This thing called LIFE!!!

As we navigate through life, we have our fair share of ups and downs. Some days are good and some days are bad! How do we navigate and keep a smile on our face? So many emotions get bottled up, because we as individuals want to show our strong side 100% of the time. We hurt inside and so much is running through our minds, that we never have a moment to reset. There are only 24 hours in a day, and I know for myself personally my mind races for 19 of those 24 hours.

There are many stressors that contribute to the constant over thinking; work, finances, health and family. Mental health is super important and when you are not together mentally everything else falls apart. We can always put on a front to make it seem like we’re ok. Many people feel as if therapy is so invasive, however I find it to be helpful and brings relief. Therapy is where you can let go of everything and share your innermost thoughts and feelings. You are opening up and being vulnerable with a non biased person whom will allow you to be yourself!

The twists and turns that bring uncertainty will make you stronger! You look for the support of loved ones, to realize that your biggest cheerleader is no longer here. Who do you talk to, how do you make it through; and will you survive? You pray about it and have a conversation with GOD, you breathe and take it one day at a time and know that you are a SURVIVOR! It opens you up to know that nothing is forever, and it is ONLY temporary!

Positivity and prayer is the goal. Speak life into yourself and know that whatever storm you’re in is only temporary and greater is coming!

Support and the many connections

As an individual that lives with multiple chronic illnesses, it's important that those whom I deem a part of my circle know and understand how to support me (or any individual living with illnesses). We have a lot on our plates, and we can handle anything that comes our way; but at the same time we don't want to feel like a burden.

As we embark on the journey sometimes we don't want to share our challenges, but if we don't share then how will others know and understand how to deal with us. Many assume that we are anti-social; but in reality it’s just us trying to cope and maintain life. Everyday is a struggle to get up, get our day going and be productive. Lupus fog is real and often our thoughts never process as fast as they come.

Each day is a challenge! All we as is give us grace as we navigate daily life. Ask questions of us, and don’t be afraid to learn and understand multiple chronic illnesses. We are UNICORNS! We survive what the average person can’t!

Meal Prep and the discipline it takes!!

As many individuals begin their new year by making a resolution to eat healthier and workout more. Oftentimes those same individuals don't necessarily have time to always cook the food that they want or need to prepare. What do they do next? They find an avenue that can not only provide them the level of nutrition that they are looking for, but something that is also cost effective and affordable. 

We are now in the age of meal prep companies, and lifestyle changes. I tried HelloFresh, and while they provide you with portions for however many people are in your family. There were times that the choices were very limited, and while it provided me with the nutrients needed I began to feel like it was no excitement in the meals. My daughter enjoyed the meals and looked forward to the variety and different ways of making and creating meals. In her eyes it was GREAT! As an athlete she burns off anything that she eats, so it was worth it.

Now, I am a Certified Nutrition Coach and help individuals reach their goals of living a healthy lifestyle, all while understanding their relationship to food. There is indeed a correlation to stress through food, as well as focusing on mindful eating. Many of us were told all our lives to eat everything on our plates oe we would be in trouble. Nowadays, we shod eat to 80% full; there is no need to clean our plate. We should strive to leave something on the plate.

Meal prepping is not for the weak....however, there is discipline involved. Portion sizes, time of day, what you eat and how often you eat need to be accounted for.

 

Mental Health:Learn to talk about it

May is Mental Health Awareness month, and I want to be as transparent as possible and speak from the heart. Many times when we as individuals are going through something we keep it to ourselves and bottle it up. It wasn't until last year that in dealing with depression and anxiety that I had to seek out a therapist. Now, many times I've heard that black people don't do therapy, or we deal with it in our own way. So my question is what is the way we deal with situations of depression and anxiety? 

Oftentimes many problems get brushed under the rug and never get dealt with properly. Emotionally holding those problems in takes a toll on your mental health and causes more problems. My mother passed away three years ago, and I was there for everything from after her death. I thought that going back to work would help me cope with the fact that the woman who gave me life is no longer here on earth. It masked the situation, but I never grieved properly. I felt that I not only had to be strong for myself, but for my dad and siblings, and other family members. Boy was I wrong! Two and a half years later it catches up to me. I buckled down and started speaking to a therapist and meditating. 

In speaking with a therapist it opened my eyes to understand that I needed to be in the company of others who were dealing with the loss of a loved one. I joined a Griefshare group on FB, as well as I began to build my relationship with GOD. Once I did those things a weight was lifted and I could be there for my husband and daughter. I had to understand that I had to take time for SELF and do what made me HAPPY. 

Don't ever feel like speaking with a therapist or counselor is negative or brings negative connotations. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Speak your truth and find your peace!

Fit while living with an Autoimmune Illness

Life at times can be hard, especially if you live with an Autoimmune Illness. There are times that everything hurts and we are unable to move out of the comfort of our bed and/or home. I am here to share with you that a Low Impact workout is ideal and can help you maintain your health. 

The world would have you thinking that you have to be in a gym for 2-3 hours, and you have to do Cardio the whole time your there. I'm here to tell you that you don't need to do that, but get the blood flowing and move at your pace. The ultimate goal is to be more active and maintain or increase your fitness level. The gym can be intimidating, as you have many individuals who are experienced in working out "fighting" for certain pieces of equipment; you also have various classes that you are unsure if they match your fitness level. As novice gym goers there is also the various pieces of equipment that you're not quite sure how to utilize, and is there someone that can show you how to use the equipment PROPERLY! The answer is YES! There should be floor staff available to assist you.

Now also understand that if there is a genuine fear or level of being uncomfortable in a gym setting...bring the workout to you. The reason is due to your illness, it may keep you away from the gym; but let's bring you a workout that can be done at your pace and on YOUR time. If you have workout equipment (dumbbells, bands, kettlebells, etc.) a workout can be created around what you have in home. The other focus  is using your bodyweight to ensure you are burning calories.

As a Certified Personal Trainer, I do an initial consult and have potential clients fill out paperwork to ensure I know and understand what limitations (Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, MS, etc.) They must be cleared by a medical professional before continuing any workout plan with JaiFit. Once I receive and go over the forms we create a plan that works with their schedule. We adhere to the set schedule and been have now begun their journey to a healthier, happier and whole lifestyle.

I work with various individuals from all walks of life: Youth through Senior Adults. Each age group is given a workout based on ultimate goals and what they want to accomplish. Never let your illness hold you back from achieving goals, but tweak the workout to be most beneficial to you!

Total Health & Wellness

Total Health & Wellness

When we look at what is happening in the world today, we have to look at the total health and well-being of our lives, and take stock in knowing that what we do now impacts us forever. As an individual that lives and breathes fitness, I understand all to well that in order to lead; I have to share that knowledge with my family and friends.

I changed my lifestyle to reflect a total health change. When we think of a lifestyle change we think of just the surface and what we can physically see; such as our meals and our exercise routine. We look at what we are putting in our bodies, the foods we eat and how those foods are prepared. We also must take the time to change the products we clean our house with, and lastly, changing how we store our food and what we use to store foods.

When we make a change for the better, we feel better. It's all about baby steps and making one change a time until you have made the complete transformation. I know it ultimately seems like a lot, and it seems more time consuming than anything; but when the good outweighs the bad then we can consider that SUCCESSFUL! So let's delve into the Total Health & Wellness process!

When we look at our overall health, when it comes to food...natural whole foods are best! Oftentimes, we see people taking the step to change their eating habits and lifestyle, but they are unsure of where to start or begin. Whole foods are our fresh fruits and vegetables, the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins and fats; and the ultimate key to health is our WATER intake! As our bodies are made up mostly of water, we also have to stay hydrated and replenish what we use. Another key to understanding this lifestyle (not DIET) is eating the rainbow, and foods in their natural state. Brown rice, cane sugar (brown), whole wheat, oats and whole wheat pastas. Carbohydrates are a necessity, so when you hear people say cut out carbs......DON'T! It's about eating balanced meals inclusive of complex carbohydrates instead of simple carbohydrates (processed).

As a nutrition coach, it is my duty to ensure that you understand the process. During the coaching process, you go through steps of understanding why your eating patterns are such, mindful eating and tasting the food, as well as how you feel when eating (happy, sad, settled, angered). There is also the natural medicines that assist in building our immune systems (Seamoss, Black Seed Oil, Elderberry Syrup, Moringa, etc.) just to name a few. Let's use what comes from the earth to live longer healthier lives.

Next, we have to think of the household cleaning products we use in our homes. Are they safe? Free from harmful chemicals? Safe for use around kids? I have to admit, that I was taught to use bleach, Lysol and other products to clean my home. If you didn't have the smell of bleach, your house wasn't considered clean and sanitized. There are various products that are better not only for the environment, but your family's health. I recently joined an online shopping club, and I have to say the products do the same as the other brands and you can clean inside of your home without having to open every window. Let's make environmentally friendly choices to complete the package.

Lastly, food storage is key and I know that many of us grew up with our families using plastic Tupperware, and once the microwave came out it was easier to store and heat our food. My husband and I have done a complete overhaul of our kitchen and food storage containers; and that meant using glass containers that are better, don't stain and don't add carcinogens to our food upon heating in a microwave. We also got rid of the microwave, and decided on a counter top convection oven that does EVERYTHING! It was an adjustment, but I am still getting the necessary nutrients from my food, and I feel better about the choices for my family and I. Cooking is now becoming more enjoyable for myself, as I and my husband are working together to provide the BEST for our family! No expense spared!

As you go on with your daily life, please be mindful that when you think about your health and well-being please think of the total package! Your life is not one dimensional, so why would you life it as if it is one dimensional.

Total Health & Wellness!

Healthy Weight Loss

Many of us have weight loss goals, as well as we want to live a happier and healthier lifestyle. Now, in order to do that we have to adjust our lifestyle to ensure that whatever goals we strive to meet, we do it successfully. Please understand that working out 2 - 3 times a week, combined with proper eating habits will assist you in your weight loss goals. Fitness is my passion and my first love, and I've been in this field for over twenty years, and I have watched this field evolve and grow over time. I myself have grown along with many of my cohorts.

What we need to understand is not everyone, and all body types need to follow the same meal plan; as we are all built differently and physiologically it doesn't work that way. I am a lover of all foods, and I am also a lover of working out, but what I can say is what works for me may NOT work for the next person. It is important to understand your body type, so you know how to formulate your plan on losing weight and/or gaining muscle. The three body types are: Ectomorph, Endomorph and Mesomorph.

1. Ectomorph: Lean and long, with difficulty building muscle.
2. Endomorph: Big, high body fat, often pear-shaped, with a high tendency to store body fat.
3. Mesomorph: Muscular and well-built, with a high metabolism and responsive muscle cells.

My body type category is Endomorph and that requires me to focus more on Cardio (HIIT) Workouts, Weight Training and watching my caloric intake. As I know my body, I understand that a safe healthy weight loss is 1 - 2 pounds per week. I know, your going to say that doesn't seem like enough to fulfill my goals. Well I have news for you, IT IS!! When you focus on trying to get the weight off fast, instead of focusing on healthier choices that don't focus on water weight there is no added benefit for losing the weight quickly. Water is KEY! Then its all about portion sizes, how you prepare your food and what you are consuming and when you're eating. You must also remember that you lose inches first then you gain muscle and finally you lean out.

I recently trained some young ladies, and our training included working out twice a week, and a meal plan was provided weekly. This provided them the understanding of choices and living healthier to be better athletes, and they had not only the full support of their parents, but also their coaching staff. I am proud to say that many of my girls lost inches, and gained muscle; but the ultimate outcome was for them to understand how to eat to live. They understood that this new way of life is a work in progress, and they had more energy, endurance and agility. The weight loss will come, because you have to remember that the weight did not come overnight, so be patient and stop looking for the quick fix.