George & Jess Wellness Journey

GEORGE & JESS ARE ON A HEALTH & WELLNESS JOURNEY

By MARIE WOOD

PHOTOS BY MICHELLE ISEBRAND PHOTOGRAPHY

George and Jessica Blais of Mankato changed their lives and doubled down on health and wellness in 2022. In 2023, they plan to keep on rolling with regular workouts, healthy eating, living alcohol free and creating George & Jess daily podcasts.

“It takes patience with yourself, consistency. You have to do it for the right reasons. Don’t do it because you hate yourself. Do it because you love yourself,” Jess says.

“Everything you’re doing is for you and you’re going to feel better,” George adds.

George & Jess were known for their successful morning radio show. Then Jessica accepted a new challenge as the business and community relations manager at APX Construction Group. Now George operates George & Jess Media and promotes local clients. Together, they launched the George & Jess Podcast which drops every weekday at 6 a.m. to the tune of 55,000 downloads.

George says younger generations were drifting from radio to podcasts and we wanted to invite them into the conversation. Today, people under 40 are their fastest growing audience.

Listeners enjoy their smart banter as they explore balancing kids, marriage and careers. They share their adventures in raising a blended family, remodeling, travel, trends, fashion and parenting.

They’ve been open about their health and wellness journey and even inspired listeners to begin their own journeys.

“People are searching for community. They follow people leading healthy lifestyles on social media and say ‘I wanna try that too.’ It helps them feel like they’re not doing it alone,” Jessica says.

Health & Wellness Movement

George saw a social media trend on middle age professional men taking a healthy lifestyle route of eliminating alcohol, exercising and eating healthy. “We need to enjoy the life ahead of us. I want to enjoy doing the things I did when I was younger,” George says.

Jessica was ready to get back on track with gym workouts, being active and health conscious. She had been a long-distance runner for many years and completed seven half-marathons. In fact, Jess was George’s inspiration!

Christmas day of 2021, they stopped drinking alcohol. George calls being alcohol free a game changer in terms of health advantages and Jessica says it’s the single biggest thing she’s ever done for herself.

In April, George joined JP Fitness and began working with certified personal trainer Brett Besenfelder. He spent the first three months doing core and functional training before moving to heavier weights in July.

Now when he plays with their daughter Clara, he can easily get up and down from the floor and throw the baseball with their son Noah. Working with a trainer has made it possible to reach fitness goals and prevent injuries.

“They find your weaknesses and strengths. They can take you where you want to go, make adjustments and monitor you,” George says.

One healthy thing led to another. George began going to the gym three days a week and now goes five to six times a week for about an hour and a half at 5 a.m. He does core training, weights, weight machines. For cardio, he likes inclined fast-paced walking on the treadmill. “Once you start exercising like that and you feel better, you crave healthier food,” George says.

In May, he stopped eating red meat and pork. For sore muscles, he found that anti-inflammatory foods such as kale, leafy greens, salmon and berries help. He also limits sugar which can cause inflammation. That’s not easy with his sweet tooth – “I love cake!”

His go-to snacks are bananas, blueberries and apples. He eats turkey, chicken, fish, fresh fruit and vegetables. He no longer feels sluggish, heavy and lethargic.

“I feel really good. This is crazy coming from me, for a guy who relies on smokers and grilling. I just use chicken, fish or turkey,” he says. “With no alcohol and no red meat and consistently sticking to a workout, I have been able to pull body fat off that I otherwise thought was impossible.”

Their kitchen is stocked with fresh fruits and veggies. They also eat a lot of egg whites because they’re easy, accessible, fast and good.

This fall, Jessica began working with certified personal trainer Chris Hager at JP Fitness where she does strength training and weights. She also walks and jogs on the treadmill or rides her Peloton bike.

“I work out at 5 a.m. I know if I don’t get it done first thing in the day I won’t find the time to do it,” Jessica says. “My goal was to get to the gym four days a week. And I did it. Then you can add on to that and build. Redefine what success looks like and celebrate small successes and wins along the way.”

Take a realistic approach, George advises. Last spring he set his sights on the summer of 2023 to meet health and fitness goals. After six months, he was seeing and feeling the results and he can’t wait to see what the next six months bring.

“To see real change takes real time,” George says. “The health and wellness movement is real. We’re going to live longer and we want a better quality of life.”

EXPERT ADVICE

SCHEDULE YOU ANNUAL PREVENTATIVE VISIT

ANDREW MILLER, MD NORTH MANKATO FAMILY MEDICINE

“Yearly physicals are important for age-appropriate screenings for high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes. These preventive visits are also important to discuss age-appropriate cancer screenings including colon, prostate and lung for those who are eligible.

After age 40, cancer screening becomes more critical as our risks for certain cancers rise with age. This is also a good time to review immunizations and discuss potential lifestyle changes to improve health.”

HEATHER CARLSON, DO MANKATO CLINIC OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY, MAIN STREET

An annual well-woman visit with your OB/GYN or primary care provider gives you time to talk with your healthcare provider and review your physical and mental health. Make sure you are comfortable with your provider so that you can ask questions and share your concerns. An annual visit is also an opportunity to screen for cancers such as cervical

and breast, prevent health issues and improve your overall health. As an OB/GYN, I see women in all stages of life. Each stage comes with its own set of recommendations and health topics: periods, pregnancy, birth control, menopause. These annual visits help us build trust and get to know each other so we can give you the best personal care.

To schedule your annual check-up, call Mankato Clinic at 507-625-1811 or call your provider’s office directly.

To find a primary care provider, visit mankatoclinic.com

LOVE & MARRIAGE

What’s your ideal date?

George & Jess love to travel. Favorite destinations are Nashville, Denver and Las Vegas.

“Any place with good food,” George says. Las Vegas was even better alcohol free. They went to the Doobie Brothers reunion show and hiked the Valley of Fire in the Mohave Desert.

What do you love about Jess?

“Other than she’s beautiful. She understands me. She gets me. Being creative and growing up in northern Minnesota was not a cakewalk. We are both passionate about what we do.”

What do you love about George?

“I love his sense of humor and curiosity. He’s a great storyteller and conversationalist and has a genuine interest in learning more about other people and the world. We hit it off immediately when we met because we’re both creative and love trying new ideas. We did our radio show for 11 years and now a podcast for almost a year, yet somehow we still always have something to talk about.”

Did you have a wedding dance?

“We got married in our backyard and we had planned on dancing to “My Best Friend” by Queen, but we didn’t realize until the next day that we never got around to it!” Jess says.

What’s the most meaningful gift George has given you?

“George is really good at giving gifts. He puts so much thought into it! Early in our relationship, I had mentioned that I love poetry and he bought me a beautiful poetry book for my birthday. He has gotten me a lot of great gifts, but that simple gesture of remembering something I had said in passing was so thoughtful.”

What’s the most meaningful gift Jess has given you?

“My Jacques Pepin recipe book.”

Who would George & Jess bring to Mankato for a free concert?

“Elton John at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center. Acoustics are everything,” George says. ■

All clothing and active wear worn by George & Jess was provided by

Listen to George & Jess Podcast at georgeandjess.com or follow on Facebook at gandjpodcast.