Ep. 129 True Wellness Can’t Be Achieved Without Joy with Ruth Elnekave of JOYÀ
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Happy #SeekTheJoy Tuesday!
On the podcast today is Ruth Elnekave, founder and CEO of JOYÀ, a botanical functional food brand on a mission to help people feel and live their best, every day.
JOYÀ makes the most revered traditional botanicals accessible and convenient to enjoy with a line of pure, expertly formulated herbal blends that help consumers meet the demands of their daily routine and support optimal health.
After almost a decade practicing corporate law and a previous career in CPG marketing, Ruth changed course and returned to her culinary roots to pursue her passion, bringing joy to people’s lives through food. Ruth holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Schulich School of Business, a Juris Doctor (JD) from Osgoode Hall Law School, a Bachelor of Arts (BA, Honors) from McGill University, and a certificate in Classic Culinary Arts from The International Culinary Center, and is a Certified Nutritional Practitioner (CNP).
In today’s episode Ruth and I chat about:
Ruth’s wellness journey, how studying holistic nutrition opened the door for greater healing and education, and why true wellness can’t be achieved without joy
How JOYÀ allowed Ruth to connect with her culinary roots, her passion for making people happy through food, what makes JOYÀ unique in this space, and how they’re bringing joy through a focus on flavor to the world of medicinal tasting functional foods
Wellness as a lifelong journey, how we can address chronic stress through adaptogens and mindfulness, and the role of shifting our perspective
Plus Ruth shares about her grandmother Joya and why she’s the embodiment of the JOYÀ lifestyle, the connection between joy and fulfillment, Ruth’s biggest dream, and so much more!
My biggest takeaway from my conversation with Ruth is that food is such an important part of our wellness journey and it’s about fusing flavor with function. Food - food that nourishes us, sustains us, and heals us - can be fun, enjoyable, and benefit our wellbeing so that we’re able to step forward and live and feel our best every day.
I’m so excited to share this week’s new episode with Ruth, and I can’t wait to hear what you think! Make sure to join the conversation on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!
“Wellness is tough, wellness is a lifelong journey and it’s tough and it’s complicated. For me now to be able to take everything I love and everything I know, and help people make their wellness journey not only less complicated but enjoyable, I feel like I found it. That’s so rewarding for me.”
“Bringing people joy through food, like having people over for a meal and cooking for them. Everyone sitting around a table and enjoying a meal, and seeing the joy and connection that can be created through sharing food has just been the one thing in my life that always made me tick, and feel so fulfilled and joyful.”
Food has always inspired and excited Ruth. Her parents immigrated from Israel to Canada and brought with them exciting ingredients and culinary traditions. At home, where globally-inspired, flavorful meals were cooked from scratch, Ruth was her mother’s sous chef by the age of four. She’ll always cherish the memories of summers in her parents’ homeland watching her grandmother Joya - who was the embodiment of The JOYÀ Life - prepare her Middle Eastern delicacies with so much passion, delighted in the joy they experienced with every bite.
Twenty-plus years of mouth-watering adventures drove Ruth to train in the culinary arts after college. Yet, she left the kitchen for a career in corporate law. While intellectually fulfilling, the long, intense hours at a desk with little time for proper meals left her drained and sluggish, mentally and physically. Ruth craved movement. She missed the pleasure of savoring real food. Burning the candle at both ends, she found herself with severe adrenal fatigue and hormonal and digestive systems that were all but shut down.
That was the moment when Ruth escaped the rat race and reconnected with her culinary roots, only this time on an even deeper level. She studied holistic nutrition and immersed herself in the teachings of traditional medicine and functional wellness. She began to heal herself through food: nutrient-rich, plant-based whole foods and powerful botanicals.
These experiences sparked Ruth’s love affair with the ingredients that inspire Joya’s decadent, nourishing snacks, and led her to share the beauty and power of food with others. Today, she invites you to indulge and experience the pure joy that comes from savoring each and every sip and bite!
“There is no joy without wellbeing, because the definition of joy is tied to wellbeing.”
JOYÀ brings you the power of the planet’s most revered ingredients. We all lead go-go-go lives. Responsibilities, ambitions and passions. It’s who we are, and it’s not going to change. And most days, we don’t have time for a complicated wellness routine.
That’s why at JOYÀ, they harness the potential of the most powerful ingredients on the planet to craft expertly formulated, delicious functional herbal blends that support optimal health and are easy to add to your daily routine, helping you meet the demands of life.
At JOYÀ they are holistic nutritionists, chefs and sustainability-obsessed change-makers driven by bringing you pure, everyday joy.
To connect with Ruth visit her website https://joya.ca on Facebook @thejoyalife Instagram @thejoyalife Twitter @thejoyalife
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BETTERHELP: Today’s episode is sponsored by Betterhelp. We’re going through challenging times, and we know you’re feeling it too! Now more than ever it’s important we have reliable resources we can turn to. That’s where Betterhelp comes in.
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We want you to be able to live a happier, more joyful, and ease filled life, and I’m excited to share that as a listener of Seek The Joy Podcast, you will you get 10% off your first month by going to betterhelp.com/seekthejoy.
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JOY CORNER: Our interview-style blog series spotlighting inspiring souls, moments that bring you joy, products we love, and so much more. Join our corner of the internet - share your joys, passions, and moments of inspiration. Ready to share your light, magic and joy? Get in touch here - a new post in this series goes live on our site every Thursday.
“LESSSONS IN” SERIES: In this new series, we're sharing our reflections on life’s biggest lessons and the joys we find through these experiences - all to create greater connection and community. Every episode features a conversation that will inspire, motivate, and get you thinking- and we can't wait to grow with you. Ready to join us and share a lesson that impacted your life? Fill out our interest form here.
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