Active Lifestyle & Healthy Living – Jenn’s Journey

Having grown up with two older brothers who played competitive hockey, coupled with spending our summers at our family cottage in Muskoka, living an active lifestyle was in my DNA! 

It took several years for me to discover what physical activities & sports I enjoyed the most until I found Volleyball & Basketball for an active lifestyle. Team sports that combined explosive movements & endurance seemed to be my thing. Then in high school, I got my first job at Super Fitness, an all-women’s fitness studio where I worked the front desk, instructed classes & trained members on the various weight equipment. 

It became apparent very quickly, that my passion for moving my body & motivating others to do the same which led me to get certified in Personal Training. 

As a young adult, I had an active lifestyle, I regularly worked out, however, being a petite-frame, I was not concerned with my diet until my mid 20’s. It was at this time I learned the importance of fueling our bodies with nutrient-rich foods: whole grains, a rainbow of fruits and vegetables & lean proteins. 

My dad loves to cook, so I attribute my desire to make things from scratch and explore a variety of flavors to him! Personally, I have a sweet tooth, so I have been creative in incorporating ‘treats’ into my lifestyle while reducing my sugar intake. Eating healthy does not mean your meals & snacks can’t taste delicious, it just means you need to take a little time planning & balancing out your intake and ingredients! 

After having my two sons, I really made nutrition a priority, as I wanted them to be as healthy as possible while being exposed to the magnitude of flavors available to them.

My boys were exposed early to our healthy and active lifestyle. At the age of 6 weeks, I started taking them to the gym, while I taught my classes. Although I worked as a Fitness/Yoga Instructor and Career Consultant, I primarily was home raising my two boys. No different than any other parent, they were my priority, and my own self-care, stress management, and ensuring I got enough to sleep each night, was not always ‘top of mind.’ 

As a worrier by nature, I had many restless/sleepless nights, thinking of everything that needed to get done or stressing about whatever circumstances I was facing at the time. Everyone can have a few nights without getting enough sleep, but if it continues for consecutive nights, it can have a ripple effect on your well-being; mentally, physically, and emotionally! 

After struggling with low moods, lack of motivation to exercise, and little interest in eating well, it became clear that something had to change. I motivate and encourage other people to eat well, drink plenty of water, have a nightly sleep routine in place, adopt an active lifestyle and manage their stress levels. However, I did not always make it a priority in my life. I put others’ needs before mine and carried the weight of the world on my shoulders, which I later learned is because I was a ‘Pleaser.’ 

Now I believe wholeheartedly in a balanced, holistic lifestyle. It is not enough to just move your body and eat a well-balanced meal. If you are not getting enough sleep, taking time out for your own self-care, and managing your stress level, you too, will find your breaking point!

Components of my Balanced and an Active Lifestyle –

Fitness 

I have made a commitment to myself to ensure that I move my body every day by doing a variety of workouts/activities for a minimum of 20 minutes for an active lifestyle.

Nutrition

Our family meals offer a rainbow of colors and a combination of proteins; whole grains and fruits/vegetables and I try to make a new recipe every couple of weeks.

Sleep Routine

My goal is to go to bed at roughly the same time each night and to do relaxing stretches/yoga before I get into bed.

Breathwork

Each morning before I get out of bed, I take 5, intentional, deep belly breaths. It is a great way to start my day on a calm and positive note while tuning in to my mind, body, and breath. 

Water Intake

I have a glass of water by my side throughout the day and drink a minimum of 8 glasses.

Stress Management

I have learned to only worry about the things that are within my control. As life throws us curveballs, I look for support from friends and family and brainstorm solutions. For me, getting out in nature and moving my body are great distractions and ways I handle my daily stress.

Self-care

Each day, I ensure that I am doing something that ‘fills my bucket.’ It could be spending time with my family, reading a book, listening to a podcast, calling a friend, watching a movie, walking my dog, etc. Whatever activity brings me joy, and that I can fit into my busy and active lifestyle of being a mom, Entrepreneur & Coach!

Up until 2 years ago, I would have thought the above list was a well-rounded list of daily habits to ensure I live my healthiest life. Little did I know, in May 2019, I was diagnosed with breast cancer (age 43). Fortunately, they caught it early and I was scheduled for my first lumpectomy within 2 weeks of my diagnosis. 

Everyone told me, including my doctors, that breast cancer was the best cancer to have, since it is well-researched, and the survival rate is high. Sadly, my journey hit a few bumps in the road before leading me to where I am today. I have had 5 surgeries, 18 months of treatments, and 3 tumors. Fortunately, I am ‘cancer-free’ and grateful every day!

After undergoing 2 surgeries and 8 months of chemotherapy and radiation, I was eager to get my life back to normal and excited to celebrate my last radiation treatment on March 5th, 2020! I spent the last 3 months going to the hospital daily and while gaining more confidence, strength & motivation, I was eager to get back to my role as a Fitness Instructor. Sadly, the pandemic set in and locked down the world!!

COVID-19 delayed my follow-up mammogram appointment and pushed it to the beginning of May 2020, which is when I was diagnosed with my 3rd tumor (within 11 months of my first diagnosis and while still in active IV treatments to kill future cancerous cells!). I have always believed that ‘things happen for a reason’, it was the combination of COVID and my 3rd diagnosis, that led me to my “passion project” as a Health Educator.

In efforts to prevent future diagnoses of any kind, I was on a mission to connect with as many health professionals as possible: Naturopaths, Nutritionists, Holistic Healers, Functional Medicine Practitioners, etc., for suggestions on how to live a healthier life and a healthy and active lifestyle. It is here that I learned of the various medical reports, studies, and documentaries that linked the toxins in our household products to a variety of different health ailments such as lung disease, cancers, asthma, skin sensitivities, allergies, and more!

For further information on the Lung Damage Study 2018, visit this link: https://fortune.com/2018/02/19/cleaning-products-cigarettes-lung-health/.

In addition, watch the Toxic Beauty documentary on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69WIamTGYI8.

This was the first time since my diagnosis that I felt I had some control, this knowledge empowered me to detox my home and ensure all the products that I buy are toxin-free! I learned that it takes only 26 seconds, for whatever is in the air, to land on our skin and be absorbed into our bloodstream. This is extremely important, considering our skin is our largest organ, we need to nourish it well!

To complete my list of living an active and balanced lifestyle, I have now added:

Living Toxin Free

We have control over the air we breathe within our homes, together we can live a better tomorrow!

As a Health Educator, I share my experience and research and talk about the importance of reading product labels. Sadly, living in North America, the Beauty & Supplement industry is not regulated, which means, ingredients and preservatives are often added for ‘shelf-life’ which can be toxic and in the case of supplements, can dilute them, making them harder to absorb and digest the full nutrients and vitamins. 

I learned the hard way that not all supplements are created equal, label to label, the ingredients looked the same from the no-name, local drugstore brands compared to natural options. If my bloodwork was not tested regularly, I would have assumed I was getting the nutritional benefits from the supplements I was taking. However, that was not the case. It was not until I switched to a natural supplement brand that I noticed within 2 days an improvement in my energy, joint pain, and sleep!

We need to be advocates for our health and be educated to make informed decisions!