Hi, I'm Jenna and I'm so glad you stopped by. Let me share a little bit of my story with you.
I'm a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) and personal trainer (ACSM-CPT), but let me assure you, I'm trying to juggle and balance all the elements of healthy living in my busy life just like you. Sometimes it's really tough. Do you agree?
Well, I'm here to help. (And truthfully, I think you can help me right back.) Here's a quick hit list of what I'm about and what you can expect from me as a nutritionist and trainer for real life:
- #MakeHealthyEasy - Noticed I didn't say healthy IS easy. I strongly believe that we can make healthy living easier by planning and implementing personalized strategies that work for you as a individual. Look for this hashtag on Twitter and Instagram. I even created a #MakeHealthyEasy board on Pinterest that has a lot of contributors. Please follow all these channels for a quick reference of ideas to make healthy easy for you.
- One size does NOT fit all - My goal is not to make you eat like me but help you find the rhythm and style of eating that helps you reach your goals. This is part of my nutrition counseling philosophy.
- Whole foods first and convenience when you need it - I believe the foundation of a healthy diet is whole, less processed foods. I want to help you incorporate more of this into your life. But I also think there are some wonderful "convenience" foods (dare I say processed?) and products that have real value and make life easier. I am always on the hunt for new and innovative products that help #MakeHealthyEasy so you can expect to see reviews of foods, services, products and equipment on my site regularly.
- Get Fit - I am a person who thinks that fitness is fun, but I recognize that not everyone shares that same opinion. Regardless of your level of affection for exercise, I'm going to encourage you to do something! I will be sharing my workouts (both simple and complex), playlists, equipment and apparel reviews, and just encouragement to get fit.
- Cooking and eating at home with your loved ones - What's the one thing I think could make the biggest difference in peoples' health? Cooking and eating meals with loved ones. Yes, I mean it! I am always working on recipes to share with you that help accomplish this goal for my family, and hopefully yours.
- Enjoy food - I love good food. That can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people, but here's what it means to me. I enjoy learning about how food is made or grown and the people who produce it. I like to celebrate the work, effort and resources that contribute to nourishing our bodies. I love really spectacular, delicious food that is innovative or completely basic. I want everyone to have moments in their life when they can truly enjoy something delicious and be able to share it with people they love.
- Be real - Due to many of the things I mentioned above, I choose to be real about life. I like to talk about challenges, confess when things aren't going well, and encourage others to do the same. Don't get me wrong, I am all about celebrating the wonderful, daily aspects of life. But I think we are most encouraged when we are real with each other. I am not perfect and I am OK with that. So what this means is that I'll share some of the tough stuff of life with you (and I hope you share some of your stuff back). I will post a balance ofpictures - some styled and beautifully composed and others that are just a quick snap of what's really going on in my kitchen or life. I'll tell you if something didn't work for me or I didn't like it. I find the most freedom in just being me and not feeling like everything has to be perfectly placed in my life. I hope you will feel comfortable to do the same.
If you want to know where to start on Make Healthy Easy, let me suggest my most popular, and personal favorite, blog posts:
Strawberry Vanilla Overnight Oats
Vegetarian Rice & Bean Casserole
Protein Supplements & Young Athletes
Are You Being You? A Discussion About Work-Life Balance
Here's some other fun facts about me:
- I'm a native Floridian. (I know. There's not many of us.)
- I've been blogging since 2007 (back when it really wasn't that cool to blog and no knew it was like a business) at Fresh Food Perspectives, which is no longer my active blog and is stripped to bare bones. So while this site was started in 2014, I am no newbie to the blogging world.
- I'm a wife to an amazing guy, who is a head high school football coach and lovingly referred to as Coach, and mom to 2 wild and wonderful boys. I use the hashtag #IamTamiTaylor all the time, especially on Instagram, to share about our football life. I'm passionate about encouraging other coach's wives and write about it in my Married to Football Series. Also see my Team Braddock page for more about my family.
- My favorite foods are my homemade chocolate chip cookies, really good bagels and cream cheese, bell peppers, avocados, black beans, olives, chocolate covered strawberries, and blueberry muffins.
- I enjoy gardening, being artistic and crafty from time to time, fitness, the beach , eating at local restaurants, travel, craft beer and California wine, parties, and change.
- I'm an author! Not a big-time author but I've contributed to two books, The Diet Selector and 200 Surefire Ways to Eat Well and Feel Better.
So please, follow along and stay connected through social media. I am most active on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook. Also check out my services on my Media page, Nutrition Counseling page, and Sports Nutrition page.