Apr 26

Apr 26 JILL ZELETZKI - FITNESS MODEL TALKS TO US ABOUT BEING VEGAN

chelsey rose

INTERVIEWS

I luckily got to meet Jill at an international event held by Asics in downtown LA earlier this year. We were both in a sea of people where we only knew a handful of girls but we managed to start talking and I realized she was A. Gorg, and B. Super cool and easy to talk to!

Read more to find out how this busy model and fitness enthusiast eats clean and how it changed her life.

1.

C: Hi mama! Okay so let's get to it. You're a model, you travel, you're vegan, you have a blog and a YouTube channel! How do you keep up with everything and what are your tips for kind of "accomplishing it all?"

J: Heyyyy girl :) Uff, honestly sometimes I don’t even know how I do it haha...

I think it’s really important to always remember WHY you do the things you do. If you struggle to find an answer that feels true to your heart then it might not actually be the right path for you. But if you have a strong why everything else falls into place.

I have been struggling with mental health issues for years and that makes if often even harder to keep up with everything. But I genuinely love the things I do and actually helping and inspiring others with my work makes everything more than worth it. But I also had to learn that sometimes we need to take a step back and allow ourselves to rest. I tend to get a little too hard on myself sometimes and need to remember to look after myself before trying to please everyone else. Finding that healthy balance is definitely an interesting process...

Having a good morning routine is helping me massively. I try to get up early, do my meditation and journaling right away while sipping on warm lemon water. I try to make time to read as well. Then some yoga / foam rolling + stretching or now that it’s finally getting warmer here I like to go out in the woods for a run. Oh and very important: I keep my phone on flight mode at least for 1 hour. Checking mails and social media right after waking is not only stressing me out but cluttering my mind right away.

I’m far from perfect and sometimes hitting that snooze button is just way to comfortable but when I actually stick to this routine it has an immensely positive impact on my whole day. i’m much calmer, focused and way more productive.

2.

C: YES I love that tip about not looking at your phone for the first hour of your day. I get SO much more done when I do that. Alrighty, how often would you say you feel overwhelmed? What do you do when you feel like everything is a bit too much but you need to stay on track?

J: Honestly way too often haha but meditation and journaling are my go to remedies. It sounds so cliche and simple but it is absolutely magic.

And when I need a total reset I love going to the sauna at my gym (preferably after a good sweaty session), taking an ice cold shower afterwards and then standing barefoot on the grass outside while breathing in that fresh air. Yep this might sound super weird but it actually grounds me so much and afterwards I can get on with my to do lists, feeling re energised and fresh.

3.

C: Haha noo that literally sounds amazing! Okay, let us know what your traveling snacks on the go are because you eat clean while staying SUPER busy and we need all the deets!

J: I looooove making my own energy balls with dates, oats, different nuts and seeds, cacao, maca, gojis, coconut etc. There are so many possibilities!

They are delicious, easy to pack and the mix of healthy carbs and fats is keeping me energised when I’m on the go. I also always bring fruit with me, dates and bananas are my faves when traveling because they are calorically dense and actually keep me full. When I have a long flight or train ride I pack overnight oats (with chia or flaxseeds, cinnamon, apple, frozen fruit, some nut butter…) in a jar.

On one of my latest trips to Iceland I had to spend one night at the airport. I had some dry oats with me, got hot tea water and two bananas from the shop and made my own oatmeal haha.

I actually find it super easy to eat vegan and healthy even when I’m on the go. People sometimes wonder if I ever feel deprived eating this way and that’s so not the case. I genuinely LOVE all the whole food plant based meals I make and my health improved massively.

I lost about 16 kilos eating this way, cured my acne and hypothyroidism without taking any medication. Food IS medicine.

And it doesn’t have to be bland or boring - I love getting creative and veganizing certain dishes I used to eat when I was younger like spaghetti bolognese or this epic chocolate ice-cream https://jilicious-journey.com/2017/03/23/brownie-ice-cream-dream/.

4.

C: OMG I saw those on your blog! I need to make them!! So let's get into the fitness side of things. How often do you work out per week and what kind of exercises are you doing?

J: When I’m at home I try to go to the gym as often as I can, usually 3-5 times per week. I love doing intervals on the treadmill or spinning bike, followed by some functional training, lots of stretching and inversions. Last winter I finally started adding in some weights and I love always trying out new things to challenge my body. I usually do a little yoga / stretching + foam rolling routine every morning as a part of my morning routine. Sometimes I add in a bodyweight workout at home and I love going out for runs.

Sticking to a fixed routine while traveling is definitely a challenge but I just make sure I am active (walking a to, taking the stairs, etc) and there is always time for a little squat session.

I was dancing ballet for many years and unfortunately had to stop during my a levels but I finally wanna pick it up again this year!

5.

C: What is a big beauty tip secret of yours that you can share with us?!

J: My biggest tip is actually getting enough sleep!! It’s not a secret at all but I feel like in our busy world we forget about the importance of sleep way too often.

Sometimes it even appears to be cool and “boss like” to function on just 5 hours per night.

But we can’t mess with our bodies and enough sleep is absolutely vital for our mental and physical health. When I had a rough night or worked too long you can see that in my face immediately.

And guys remember you are beautiful just the way you are and don’t let anyone make you fell otherwise.

I struggled with negative self talk, bad body image and self hate for way too long. But we can’t wait for anyone to make us feel loved and beautiful when we can’t give that to ourselves. True beauty comes from within and for me that means taking care of my health (by being “body wise” = listening to what my body truly needs and fueling it with nutritious foods) and soul (by practicing mindfulness and working with positive affirmations).

C: Eeeek I love that thank you so much girl! You're such a great example, keep killing it!