SUCCESS STORIES

Through my work with Jena I have lost 37 pounds and kept it off. My cholesterol has gone down from 208 to 128. I now eat to live, not live to eat. Food is no longer a full-time job for me. I have a whole new life and perspective and actually have more time to pursue my dreams. At 41 years old, I feel the best I’ve ever felt. I eat what I want and everyday I always make sure that I have special treats and food that tastes exquisite and nurturing. I feel a sense of freedom with food that I never thought was possible nor existed. Read more...

"I recently did some blood work and am thrilled to say my numbers were so good I was referred to as a healthy 20 year old!! Really cool to the ears of a 39 year old. I have lost weight and my eating habits are truly wonderful!!! Thank you Jena! I speak highly of you all at Integrative and personal travels. Thank You!!!"

Patricia Heard Greene,
patriciagreene@yahoo.com

I am just starting to feel human.
I am so thankful to report that I cooked my first meal at home (seriously) and discovered that I was full after I ate and appreciated what I had done. I can only say that this was an extraordinary moment for me. My cravings have just been crowded out of mind. In its place, are peace and breathing.

Amanda Beals,
Amanda.Beals@thestreet.com

"My name is Sarah J. I am a nutritionist consultant and entrepreneur starting my business in New York City. When I first came to Jena Wellness I felt totally out of control with my food. When food was around, I didn’t trust myself. Always worried that I was going to eat everything in sight, I could never feel comfortable stopping, and I never felt satisfied.

I’ve been on and off diets for most of my life and I understand that the real way to lose weight is to get out of the diet cycle but I could never quite figure out how to get there. For example, when we’d go to a restaurant and would order appetizers to share, I would want to eat everything that was on the table. I would always be concerned that other people were getting more than I was. When things were really bad I would not only be worried about eating my entree but I would be occupied eating others’ entrees! As I look back, it seems crazy. Also I couldn’t have foods like cookies and ice cream in the house because they would set off a binge for me. I would want to eat all of it, so it wouldn’t be there anymore.

As a result of all of this, I was gaining a lot of weight and felt under constant anxiety. Food is everywhere and when I couldn't be comfortable around it, I was constantly uncomfortable.

Being overweight was affecting my relationship with my boyfriend. Our sex life had diminished and I was really sensitive to any comment he made about my body. If it was negative or neutral, I took it as an insult, and if it was a compliment I never believed him! As you might imagine, this created a lot of stress in our relationship.

Plus it was affecting my job. I’m a nutritional coach myself and I wasn’t being a poster child for what I was teaching! I constantly felt like a failure. This led to financial costs as it prevented me from going full force into my business. I was shy about really putting myself out there and it definitely kept me from making money.

I’ve had a lot of experience with nutritionists in my life, having seen three in the past. One had me on a very strict diet plan with low fat food and calorie regulation. Another one had me replacing breakfast and lunch everyday with crappy protein bars and taking lots of supplements, and the most recent one was more about portion control. None of them ever addressed important parts of my weight loss puzzle like relationships, work, pleasure, and femininity. With Jena we focused on multiple aspects of my life that related to my relationship with food.

I really like Jena’s approach to goal setting because it’s both step-by-step oriented and concrete, yet is about self-exploration and subtle changes. I was a great balance and Jena was incredibly supportive. I never felt like I was just a client on her roster - I always felt that Jena deeply cared about my progress.

I think the most helpful thing for me was in putting feminine pleasure at the the forefront of my life. I never really made it a priority. I finally made the connection between pleasure and eating. I realized how I eating has been my body’s way of calling out to be noticed. I’ve found that the more I am able to exercise my femininity in my life, the more the overeating has just fallen away. That’s really one of the most effective things Jena has helped me instigate.

I love Jena’s philosophy on working out, including her inspiration to try belly dancing. I also enjoy talking abut my sex life and how that relates with my relationship with food. Also talking about being more comfortable with the feeling of emptiness was extremely useful.

In terms of the differences I’ve seen in myself since the beginning of the program, I definitely look different which is great. I was looking at a picture of myself from a couple of months ago and I have really shape-shifted, which I am thrilled about. I am now more open to intimacy. My boyfriend has noticed a big difference in the way I am able to love him, and the way we are physical together. I can now approach food with more ease which is really great and a huge relief.

For example my boyfriend and I who live together, bought ten dumplings from across the street. I had already had dinner and he sat there and ate his dumplings and I didn't even want one! To me that was a huge weight off my chest, knowing that I could be around food without being so crazy about it all the time.

Because of the shape-shifting I have more confidence, especially in my business. I’m now able to talk about the weight that I have lost and how it has affected me. I am also getting more attention from the opposite sex which is fun. It’s nice to know that I’ve still got it! I feel more comfortable going to the gym, I’ve been dancing a lot, and I just generally feel sexy - it’s a great feeling!

To have the freedom around food has been tremendous because I can at last live my life. I can concentrate on conversations I am having over a meal, or enjoy whatever I am doing in the moment. I’m not stressed about getting home so I can eat or feeling anxious about not having food in the car on a long trip. I feel like I can simply BE more easily, without that constant pull toward food.

I am happier, I’m more comfortable meeting up with people that I would have felt uncomfortable around before. As a result I’m meeting more people and making more friends. I am able to run longer and get a better work out, and I feel great after that. All of these small things really add up to a really big difference.

To someone who is considering working with Jena Wellness I would tell them to go for it. I personally hadn't found anyone who has been able to give me the help and dedication that Jena has. Jena’s philosophy is that you have to take into consideration all the elements into your life. Weight loss is basically the by-product of getting your life together. Jena is warm, creative and a great role model for women."

Sarah J.,
Nutritional consultant, NYC

I began last year with a desire to change some patterns in my life that were plaguing my health and happiness. I didn't exactly know what aspect of my life needed "fixing", or why I was here getting help, just that I was willing to finally face things. I felt stuck in a career that wasn't fulfilling me anymore, things with my boyfriend were taking a turn for the worse, and I suffered from massive sugar cravings and low energy levels which were eating away at the health of my body.

I love the approach Jena took with me in not just incorporating food changes (although this was a large part of it), but she also took into account the "primary foods" in my life that were affecting my well-being -- career, relationships, physical activity, etc. These imbalances all contributed to my emotional eating (mainly sugary foods), which in turn fed the vicious cycle of unhealthiness I was experiencing. Jena was my guide. She helped keep me on track, continuing to work on things when I felt like giving up. She gave me some great nutrition reading materials (which I devoured each week) and recipes (peanut soba noodles are my new favorite!). By the end of my 6 months with Jena I was more aware of what foods my body needed to feel better and function optimally. The relationships in my life have improved, and those that were no longer benefiting me have disappeared. I also have some new career options on the horizon. I recommend this program for anyone who is ready to look beyond the "quick fix mentality" so prevalent in our society and start the path to holistic happiness and well-being!

Maggie Weinrich,
CHild Birth Educator
margaretweinrich@yahoo.com

My name is Donna B. I’m an executive producer I produced ad campaigns, photography campaigns for advertising. Throughout the year I had been working on myself but I was looking for more guidance, and when I happened to stumble upon Jena’s ad in a magazine, it said all the right things.

There were several things that made me pick up the phone. With my work, there’s a lot of high stress and a lot of anxiety. It’s a difficult job in the sense that the hours aren’t regular and it’s difficult to eat well or find time for yourself. I attribute all those things to feeling nervous and anxious about things I couldn’t quite pinpoint and to having nightmares at night. I was having a lot of digestive issues when I first came in, a lot of bloating, gas, just very uncomfortable in the area of my stomach and I had also gained a decent amount of weight over the past couple of years because of my job. I wanted to lose weight of course, but my goal was to help these other things that had gone down the drain.

I was trying to find wheat alternative and in general started to feel the benefits of doing things like yoga, meditation, and eating right but I didn’t know that many people that were into it or who could advise me on it, so it was really exciting to find a place to go. The first time I read the ad, the first time I met with you, everything you said was exactly what I wanted to hear. I think it happened to be a point in my life where I was ready for exactly that kind of information.

What had gone down the drain was finding time to exercise and finding time for myself to relax. All of the things that were suggested like the hot towel, hot water bottle where I’ve learned to make time for myself and actually enjoy that time. Which has been really nice so it’s not something I feel like its one more thing I have to do but its something I look forward to doing. Just the way I’ve been eating. A huge, huge thing that changed for me was. It was a lot of things that seemed like they were common sense. Its incredible the change its had on the way I approach what I eat, how I eat, when I eat. I’ve lost 12 lbs since I began. It’s been a great feeling because it’s not overwhelming in the sense of a new diet. It wasn’t one of those things where you feel like you have to do it turned it to something that became an exciting process. Like little things that you change like I start to eat more whole foods more fresh foods and just really listen to my body and how its responding to these things it became an exciting fun process to see what this does or what that does or how this makes me feel. A lot of those things that I struggled with like avoiding pastas and breads, it’s not so difficult for me to do anymore because the good outweighs the bad. It’s been a great experience.

My counselor was super supportive. I felt like she absolutely understood everything I was saying and she had really great suggestions in terms of talking about nutrition and exercise. But she also had really inspirational things to say. She would share quotes with me or books to read. She has an amazing way of saying things that made the things I was trying to accomplish seem so simple but for some reason I hadn’t thought of it before. I had the feeling she had been there and had experienced what I was saying. Whether she had or not I have no idea. She could relate and help me. Just like I did with the food and eating, with the exercise to gain a different approach a different way to tackle the issues. She was great. I actually love meeting with her.

Now I’ve learned to make more time for my self. I’m able to make nutritional decisions a lot easier. I’m not so over whelmed by what works or what doesn’t. I’m not feeling so lost with what works for me or what’s right for me and what’s not. I realized that I have the answer to most of those things if I just pay attention.

Donna B,
Executive Producer of Advertising, New York, NY

“I am now feeling consistently great overall!! No more headaches, body aches, cramping – better digestion, more energy. I have a sense of being more grounded and clear in the mind. Feelings of anxiety have dissipated. A feeling of being complete and whole – and able to bring this to activities and relationships in my life – has arisen.  I really felt that everything was tailored to my needs and desires. The recipes and literature really helped me to cement my learning. The practicality, the simplicity, and being really supported by Jena and her team have had a tremendous impact on my life. I simply live differently after this course!”

Jenna Ritter,
Founder & Executive Director, Dhara
jenna@dharanyc.org
www.dharanyc.org

“My work with Jena Wellness brought about major dietary improvements. As a result of this counseling my whole family’s diet has improved greatly. We have seriously cut down on the fast food/take out junk and replaced it with more fresh fruit and vegetables.
I have to say that I have experienced an increase in my energy for life and a general improvement in my health. My sleeping, digestion and circulation have all shown signs of improvement. The Jena Group are excellent health counselors, with natural healing qualities and highly knowledgeable regarding health and nutrition.”

Patrick Mollin Property Manager,
PATM@durst.org, 718 335-4843

“I now experience more energy, better complexion, weight loss, milder PMS, better outlook on food in general-- more focused on food as a tool and for healing. Thank you, I always left our biweekly meetings feeling inspired not only to eat better, but to better my entire situation.  The last year, and especially the last six months have been full of doubt, upheaval, and confusion for me.  You were a stabilizing influence.  As a dancer I am often surrounded by people who are hypercritical of their bodies and have an unhealthy attitude towards food.  Being in that environment, I fell into the trap for a while as well.  I had a lot of knowledge about healthy eating, but some of my ideas were misguided.  Often my overall outlook on food was too preoccupied, too obsessive.  Eating became a vent for my emotions, and I often ate with a destructive attitude.  Over the course of your program, those destructive habits dropped away and my whole perspective of food changed.”

Adele Loux-Turner, Dancer.

“I’m now able to say no to the “bad” foods and yes to what is good for me.  I also have a lot more energy and focus and sleep better in the night. Talking in a positive and supportive environment, relating mood and foods, and opening myself up to different types of foods were the most beneficial aspects of this work. Trying new foods and learning different recipes was also great. This well-rounded program has helped me take steps in the right direction for a healthier life. Jena is a wonderful health counselor, she is both motivating and encouraging.”

Kelsea Fleischer, Dancer

“Jena is an amazingly talented, strong, sensual woman with experience, wisdom and a confident energy that is comforting and inspiring all in the same breath. She is a shining example of a health counselor. She is sensitive to my individual needs and encourages me in directions that broaden my horizons. I love that. I am hungry for just that and she was able to really involve me in directions I wouldn't have taken necessarily on my own—helping me to open up to myself and listening intently to my story. It has been great to be meeting with her in such a transitional time in my life.”

Sue Kilpatrick, Organic Farmer,
sue@suekilpatrick.com, 917-842-4338

“After working with Jena Wellness I am feeling better overall. I have more energy all day, experience less anxiety, reduced prescription meds (Zoloft) and eventually got off of them. I feel generally more peaceful and in control of my life. I have a better body image, less pre-occupation with food and feel less deprived. I’m drinking more water, eliminating coffee, reducing processed foods and eating good food in abundance.

The nutritional counseling was so enlightening. I thought I knew how to eat but really I didn’t. I now know so much more about nutrition and connecting food to how it makes my body feel. I know my body better. Jena is an excellent counselor, very knowledgeable and understanding of life in New York. She doesn’t have her head in the clouds, yet she allows you to see other ways of being besides what we are all conditioned to do.”

Heidi Boncher, Sales Executive
hboncher@hotmail.com, 212-706-0563

“My stomach problems have greatly improved.  I have a wider understanding of food and how it works in the body. I think more about what I am eating, which in turn causes me to eat things that are better for me (whole grains, leafy greens, etc) My spirituality has grown as well.”

Erin Flannegan, Administrator

“Due to holistic health counseling, my family has developed better shopping and, in turn, better eating habits. My children are also much more aware of what they are eating and how it can effect their bodies. My sleeping has improved and I have lost weight. I really enjoyed learning about new foods, and sugar/insulin work. Starting meditation has been great and I loved the massage. I also liked the easy to remember tips from week to week. The Jena Wellness counselors are kind and easy to talk to. My counselor was able to work with someone relatively uninformed and open my eyes to a lot of different options. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the combination of kindness, encouragement and expertise helped motivate me to make some real changes with how I shop, cook and eat. I’ve never felt better.”

Doug Mollin, Certified Financial Planner,
dougplan@aol.com, 516-606-0201

“I now experience more awareness of my diet and my cravings and a more conscious effort to allow myself to be healthier and connected to the internal reasons for my habits. Meeting Jena was a sign. I had asked the universe for guidance in my dire need to heal my many ailments, and there she was. With each session I was introduced to new things. Connecting everyday life to my internal well being was a true breakthrough and has led me to live differently. This program confirmed the sparks of wisdom I had heard over the years into a blazing fire that shed light on my life with new promise. A journey of healing and self- acceptance. Thank you, Jena.”

Bridget Barkin, Singer, Song-writer, Actress.

“Since working with Jena I have become a lot more aware of my relationship with food and how I have used it to cope with ups and downs in life in a not always nutritious way.  She has helped me to develop a relationship with food and a way of eating which gives me a much stronger basis with which to face life. 

Since starting the program, I have quit smoking, lost a few kilograms and rarely drink alcohol.  I feel much lighter and rarely feel bloated and this feels great.  People often comment that I look vibrant and very healthy and young for my age! My cooking methods have changed and I feel that I have naturally become a much healthier cook.  As a vegetarian, she taught me so much about making sure I get everything that I need, and I have become a lot more aware of my body’s needs. I have learnt to incorporate the foods my body is asking for into my meals and leave out the ones that my body does not need.

I have recently been through some fairly major life changes (finishing university, finding work, ending a relationship) and I feel that Jena enabled me to deal with these things in a much more balanced way. I went through some depression over the New Year but feel I came out of it much faster than I have in past depressions.

As my health counselor, Jena has helped me take my healthy approach to life even further.  She has shown so much care for my health issues and has helped guide me to the roots of my problems and to sort things out from there.  She is extremely intuitive when it comes to interpreting what is going on in my life and in my body and has offered many successful solutions. What is the most inspiring thing about Jena, though, is the example she sets for anyone who comes into contact with her.  She approaches life with so much energy and love and is seemingly fearless in pursuing her goals. Her commitment to health is a brilliant example to anyone who cares for their own. 

What is also exceptional about Jena is that not only is she extremely intelligent and knows her information intimately, but she shares and communicates her knowledge in a most effective way. She is a magnetic personality and cannot help but touch and so often deeply change the lives of those who meet her for the better.

Jena is totally committed to a life of learning, teaching and healing, herself and others. I am blessed to have come into contact with her – she’s one in a billion!”

Claire Cottone, Musician, claracat@wildmail.com