Meet Jelena

Busy mother of two, foodie and obsessed with guiding women towards prioritising self-care and nutrition.

I grew up seeing my mother, who I adored, run herself into the ground with work and family duties.

She was a smart, powerful woman who was a Managing Director of a large international import-export company in Yugoslavia.

There was nothing she couldn’t do.

The house always looked tidy and organised, we always had cooked meals on the table and she was a great mother.

On the other hand, her stress levels were constantly high. She was constantly tired and wired at the same time and I swore to myself that I won't be doing that when I have my own family.

My mother spent her life sacrificing herself for everyone else. Her focus was never on herself or her own needs.

Fast forward 20 years from that time, it is July 2020. I am living with two kids in New Zealand, working full time during lock down. I remember sitting down on the Livingroom floor surrounded with heaps of papers form work and all I could here was my kids screaming at me " I am hungry, I am tired, I want ice cream." And all I could do is cry as I physically couldn't move. I was so burnout that my body was giving up on me at the age of 36.

At that moment I knew I MUST change. I must do something for my health as, my health is my wealth and currently it is going down the drain.

I stood up, I called my friend and said : " I need help, I need to do something as I don't want to end up like my mother. "

At that moment she told me the most powerful sentence I will never forget : " You need to slow down to speed up."

At that moment I knew what is the path I meant to lead for the rest of my life. Slowing down, looking after myself first so I can be the best mother, wife, sister and a friend.

Do it one step at the time - one day at the time.

It’s not selfish to put your own needs first, it’s essential.

You owe it to yourself and everyone in your life to live the longest, healthiest and happiest life you can. That doesn’t mean you have to make drastic changes or turn your life upside down. The changes you make need to feel great and give you pleasure.

As Tony Robbins always says “We can either be pushed by pain or pulled by pleasure”.

I believe that when it comes to making habit changes, you need to be pulled by pleasure. Which means making food that’s simple, easy and delicious. So that you create new habits that you love and give you pleasure.

As mothers, we’re often juggling work, ‘mum life’, and managing everyone else in the household that we put ourselves last. If you develop an unhealthy lifestyle and eating habits due to stress, you find yourself lacking mental clarity, unable to cope, and feeling exhausted. Poor nutrition ends up taking a toll on your body and the way you feel about yourself.

My own nutrition journey started after having my first child and struggling with the mental stress and constant low energy. I couldn't perform daily tasks without feeling exhausted. My head wasn't clear and on top of it all I needed to go back to work. That’s when I remembered what happened to my mother. I started to have similar symptoms to my mother — heart palpitations, sleep problems, feeling anxious and stressed.

I could feel myself repeating my mother’s patterns. It was a wake up call.

I became obsessed with holistic way of healing and how our lifestyle and daily habits impact our overall health. Now as a qualified Nutritionist, there is nothing more satisfying to me than supporting women on their journey to live healthier, more energized and happier lives.

With me, you will not only produce results but develop incredible habits that will continue to benefit you throughout your life.