia that it's staggering we're not talking about this even more! Get moving!
The mental health benefits alone from walking are reason to make time daily. The endorphins released during a simple walk are natural mood-boosting chemicals in the brain, reducing stress, anxiety and depression symptoms. Walking outdoors in green spaces or nature can be especially beneficial, promoting relaxation and a sense of connection with the environment for a deeper sense of fulfillment.

Walk solo or find a buddy! The social interaction of engaging with family, friends or different groups can help you stay connected and motivated and accountable to this simple healthy habit helping you to create a healthy habit that sticks or life!

With spring upon us, my hope is that you will consider a good walk to discover too that it's not all barbells and deadlifts. Sometimes, it's just about being present, one foot in front of the other.

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The Birth of JuicePlus Story

1/29/2023

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As my 22nd year anniversary with The JuicePlus Company approaches next month, I am reminded about how fleeting the moment of sharing plant powders was with me by one of my clients. She was 17 years old and newly diagnosed with diabetes and casually mentioned JuicePlus during the cool down part of one of her sessions.

I recall being captured by the wholefood concept because it just made sense. But being a fitness trainer, I was prospected often to promote and sell various supplements and protein powders. I knew the industry was flawed but lucrative so I was skeptical, but thankfully I was curious enough to take a deeper look at the science behind JuicePlus because it was food based.

The rest is history and today, I passionately and boldly share JuicePlus with everyone who will listen because while the company’s motto is “To Inspire Healthy Living Around the World”… it has always been my belief to do good and this aligned with my core values.

The JuicePlus Company makes premium whole food supplements that are clinically backed by over 40 research papers today and for only the price of a cup of coffee! It’s a simple and focused product line: fruits, veggies and berries in capsules, chewables, whole food protein powders and bars and even year round vertical gardens! Our entire focus is based on helping people to get more fruits & veggies into the body helping people to bridge the gap between what they eat and what they should be eating everyday.

As a personal trainer, I educate people about healthy living, including daily habits around food and fitness and JuicePlus is a natural solution for everybody! It makes it easy for people to keep it simple in an industry that can be very confusing at best, and harmful at worst.

The human body is innately and brilliantly designed to seek and be in a state of health so healing is simple when it's provided with the right tools. The fact is that many people can’t, won’t or don’t want to eat enough whole foods and certainly the quality and quantity that their body requires leaving many living in a malnourished state without ever even knowing it.

I’m someone who appreciates the back story and so I’m sharing here with you, The Story of JuicePlus from the creator of these plant powders himself, Smokey Santillo because I believe that you too will have a greater appreciation of what this simple JuicePlus habit can do for you!

Take a peek at JuicePlus here:
jenniferowen.juiceplus.com/ca/en/products/capsules

“Before I tell you about the research behind Juice Plus+®, I’d like to tell you the personal story that led to the development of this whole-food product. When we’re experiencing a trauma or other significant event, we don’t always fully understand it until it has passed, and then we realize that it has changed our lives for the better. Living a life is a lesson itself and is always teaching us something; we just have to learn how to interpret the direction it is taking us. Even a chronic illness is pointing us in a specific direction, as I learned when my father got sick.

It was 1980 and I was on a lecture tour, teaching herbal seminars in Denver, Colorado. During a break, I received a phone call from my father. He told me his spleen had swollen to the size of a football. It was so large he was using one of his Marine Corp belts to hold it up and it was so painful that he could hardly move. My mother made an appointment for him at a nearby hospital, where the doctors could not believe how large his spleen had grown–and it was still growing.

At the end of the day, my dad called me again and said he was diagnosed with lymphoma, cancer of the lymphatic system. I was so stunned I couldn’t even reply. I just held the phone, praying that I didn’t really hear what he had said. My throat closed up, so tight I could hardly breathe. He felt my shock and distress and told me everything was going to be okay. Being a naturopath and teaching people for years how to live by the laws of nature, I had to ask myself, why did this have to happen? (Don’t we all wonder why, when something so traumatic happens to us?)

I told my dad I’d be home in four days as soon as my tour was over. By the time I got there, his doctors had already removed his spleen and started chemotherapy. I was floored, totally irate. No questions had been asked–they just did the surgery and started pumping him full of drugs.

After three weeks, my father had lost 40 pounds and nothing was working. The chemotherapy had failed and there was nothing more they could do. His doctor called our family together and told us my dad had no more than three weeks to live. After breaking the news to my dad, I asked if he’d like to try natural therapy at my clinic in Tucson, Arizona, where I would take care of him. He said, “I would have come to you before this, but I didn’t want you to be responsible if anything bad would have happened to me.” I picked him up and carried him out of the hospital without even checking him out.

As he got stronger, he was able to drink vegetable juices by mouth. Fruit juices, however, made him feel ill because of their sugar. You don’t want to feed cancer cells sugar, because they thrive on it; plus, it acidifies the body, putting an even greater strain on a sick person’s system.

I wanted to find a way to get more concentrated nutrition into his body to increase his strength and boost his healing, and it occurred to me that if I could juice the vegetables and dry the juice, the powder would be more concentrated than the juice itself. I set up some small dryers in my office and found that it would take hours to dry the juice, but it worked. I’d give him tablespoons of vegetable juice powder stirred into small amounts of water daily. To my amazement – keep in mind, at that time we knew nothing about phytochemicals – in two months he put on 30 pounds. There was no meat or carbohydrates other than tablespoons of dried vegetable juice in his diet. I wondered, how could someone put on so much weight without eating?

He then got to the point where he could also drink fruit juice powder without feeling ill, so he’d have fruit juice powder in the morning and vegetable juice powder the rest of the day. I gave him very little fruit juice powder, though, as I noticed that if I gave him too much, his urine’s pH would turn acidic. I also added proteolytic enzymes and some herbs to the regime. I was constantly changing the dosages of his supplements according to his pH, using the monitoring system in my book, ProMetabolics.

The results were astonishing. Within three months of my taking over his treatment, my father got out of bed and re-modeled my kitchen. He had been a carpenter his whole life and loved working with wood. Continuing on a nutritional program of eating large amounts of vegetables, dried juice powders, and soaked and sprouted seeds and nuts, he went back to work within six months and worked as a carpenter for another six years. It’s my opinion that he’d still be alive today if his doctors had not removed his spleen and given him such high doses of drugs during his hospitalization.

From my father’s recovery, I realized the hidden healing power of whole foods, so I began studying all fruits and vegetables known to man, and I learned that some were much more nutrient-dense than others. Ironically, the ones most concentrated in nutrients were the ones most people didn’t eat at all, or always cooked before eating: parsley, beets, cabbage, and broccoli, to name a few.
Experimenting over several months, I created one concentrated juice-powder formula with fruits and another with vegetables–the most nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables on the planet. Soon my clinic looked more like a produce-drying facility, and everyone who came to me, regardless of the problem, was given a bag of each powder. The healings that I observed were no less than miraculous; I knew I was on to something big when my patients were getting well so fast.

The formulas I used in my clinical practice are now the most wonderful line of fruit and vegetable concentrates, called Juice Plus+®. I designed and patented these products, and NSA, LLC in Memphis, TN, manufactured, distributed, and promoted them. Benefiting thousands of people in over 30 countries, Juice Plus+® is the most researched nutraceutical in the world today.

Just before my father died, he was so concerned about my professional reputation that he said, “If I die, will people still believe in you? Will they still buy your books?” I said, “Dad, what we accomplished together, this idea of concentrated fruits and vegetables, someday will be known all over the world.” And that’s exactly what happened. My father’s recovery gave birth to the most wonderful product line of fruit and vegetable concentrates, Juice Plus+®.

My father taught me pride and honor. He would tell me that a man’s word is all he has. In over 50 years of being a carpenter, he never once had a written contract with anyone–only an agreement of a smile, honor, and love. He will always own a piece of my heart. I know he is always with me; he’s my strength and motivation.”

And now you know The Birth of JuicePlus story! If you find yourself curious as I did 22 years ago, I invite you to browse my website where you may contact me for more information or order on the spot. Be sure to sign up for the free chewables for your child, grandchild or even neighbour! And after you've ordered, you will hear from me as your JuicePlus Customer Care Partner and Health Coach!
jenniferowen.juiceplus.com/ca/en/products/capsules

Thank-you for your time to learn about something so wonderful as the story of how JuicePlus came to be for people like you and me!

Blessings to you,
JP Jenn

Learn more about JuicePlus!

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Let's Talk About the Growing Trend of Building Income On-Line!

1/7/2022

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If I've tweaked your interest to learn more than let's do tea! You & Me can dive into one of my favourite things to talk about where you can learn more to see if this something you'd like to be a part of !
All are qualified & all are welcome!

Book Call

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REST IN PEACE MR. JOHN MCROBERTS

4/11/2021

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SCENE:
WHO: 29 year old personal trainer meets 67 year old retired insurance broker
WHAT: whole food based supplement
WHERE: 604 Danforth Avenue, Toronto
WHEN: February 2001
WHY: to understand the value

How could something so insignificant create a ripple effect that today impacts so many people all around the world?!

AND... continues to today & will forever.

THAT’s Legacy my friends!

For those who don’t know, John McRoberts is my JuicePlus sponsor. He’s the one who showed me the research behind this whole food supplement when I skeptically asked for proof that it actually works way back in 2001.

John & I used to meet often as I worked at a gym on the Danforth & we’d grab a coffee between my client sessions... most times just chatting about life in general.
What began as a business partnership to help me to host the occasional in-home wellness party, attend events for me to better understand about micronutrition (more often than not, he was either begging me to meet him there because I was “too busy”, “too cool” or a total “no-show”. Sometimes he would even drive to my house to bring me himself!! lol - Boy, was I stubborn w a serious attitude!

But John was WISE! With 67 years, he had a lifetime of experiences that made him an important vessel to learn from!

In his younger years, he was a high level track ATHLETE with hurdles being his talent & even earning a scholarship to the University of Houston!

He was also a DAD & a GRANDFATHER & an immensely proud one! His grandsons played sports & he didn’t want to miss a beat so he thrived on being their chauffeur & #1 fan at all their events! His face would light up whenever he spoke of his family to me.

I met John before having kids myself so our conversations changed over the years and man oh man did he teach me much as I ventured on paths that he’d already journeyed. Part of his gift was that he didn’t lecture or preach… he just shared & was there for support when needed.

John was a GENTLEMAN. Like I’m talking, ladies first, holding doors, respectful language - spending time with John was a true gift.

And he was the eternal OPTIMIST! I lived in Pickering when we first met & so when we planned our coffee meetings I always dreaded trying to find parking on the Danforth because it was nearly impossible - literally!
He used to always say to me, “Now when you’re driving down Jenn, I want you to visualize where you’re going to park. I want you to trust that the parking spot for you will show up, just keep your thoughts there, stay focused & look for the signs.”

And ya know... the perfect parking spot was always there! Always!

He had a favourite word too: the F-word! I use it occasionally but I’m going to be more intentional about making sure I use it everyday to honour my old friend John.

FASCINATING! If someone was rude, mean-spirited or just a jerk... John would simply say, “That’s FASCINATING!”

He knew that no one was worth us letting go of our own character values & dignity & that ultimately, we get to choose how we react in our life.

But as I alluded to earlier... I was short sighted, self serving & without vision. I simply didn’t know, what I didn’t know.

Fortunately for me, John in his wisdom, understood this & despite my endless excuses, ego, push back & quite frankly ignorance, John was LOYAL to his belief in me & incredibly PATIENT because eventually, I did come around.

When we last spoke in December, we joked about my stubborn ways & enjoyed a good chuckle about those early days. He told me how proud he was of me for all my personal growth, achievements & success with our Company & shared that he saw those possibilities & my potential all those years ago. I’m not the kind of person who seeks recognition but man did that make my heart swell hearing him say those words to me.

John knowing my story of struggles understood me because he was also familiar with my journey... we talked about all that too because truth be told, John was a like a father figure to me.

He watched me grow from a “know it all” personal trainer working pay cheque to pay check spinning my wheels getting no where, to a broken woman digging in the dirt of her own pain-filled bull crap, to the top of our Company anchoring into a mission that was “meant for me BECAUSE of my pink ribbon scars”.

You see John was about PEOPLE! When he sat down with me on that winter day over coffee, he wasn’t concerned about me saying no to JuicePlus.

He wasn’t worried that he wasn’t a health “expert” when I started asking questions that he didn’t know the answers to.

He wasn’t thinking why would this 29 year old female personal trainer talk about health w a 67 year old man who could be her father. [Keep in mind, I didn’t even know John - he was referred to me by one of my clients!]
But John didn’t give a rat’s butt about that nonsense!

What he did know was that he had something that could possibly help me & so he took time out of HIS day to meet with me bc I was curious about what JuicePlus was & he simply offered me some information about it.
More than that even, John actually CARED about helping people because John was for people.

Read that again...

John was FOR PEOPLE.

20 years after our first meeting, John passed away last Wednesday. He passed away on my youngest’s 15th birthday. I don’t believe in coincidences.

Claire is an old soul, all about kindness & has an incredible calmness about her. Her perspective is beyond her years & her patient curiosity serves her well in life.

When I opened up the message on Saturday morning to read that John had passed, I was shocked. You know when you just assume that people will be there forever? That.

John & I just spoke in December & he sounded great outside of the fact that he missed going to the gym because of Covid: he was a member of the Granite Club for all the time I knew him & he never missed his workouts! Health was very important to him & that included moving his body everyday. He shared with me that because of the winter weather, it was just too risky for him & his wife to go walking outside on the slippery sidewalks & that he was excited for spring already just to get to do that again! He had the best attitude!

I sat in my chair by the window, sipping my tea trying to digest this news with a lump growing in my throat thinking about his words. The day was just getting started and the sun was already beaming: spring is finally here with the birds chirping & singing their glory but John was not.

John changed my life with a simple act of kindness and not in a little way, but in the most important ways!

My heart has been feeling all the feels of my friend & my only hope is that he knows how grateful I am to have met him all those years ago & how much I value his mentorship despite our paths taking us in different directions in the latter years: he with his grandchildren & me with my children.

I’ve spent much of my weekend reflecting on the conversations we enjoyed including the wisdom of his words & actions. They seem more poignant now because I understand them better in hindsight << isn’t that always the case?

My emotions feel like a roller coaster ride with sadness, tears, laughter but mostly... GRATITUDE. I am so blessed to have been able to call John my friend & because of John, my life has been so very blessed but also... because of John, I have been able to pay those blessings forward for others to benefit.

You see, John was a quiet CHANGE MAKER. Many don’t know even him & yet thousands benefit from his work in some way.

He’s what I call the “Silent Leader”... the one standing at the back of the room, cheering everyone else on, genuinely happy FOR THEM!

No recognitions, special titles or medals.

No ego.

No “what’s in it for me.”

Just pure joy for THEIR accomplishments! For them overcoming & succeeding!

We’re so conditioned to focus on the people with “the marker” or “the microphone” or those strutting their “brand” on some stage but I want to encourage you all to look at who’s standing WITH you, BESIDE you because they are likely to be a Change Maker just like YOU! And YES, YOU can be a Change Maker too! We ALL are... John IS proof!

John changing my life started by him introducing me to a simple solution for better nutrition because he CARED & I’m so grateful that he did because that one simple action was a pivot that invited me to create my life & be who I am today fully & completely; a present parent, a supportive partner, a teachable leader & ultimately, a conscience human.

My hope is that wherever you are in your journey of life, you have a friend who cares half as deeply as my friend John did for me 20 years ago. To patiently & kindly pursue you because they see YOUR abundance & potential & the ripple effect of all the possibilities of how you can lead a fulfilled life by helping others, in a way that adds to your life... even if you initially see it as a “subtractor”.

Love those friends hard & faithfully… because they CARE intentionally for your good!

As for me, I know I only have to look as far as the back of the room to know John, my Change Maker is there in spirit, proud of the Change Maker I am becoming too!

And truthfully, I can only hope because those are some big shoes to fill!

Love & Gratitude,
Jenn O

PS. Don’t sweat the small stuff. And it’s all small stuff.

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Spring Forward Healthy Sleep Checklist!

3/14/2021

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As we move our clocks forward with daylight savings time into another spring, I thought it might be timely to talk about sleep health! Pardon the pun;-)

The truth is, most people struggle with consistent quality sleep on a good day so it only makes sense to bring this topic to light at this time ~ another pun but stay with me ;-) We know that sleep deprivation is a thing but have you ever considered how this 1 hour of sleep lost contributes to sleep debt? It’s real & worthy of a conversation so let’s talk.

As a health professional, I speak a lot about the Core Four Health Habits with rest being one of them. Tackling daylight savings time this year can feel like it’s even more of an uphill battle with the last 12 months of covid living impacting our mental health, overall feelings of fatigue & these “groundhog days” of living.

Here are 5 healthy sleep tips for you to use today but the back-to-basics simplicity of them make them a useful checklist to circle back around any time of the year!

CATCH SOME RAYS: get outside into the sunshine to assist your body’s internal clock & help your body to adjust you sleep-wake cycle & circadian rythmn.
KNOW YOUR SLEEP NEEDS: protecting your sleep & making it a priority is something too many folks drop the ball on. In fact, for most of us, sleep is the first thing we let go of in the rush of life. If you’ve gotten so far from knowing how much sleep your body actually needs, use a day when you don’t have to get up early to not set the alarm clock & see how long your body wants to sleep. You might be surprised & this will be useful for you in possibly readjusting your afternoon / evening schedule.
BE FIRST: knowing everyone will be “showing up” in a sleepier than normal state tomorrow & this week, be sure to plan well so that you’re not rushing your day &... if you can, lighten your schedule. The general population will be struggling from lack of sleep with side effects in performance, mental clarity, daytime fatigue & even worsened vision… so plan well knowing that it’s a day when errors & accidents are more common.
MOVE YOUR BODY: a 30 minute walk goes a long way every day, but double the benefits with daylight savings time! Get outside to invite the natural light to help cue your body in sync with your day-night cycle, allow those sunshine filled rays to hit your skin, breath the fresh air into your lungs & elevate your heart rate with a brisk walk because all of these are incredibly beneficial for overall wellness!
DITCH THE STIMULANTS: caffeine, alcohol, tobacco & technology are all sleep disruptors. If this feels like too much to take on, limit the amount & time of these consumed, especially the hours before bed. Oh & while we’re here… late dinners & evening snacks fall into this category. The short fact of this is that the body innately digests what we put into it & regardless of how tired we are, the body is going to do the work it’s designed to do so if there is work in the pipeline… it’s going to get “processed”. This ultimately disturbs our sleep quality, at best. This is bigger than most truly understand but if you’re curious to learn more, connect with me about the lifestyle program I personally live & promote.

BONUS TIP: create an environment conducive to restful, quality sleep: quiet & dark with a temperature in the range of 60 to 75 degrees. Some of my favorite affordable tools for success:

Sleep mask
White noise maker
Ear plugs

I hope this helps you transition into spring feeling less foggy headed & excited about the longer & brighter days!

See you on the sunny side friends!

Jenn

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49: I Was Never Meant to Fit In.

7/22/2020

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LOADED POST: “If you should go skating on the thin ice of modern life...”

Welcome 49 year old me to finding me!

In case you haven’t noticed, I like to have fun w photo filters but I wanted to share my raw & real 49 year old selfie today.
No filters.
No mascara, brow brush or face powder.
No fancy clothes or hat.
No frilly, anything.

Just me full on...
Grey hair.
Wrinkles.
Smiling, showing my crooked teeth.
Hiding behind nothing.

How vulnerable... or liberating, depending on your perspective.

Truth... I feel it ALL & it feels AMAZING!!

All my life I’ve been on a quest to fit in, belong somewhere, be accepted... anywhere, & sometimes, that included some pretty unhealthy, even dangerous places.

If we’ve chatted recently, you’re likely aware of the personal journey I’ve been on for the last few years. You might also get a sense of this if you follow me on social media bc it’s so damn hard for me to contain the enlightenment I experience on a daily basis - it’s actually mind blowing at times!

All this to say, 49 is even better than 48 & I’m actually excited for 50!

I’ve finally realized (1/2 a century in) that not only will I never fit in, I was never meant to ~ what a realization.

God’s Plan for me has always been greater than my imperfect life journey: I did not always know this but He selected ME to wear these “pink ribbon scars” KNOWING that when I showed up (albeit terrified & unsure) these indelible marks, I like to call them my pink ribbon scars, would be my catalyst to courageously face the challenges, required BY me to overcome, to evolve into the person I am today in order for me to best serve others. He knew that through my own lack of, I would be better able to take on the very important & unique task of helping others in a much greater way bc I understand the FEELING & that this is crucial in order to authentically serve the mission of “No parent should have to choose between paying the bills & raising their children”.

This person I am today chooses to live life feeling it all, leaning into & not running from, who chooses to trust her faith & turn to Him knowing I incapable on my own.

When I hesitantly stepped into His calling for me, He showed me the #1 most glorious place to “fit in” in this great big wonderful world - the place I’d been literally craving for, seeking all my life, was right before me... my very own family that I created.

Charlie, my partner in life who stands strong behind me & loves me through to my very imperfect core, unconditionally. To him I am indebted bc when I feel weak & insecure, he strengthens me simply by his belief in me & my purpose.

Avery & Claire, my conscious, heart-lead, brilliant & beautiful daughters who teach me every single day how to be a better human being... the greatest gift of all is being the mom that I am to them for them, but also FOR ME. They I would say, are the keys to unlocking my unknown potential. #healers

It’s so easy to “get lost” or “distracted” in this "modern world" (hence the title of this blog) that we must be INTENTIONAL about HOW we want to live this one life we’ve all been granted. #dontwasteitondogma

So yeah, 49 is feeling pretty spectacular so far & what has been highlighted for me these days is that... time passes quickly, things mean nothing & experiences are really what our hearts FEEL forever.

Here’s to living life authentically, passionately, unapologetically & understanding that it’s not about being everyone’s “cup of tea” but waking up to each of us living our higher purpose, creating a life we want to live & thrive in based on the decisions we make in our day-to-day. And... along the way, we find our people.

As I move into 49, I want to extend a genuine thank you for being here & supporting me & if you're also finding yourself on a personal path of self discovery too, let's connect! I know I have soooooo much more to say about all of this & so I'm deciding now to share more deeply & more boldly!

Blessings w Peace & Love,
Jenn

#discoveringme #sharingboldly #anotheryear

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Start 2020 with 20/20 Vision on YOUR Health!

12/26/2019

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What an opportunity! We’re not just starting a new year, we’re starting a new DECADE!! Was it not just yesterday when we were all singing along with Prince, “We’re going to party like it’s 1999”?!

I’m inviting you to make 2020 about transformation, YOUR TRANSFORMATION!

The reality is that the stats show more than half of all New Year’s resolutions are health or money related: exercise more, eat healthier & get out of financial debt. Unfortunately, more than ½ give up on their commitments by mid-January!

As a personal trainer who’s been around the industry for over 20 years working in exclusive gyms, community centres, public parks, backyards, teaching bootcamps, one-on-one private sessions & now coaching primarily on-line, I’ve seen a lot There are more health gimmicks than ever before, especially at this time of year: restrictive diets & radical fitness regimes that more often than not leave people jaded, physically ill, mentally exhausted & financially broken.

But I’m here with GOOD NEWS!

My style as a trainer has always been about helping people set attainable goals. I focus on teaching, inspiring & equipping people with a common sense approach, a back-to-basics way of thinking & a transparent plan to optimal health! I believe that health is a journey & from a personal point of view, I’m in this for the long haul! Keeping health simple is just who I am & I promote this way of living so that it becomes a lifestyle people want to live every day because of how great it helps them to feel!

I’m also a very busy mompreneur of 2 competitive athletes: aka supreme chauffeur who works from home raising conscious leaders & kids… otherwise known as JP Jenn.

I thrive on helping others discover their health through the journey of mindset around food, fitness & lifestyle. For me, it’s helping people to want to make the commitment to themselves because they understand not just the value of good health, but because they know that good health will allow them to live a happier & more fulfilled life.

It might sound crazy, but when you start peeling back the layers of habits, you discover that they were just holding you back from living your full potential! It's incredibly liberating in so many ways because underneath it all, there’s a hard truth… it’s never just about losing weight & gaining muscle!

Raise your VIBRATION!

I’m writing this blog to stir up those who've been experiencing feelings of wanting to take your health to the next level because “it’s time…”.

These 10 simple health habits can be game changers for you! So I ask,
WHAT IF…
~ you could have more energy?
~ lose the bloated feeling?
~ feel clear headed every day?
~ not feel frumpy in your clothes?
~ sleep like a baby?
~ change your blood results: blood pressure, cholesterol, homo-cycsteine?
~ feel healthier & happier?
~ get more fit?

How would that IMPACT…
~ you as a person?
~ friend?
~ parent?
~ spouse?
~ business leader?

Can you see how impactful this can be on your LIFE?! It’s so so so A~meh~ZING!

Before I dive into my Top 10 Tips for Health in 2020, I want to bring your attention to the importance of having clarity & expectations around your goals.

It’s worth spending some time thinking about what’s important to you, what are your short & long term goals & even diving into why this matters to you right now.

Also, make time to prioritize your expectations because this will help you to get more committed to the work involved in achieving your goals.

Getting clear on these will serve you greatly when the road seems long & impossible.

Lastly, keep your list short: one simple change at a time is best for long term success because our goal is progress, not perfection.

Now that we’ve set some vision for how impactful this can be for you, let’s begin…

1. SLEEP: It’s common sense yet, it’s the one self care activity most of us compromise when life gets busy. As a natural nighthawk, committing to the earlier bedtime challenge was a huge shift for me but... it has impacted my days much more than I anticipated! Did you know that our adrenal glands kick in for a “second wind” when we “push past” that tired feeling? They do! And ignoring cues for rest & “running on empty” puts further stress on the body as a whole, but especially those adrenals. The problem with this is that the adrenal glands play a key role in helping to regulate your metabolism, immune system, blood pressure & assist the body in repairing itself during sleep. Pretty big deal, eh? So don’t uker your body’s natural instinct to be in a state of health ~ know your limits & get sleep Superwoman (or Man)!

2. WAKE UP EARLY: Have you ever thought that waking up early can actually help to prevent sleep debit & fuel your body? What a concept?! Keep in mind, your sugar levels are lowest after a long night’s sleep so rising & fueling right away helps to prevent that sluggish feeling. I like to start my day with a smoothie: I use a clean burning protein powder that fuels that my brain & body for a strong start! Also, a wonderful & exciting little nugget I will share with you is that the stress hormone cortisol is highest between 6am & 8am… why does this matter? Because, this is an optimal time to give the best of you to your most important work of the day!

3. MEDITATE/AFFIRMATIONS: I know… eye roll. Honestly, if you dare to experience the power of it, you won’t ever want to start your day without doing this one small habit! If you’re a novice, an easy way to begin is to sit up in bed when you first wake up, find a spot on the wall & take a deep breath. Be intentional about relaxing [this will help to lower blood pressure] & try to think about nothing. I struggle with this because when I try to think about nothing, I immediately think of Seinfeld ;-) The Insight Timer Meditation App is a great tool ~ start small with 30 seconds, increasing your time gradually. When I’m done meditating (my time varies day-to-day) I take a few minutes to think about my day ahead by picking my top 3 “must-dos” so that I’m very clear about my focus for the day. At the very least, before you rock’n’roll out of bed, say 1 positive affirmation statement to yourself: it’s a fab way to begin your day!

4. WATER: I still struggle with this but have found a nice ‘lil trick that is helping me lately: I add mint flavoured chlorophyll to a pretty glass bottle I found on Amazon that has motivation tips written on it. Try to drink a full 8oz before breakfast & if you can, add fresh lemon slices to increase the cleansing effect on your lymphatic system ~ this is so A~meh~ZING & your body will love you for it! Adding herbs like rosemary, basil or mint for natural flavours also helps to make it more appealing for those of us learning to enjoy drinking H2O. Ideally, your water intake for the day should be a minimum of 1/2 your body weight in ounces.

5. POOP: I get it… no one wants to talk about it but here’s the low down [pardon the pun] if it’s not coming out [& regularly, no once a week business here] it’s staying IN you & those toxins get absorbed BACK into your body?! Can we all agree this is counter-productive in a major way?! As someone who suffered terribly with constipation as a child: regular hospital visits, weekly suppositories & stress, let me assure you that pooping is underrated, overlooked & 100% crucial for optimal health. But here’s the good news… achieving healthy poops is the result of two simple actions: eat whole foods + move your body, everyday!

6. MOVE: Inactivity is the new smoking < truth! Our modern day conveniences have turned us into a society that doesn't move which means we must be very intentional about getting daily exercise. Physical activity helps to lower stress hormones, increase energy & positively impacts our mental health… never mind that it burns calories, so if weight-loss is a goal, this is one habit you don’t want to skip! Walk the dog or meet a friend for yoga class! It might feel like you have to “drag” yourself out initially but I promise that you will feel so great afterwards! In fact, please share your experience here! Words of wisdom: find something that you enjoy doing & don’t be afraid of change it up. Personally, when I see that I’m not committing to my workouts, I reassess to identify where the challenge is & I shake it up! My own workouts over the last few years had me working out at home, at the community centre, the YMCA, hot yoga, in a gym, with a private trainer & I keep rotating these according to the season in my time in my life.

7. EAT WHOLE FOODS: Planning & preparation are the key to this step! Healthy or not, you’re going to eat, so stay focused on your goals & know that what’s at the end of your fork will determine how good you feel in about 30 minutes. I personally have been more mindful about this & this short term way of thinking has actually helped me to make better choices before I put food in my mouth. My secret wish for 2020 is that more people will become aware of how much control they actually have over their health. The fact is that we all have illness & disease in our bodies, & aside from genetics, the biggest variable is lifestyle. We all have an incredible opportunity to harm or heal our bodies starting with our food choices. A life changing quote I heard years ago woke me up to the power I had every day: “Genes load the barrel; Lifestyle pulls the trigger.” #boom

8. ATTITUDE: The journey of Life is sprinkled with blessings, challenges, pure joy & curve balls that sometimes we never see coming. In all of these moments, I encourage you to pause, reflect & hold space for these experiences because they show up for a reason. Oftentimes, it’s not immediately obvious why things happen but the optimist in me has learned to lean in, trust the journey & breath through it all! I very much believe that each of us has a purpose & light within us to shine the way for someone else & that struggles show up to help us become better humans. The "catch" is that we must decide to be “awake” to the cues that life presents so that when the day is done & the years have passed, we can enjoy peace & perspective with a happy heart knowing that we’ve lived bravely, authentically & generously.

9. COMMUNITY: Do check-in often to ensure you’re surrounding yourself with the right people ~ folks who hold the same values as you. Folks who are happy to motivate & inspire you! Almost two decades ago, I said yes to a community that has since become my extended family. Today, these friends pour into me as much as I them & we have become each other’s accountability partners in life. Together, with my community of friends & family, I get to live a life of passion, purpose & contribution & if you know my story, you know this was a calling of mine ~ I just wasn’t sure how it could ever be possible. Unbeknownst to me at the time, my vehicle was partnering with these people! So pay close attention to who’s in your corner & reevaluate often. Who’s the first to show up excited to cheer you on your successes, motivate you through your challenges & inspire you to want more so that you can be more? Take note of those people because they are gifts... they’re "your people". In my mind I know that I am enough, but in my heart, I want to grow in my stewardship to serve others & the constant catalyst that pushes me to continue my path of personal growth is this circle of trusted friends.

John Maxwell said it best, “Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts. It’s about one life influencing another.” I am so fortunate to say, this is my community!

10. STAY THE COURSE: Here’s the deal! Your health is the most valuable commodity you own & you are WORTH investing in!

It might not always be easy but it will be worth it!
~ will you stumble? Occassionaly!
~ will you get frustrated? Probably!
~ will you want to throw the towel in? Maybe!

But hear me now loud & clear... there is no greater investment that you can make than in YOU!

Investing in YOU = your HEALTH = your LIFE! #yolo

You are here in this life, surrounded by people who love & adore you! Taking care of you is how you show up in your best way for you & for them!

If I sound urgent it’s because I am! I recently experienced my own awakening & while I don’t believe in living with regrets, I do wish that I had woken up sooner.

Life is short my friends & the goal isn’t about just making it through [gawd I cringe when I hear others talking about “making it to the weekend…” or “when I retire…"

Life isn’t a destination, it’s happening right NOW!
~ time is ticking!
~ in health or recovery… start the journey!
~ your kids need the best of you!
~ your spouse deserves the healthiest you!
~ you are worthy of feeling your best mentally, physically & spiritually!

I’m fortunate to work in partnership with a team of health ambassadors & together we coach a simple lifestyle program that is family friendly & focuses on creating lifestyle habits. We generously share complimentary resources such as:
~ healthy cookbooks
~ fitness books
~ professionally done meal plans *vegan options available
~ workout videos
~ educational events on-line & live
~ hands on work shops
~ fun contests
~ inspiring community

All of this to keep healthy living a priority in peoples’ everyday lives.

Connect with me to learn more about JP HE.AL & how you can join for free today, no purchase necessary! I’m offering a free 15 minute Discovery Call to help you identify how you can get started making your health a priority today!

If you’re feeling the need for a healthier change, are looking for trusted advice & results that are focused around healthy lifestyle habits, then don’t wait any longer!

Let me help you get 20/20 clarity for real success by making 2020 a year you commit to levelling UP to living YOUR healthiest self!!

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Meal Prepping for Back-to-School

9/2/2019

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Good Morning!

Are we ready for back-to-school?!

As someone who thrives on routine, I'm not going to lie... I welcome this time of year! That doesn't take away from the fact that there is nothing more that I love than spending time with my kids ~ it just means that I also enjoy an environment where we all have things to do, learning to enjoy & goals to set, work on & conquer!

We're fortunate to get the extra day with Labour Day Monday: this makes for a shorter week to plan & adjust ;-)

Okay the point of this is to save time, so let's get moving!

1] MEAL PLAN
This determines what is on my food shopping list & is the foundation for our week. I look at our family calendar to see Kid 1's track schedule, Kid 2's soccer schedule & my own events calendar. Dad works erratic hours and is on his own schedule and fortunately, he loves whatever we make for him to eat!

Only after I have reviewed the week can I plan well the family weekly menu because time will dictate what we should eat on each of those days.

I also like to plan our more complex meals on slower nights or... do some of the prep work for one night on the night before.

2] GROCERY SHOPPING
Hopefully you were able to get your grocery shopping done prior to the holiday!

It's interesting how our grocery shopping list has evolved... it used to be heavy with boxed, canned & frozen items but is now focused on fruits, veggies, nuts & legumes!

I need simple in my life so there are 4 columns: Cold, Dry, Fresh & Miscellaneous [dog food, garbage bags, laundry]

I used to also hit every isle which also crunched my wallet. Since our healthier choices, I start in the fruit & veggie section, move to the organic section & then skip most isles only going down them for specific items like pickles, canned tomatoes or things like that.

It's amazing how aware we become of the food we buy when we actually read ingredients lists!

3] FOOD PREP
I like to start off by washing, peeling & cutting my veggies: carrots, celery, cucs, peppers, kale & broccoli. I'm evening peeling & cutting my ginger to put it in a sealed jar for quick grab & gos for my water & tea!

I don't peel my fruits like apples, oranges, avocado but I wash them all up, again for that "fast food" benefit. Think about it, a handful of grapes & a banana go a long way after school because here's the reality... this is fast food! And it's HEALTHY fast food compared to sugary granola bars, salty & greasy crackers &... it won't fill them up too much before dinner because we want them to eat dinner right?!

4] BAKING
We don't buy granola bars in our home bc of a few reasons:
a) they're mostly sugary crap: even most of the "healthy" ones;
b) the waste they produce is HUGE!

I like to make time for baking & today, I'm making a chocolate zuchinni brownies!

I make it a priority to make 1 desert treat each week because everyone likes a lil' something sweet and this way, I know what's in it [plus, I like to add veggies & extra fibre]. My kids have learned the taste difference between sugary cardboard processed stuff over homemade goodness!

I also like to make power balls too ~ they're simple & quick to make & they're great for breakfast & lunch grab n gos!

5] STORING

For some meals, you can load up your garlic, onion, chopped veggies into a single container: I like to use the flatter bottomed ones so that I can scrape out my sectioned garlic & onions to sauté first.

Maybe 3 out of 5 of your meals will look like this which is a HUGE time saver! The other two meals may have only one ingredient [cauliflower cashew soup is a great example because you're soaking your nuts separately]

In closing, meal prep does require us to set aside time on Sundays [or Mondays for the long weekend ;-)] but I've come to really enjoy this time. I invite my kids to join in and help out which helps them to development those skills & appreciation for not just the food, but for investing in themselves that time, for learning a life skill to prepare wholesome foods and for learning about the real value of healthy foods! They don't partake every Sunday but I'm making this a goal of ours because truth be told, some of the best conversations I have with my kids is during food prep ~ it's a very inviting environment, the music is playing, you can enjoy a glass of wine or tea & learn to enjoy the meditational gifts it offers <3

I hope those tips help you & if you have others to share, please feel free to comment below <3

Here's to a healthy start to the 2019 School Year!

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Learning to fly...

6/19/2019

1 Comment

I came across this video of me sharing my story in front of a few thousand of friends. It actually made me shudder. I will never forget this day when I finally shared my story publicly ~ it was one of the scariest days of my life.

And yet, it was, hands down... the most liberating.

I have so much more to say on this picture, this video & the whole experience of finally allowing myself to break free but I will leave just the video for now so as not to take away from it.

What ever you do... don't be comfortable in this life.

NMD Speech 2014

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Meal Prepping for Back-to-School

Learning to fly...

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