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How Alcohol Ages Us

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Friends- this month, I am proud to be celebrating “dry January” and hope you are too! Truthfully- it’s not something I ever thought about in the past…if I drink 2 drinks a week, that’s a lot. BUT, you know I’m a bit of a research nerd and here’s the thing…the research OVERWHELMINGLY points out that alcohol is a neurotoxin, leads to inflammation and leaky gut in even small doses, and contributes to aging, poor sleep and mood imbalances. Drinking more than 2 drinks a week for women or 3 drinks a week for men can lead to these results. (Don’t hate me for being the bearer of bad news, folks!) So, why not cut it out for a month, right?!?

If you’re over here celebrating “dry January” with me, or thinking about reducing your alcohol consumption, this week’s article is for you! Special thanks to our guest bloggers this week, Ark Behavioral Health. Ark Behavioral Health is an addiction treatment provider offering substance abuse treatment services in MA and Ohio. Check them out, folks- and spread their contact info to anyone you know who could use this support! Huge thanks to them for the work they do!!

It’s no secret that excessive alcohol consumption is not good for you. From fatty liver disease to a weakened heart and immune system, the health issues that may develop from alcohol abuse are well-documented. Mounting evidence also shows that people who drink heavily tend to age faster, both in appearance and bodily function.

Alcohol speeds up the aging process even for healthy-looking people who reap the benefits of physical activity and an otherwise healthy diet. The following is an overview of how alcohol ages us, both inside and out.  

Inflammation & Dry, Sagging Skin

Alcoholic drinks, particularly wines, beers, and mixed cocktails, can contain high amounts of sugar. Sugar in alcohol can lead to inflammation, which damages cells and tissue throughout the body. Too much sugar from any source can accelerate aging because it interacts with collagen and elastin in the skin, making it less firm over time. 

Alcohol’s dehydrating effects can also lead to dry, sagging skin that wrinkles more easily. Dehydration can also result in a loss of supple skin tone that gives a more youthful look. The skin may look parched, hollow, and wrinkled far beyond your years when alcohol is abused regularly. 

Loss in Bone Density

One of the most pernicious effects of alcohol is how it affects your body’s ability to absorb nutrients like vitamin D and calcium, an essential mineral for bone health. Studies show that excess alcohol consumption leads to a higher risk for osteoporosis. The 2022 study also showed that men who drink too much may produce less testosterone, a hormone linked to helping bones form, and women may have decreased levels of estrogen that can lead to bone loss.  

Nutritional Deficiency 

Heavy alcohol use also causes nutritional deficiencies due to the way it suppresses appetite and leads to consuming fewer healthy foods. A lack of essential nutrients accelerates aging by not giving cells what they need to regenerate. Deficiencies in B vitamins, zinc, and antioxidants show in dull, lackluster skin, hair, and nails. 

Lack of Restful Sleep

While a few drinks may help you fall asleep faster, alcohol reduces restorative REM sleep. People who get less deep sleep tend to look and feel older, with dark circles under their eyes, lower energy levels, and dull skin. Adequate sleep is essential as it allows the body to restore itself on a cellular level.  

Alcohol-Related Brain Damage

Over time, drinking can shrink brain cells and lead to alcohol-related brain damage as well as certain types of dementia. Symptoms of this may include a lack of judgment, limited emotional control, anger issues, and problems staying focused. Accelerated cognitive decline robs you of your youthful vibrancy and independence. Brain aging also makes you less sharp and capable of participating in activities. 

Heart Problems

Drinking too much can cause high blood pressure, arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, and stroke. The heart can wear out before its time, requiring medication, medical procedures, and drastic lifestyle changes to remain operational. When the heart ages prematurely, you will feel fatigued faster and limited in what activities you can participate in. 

Other Life-Threatening Medical Problems

Prolonged heavy drinking can lead to a myriad of medical issues that affect vital organs and make the body feel weaker. Liver disease, pancreatitis, high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes are more likely to occur, as are other serious diseases. These ailments can leave you dependent on medications and frequent doctor visits to stay healthy. 

Is There a Safe Amount of Alcohol? 

Current research shows conflicting information about whether there is a safe or even healthy amount of alcohol that people can consume daily. Any amount of ethanol inhibits the liver’s ability to remove toxins from the body in an efficient manner. 

If you want to look as youthful as possible, it’s probably best to abstain from alcohol as much as possible. If you do drink, limit yourself to 1-2 drinks up to 3 times per week maximum. You can also prioritize nutrition, hydration, restful sleep, and exercise to counteract alcohol’s aging properties. 

From increasing disease risk to damaging our youthful looks, alcohol takes a heavy toll on the body and mind. Moderation is key, along with implementing healthy habits to deter premature aging.

Hope you guys soaked in some of that amazing info too! Let’s all move that needle this next month to continued better health!

To your health,

~Jess

Healthy, healing and everything in between…

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This post was written about a year and a half ago, but it seemed worth sharing again, since literally everyone I know seems to be sick right now. I did add some new tricks I’ve found too 👌 Happy, healthy weekend to you all!!

Friends- it’s good to be back after a few weeks!! I’m coming back to you all after my family and I were under the weather for a few weeks. I was down and out for a few days, but I’m SUPER grateful to be back to 100%!


And, since the whole experience is fresh in my mind, I thought I’d address some of the questions I get from clients a lot about working out when under the weather, relieving symptoms and staying well:

First, can I workout when sick??

Well…yes and no.

1- always check with your medical provider if you’re not sure, since all our bodies are so different.

2- if you have a fever, take the day off. Your body is working HARD right now- give it time to do it’s job

3- if your symptoms are mild, ease back into exercise. I often start with a restorative yoga practice, then progress to more challenging yoga workouts, then to barre/Pilates, then to body weight strength, then to strength training with weights, and then to cardio. Again- we are all so different, so if you’re not sure what might work best for you, reach out for a consult.

My first workout, post illness. My little guy joined me for some restorative yoga 🧘🏻‍♀️

Hydration, hydration, hydration…

Water is your BEST friend. It can help reduce headaches, aides digestion, is incredible for skin, protects joints and muscles, and supports immunity. There are about 10 other benefits I can list here, but I just chose some of my faves 💦💦
OH, and plenty of new research points out that our cells are often unable to absorb all the water we drink, so I highly recommend using a clean electrolyte product. Here’s the go-to my whole family uses: https://jessicatreadwell1.isagenix.com/en-us/search?q=Hydrate&page=1

Think outside the pharmacy:

Again- I’m NEVER telling you not to listen to your doctor. But I do think it’s always a good thing to look for natural remedies when possible. What works for my family includes local honey for coughs, saline rinses or spray for congestion, essential oils for congestion, steam for sinus and ear congestion and good quality herbs for so many things! (See your naturopath or functional medicine doc for those)

A few supplements I love:

Again- always consult with your medical partners to find out what’s best for your body. For me, I take adaptogens , a high quality cbd and a magnesium supplement daily, and those can help with so many things. So I kept up with those, but also added in my favorite collagen bone broth (this one is made with vitamin C too- extra benefit for immune health!) Bone broth has myriad health benefits, but just a few of the awesome ones are:
✅support for the immune system

✅decreasing respiratory symptoms

✅supporting digestion

✅increasing energy

✅and supporting healthy hair, teeth and skin.

This is my FAVE bone broth: https://jessicatreadwell1.isagenix.com/en-us/shop/daily-nutrition/collagen-bone-broth?pid=477c1212bfcb424b811cce0b82be8a91

Remember to be kind to yourself:

Truthfully, I haven’t had much chance to read a book for pleasure (for more than 10 minutes a day anyway) in months! Or maybe it’s years?! So, each afternoon, when the kids were doing “quiet time” in their rooms, I took the two hours and called friends, family or READ FOR FUN 🙌🏼🙌🏼 I got a few books done and it was amazing to put the “to do list” aside for a while. Self care is ALWAYS vital, but when we’re under the weather, maybe out bodies are telling us we’ve been neglecting it a bit too much??

Prep your environment for healing:

When I’m needing to heal a bit, I try to facilitate more restful sleep by putting electronics away early and often, prepping my room to be a cool, dark place, going to bed a bit early, diffusing some essential oils and spraying some of this awesome eucalyptus spray on my pillow and in the steam in the shower. I used it on my kids pillows too- and we all slept MUCH more comfortably.


I’d love to hear how you all take extra amazing care of your bodies when you’re under the weather. It’s never fun, but I do remind myself that my body is an AMAZING, strong, capable healing machine.


Now, back to fun weekends of family, friends and summer fun ⛱☀️🌻


Sending sunshine you’re way, friends ☀️☀️☀️

Some Secrets to Longevity

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Today, my family and I celebrate my grandmother, who just turned 100!!! Not only is this beautiful soul 100, but she is pretty darn healthy with a memory that I think is just downright impressive. She can always be found with a book in her hand and anytime I call her, she can recite the names and birthdays of each of her grandchildren and great grandchildren…and that is NOT a small number of people to remember!


As we drive to celebrate her with the family, I am reminded of a book I recently finished. In “The Well Lived Life”, Gladys McGarey talks about a few secrets to her life that she has found to be helpful in contributing to her life as a now 103 year old.


I won’t give away her secrets, but I will say this: I picked up this book hoping to learn some holistic wellness solutions I could offer to my family and clients for longevity (and certainly practice myself). Gladys and her husband were founders of the natural health movement and I am thankful for that!


Surprisingly, this book was more about mindset, trust in the universe, looking inward and accepting what life brings to us—-and those are the lifestyle habits I needed to learn a bit more than anything!


What I took from this book is that we can all achieve our dreams in life despite trauma we may have experienced at some point, healing is so much more than just fixing physical symptoms, and life, though inevitably very hard at times, can be celebrated at any age and stage. Also- aging is NOT as bad as we make it out to be 🙌🏼🙌🏼


I’m planning on incorporating Dr. McGarey’s principles from here on out- as we can all experience a life well lived.


Let me know if you give this book a read too!
To your health, ~Jess

23 in ‘23 update

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Ok guys- if you were following me last January, you may remember my goals at the start of the year. Inspired by an idea that one of my clients shared, I decided to write out a list of 23 things I wanted to do 23 times this year. The goal was to be productive, but also make time for getting outside my comfort zone with fitness and professional goals while making sure I made time for self care and the relationships that matter to me.


So…how did I do???


I’m giving myself a solid B plus! It may not be a surprise from a trainer, but I met my fitness goals by February 💪 I read most of the books I hoped to, caught up on some professional journal articles and got some household organization tasks checked off my list (definitely not a preferred activity for me!). I volunteered a lot, got together with friends, sent out good ol fashioned cards to friends and clients and started participating in some networking events.


Did I finish everything?? Nope. And it’s super helpful to see which ones I didn’t. I’m SO not beating myself up about that though- and I’m still planning on checking off those goals this January. I believe progress is progress and moving the needle forward consistently over time is way better than pushing for a deadline just to check off the boxes.


This year, I’m honing in on just a few very significant professional and personal goals, but I’m going to remember how good it felt to diversify my daily “to dos”, especially prioritizing self care, friendships and family time in the midst of the drive to “achieve” more. I’m convinced that day to day life may never be completely balanced for me, but over the course of the year, balance and holistic wellness is achievable!


I’d love to hear what you’re looking forward to in 2024!!

Cheers!!

~Jess

How the heck to get my kid to eat protein…

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Todays blog is about a topic I chat with my mom friends about atleast a few times each week (and you probably do too, if you have young kids)…how the heck do I get my child to eat more protein?!? And preferably not all in the form of chicken nuggets…


It doesn’t escape me that I am lucky (though, I credit it more to lots of consistency and perseverance, haha…but I digress…) that both of my kids are really “good” eaters. They’re still kids, don’t get me wrong, so we have plenty of frustrating mealtimes at home…but they really do eat a wide variety of healthy foods. I’m no expert, but I’ve found a few tips over the years as a pediatric OT and mom of littles, so here are my fave tips…


🍗Don’t give up after one try. I kid you not- it takes an average of 9-20 exposures of a food that kids don’t prefer before they may eat it. And that’s just an average, btw. Sooooo- if my husband and I are having salmon for dinner and the kids may not like it, a piece of salmon still goes on their plate, along with something we know they will eat. Having kiddos simply tolerate the food on their plate is a GREAT start, without having to push things too much.


🥑Be creative with breakfast. There’s SO much great research about the benefits of including protein in breakfast, including support for attention and focus, so breakfast in our house always includes some protein. Adding nut butter, eggs and protein powders into breakfast is common in our house. The oatmeal bake above is a favorite:


🥤Make your own smoothie bar. After school is a great time to play around with some smoothie combos. We use one scoop of protein powder (use a clean brand and DEF avoid artificial sweeteners, carageneen, etc…) There are some good ones out there, but here’s our favorite: https://jessicatreadwell1.isagenix.com/en-US/shop/weight-management/whole-blend-whey-based-isalean-shake?pid=1e187980f57c46e296de9533c522008dAdd plain Greek yogurt, nut butter, chia seeds, spinach, etc…for some extra benefits! My kids often do a shake after school or sometimes after dinner if they’re craving something sweet.


🧑‍🍳Have the kids cook with you! Even better- have them go grocery shopping with you and pick one new, healthy food to try each week. Both my kids love having say in what they’ll be eating and I love that they now know how to choose healthy options.


🥗Talk about different food groups and why they’re all important. We do that at dinner sometimes- the kids understand the basics and they really like sharing what they’ve learned. My son will frequently ask what foods will give him big muscles, and is always eager to eat that chicken or tofu he’s been pushing around on his plate after he hears the answer 💪


🥙And, of course, modeling healthy meals ourselves may be most important. This may take time, but when kids see you blending up your post workout shake, eating a salad, choosing fruit instead of processed snacks, than their natural inclination will be to do the same as they grow. We are truly the best teachers our kiddos have.


I truly appreciate that this is not a one side fits all kinda thing. Some of this may work for your family, some may not. You may have other tips and I’d LOVE to hear those too!! It’s does take a village, right?!!

Hope you are all enjoying a wonderful weekend!

To your health,

~Jess

The Happy Project 😊

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December is a busy time full of LOTS of events—but it can also be a hard time for many. I can’t be the only one who struggles with winter, right?? The dark, short days, the pressure to get so much done, and sometimes lots of emotions that come up this time of year…all very valid reasons that December can be both joyful and yet HARD for so many.


That’s why I’m really dialing into some important habits with my wellness clients and team this month- we’re calling it “The Happy Project” and it’s gonna be AWESOME.


Hopefully you’re reading this and thinking about joining us for this month of gratitude, community, healthy habits and natural supplements to improve mood and energy levels. But even if you’re not, there’s SO much you can do to keep your mindset in a healthier place right now (note: this is not a substitute for medical advice and important mental health treatment. I 100% encourage all of us to seek out the right professionals for that- I’ve done it and am proud of the bravery it takes to get extra support when needed❤️)


Here are my tried and true methods for keeping your happiness up:

Part of my daily ritual is walking my son to school. Some mornings it’s hard (New England weather is harsh), but it’s always worth it!


✅Move often. Daily, actually…Here’s the thing- we’re energetic beings by nature. We were designed to move daily, often, a lot. And our modern lives just don’t afford us that movement. Stagnant energy is not happy energy. So make it a goal to get 7-10,000 steps in a day- be it a walk outside, up and down your stairs, on a walking pad or treadmill. Play some energetic movement and dance around. Throw on a kickboxing workout or get on your bike. But do move, and move often. ESPECIALLY when you notice your mood is starting to trend down- it DOES help!!

Peleton workouts are a blend of exercise and community- the perfect equation for improved mood for me!


✅when in doubt, drink water. I recently listened to a podcast that discussed how dehydration is a cause of almost every symptom people could be feeling. I’m not saying it’s the ONLY root cause, but it does make sense to try to focus on hydration as a first line in treating/preventing headaches, muscle aches, low energy, glucose spikes, joint pain, gut issues…the list goes on. Since so many symptoms are related to each other, it does seem like drinking water can help us feel better and the cascade effect of that in many areas can be huge. And many people don’t drink enough. Another perk: drinking more water and non sugar, non caffeinated drinks may even help us drink less alchohol and caffeine- which is always a good thing this time of year (decreasing alchohol can DEF help decrease feelings of anxiety, etc…)


✅Focus on community. Relationships have always had a significant place in my life. Some of my best friends today were my best friends when I was 4. Mostly because they’re incredibly awesome people and also because we all make a dedicated effort to stay connected, despite living further apart and having super busy lives. I also have a few awesome groups of mom friends where we live- and the connections there make the day to day, chaotic parts of mom life much easier to tackle. Lastly, my wellness community is huge in my life- connecting with people that align with my mission of improved personal health and helping others improve their health makes it easy for me to stick to my self care goals. No matter what your group is, finding a community to connect with, inspire and be inspired by and hopefully see each other in person some days is really, really, really important.

This trio is just the best. Give it a try for 30 days- you won’t regret it!!


✅find supplements that work for you. I understand the controversy about supplements being unregulated, but finding a reputable company that does third party testing is totally possible, and I’m living proof that good supplements can make SUCH a difference in your health. MANY people are living with leaky gut symptoms or dysbiosis- which can definitely lead to feelings of anxiety, depressed mood, etc…After all, a significant portion of our mood regulating neurotransmitters reside in the gut. Providing a healthy home for those neurotransmitters is key. There are also a lot of supplements that can improve mood, energy and brain fog. Working with a qualified functional medicine practitioner or coach can really help you narrow down the supplements that work for you. For me, cbd, adaptogens and gut supporting products are a part of my daily routine and I can’t imagine my daily life without them. Here’s a link to try my top three recommendations for improving mood and energy at a 25% off discount: https://jessicatreadwell1.isagenix.com/en-US/shop/targeted-health/happy-mix-pack?pid=9c659c32e51f4b0c822aa0e473e1ec2d


✅practice gratitude. This is a daily must too. I try to start and end every day in gratitude. Ideally, I’m writing in my gratitude journal, but at the very least, the kids and I say 3 things we’re grateful for on our walk or ride to school drop off every day. The research behind this practice is strong- but if you’re doubting it at all, I encourage you to try it for 3 weeks and notice the difference 🙏


If any of this sounds realistic and helpful for you, and you wanna practice these components of happiness with a community cheering you on, I invite you to join our “Happy Project” this December. Comment below if you want details ⬇️⬇️


Wishing you all lots of moments of peace, joy and so much happiness this season ❄️❄️❄️

Latest Wellness Read

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I promised you guys I’d keep you posted about my fave wellness books this year, so here ya go…


A few weeks ago, I finished Dr. Mark Hyman’s book about longevity and the incredibly rapid advancements being made in the area. Like I expected, I appreciated his perspective as both a medical physician and functional medicine doctor- it’s the merge between the two that I have always found my beliefs about health and wellness live.


I also appreciated the quizzes he incorporated to give people an idea of where they may need to utilize some strategies, root cause analysis or the help of a functional medicine physician to ease their dis-eases. And I most definitely appreciated the science, scientific studies and explanations of the root causes of abnormal aging and what we can do about it- cause I just geek out on that science stuff anyway 🤷🏻‍♀️


I finished the book with a commitment to continuing to work on the quality of my sleep, being more consistent with 12 hour intermittent fasting and a goal of measuring my comprehensive health markers more regularly (i.e. more than what most of our doctors will look at, unfortunately).


Some may read the book and roll their eyes at some of the new and emerging practices in anti aging and many of us will think “well, that’s nice, but who can afford them anyway?” But, I read these parts and choose to believe that medicine is changing to a more holistic, client centered and preventative model and completed those sections of the book with feelings of hope, excitement and optimism.


Bottom line- if you’re over the age of 30 and want to know what you can do in every decade of your life to extend both lifespan and (more importantly), HEALTHSPAN, this book could be for you. Or, if you have a loved one in your life whose struggling with what has long been told to us are the “normal” processes of aging but are not ready to just accept that, this book is for you too!

My hope is that people pick up books like this, gain a little knowledge into the science of how we can heal and live healthfully, and implement 1-2 strategies at a time that can truly change the course of their lives. Because we all have it in us to do just that ❤️


Tell me- have you read this yet?? What strategies are you implementing?

To your health,

~Jess

Thanksgiving Tips

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Though I can’t believe it’s already here, I woke up this morning feeling excited for the week to come. Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays…a day to spend with family and the kickoff to one of my favorite times of year. Yet, in my job as a Health Coach and Personal Trainer, I’ve noticed that Thanksgiving either represents a really difficult day for those who are trying to “stay on track” with nutrition goals, or it becomes that start of “giving up” until after the holidays. I get tons of questions from my clients every year about surviving Thanksgiving without undoing all of the hard work they’ve put into training and nutrition, so I decided to jot down a few of my favorite tips… But first, we must face the facts. Though not true for everyone, there are some downright startling statistics out there about what the average person consumes on Thanksgiving:

  •  On average, we consume 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving Day
  • 229 grams of fat are also consumed
  • One slice of pecan pie averages 503 calories. You don’t want to know the fat content
  • And sweet potato casserole: 460 calories per serving. In a side dish…yikes!

The average weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Years is 3-7 lbs. every year. Ok, I’m done scaring you (and myself) now. And I would never want my clients to think that Thanksgiving is not a day to be enjoyed, and to be a little indulgent. But, after all the work you’ve put in to lose weight, get fit, change your eating habits, there are a few simple strategies to try this year:

  • Surviving Thanksgiving starts with a workout. Plan a really good workout on Wednesday and even on Thursday morning. It’ll make you feel good when you’re wearing that new outfit on Thursday, it will remind you of how far you’ve come, and it never hurts to burn a few extra calories when you know you’ll be indulging soon.
  • Make Thanksgiving dinner a meal, not a day. Eat a light breakfast and lunch/snack before you go out. Skip the appetizers. Stay hydrated. And enjoy that dinner!
  • If you are hungry before dinner is served, stick to fruits and veggies. Bring a healthy appetizer to share if you know dinner is served later and you’ll be hungry.
  • I’m a big fan of bringing a healthy side dish (translation: veggies), that haven’t been cooked in a ton of oil, butter or salt. Make veggies half of your plate…don’t worry, you’ll still have room for the good stuff.
  • Back to the sweet potato casserole. Personally, I’m such a lover of sweet potatoes, I’ve never understood adding an abundance of sugar/marshmellows/butter to them. But, if that’s how they’re prepared at your family meal, do me a favor and remove the marshmellows.
  • Thanksgiving is a nearly impossible time to limit carbs, but atleast keep it in control. Follow the “My Plate” guidelines by keeping carbs to approximately 1/4 of your plate. Either choose stuffing or mashed potatoes and save the other for leftovers the next day, or have a little of both…just make sure they stay in one quarter of your plate. (Reminder: piling up doesn’t count as staying to one quarter of the plate).
  • Speaking of exercise, round up some friends or family for a walk after dinner. My family has done this for several years, and I have to say, everyone enjoys it…husbands, kids, even Grandma. Or, there’s always the quick football game after dinner has been digested.
  • Choose white meat over dark. You know this one.
  • Drink a full glass of water in between alcholic drinks/apple cider/eggnog. It will cut down significantly on calories and might even fill you up so dessert isn’t as tempting.
  • And onto dessert…I promise, this is not the last time you’ll ever see dessert again. Plan as well in advance as you need to, and choose one to indulge in. It almost never works that you save calories when you have “a little of this” and “a bite of this.” You’ll eat more than if you stuck to one choice. My recommendation: take a reasonable slice of pumpkin pie and your drink of choice and step away from the dessert buffet. If snacking is difficult for you, don’t choose cleaning up the dessert table as the time you volunteer to help. Why torture yourself?
  • After you’ve enjoyed your meal/drinks/desserts, enjoy time with family. Don’t feel guilty, but don’t think that eating more than usual at one meal means you should just give yourself the free pass for the day. Instead, focus on family and friends. Enjoy a group game, watch football or head out on another walk.
  • Plan ahead for an awesome workout the next day. Make a plan to meet a friend at the gym, go for a walk as soon as you wake up, sign up for a yoga class to de-stress after Black Friday shopping. Get back on track ASAP and realize that you don’t have to gain weight to enjoy the holiday season.

So, read these strategies over. Re-read them. Choose 2-3 and commit to them. I promise, you’ll still enjoy the holiday and you’ll feel a lot better come Friday morning. A very happy Thanksgiving to you and yours…

Cheers! Jess

Treat Yourself to this Workout on Halloween

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If any of my readers have young kids also, your weekend likely consists of kids’ activities, birthday parties and the addition of Halloween events this weekend- it’s a downright blur over here! 🎃🍁👻

But, I’m hoping that, if you read my blog, you now know that fitness can be fun and it can be quick! Let’s all let go of the perfect this weekend and aim to just get SOME exercise in. Same goes for Halloween day itself 🎃🎃

Here’s a quick circuit I wrote up for you guys! (Don’t forget to warm up before and stretch after)

If you’re in New England too, you’re also getting some crazy weather warm up. Other ideas for fitness: take the kids on a long walk around your neighborhoods to see some Halloween decorations, get outside for a run or go on a family bike ride.

Halloween is the start of a busy season of events, amazing food and lots of treats. Don’t forget that you can enjoy life AND take care of your health, and a quick 15-20 minute workout is a great way to achieve that balance ⚖️

Wishing you an awesome weekend of joy, good memories and some yummy treats too!

To your health!

~Jess

A few healthy Halloween swaps…

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Ok, here we are friends. Just about a week til Halloween and I suppose it’s time we pick up some candy to hand out. I’m tempted to wait longer, cause my husband is all about buying LOTS of candy (totally more than we need, right, Adam?!? 🤣🤣) and I do not want the extras around the house. At all.


I’ve also become more and more aware about what’s in candy and there’s some things I just prefer my kids don’t eat (I’m talking about you, food dyes!). So, each year, I try to buy a few extra bags of healthier candy alternatives- both to spread the gift of healthier options and to keep the more concerning ingredients out of our house, in the case of leftovers. Here’s some ideas I have for this year:


🪀 think outside the (candy) box: there’s no denying that food allergies in kids are pretty prevalent. Plus, in our neighborhood, we have lots of younger kiddos. So, I try to have some non edible treats and am always pleasantly surprise at how excited the younger kids are to get these. Think yo yo’s, tattoos, stickers, pencils, stamps…


🥨 lunchbox snacks are never a bad idea. We try to stick to whole food snacks as much as possible, but I’d be lying if I said a bag of goldfish or crackers don’t make it into the kids’ lunchboxes sometimes. For this reason, I’m a fan of Annie’s, so I atleast know the kids are getting non gmo and organic versions of these fun snacks. And I truly appreciate the kids snagging some of these in place of candy sometimes 👌👌


🍫🍫 candy is fun. Healthier candy is more fun! Reading ingredients makes such a difference. Choosing chocolate that’s tested for heavy metals, chewy candies that don’t have food dyes and finding organic ingredients goes along way. I know a little is ok, but I also know my kids get lots of reasons to indulge throughout the year and ensuring they indulge in healthier (still yummy) options just makes me feel better. Lily’s, Unreal, Justin’s and Yum Earth are some brands I personally like but I’d love to hear what you’ve found too!

The good thing is, those of us with kids will be doing a lot of walking next Tuesday. Between our steps and a few healthy swaps, Halloween can be a little less frightening and a lot more fun…

Happy Halloween to all those who celebrate and wishing an enjoyable fall week to all of you lovely readers 🍁🍁🍁

To your health,

~Jess