When I first told the world (aka you) that I have excess skin I had a vulnerability hangover. At that time I was just learning to accept it for what it is. And now I understand it is a part of my body and I really no longer consider it "excess", because it is just my skin. It is skin that has been with me through the lowest of lows and the highest of highs. It is a reminder of where I've come from and how much I've grown and changed in such a short time. I do believe that my skin has been my biggest lesson in self-love because it forced me to look at myself, to sit with myself and find comfor ..read more

There is often familiarity among my clients, struggling with similar issues and seeking like-minded goals. The conversation that I seem to be having on repeat with clients right now (during a global pandemic) is... "I work from home and when I need a break from work I find myself in the kitchen and snacking." To which my response is always "are you physically hungry?" Answers vary from "no" to "I just need something to do that isn't work and eating feels productive." So, what is my advice if you find yourself in this situation? Depending on what led you to the kitchen it may be out of habit ..read more

This is a conversation that I have with clients frequently... It's the fear of missing out (FOMO) from food. Of not being able to enjoy the rest of that delicious lasagna, pizza, chocolate cake or insert your food of choice here. I believe the FOMO of food really stems from a diet mentality. "I must eat it today because tomorrow I won't be allowed" or maybe it's "if I don't eat it all now, I won't be able (or allowed) to eat it later." But the truth is that for the majority of us in this country, there is an abundance of food available. Food is available on every corner, at every hour of the ..read more

You may have heard me talk about mindful eating but you've thought "it's too hard" or "I just can't seem to put it into practice." If so, this is for you! As I've mentioned previously, mindful eating is a practice of cultivating an open-minded awareness of how the food we choose to eat affects our body, mind, and emotions. To eat mindfully is to be in the present moment without judgment or criticism and with intention and awareness. So often, we consume our food without even thinking about said food. This is a common phenomenon is known as mindless eating. The key then to eating mindfully is ..read more

To me, food freedom is about feeling in control around food, ending emotional eating, and no longer living by ridiculous food rules. It is about giving myself permission to enjoy food for what it is and to recognize what it is not. In my Food Freedom coaching program, I guide you through several principles and tools that help drastically shift your relationship with food and yourself. Today I wanted to touch briefly on 3 key principles to Food Freedom covered in my program. Having an abundance mindset. Which is really realizing that there will always be more food tomorrow! If you are reading ..read more

Healthy eating doesn't have to be complicated... yet we make it so. With nearly 5 years of personally coaching individuals on nutrition and wellness, it's come to this... choose foods that make you feel really good more of the time. You may be thinking "But, Jenna I don't know what those foods are!" But I believe you intuitively know which foods are healthy for you and which are not so much. And if you're still at a loss... food journal. I encourage you to get to know your body, to understand how food is truly making you feel. The truth is that there is no "one size fits all" approach to nutr ..read more

All-or-nothing thinking is truly perfectionism in disguise. It’s the belief that you’ve either succeeded or you’ve failed, there is no middle ground, no compromise. It usually leads to thoughts like, “I’ve fallen off the wagon, now I might as well finish the whole cake because I’m going to have to start over again tomorrow.” All-or-nothing thinking never allows you to feel good about what you are doing because no one can be perfect all the time. When it comes to your relationship with food, you’re bound to have good moments and not-so-good moments, but whatever happened a moment or an hour ag ..read more

We often forget to look within. I’m guilty too of getting caught up in the day-to-day of living, that I forget to slow down to reflect on what's happening inside. But self-reflection is a powerful tool. This is why I'm such a huge fan of journaling. I believe that through journaling we can become aware of what’s standing in our way of returning to the love for ourselves and our bodies. “Some people may believe the most meaningful learning happens while we are taking in information offered to us by others. But another equally if not more valuable type of learning can occur when we have conversa ..read more

The most common recommendation that I give my clients is... Chew your food more. It may seem obvious but so often we eat without really chewing (I'm guilty too!). And if we're eating mindlessly, which is often the case, do you ever remember chewing at all? Sure a couple of chews here and there but properly chewing your food is going to take more than that. Chewing is arguably one of the most crucial pieces of digestion. Chewing is the 1st step to digestion and unlike other digestive processes, it requires conscious control. Sure you could unconsciously inhale your food - but how's that workin ..read more

If you don't think the food you eat can impact your body image, think again. Just remember the last time you felt bloated... how did you feel about your body then? I'm guessing the answer is somewhere between not so great to terrible. Even though bloating is temporary, it can be extremely uncomfortable. The causes of bloating can be anything from digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, thyroid dysfunction, allergies or intolerances. Because digestion is usually the culprit, I often use symptom journaling in my practice, keeping a food diary with any notes on how your body feels after eating. K ..read more