I'll share, just a little, so you know I'm human and cool. 

 

MY STORY

For fun, my full name is Jennifer Jean. I grew up in Westchester County, New York. I come from a humble family of circus performers and misfits. Kidding. But I kept your attention past the first sentence. Win! 

Anyway, I was the average kid growing up in a humble house with an awesome porch that I fell off at least once (laugh, it's funny, I'm okay) who made mud pies in the driveway (which ignited my mad scientist skills in the kitchen). I played with my first role model barbie til an embarassing age, caught fireflies in the front yard for fun, played hide and go seek til it was dark and ate twinkies, spaghettios and McDonald's like any other kid in the late 70's. I lived for "breakfast dinner on Wednesdays."

I played soccer, volleyball, cheered (for myself, kidding) was a massive band geek (flute, oboe and glakenspheil, which I can't even spell and really, why bother), sang in the chorus, school plays and sucked at math and science (ironic). I tap danced, loved my tutu's and dabbled in gymnastics. I had a massive attitude as a teenager and apologize to this day to my saint of a mother. 

I look and sound like I'm from anyplace other then New York. My last name before and after marriage are unique. Gulick got made fun of, Vagios does too. I married a Greek man but have a czech/mut background myself. I like to claim swedish. Anyway, Vagios is  pronounced bah-ghios. I don't say it right, you probably won't either. 

WHERE FOOD GOT WEIRD

I guess 6th grade left quite the imprint as I had a horrible experience with a teacher who would actually make fun of me and point me out which led me to anxiety and nervousness. This is where I stopped eating and ended up underweight and almost hospitalized. I got over that hump from fear of needles and doctors and ate. 

Teenage years were the typical craziness. I had an eating disorder, barely ate to control my weight and managed to play sports (not that I was a future olympian). A few severe eating disordered friends surrounded me. I dabbled with working out at a local gym to enhance my own physical performance and fitness and ended up enjoying weight training and paying more attention to healthy food aside form bagels with cream cheese and pasta every night. Shout out to my first personal trainer when I was 18. 

The gym I went too influenced me so much that I decided nutrition and fitness was my calling.

There was one year that I tampered with majoring in music, voice to be specific, but and ended up  back to the sciences and nutrition ( I knew I wasn't Brittany). I digress. 

During my college years and graduate school the weird body image stuff surfaced again, I'd say the stress I put on myself and education influenced it and I ended up being diagnosed with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and BDD (body dysmorphia disorder). 

ENTER YOGA

I have been a yoga practitioner/student for over a decade. I dabbled with it for the physical benefits at first. I saw it as another form of fitness, but knew there was more too it, just didn't get it til years later. Enter ISHTA yoga and my 200 hour teacher training and my life changed. 

MY PHILOSOPHY

If I can help anyone who's battled any of the above issues I've endured, then I've done my job. Whether you are male or female, we are all beautiful souls and are given bodies that are temples, ours to nourish and love. Life is too short to be spent waisting on thinking about what we look like. We are all one and the same. Love yourself first. 

 

 

 

 

MY STORY

Let's get rolling (like that foam roller I desperately need to use-my face squishes up at the thought of that thing, I digress).  

The Beginning (this could get long, but I'll keep it short, like my height).....

My kitchen, it's where I make a mess. I'm like a mad scientist in there, actually there's probably a science project with fuzzy mold on it deep in the fridge I better check on. Anyway, I'd say I started playing with my food like any other kid...mud pies. 

Then I played some more. Ate nasty stuff, fake food, twinkies, ho-ho's, fast food, frozen food (i.e. hot pockets-you ate them too, don't judge), no carbs, carbs, blood type, paleo, vegan, back on meat, some meat, had no idea what to do anymore so i ate the same foods, then fast forward to NOW. NOW is better anyway, my past doesn't define me, but there's a story there, which led me to NOW (you get the gist, we're living in the NOW). 

So, I discovered I can't digest some foods, avoid them, tried pulverizing them, then went to an Ayurvedic doctor who gave me a real eye opening discovery and new way of looking at food. That was when the light switch flipped up (on, whatever), East meets West which meets Jen's version. 

So here I am. And here you are. (dedicated souls who are reading all of this!). 

THEN WHAT?

I got educated. Duh. Credentials include an associates degree in nutrition, Bachelors in Science in Nutrition, Masters of Science in Exercise Physiology and Sports Nutrition, PIlates cert. 500 Hour Yoga ISHTA cert. and More. Yes, there's more, I'm a complete nerd and will never stop learning, if it was a career to be a professional student, I'd be one of those, and teach yoga, of course. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Teach Yoga.

Help people Chill out, Relax, I guess my voice is soothing as people have said. Oh snap, listen to me NOW (insert music or recording of yoga nidra meditation. 

Food Coach.

Yes, we all had a favorite coach (assuming you were athletic, or maybe a teacher if you were a band geek, like me). Anyway, coaches, teachers, guides, strategists...they're all there to inspire you and cheerlead you on (okay, I cheerlead you on and hug you if you want), support system. I help you create a simple healthy home. Cut the crap out of your crappy diet and eat real food. Real as in it's not going to live on a shelf for questionable years, like that twinkie. 

Douse you with Essential OIls.

Raindrop Technique. Raindrop what? 

Sounds good, I like raindrops. 140 drops of oils sequenced specifically to make you feel uber chileed out and comforted. It's like you're detoxing, juice cleansing and shedding 10 years by mega vitamin-ing all in one single session. Sign me up! 

Cheerleading. 

Not really, but I was one, duh. I am fun at parties, can whip out a mean handstand, chia seed pudding or kale salad. I'm the girl that brings the chia pudding to parties and some weird unknown vegetable that I insist everyone on the planet must eat, not cause it's super food market material, but freaking awesome. I will also sing karaoke if you rent that machine. 

Ready to sign up? 

Choose wisely, choose it all, inquire further and email me, or just write me a note and say Hey. I like people, I like friendly people who shower me with compliments more, or simply make me laugh. One of my fans sent me an email just to discuss quinoa and his fondness for it once....I laughed for days, nut milk came out my nose (eew), and I made a new friend. I am busy, busy with humans in person, not online, however, I lurk on my facebook page and have an insta-addiction that needs insta-intervention. But I don't care. 

 

 

CHOOSE YOUR TWINKIE, I MEAN KALE, I MEAN: 

LEARN MORE ABOUT MY SERVICES and IF YOU'D LIKE TO HIRE ME CAUSE I'M AWESOME