Bachelor star Jay Lal launches new program after being 'disappointed'

She may not have won Bachelor Jimmy Nicholson's heart in the mansion last year, but Jacinta 'Jay' Lal has set her sights on her other major love launching her own lifestyle wellness program - Jay Rose Wellness.

The New Zealand-born nutritionist, hopes to tackle gimmick diets and misinformation around food that have always left her "disappointed".

“Fitness and training have always been a huge part of my life,” Jay tells Yahoo Lifestyle, adding that "hard training and good nutrition were always embedded into me".

“I started off playing netball at a young age, and it was always a dream of mine to be the best athlete I could be. But growing up there was a lack of information about nutrition for performance, especially for young women, so I took it upon myself to get into further studies," she adds.

Jay's new program is tailored to individual needs and focuses on education in the long term to prevent the bingeing and guilt that is often tied to the diets of today. It offers a series of nutrition plans and basic fitness programs written specifically for a person’s needs and requirements, aiming for sustainable results to live a happy and healthy lifestyle.

“I started this program because I was constantly disappointed at the gimmicks that were consistently thrown into people’s faces about so-called 'healthy eating'," Jay says.

"I knew how simple and easy a healthy lifestyle could be and I just wanted to share it the best way I could. I firmly believe that education around nutrition is key and unfortunately, it’s not readily accessible for many, which is why I've deliberately priced my programs so they are affordable and can be cancelled at any time.

Straight out of school, Jay went to University and studied a Bachelor of Health Science with a major in Sport and Exercise. She then continued further studies and completed a Graduate Diploma in Science endorsed in Human Nutrition.

“As I continued to train and eventually play for the Fijian National netball team, I started an internship with a well known dietician in NZ (Claire Turnbull) where I learnt a wealth of information in the field," she recalls.

"I was lucky enough to be the Head Nutritionist for the AFL NZ team in 2017 and also work for Sport Auckland where I helped a lot of minority groups with their nutrition. This gave me a breadth of experience to truly understand how to create simple and nutritious programs customised for the individual, which is what I am offering through my wellness program."

De-bunking Diet & Food Myths

When it comes to focusing on health and nutrition for her clients, Jay has a “back-to-basics” approach which considers her client’s needs.

“My focus is bringing it back to the main question, which is 'Can this be a consistent lifestyle change for you?'," she explains.

"For example, when a client comes to me, and asks me to put them on a specific diet e.g Keto, I follow up with 'Why?'. Then I ask if this is something they can see themselves being consistent with. Often the answer is '…because my friend did it and she lost a lot of weight' and 'No, I probably couldn't eat meat every day and restrict my carbohydrates forever'.

"Most people want a quick fix, and it's up to me to guide them to believe that there is no such thing, and that the way to a healthy lifestyle is a journey, not a destination. Enjoy the journey with small, simple changes, not massive shifts that leave you miserable and restricted."

Business Philosophy

“My philosophy is to think of food as nourishment, rather than calories,” explains Jay. “Also to be aware that a piece of chocolate or a scone every now and then isn't going to make you gain a kg or two overnight!

"I also take on clients in the hope that I can educate them for the future, and that ideally they are not my clients for long. Everything I teach needs to be sustainable and achievable for that individual, and the end goal is to have them be self managed.”

And when it comes to success, Jay says consistency is key, and believes in sharing her wisdom with others.

“I feel that I have lived a consistent lifestyle for over 10 years now, and want to share my learnings in an easy and accessible way.”

Jay's time in The Bachelor mansion

Jay was one of the early favourites on the previous season of The Bachelor after she was given an advantage early on that allowed her to take the Bachelor away from the other girls during the cocktail party for one-on-one time.

Her tactic to obtain extra time with Jimmy however divided viewers of The Bachelor, with many deeming it ‘unfair’. She was eventually sent home after Jimmy 'questioned her integrity'.

Late last year, Jay - who had previously also dated New Zealand's bachelor - hinted she might give the franchise another shot, telling her followers that she was due to feature on The Bachelor in Greece.

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