About Me

Welcome! I’m Jenna, owner and founder of AvoVita Wellness. This company is the culmination of years of passion for health and wellness, and a strong desire to help others on their journey to healthier living - something that I've made my life mission after decades of ignoring my own mental and physical health. I wasn't always focused on health and wellness, but finally realized in my mid-thirties that if I didn't take control of my runaway lifestyle, I'd feel miserable the rest of my life.

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I grew up eating a diet that consisted of pop tarts, Kraft dinner, Itchiban noodles, skim milk, ice cream, and juice. While my mom was, and still is, a fabulous cook and made many wonderful and healthy meals, the lack of farm-fresh meat and dairy, a poor balance, and exposure to numerous toxins put a strain on my health. When I graduated high school I took a gap year and travelled to Europe, where a newfound sense of independence and adventure had me exploring the realm of drinking a partying. My inhibitions, shyness, and social awkwardness melted away after a few drinks, and as a result alcohol soon became a staple in my life. To this day I really don't know how I managed to get through University. Not only was I in a program full-time for an undergraduate degree in Petroleum Systems Engineering, I was also working 20 hours a week to pay for school, and on top of all that I NEVER passed up an opportunity to go out to bars, clubs, and parties with friends till early in the morning. Throughout this period, a diet heavy in caramel macchiatos from Starbucks, a litre of coke a day, cafeteria food for lunch and snacks, and binge drinking at least 3 nights a week plus the stress of homework, exams, etc. was really putting a massive strain on my body. I developed chronic tonsilitis, and took no less than at least 20 rounds of antibiotics over the course of a few years. While I still looked healthy since I somehow managed to maintain my fairly slim and trim frame and am blessed with great skin, I also suffered constant headaches, insomnia, stomach aches and gut pain, and a whole host of other physical ailments, not to mention the massive anxiety and mood swings. While I eventually was able to get my tonsils removed and finally cut out almost-constant antibiotic use, all this afforded me was the ability to party more since I was no longer held back by severe coughing and fatigue. By the time I graduated, I was truly a wreck. I started work almost immediately in the oil and gas sector, and while it was a bit of a reality check to get my life in order, I still went out lots, drank heavily, and was under immense stress and pressure. My roles over the course of the next 15 years in that industry had me working primarily in pipeline design, construction, and operations for midstream companies working long hours, being on call a lot, always feeling stressed out, and travelling a LOT. While I really did thrive on constantly learning and being challenged, it was also insanely stressful and not sustainable if I also wanted to have any sort of quality of work/life balance. To make things even worse, while working full-time as a Project Manager I also completed my Masters of Engineering in Civil Engineering with a Project Management Specialization.

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During this crazy time in my life, I met the man of my dreams and after a few years of dating (with more long-distance than not thrown in the mix due to both travelling and being relocated for work) we had a fairytale wedding in the mountains. But our marriage wasn't always easy either - I was dealing with a lot of inner-demons that only years later did I realize were causing me to self-sabotage our relationship. As well, the time apart was difficult for us to get into a sustainable routine with each other. And while the perks of crazy points and status with airlines and hotels were great for the epic vacations my husband and I went on, it eventually did grow old and incredibly tiring.

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It was just as I was wrapping up completing my graduate degree when I got pregnant with our first child. The entire pregnancy was an incredible experience where I was still able to exercise daily, continue travelling frequently for work, and carrying on almost as much as I always had (except to swap wine for soda water at parties and events). I went into motherhood expecting a calm, easy birth full of butterflies and rainbows, and a post-partum period complete with napping, reading, lunches with a sleeping babe in tow, and going back to work and easily juggling my continued career pursing a c-suite position, working on my marriage, an active social life, and still being an amazing and present mom to my toddler. Well... did I ever get sucker-punched by the Universe during that time. While I was feeling very physically and mentally ready for the birthing process, there really isn't anything to truly prepare you. I had a brutally long and arduous labour that eventually resulted in the need for a Caesarian - something I had refused to even entertain during birthing class and preparations due to how easy my pregnancy was. My physical recovery was incredibly long, painful, and full of complications, I struggled to bond with my daughter the first few weeks/months, and mentally I suffered from pretty severe PTSD and post-partum anxiety and depression. Our daughter also suffered from severe colic the first few months - bad enough to send us to the children's hospital on numerous occasions - so my days were filled with a poor little babe screaming in pain, rather than the blissful naps and lunch dates I had expected. But, it was during these early days that I was first introduced to many alternative practices, such as naturopathy, homeopathy, osteopathy, proper nutrition, and many others. It was because of these amazing healthcare practitioners that were interested in treating the root cause instead of offering band-aid solutions that I truly realized how fundamentally important diet, sleep, lifestyle, and mental health all are. And so the door got cracked open, and I slowly started the journey to a new path and life. My daughter is now almost 6 years old, healthy as a horse (she outgrew her numerous food sensitivities), and the most incredible and beautiful little soul full of love, life, and laughter. 

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By the end of my 14 month maternity leave, I was feeling ready to jump back into my career. After a year of grinding away at work while my daughter spent long days at daycare, I accepted a promotion to a new position at the company I was at that involved even more stress and longer hours. It was shortly after that when I became pregnant with our second child. It was as if I used up all my pregnancy karma with my daughter, because this one came with massive chronic fatigue, horrific heartburn, pounding headaches, and a whole host of uncomfortable symptoms. But, I was feeling a lot more mentally prepared for what may come with the birth, and felt at peace with letting go of that which I couldn't control. In the end, I ended up having a VBAC (vaginal birth after Caesarian), which without a doubt is one of the most amazing and empowering experiences I've ever had. The moment my son was placed on my chest, my heart nearly exploded with love. And as rough as my first post-partum recovery had been, with my son I had an absolutely beautiful 4th trimester that was full of slow, quiet days of cuddles, nourishing meals, reading books with my daughter, and filling my soul with love. My son is now almost 3 years old, and he's seriously one of the funniest people I've ever met and I just can't get enough of him. I feel so incredibly blessed to have such beautiful children.

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It was because of my two beautiful children that I finally started to question my whole purpose in life, and if working my way up to a more prestigious, higher paying position with a huge corporation is what I truly wanted out of this existence. It was during my maternity leave with my son that I finally had to look in the mirror and ask the woman I saw in there that I felt I barely knew, what she really wanted out of life. There was no specific 'aha' moment, or exact turning point for me, but at some point in the last few years with all the crazy experiences life threw at me that I finally realized I deserved more in life, and that there's so much more to living than what we're sold by 'society'. I not only wanted to become the best version of myself that I could, but that I wanted to help others achieve everything they truly desire when it comes to their physical and mental health, and help encourage people to break free from the expected to become exceptional. I decided to walk away from almost two decades of engineering schooling and work experience in order to pursue something more aligned with the woman at my core. During this slow transition, I truly started working on myself: therapy, plant medicines, developing proper communication with my husband, becoming aware of my triggers, and working really hard to become someone I could admire when I looked in the mirror. It wasn't easy, and the decision to walk away from all that I'd built up career-wise wasn't an easy decision, especially from a financial perspective, but my incredible husband was nothing but supportive and encouraging and it was his unfailing belief in me that helped me take the leap of faith. I looked into numerous options for breaking into the health and wellness realm, and finally opted to complete my certificate as an Integrative Health Practitioner. I dove into the program head-first, and completed it in nearly record time. I felt a fire start deep within me igniting a passion and thirst for knowledge I've never experienced before. Three years in, and that fire is still roaring: I listen to health podcasts every single chance I get; I follow health practitioners online and watch their videos on various health-related content; my huge stack of books on my nightstand are all about health and wellness; and I'm constantly looking for new areas, ideas, and topics where I can continue to learn and grow. I work daily on being a more present and patient mom, and a more attentive and loving wife. And the hard work is paying off! While I still have days where I don't feel well, lack motivation, or don't have the mental capacity to be super-mom, those days are getting fewer and farther between. I'm super focused on providing nourishing meals to my family, minimizing our exposure to toxins, filling our home with love, laughter, and joy, and continuing to improve myself in any way I can.

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My wild, transformative journey inspired me to recently start my own company, AvoVita Wellness, so that I could provide ways of helping people start their own journey to better health, and as a result a happier, more fulfilling life. While it was slow to start, I used the opportunity to continue learning, providing one-on-one consultations to friends and referrals, and offering up a few different presentations/workshops to clients and organizations. What started off as a dream has now become a reality as I look to reach as many people as I can with my online workshops, eBooks,  content sharing, and continued consultations.

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With my heart now cracked wide open and a life full of purpose and joy, I'm now also pregnant with our third child and headed into the adventure of a being a family of five and I could not be more excited about what's to come (and we finally did put our egos aside and succumb to becoming mini-van owners). While this may result in me slowing down for a little bit so that I can rest, recover, and relax with my family once baby arrives, I know now that I'll be able to truly juggle work/life balance, and ensure that not only will I have the tools to thrive what challenges are thrown at me, but that my family will be right along side me for the ride too.

 

If you're struggling at all in your life with finding purpose, feeling the best you can in your own body, or not knowing how to fix what feels broken, know first off that you are not alone! I too once felt like there was no way I'd ever feel good....but it can and does get better if you're willing to put in the effort! And I'm here to help you on your own journey to living life in harmony and joy. 

 

If you would like to learn more or are interested in working with me, I'd love to hear from you. If you're not ready to commit to a one-on-one consultation, send me a quick note below about what questions, concerns, or hesitations you may have, and we'll see if we can work through them together so that I can start helping you get on your path to your true potential. 

 

Much light, love, and health,

Jenna 

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