Passionately Jen – From the corporate world to pursuing my passions!
Hi and welcome to my website! First, let me introduce myself. My name is Jenneke and I am from the Netherlands. When I try to best describe myself a few things come to mind. I believe I am a loving and caring person with a large group of amazing friends and family. Furthermore, I live a very ambitious and highly motivated life. Some people may call me a bit crazy sometimes, but if I would describe myself in one word, I prefer to call myself above all Passionate. When I love something or when I have committed to do something, I always go all in and give it 200% and I always strive for the best!
This blog depicts my story from pursuing my ambition and career in the corporate world, to being forced to slow down due to chronic injury. Then making it back again into the corporate world driven by my impetuosity and inexhaustible motivation. However, yet again being brought down by depression and burnout. To at last rising up in times of global health crisis compelling me to finally find my true purpose and passion in life: thriving on a healthy & fit lifestyle and inspiring and motivating others to do the same.
A few years ago, I started a blog which revolved around my chronic lower back injury. I blogged about how this injury had affected my life and how I was trying to handle this. While on this journey I learned that by eating a healthy plantbased diet and by following a consistent exercise routine I was slowly starting to feel a bit better. This was for me the key to getting back on my feet again. I went back to my corporate job and I also started a new blog under the name of Jen VeganFitGirl. Now, a few years and after many ups and downs my entire life story and journey has come together in Passionately Jen – The Passionately Plantbased Lifestyle Blog.
This lifestyle blog will centre around my greatest Passions in life:
Plantbased Lifestyle
Almost 4 years ago I changed my diet and I now eat a 98% plantbased mostly wholefoods diet. I believe this diet has benefited me and my health tremendously and I never want to go back to eating animal products ever again. I love to educate myself and – only when asked! – tell others about my reasons for eating plantbased. The whole foods plantbased diet is something I am very Passionate about and I love to share this with you.
Being vegan is not only about not eating animal products. It is so much more. I do not consider myself to be a 100% vegan – mostly because I also think this is not possible and therefore not something to strive for.
It is amazing to be part of the vegan community. More on my plantbased diet and vegan lifestyle here.
Health & Wellness
Living a happy and healthy lifestyle has become my ultimate goal in life. Unfortunately, I have not always been in the best health. I have chronic illnesses which effect my everyday life. Therefore, I am always on a journey to find out what’s the best way for me to life a happy & healthy life. In this blog I would like you to join me on my journey and I will hopefully motivated and encourage you to live your best happy & healthy life.
Read more about my Passion for Health & Wellness here.
Nutrition
More food please! Is one of my favorite motto’s. I love food, I love eating it, cooking it, trowing dinner parties for friends & family, handing out treats every time I bake something, creating new recipes and much much more. You can almost say that my whole world revolves around food, I just love it!
To me food is something to enjoy of course. However, even more now I believe that the true path to feeling healthy and happy is also very much dependent on what you eat. I have always loved to educate myself on this topic. Therefore, I have decided to get my degree in Nutrition. I hope that I can further help myself and others feeling good, fit & healthy by sharing my knowledge as a nutritional specialist. Find more about nutrition here.
Recipes
Over the years I have created, adjusted and perfected some of my favorite recipes. This is most definitely one of my favorite things to do. I am most happy when I am in my kitchen! I have been asked many times for the recipes of my food posts on social media. I have even been asked when I will publish my first recipe book. The second thing is something I do not think will happen (at least not any time soon) however with this website I love to accommodate the first request!
I have gathered my favorite recipes here. Creating new Recipes is one of my biggest Passions in life and I will therefore keep adding new recipes to my website!
Fitgirl
As long as I can remember I have always been into sports. It started with ballet and gymnastics when I was 4, to horseback riding, volleyball and tennis in high school. During my University years my main focus was on fitness and skiing. I have even been a ski instructor for 2 seasons, those where some of the best times I can remember! Later on, it was mainly tennis, golf and fitness but not on a regular consistent schedule. This was until the beginning of 2016 when I was diagnosed with a lower back hernia. You can read my full story in the blogs I have written during that time. It has been a very hard, painful and stressful journey but I have now found the best way to cope with my chronic lower back pain: working out and focusing on core strength!
I have dedicated a new Instagram account with the focus on my fit lifestyle. Visit @jen_healthfitgirl on instagram!
Patisserie
From when I was little, I remember I always loved to bake. Cakes, cookies, brownies, and many more delicious tasty sweets and threats. In 2010 – when I was on a sabbatical from work – I decided to partake in a Patisserie course at the Culinary Centre Beverwijk to become a Pastry Chef. During this year I learned so many great things and I loved fulfilling my Passion and dream. I still love to bake, and I often get asked by my dear friends to make them something special. I have made thousands of cupcakes and many other delicious treats over the years for weddings, baby showers, birthdays and many more events.
Having my own bakery or shop has never been my ambition and therefore my creations are not for sale. However, people may always contact me and if you ask me nicely, I might make an exception. Go here to contact me.
Travel
I have always loved to go on vacation and travel the world. However, it was not until my first ever solo backpacking trip to Sri Lanka and India in 2018 when I really fell in love with traveling and backpacking specifically. Since then I have been to Barcelona & Berlin and I went back to India for a 4-week backpacking tour with one of my closest friends. It was during a 12-hour sleeper train ride that I decided that this is what I truly loved to do: wander & explore the world. It made me become Passionate about traveling the globe, exploring new countries, meeting new people, learning about new cultures & religions, and much much more.
On my blog I will take you with me on my past journeys and on my future journeys yet to come. Next stop: South East Asia!
Unfortunately due to the current crisis my travel plans have been put on hold. I will try to add blogs about my precious journeys and as soon as the travel bans are lifted I will go back to traveling! So stay tuned.
This lifestyle blog is truly my biggest Passion in life. I hope I can take you with my on my journey and that I may even inspire some people to start living their most amazing healthy & fit life.
If you can dream it, you can do it too!
Love xoxo Jen