FOOD for Thought and my FUTURE

Over the past year my brain and body have undergone a dramatic transformation. I have fed my brain an abundance of knowledge within the Holistic Nutrition field. I have studied, researched, completed courses, read, experimented and tested countless new nutrition and wellness approaches. My body has gone from an outwardly appearing healthy individual who was filled with toxins and imbalances, into a rejuvenated and balanced body both inside and out. I have begun taking on new clients to look deep into the root causes of their health status and have formulated logical and realistic health prescriptions and action plans to educate them on making better choices for their unique personal wellness journeys. Along the way I have altered my approach to fitness, nutrition, lifestyle habits, emotional perception and the way in which I go about my day. I have also changed the way I help people around the world, the philosophies I hold and my methods of delivery. The more I learn the more confident I am that there is so much more to nutrition and health then we ever thought was possible. As I am entering my seventeenth year within the health and fitness industry I am confident in saying that I will continue to learn and grow as a person and professional for the rest of my days on earth. This new chapter of my life is a wonderfully exciting one and feels like the perfect puzzle piece to my already acquired knowledge through my massage therapy degree, personal training specialization, team building management and personal athletic accomplishments. Over the past year I have found peace within myself and a more positive and laid back approach to life. I have learned that balance between mind, body, and spirit is essential for everyday living. I have learned that being within the moment is extremely important and challenging. Personal relationships have been nurtured and even more importantly I have learned that being aware and grateful are two very important ingredients to any recipe. During stressful times it is always challenging to remember to live each day like it was your last, but I have made a point to never leave words unspoken. Some of you may laugh at this last sentence and that is probably because you know me well. I have always been one to speak my mind and I am reassuring you that my mother can vouch for that. I have been punished, ousted, ostracized, dumped, fired, threatened and almost thrown in jail for my wild ability to stand up for what I feel is right and to blow whistles when I think it is appropriate. There are times when I am sure that I should have kept my big trap shut, but most of the time I am proud of my ability to do speak out. My personal belief is that life is too short to beat around the bush and to just tackle situations by getting to the root of the problem. I suppose that is why I choose the Holistic Nutrition field and decided to leave Dietetics and traditional medicine to others (yes that was my loud mouth again). As this journey has unfolded I have uncovered some of the most disturbing information I have ever seen. There have been many days when I would come home and drop into bed crying at some of the disgusting ways man (mankind) has destroyed the earth and one another. I have almost turned away from the health and wellness industry a few times thinking that it is a lost cause. I have asked myself daily “how can one person change a world that is so damaged and distorted”. For a few hours I give up and then I see more governments, companies, and money hungry people take advantage of people that do not know any better. I read hundreds of studies produced by scientists, the traditional medical professionals, major worldwide corporations, and holistic practitioners to obtain all points of view on a specific subject. I then go back to science and relate the information to each specific situation to see if it aligns with my philosophies. Nine times out of ten I see humans destroying humans because of the need for money or power (one in the same from what I can see) and I see a world filled with not only toxic environments and food supplies but toxic people. In amongst the dreary situation we are all faced with at the moment I also see a glimmer of hope. I take pleasure in seeing smiles on the faces of people who are uplifted by information and knowledge that I share. I am gracious to the people that take time to express their gratitude, but more importantly I feel as though the world can be changed when I see the extreme changes a person can make simply by adopting the recommendations that we implement. I have seen major diseases heal, severe allergies dissipate, infertile couples conceive, pre-mature babies develop, pregnant mothers thrive, and athletes achieve the unthinkable. So in essence as long as I continue to see positive changes in the world then I am able to continue to fight the “bad guys”. With all of the posts, recipes and knowledge that I share I hope that you too can “share” and educate yourselves and friends further on how our food, lifestyle, environment, activity and stress levels are determining how healthy you are! In health and love, ~Jenny B www.jennybfit.ca jenny@jennybfit.ca

The Jennifer TransFORMATION!

I was born Jennifer and then at some point in my life my sweet, quiet loving grandpa transformed me into Jennifer Lee. This transformation was unconscious and just happened through the caring influence of my mother’s father. As I learned to walk and saw the world through my child eyes, I grew and the “Lee” just happened. As I entered school I slowly morphed into Jen. Jen was a growing girl who took pleasure in the humor of life and always wanted to have fun and be constantly stimulated by new things. Jen played by a different set of rules and had an agenda for life like no other. Jen also struggled throughout her teenage years and rebelled against everything and everyone she could. I suppose you could say that the –nifer lost in my birth name was also symbolism of losing a bit of myself. As most teenagers and young adults do, I become confused in who I was and what I was doing on this earth. In amongst my years as Jen I would spend my summers as Jenny-Lou. Jenny-Lou was comfortable for me and taught me about hard work in the labour sense. It brought me joy and life-long friendships; it brought me exploration and the beginnings of my love for the beach and everything it stood for. But when the summer months would end I would morph back into Jen. Jen left this world and became Jenny as she transcended from a butterfly to a moth and then back into a butterfly. This Jenny journey brought me into an ugly moth stage as I looked in the mirror and saw what other moths told me I was. I lost my beautiful colors and my ability to soar was stunted by my personal weakness. As the days went by Jenny the moth looked around to find something to give her hope that she would one day turn back into a beautiful butterfly and fly away back into the world she loved so much. I remember the day that Jenny the moth came out of her cocoon and turned back into Jenny the butterfly and it was unlike any other. I was with a bunch of my butterfly friends and they were unconsciously reminding me how wonderful it was to fly and that being Jenny did not mean that I had to be a moth any longer. Two of these butterflies today still remain close to my heart and they always will. That night I flew away from my old self and I have never looked back. To this day I am still a Jenny but when I share my knowledge and give without thinking I become a J. I feel no loss of the -enny, in fact I feel more complete as a J, but I know that staying a Jenny is where I need to be. Years ago a beautiful woman saw the Jenny B in me and I remember that ah ha moment when she uttered this new personae. Jenny B was a passion in my head during my early Jenny days but something that I had never really acted upon. Today I am confident that I know when and where to put Jenny, J, or Jenny B name tags on and am so grateful for my transformation. So you see this is my journey, one that I am thankful for and blessed to have had. I have met so many influential people along the way that drove me to become who I am today, a confident woman who is happy with the many hats she has in her closet, ready to wear each of them when the time is right. FOREVER, Jennifer, Jennifer Lee, Jenny-Lou, Jen, Jenny, J, Jenny B