#MOMstrong… meet jenny and jacy

a few things i have learned in life seem to translate into every chapter of life and one is that you need a tribe. you need your people that you look up to. those that are honest with you. those that won’t judge. those that will drop everything to be at your side. those that love your children like they are their own. these are your people. in addition to that, i have found it helpful to have people in my life that i look up to. that possess a drive and motivation that i can learn from. welcome to the “#MOMstrong” series. i have chosen some ladies from my community that i know well, would like to know better and look up to as strong role models.

today, i would LOVE for you to meet jenny, certified personal trainer fitness instructor & juice plus+ representative. jenny was my first friend when i moved to this tiny town. she is my mom’s yoga teacher and a health coach to many more. she went out of her way to introduce me to her tribe which made me feel so welcome.

marian: jenny, you have made a name for yourself and are a leader in health and fitness for this community. it’s clear that it is not just a job for you, explain how the passion began for you. 

jenny: “you are right, health and fitness is definitely my passion and i feel very blessed to be able to call it my “job.” i honestly have to credit my family for exposing me to a healthy lifestyle. i grew up watching my mom go out for a run everyday, my dad waterskiing, and my brother and i working in the garden with my pop. that was the norm for us. and now i want to pass that on to my boys and other families as well.”

marian: jenny, if you could give a mom, working or stay at home, 3 simple tips to incorporate fitness into their daily routine, what would they be?

jenny: ”

  1. 1. keep it simple. doesn’t have to be longer than 30 minutes or require lots of equipment.
  2. 2. put it on the calendar. plan it in your day. somedays my only option is 5:30am so that’s when it happens!
  3. 3. find what you enjoy! as moms, we don’t get a lot of me time. exercise should be fun and something you enjoy doing for you!”

marian: jenny, when it comes to nutrition, what are your priorities when planning meals and snacks for yourself and your family? and what are some practical ways anyone can do the same?

jenny: “my priority is to get as much good in them as i can, however i can, and to also have a plan. i meal plan and shop on sundays so we are set up for a healthy week. if we don’t have junk in the house, we can’t eat it! now don’t get me wrong, there are goldfish and chocolate covered raisins in my house but i have found a super nutritionally sound snack that my boys love and is easy for mama too. here’s my secret….

  • morning snack- protein ball and piece of fruit
  • afternoon snack- maybe this is wrong but i tell them it is an ice cream shake when really it is a juice plus complete shake with spinach and flax mixed in! they love it!”

marian: nothing at all wrong with that! loose interpretation is a totally acceptable survival skill for a mom!

jenny’s fav snack recipes:

 

get ready to feel the burn!

thank you jenny! for sharing your time and your passion with us. if you would like to contact jenny, she would love to hear from you:  gethealthylg AT gmail.com

NEXT, i can’t wait for you to meet jacy. i met her and her precious family at church and have loved getting to know her. i look up to her as a mom taking control of her health right after having a baby!

marian: jacy, you dove right back into a very healthy lifestyle right after your second baby, what has been the one thing that has helped you stay on track?

jacy: “i wouldn’t say that I dove back in, i definitely gave myself some time to adjust to having a newborn and being a mom of now two children before thinking about healthy eating.
honestly what has helped me stay on track is partnering with juice plus and becoming a rep. when you surround yourself with people making healthy choices and sharing those choices it makes it so much easier to actually choose it for yourself. this is what I would call “positive peer pressure”😃

marian: jacy, you introduced me to juice plus, and as a nurse, the one thing that really impacted me was the fact that these are not “vitamins” but simply actual servings of fruits and veggies that i don’t have time to consume throughout the day. what was it about the products that impacted you to give them a try?

jacy: “my son is the reason I originally got started using the juice plus products. he wasn’t a good eater and i knew he wasn’t getting his daily serving of fruits and vegetables. as a parent, i think we are more likely to make good choices for our children than we are for ourselves. so i got it for him and then ended up ordering it for my whole family. i liked that it is real whole food and that is something we could all use more of.”

marian: jacy, if you could give a mom of small children 3 simple tips to lead a healthier lifestyle, what would they be?

jacy:

  1. “instead of just watching your kids play, join in and play the games with them.
  2. meal plan and prep- if you have healthy options already made in the refrigerator it’s easier to make a healthy choice.
  3. and finally, don’t be too strict on yourself. give yourself some allowances or cheat days and enjoy life!

jacy’s fav recipes

contact jacy here

thank you jacy!!!