It’s the start of a happy day in Delcambre when residents begin arriving at Just Fit Nutrition at 7 a.m. for
their morning pick me up. Not coffee, but an energy boost that’s healthier. They come for one of the 50
sugar-free, nutritious shakes and teas offered by owner Janinne Gilbert. The nutrition club on Hwy. 14 is
brimming with healthy options for the body – and encouragement for young developing minds.
Gilbert, a Delcambre native, was three degrees into her plans of becoming a juvenile probation officer,
going on to work as an investigator for Child Protective Services and teach criminology in Dallas when
her life took a different path.
A lover of research, she was looking for healthier options to ease the pain of the rheumatoid arthritis
that has riddled her body for 34 years – since she was 16. “I visited UFit Nutrition in Broussard and asked
them about their shakes and teas,” Janinne recalls. “I started drinking some on a regular basis and
feeling better – even lost some weight. I was a distributor for two years. Then when the nutrition club in
Delcambre, Step It Up, came up for sale, I was approached to buy it.”
While she says opening a business “wasn’t even a thought,” Janinne followed her instincts and bought
the store in 2021 reopening under the name Just Fit Nutrition. “I wanted to serve my community with
healthier options, fitness classes, and kids camps,” she says.
Today she sells some 50 flavors of low carb, high protein shakes and energy teas, six beauty teas, and a
variety of vitamins, supplements, and healthy snacks.
Customers keep coming back for best-selling shake flavors like banana nut bread, pecan praline, and
blueberry muffin and themed drinks like Barbie and The Oppenheimer. Just Fit celebrated the Shrimp
Festival in August offering the “Shrimply the Best” shake. Soon Janinne will be offering fall-inspired
flavors, and homecoming will, no doubt, be celebrated with its own yummy shake.
Just Fit’s hydration teas, popular among kids and adults alike, are mixed with H30 and provide vitamins
while helping with the digestive system. “I let the kids choose their favorite sugar-free flavors,” says
Janinne. Popular beverages include Baby Shrimp Juice, made with strawberry and watermelon and Blast
Off, a mixture of sweet and tart. Other favorite teas include fruity sangria, Captain America, and gummy
bear.
Many customers enjoy the benefits of the beauty teas said to be good for hair, skin, and nails.
Just Fit also offers free wellness evaluations, with coaches who assess clients’ weight, BMI, medical
conditions, and other health information. “Based on that information, we offer our customers those
products that address issues specific to them,” Janinne says. “We guide them to the program that will
serve them best, including fitness classes like aerobics, Zumba and pound (using drum sticks) on
Wednesdays.
She encourages her young customers to be their best in school, which is why you’ll see a shelf of books
intended to help students meet their Advanced Reading (AR) goals.
Local students come to Just Fit to take the accountabiliTEA pledge for the school year. As Janinne
explains it, “They pledge what they want their grades to be, how many AR points they will acquire, and
how they plan to do by the end of the school year. It’s ok if you don’t make honor roll, as long as you’re
trying.” Goals are revisited at the end of December and May, and at the end of the school year,
participants are treated to a pizza party.
Teachers are celebrated with TEAcher Tuesdays. On Mondays, parents call in an order to purchase a tea
for their child’s teacher. “Sometimes it can be over 30 teas going to teachers at Delcambre’s elementary
and high schools and the school at Jefferson Island,” says Janinne.
Supporting others in the community, Just Fit also offers specials to first responders every Friday. On
Veteran’s Day, Janinne serves up a tea or soup to those who have served our country.
If you find yourself traveling through Delcambre, make a stop at Just Fit Nutrition, open 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.
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