Author Archives: nh02jmr

The one healthy habit you CAN implement this month

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Click here for this awesome recipe: https://www.culinaryhill.com/8-infused-water-recipes/

I get it- it’s December and life seems to be getting busier by the minute. The shopping, the wrapping, the decorating, the baking, the parties…need I say more?

My clients always feel guilty about all that they can’t get to this time of year- the extensive meal prep, long workouts, long walks…all of it. But I remind them of two things:

1. Can you just celebrate ALL that you ARE doing?? It’s a lot. Like, an overwhelming amount.

2. What are easy activities you can squeeze in this month. We’ve talked about a simple 7 day reset and healthier baking swaps- now let’s talk about something you have to do everyday anyway- drink (water, that is)! Hydration is important for SO many things- circulation, digestion, muscles, joints, metabolism…and much much more.

Now- I get it. Holidays bring with them the temptation to drink lots of other things too- seasonal coffees, hot chocolate, egg nog and likely a bit too much alcohol. I’d never tell a client not to indulge in the seasonal drinks they enjoy- but maybe choose wisely…if you’re drinking a sugary coffee in the morning, skip the booze at night. Also- ALWAYS drink a glass of water in between alcohol drinks. Better yet, enjoy the one and stick to water or seltzer after that (I’ve learned so much about the inflammatory effects of alcohol lately and they’re pretty significant).

And, while you’re working on implementing those changes, sip, sip, sip throughout your day!

Why not start with this soothing lemon water recipe:

Why is lemon water is great for you?

🍋 Lemon is a natural antiseptic, which cleanses bacteria, impurities and even decomposed tissue from your lymphatic system
🍋 provides a potassium boost
🍋 helps prevent kidney stones
🍋 gives you a healthy dose of vitamin C and has phytonutrients helping your prevent oxidation (basically prevents you from rusting from the inside out).
🍋 It helps the digestion process, speeds up waste elimination and promotes healthier bowels.
🍋 Lemon also stimulates the liver’s detox process, which makes every cell in your body healthier.
🍋Supports weight loss
🍋Improves your digestion
🍋Improves your body’s ability to absorb nutrients
🍋Helps to keep your colon healthy.

I love drinking hot lemon water with meals. For variety, add ginger and/or raw local honey to your warm lemon water.

I’d love to hear how you’re staying hydrated this holiday season 🫖💦

To your health!

~Jess

Give me allll the cookies!!

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In the spirit of staying healthy through the holidays, let’s chat about baking! 🍪🍪🍪


Baking and staying healthy might not seem to go hand and hand, but there are so many ways we can continue this common holiday tradition without completely burying our bodies in extra sugar, salt and fat. No really- it IS possible!


I absolutely LOVE baking with my kids. We do it pretty much in every weekend in December- and then the kids love to help me deliver the goodies to the neighbors, family, teachers, etc…And, as a pediatric Occupational Therapist, I know baking is an activity that inherently includes many excellent skill building areas for the developing brain (executive functioning skills, math, science, fine motor, visual perception…I could go on and on).


We’ll be baking our traditional and VERY indulgent chocolate chip cookies this year, but we’ll also be making lots of cookies, muffins and breads with healthier oils, sweeteners and flour alternatives.


So, what are some of these healthier baking methods??


✨use coconut sugar, honey or maple syrup instead of sugar

✨try to avoid inflammatory oils whenever possible! I’m still learning about the dangers of seed oils, and we’re making a conscious effort to bake with olive oil or avocado oil

✨we use flax eggs instead of eggs in recipes like muffins and I really strive for organic, cafe free eggs whenever possible

✨applesauce can often be substituted in recipes as well

✨whatever I do, I avoid margarine, “spreads” and shortening. I’ll always choose butter over those options

✨add in healthy and seasonal options for some extra antioxidants, fiber, etc. This time of year, cranberries and pumpkin are awesome add ins

If you need a fun recipe to whip up for Christmas morning or a hostess gift, I highly recommend this banana bread 🍞🍞🍞. Not only does it use healthier ingredients, but it’s free of refined flours and packs some extra protein, fiber and vitamins 👌👌


Banana Protein Cake Recipe

✨4 scoops IsaLean® Shake Creamy French Vanilla (you can find it here: https://jessicatreadwell1.isagenix.com/en-us/shop/weight-management/isalean-shake?pid=e18379664dad4b4e8390fd15c5022321 )

✨2-3 bananas, mashed½ cup muesli or rolled oats

✨ 2 eggs

✨1/2 cup almond milk

✨1/3 cup chia seeds

Mash bananas in large bowl. Mix in the rest of the ingredients until combined. Pour into a cake pan and bake on 375 F for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.


I’d love to hear your favorite holiday recipes and maybe one health swap you’re trying this year ⬇️⬇️


Cheers to a busy, happy (and maybe even relaxing) December!! 🍪🍞🧁🍫🍩

To your health,

~Jess

Holiday Survival- Part 1!

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✨How to feel your best this holiday season ✨

Ok guys- holidays have officially started!! Anyone else still working off the Thanksgiving bloat??


Listen- the holidays should absolutely be enjoyed- but that doesn’t mean we have to feel terrible for 2-3 months either. Which is why I focus on consistent habits to keep my body feeling it’s best throughout these busy, stressful and indulgent few months.


Each week this month, I’m gonna try to pop on and share about one tool I use to combat holiday stress, fatigue, bloat, etc…
And this week, I’m gonna talk about one of my fave topics- NUTRITIONAL CLEANSING!!


Now, before you start thinking this is some crazy buzzword and not for you, see how many of these numbers might apply to you today:


9 signs you are READY for nutritional rebalancing:

1) You can’t button your favorite pants 👖

2) You can’t control your cravings 🍕🍟🍪

3) You eat a full meal & still feel hungry 😜

4) You aren’t regular💩

5) You don’t want to try ANOTHER diet 🍎

6) You want real results, not a quick fix 🙌

7) You have to take naps everyday to function 😴

8)You live to eat food, instead of eat food to live🍧

9)You survive the day drinking a ton of coffee, soda, or inhaling handfuls of candy. ☕🍭

You’re not alone in any of this, btw… But…


Holidays are here and it doesn’t have to be the same this year. Join my next 7 day reset (starts Dec 5th). Even better, take advantage of some incredible sales (BOGO on the 7 day reset kit) by shopping here:
https://jessicatreadwell1.isagenix.com/en-us/?fbclid=IwAR3EsCKTT5Nt3KakfH0Lfk1F3ou0P0MAORW2bfyrkfZLlKug3vypgw6jXBw

And stay tuned for next week’s tool in your Holiday Survival Toolkit! 🧰

To your health, ~Jess

How NEAT!!

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Todays health focus is NEAT!!


I mean, it’s a cool topic AND it’s also about Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.


Say what??


NEAT is the energy expended by our bodies when we are doing anything this is not sleeping, eating or performing traditional exercise. That amounts to about 110-115 hours of our week that affect our weight, that happens outside of the gym or the kitchen.


These 110 hours a week can work for OR against you. When spent intentionally, they can help you achieve a more active metabolism, which is what so many of us are looking for. Higher levels of NEAT are also linked to lower risk of metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and all cause mortality.


So, how can we use these hours to our benefit??? So glad you asked….


✨stand instead of sitting while on the phone or texting and consider raising the height of your work surface so you can stand for portions of your work day.

✨find opportunities to walk often during your day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park further away, walk to a co workers office instead of emailing. Set a daily step goal and increase it gradually

✨think like a child. You know how kids are often moving and fidgeting? That’s not always a bad thing…run around the backyard with the kids, play fetch with your dog, tap your toes or stretch while sitting and change positions often

✨ include strength training as part of your workout regimen. Building muscle speeds up your metabolism which equates to more calories burned when you’re NOT working out

✨tidy up the house in between zoom calls, meal prep instead of eating prepared food or take out and go to the grocery store instead of getting groceries delivered.


I’d love to hear how you’re all choosing to up the NEAT factor today ⬇️⬇️⬇️

To your health!

~Jess

Halloween with a little less fright 🎃🎃

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I hope you’re all dancing in the sunshine this Halloween weekend

Hi friends!!

I’m writing this on a sunny Saturday afternoon as watch my son bounce around in his Ninja Warrior class- all full of that natural 6 year old energy that seems truly endless. And I’m sort of wondering…what happens when we add candy to this already endless energy in two days 😂😂

But truly- Halloween is something to talk to my clients about every year. Because, let’s just be honest here…it’s NOT just one day of indulging, is it?? It’s the candy we sneak in when we buy the Halloween candy early, it’s the extras around the house and office for weeks afterwards…

I’ll (mostly) spare you my speech about his truly toxic candy can be. Take it from a recovering obsessed Resee’s fan. Beyond the rush of the sugar high, the ingredients in many popular candies is linked to kidney and liver problems, tumor growth, attentional difficulties and skin concerns (to name just a few). And don’t get me started on the effects to our microbiome- that’s truly a topic I can talk about forever…

But I’m also a sucker for any celebration and Halloween is fun! I want my kids to enjoy it with the carefree nature they should. But I also want us all to feel our best in the days after all that fun. So let’s chat about enjoying this holiday with a bit less of the frightening consequences of eating too much candy…

1. Give me alllll the stickers! First- THANK YOU to all the wonderful people out there who offer non edible Halloween treats!! This is so important for kiddos with food allergies, but many of us moms really appreciate it too. If we can get our kids to collect 1/4 less candy this year, that’s a win! And it’s great for handing out too- I’d sure rather my kids be playing with leftover stickers, stamps, tattoos and spider rings than eating excessive sugar for weeks on end.

My six year old concentrating hard on filling our teal pumpkin – shortly after, he and his sister took EVERYTHING out to play with 😂😂

2. Give it a few days and then give it away! This is an important rule for me. There are so many organizations that take leftover candy, or you can bring it to work. But truthfully, I don’t feel guilty throwing it away- like I said, it’s kinda toxic and no one deserves that.

3. Choose healthier brands– I don’t wanna knock any particular candies, but I implore you to read ingredients. If you don’t know something on the label, do your research. Maybe you’ll still eat it, but maybe you’ll have a few less this year. Or, you can look for healthier versions of your favorites- I love the UNREAL brand for peanut butter cups, m&m like candies and peppermint chocolates 🍫🍫🍫

4. Plan ahead– Halloween is on a Monday this year, which may have you complaining as much as me! But let’s be proactive- I’m taking time this Sunday to meal prep for healthy dinners, breakfasts and snacks- so eating well and packing food for Monday night and Tuesday morning can be as easy as possible.

5. Don’t leave your house hungry- Fuel up on healthy protein, fiber and healthy carbs before heading out trick or treating (and this goes for the kiddos too). A nice warm bowl of chili or brown rice with roasted veggies and some pumpkin seeds can be prepped the night before and reheated super quickly before heading out the door.

6. Never miss a Monday– this is my mantra every week, but seems especially important this year. Plan your workout- and this might mean planning for a morning workout this week, to be sure you get it in. Working out can help facilitate better decision making the rest of the day and raise your energy levels in ways that sugar never can. So let’s all get up and get moving early tomorrow 💪💪

Whether you’re trick or treating with the kids, handing out candy, or binge watching Halloween movies this year, I wish you a super happy, super fun and super healthy day!!

To your health!

~Jess

What’s Eccentric Training and Why Should I Care??

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Always the goal- we strive for progress, not perfection

If you’ve trained with me for any amount of time, chances are you’ve done an eccentric workout with me. Maybe you didn’t know it, but you have- and there’s an even greater chance you’ve gotten stronger because of such workouts.


Why do I make all my clients do eccentric workouts at some point?? Well, there are so many reasons, but let’s talk a bit about what the heck this means first…


Eccentric exercise essentially means working the muscle harder during the lengthening phase of a muscle contraction. This is achieved by slowing down the rate of movement to provide greater resistance.


Let’s break down the phase of a muscle contraction:
A. Concentric Phase – this is when the muscle you are working is shortening against resistance/gravity.

B. Isometric Phase– this is when the muscle is technically stationary. It often occurs as the “transition” stage between the muscle shortening and lengthening.

C. Eccentric Phase– this is when the muscle lengthens under load (gravity/resistance).
Eccentric exercise would mean slowing down that last phase, thus working the muscle harder in two phases of the muscle contraction. Win/win!
Example: during a biceps curl, it would take about 2-3 seconds to bring the weight up to the front of your shoulder. At this point, most people just let the weight “drop” (well, hopefully not “drop”, but most times we lower it somewhat quickly and without much thought. When you’re doing eccentric training, you’re gonna intentionally lower the weight slowly (I usually do it to a count of 3-4 seconds). So, double the work!!


Yay????


Yep- yay for sure. Here’s why we wanna practice eccentric movements:
For one, being able to slow down your body against gravity is actually super important for many FUNCTIONAL moves. Think walking downhill safely and with control or lowering yourself into a chair without just falling into it (working in various rehab centers as an Occupational Therapist, I can tell you this one is important for protecting your bones, spine and joints)! If you have trouble rising up and getting down to a chair unsupported, you are not alone, but you should work with a professional sooner than later. But I digress…


Some other benefits of eccentric training:
✨it makes your muscles stronger. It just really really does.

✨it’s a beneficial type of training for many sports (skiing, soccer, basketball, running).

✨it’s a great type of workout to do if you’re strapped for time. Because your muscles are essentially working 2x as hard with each exercise, you definitely get more bang for your buck.

✨when performed correctly, it can actually decrease your risk of injury by adding more control to your movements and making you stronger at the same time.


You definitely don’t need to do this type of training every time you work out. But, it’s helpful for many of us, so I have my clients do it as part of regular strength programming. You should consult with a trainer or physical therapist before initiating this type of training on your own, so that you understand which phase is the eccentric phase of each movement (as it changes with every exercise) and so that you know your form is good. But, once you’ve learned this format, I highly recommend integrating it in your routine.
Here’s a quick eccentric circuit to try on your own (I usually do 10 reps of each, twice through):

  1. Biceps curls 
  2. Squats 
  3. Shoulder press
  4. Right side lunge
  5. Left side lunge 
  6. Chest press 
  7. Tricep extensions (I prefer to do these supine- meaning on my back)
  8. Hammer curls 

I’d love to hear if you’ve tried eccentric workouts before and what your favorite exercises are.
And, as always, if you could benefit from a session or free consult, make sure you click on the “contact me” section of this page.


Here’s to a STRONG week ahead 💪💪💪

To your health!

~ Jess

But first, coffee…

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It’s National Coffee Day!!!


I can’t keep up with all these made up holidays, but this is one I can get behind 😂😂


I LOVE coffee. I love the smell as my husband brews it first thing in the morning (he’s the best ❤️❤️), I love holding a warm mug in my hand on a cool morning, and I really do like the taste of good coffee.


But I get questions from clients a lot about whether or not coffee is good for them, good for their workouts or how much they should be drinking.


Like most things, the answers for this vary for individuals, but here are a few guidelines:


☕️Coffee can be a great source of energy in general, and before a workout. Coffee creates stress in the body, but for many of us, it’s the “good” kind of stress (when consumed in a reasonable amount). So having caffeine as a preworkout (in the form of coffee or another caffeinated beverage) can definitely give you that energy before your workout 🏋🏻‍♀️


☕️Is coffee good for you?? Maybe/likely/for some of us 🤷🏻‍♀️. Sorry for the lack of clarity on this one, but this is where individual characteristics come into play. Does coffee contain antioxidants? YES. Do those antioxidants ward off Alzheimer’s? MAYBE. Does coffee lead to anxiety? IN SOME PEOPLE, DEFINITELY


☕️Should I buy organic? Truthfully, I would 🤷🏻‍♀️. For one thing, many of us consume coffee regularly- so, if you’re ingesting something every day, you should likely pick the cleanest form of it. Also, coffee is notorious for containing mold, myotoxins and solvents. I just don’t want that in my body.


☕️Is it ok to add stuff to my coffee?? I get this question a lot, and again, the answer varies. Some of my clients don’t feel well drinking black coffee, so they add a little unsweetened milk. Would I add sugar? Personally, I wouldn’t, as we know sugar is pretty toxic. Would I add a ton of cream or highly processed plant based milk? Probably not this either. Honestly, if you feel like you need to add alot to your coffee, I might suggest looking into some other clean sources of caffeine or energy suppprtive products- and I have lots of good ideas for that (adaptogens anyone?? 👌👌)


☕️What about coffee “desserts”? You know what I mean here, right?? Next time you wanna order a frap/mocha craziness- just take a peek at the calories and sugar content (and the price!). I just don’t think it’s worth it. BUT, you can probably concoct something amazing and delicious at home, like this:


𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞, but make it a vegan, protein-packed healthy snack🙌🏼
This delicious, creamy, fancy coffee drink that supports my goals instead of derailing them, & this whipped coffee creation is no exception!
Like the whipped coffee recipe floating around the internet, but removed the sugar & added in Vanilla Plant-Based IsaPro for a little extra nourishment 💪🏼
𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬
2 Tbsp instant coffee
2 Tbsp hot water
8 oz unsweetened almond milk
1 scoop Vanilla Plant-Based IsaPro (https://jessicatreadwell1.isagenix.com/en-us/shop/daily-nutrition/isapro-plant-based-protein?pid=2f866f872ddd41f4a823332d0603f30f)


Combine the instant coffee and hot water in a bowl, whip vigorously, using an electric stand or hand mixer if you have one.
Whip for 5 minutes (seriously) or until your coffee becomes nice and fluffy!
In a shaker cup add 8 oz of almond milk and 1 scoop of Vanilla IsaPro, shake until combined.
Pour over ice and top with the fluffy whipped coffee.
Enjoy!🤍


So, do I think you should continue to enjoy coffee if you appreciate it as much as me?? Absolutely!!
Do I think it’s worth gradually reducing the number of coffee deserts you buy? Absolutely!
Do I think you can also gradually reduce what you add to your coffee and gradually switch to organic, mold/mycotoxin tested? YEP!


Bottom line- keep enjoying what you love and reap the many potential health benefits. Choose one way to make your coffee healthier this month, if it’s not super healthy yet. And experiment with healthy brands and recipes.


If you’ve made it this far in this post, I’d love to reward one lucky reader with a free batch of my favorite clean coffee. Comment below with one takeaway and I’ll choose a winner tomorrow!!


Cheers! ☕️☕️☕️

~Jess

Let the world know…

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Fitness Friday‼️‼️
Let the world know you are taking care of yourself! 🙌🏼🙌🏼


I loved this quote during this morning’s Peleton workout.

Yes- I’m the person that sometimes posts workout selfies or stats. And I used to worry what others would think. But let me tell you why I do it…


Because, unfortunately, this world is a bit of a toxic place 🤷🏻‍♀️ I mean, we are physically burdened with toxins (more on that when I explain why I post on my detox days), but social media (or any media) can also feel super toxic.
I will be the first to send support when anyone I know is struggling, but I’ll also be the first to cheer you on when you post your sweaty workout selfie or post workout smoothie or healthy salad for lunch.

6 AM Fitness Friday in my house 💪💪


Do I think everyone needs to be healthy 100% of the time?? No- that’s crazy and impossible. But, do I think we could all benefit from motivation to move, to choose nutritious foods over toxic ones, to use non toxic brands in bodies and our homes, to drink more water…all of that? Yeah, I really, REALLY do…


I’m in several accountability/support/healthy living groups all over and I can tell you, I have benefited tremendously. There are days I choose to eat something that may not serve my body or to skip a workout- that is healthy and balanced, my friends. But I can tell you this- I don’t stay there for long, because I surround myself with people who are also often making a healthy choice and then sharing it with our groups. And they make me do better too.


Research has shown time and time again that surrounding yourself with people with similar goals is HIGHLY effective in helping you reach yours. So post in those groups!! Cheer yourself on and cheer for others even louder!!


And don’t be shy about posting what you’re doing for the world to see too!! There are many people who may not love my posts, but there are also people who are motivated by them (grateful for those of you who have shared that with me). I know I’ve definitely been motivated to make healthy choices when seeing others post. 🙏🙏


So- let the world know you are taking care of yourself!! Whether it’s eating healthy, moving our bodies, choosing non toxic skincare or cleaning products…we all deserve to do the same and you never know who might move the needle in a positive direction that day because of what you’ve shared. 🌻🌻🌻

Happy Friday, friends. Cheers to you- and whatever healthy choices you make this weekend 👏👏

Back to school, chaos free 🙌🏼🙌🏼

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I’m not sure where you’re all reading from today, but if you’re here in the Northeast, these past few weeks have probably involved some transitions. It was back to school week for many of our kiddos and back to work (atleast according to the traffic outside of Boston) for many more.

For our family, it means back to a busy morning routine and, for the first time ever, having actual timeframes to abide by. My son started kindergarten and we like to walk him there in the morning…which means easy, quick breakfasts and easy to pack snacks are a must.

As with most schools, we have to send in allergy friendly snacks, which we’ve also never had to do before. That took a bit of thinking on my part, cause our “plant forward” lifestyle involves lots of nuts and nut butters.

But anyway, the fact that I’m writing this means we did, in fact, survive our first two weeks. (Well, I’m still emotional about the fact that my baby is actually a kindergartener, but I physically survived. So there’s that.

Here are a few of our current breakfast/lunch ideas to make for easy (or atleast easier) mornings.

Breakfasts have had to be a bit quicker cause of the arrival time at school. So I’ve been whipping up a batch of steel cut oats in the beginning of the week to last for a few mornings at a time. Overnight oats and baked oatmeal are also some of our favorites.

I typically work out first thing in the morning, then train a client, then check backpacks/brush their teeth/apply their sunscreen/yell at them to get their shoes on 857 times…you know the drill. So, 5 minutes is literally more time than I have to eat. That’s when I whip up my morning shake (full macronutrient balance/complete meal as is), and I can sip it as we walk the kiddos to school.

School snacks for the kids are actually easier than I expected. This week, it was fruit or veggies from our garden paired with something else- string cheese, brown rice cake with hummus or sun butter, pumpkin oatmeal “muffins” or protein energy bites. All were easy, minimally processed, contained some healthy fats or protein and devoured every day.

For lunches, we’re actually letting my son try out the school lunches, since they’re free again this year (which I think is a totally GREAT idea for always). That being said, we have printed out the calendar and discussed with my son what the healthiest option available is. He’s also starting to understand why we don’t want him to have the chocolate milk every day, though he may not fully agree with this decision 😂 (don’t worry- he’s still getting the French toast sticks when they come- I was a kid once too and I’m not a total monster!) But, if he decides he wants to take lunch in, I’m ready to prep some hummus and veggie sandwiches, Sunbutter on whole wheat bread, vegan bean salads with pita bread and whole wheat pasta or chickpea pasta salad with lots of veggies. He likes all these things and they’re pretty easy to prep beforehand (or atleast quickly in the morning).

Blessed to have such a full garden this year. It means we’re eating these every day, like it or not 😂😂

Afterschool snacks are much of the same, but when we’re home, they can have some of their favorite sources of nuts. My son will eat fruit or veggies with peanuts or cashews, and both kids love peanut or almond butter with apples, fruit with string cheese or Greek yogurt or occasionally a larabar. All stuff they can grab themselves- WIN/WIN!!

Dinners have become trickier as the kids’ sports, swim lessons, etc…have picked up. But we typically make leftovers whenever we make anything. We roast a ton of veggies at the beginning of the week and make a big batch of rice or quinoa. So cooking up some protein quickly (fish, tofu, chicken) is not as overwhelming as prepping the whole meal when we get home late. I handle baths, backpacks, prep for the next day while Adam cooks. Thank gosh for teamwork!

Wherever this school year finds you, I hope you are finding some preparation tips that fit into your life and still keep your health front and center. It takes some getting used to, but I promise it’s possible!

Here’s to two days OFF and hopefully some sunshine where you are ☀️☀️☀️

To your health,

~Jess 💕

Want abs??? Ditch the crunches…

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I don’t know if it’s that it’s summer still or it’s just the cyclical nature in which trainers find themselves having these conversations, but many of my clients seem to be asking me the famous question:

“How do I lose THIS”? (Cue the pointing to the front of the abs and the “love handle” area).

Don’t take this the wrong way. I love you all and I respect the question. There was even a time in the past where I believed I could do 1,000 crunches a day and get that 6 pack. But I’m SO far removed from that, and if you’re looking to “spot train”, I may not be your trainer 🤷🏻‍♀️

Do I think there are some really great core workouts out there? Sure do! Do I think that might help some people who are already doing the steps I’m going to mention below? Sure do.

But for the vast majority of us, here’s what I think: don’t waste your time. Atleast not yet!

Getting toned (and more importantly, strong) abs IS important. They look great on the beach, sure, but our abs are also important for supporting our whole bodies, preventing back pain, supporting breathing and improving function in everything we do! Literally, everything (should) be supported by the right core muscles.

And while I’m at it, let’s talk about why I get really fired up about having a healthy core. Ever hear of visceral fat?? It’s NOT our friend. Visceral fat is the kind that shows up around our organs and leads to a multitude of scary and chronic health conditions. Skinny people can have visceral fat too, but if you have some extra weight around your abdomen, you may very well be carrying visceral fat.

So I love the idea of creating a strong, healthy core. So let’s talk about how, in order of the most important (IMO)…

1. You know the saying, “abs are made in the kitchen”. Well, it’s so true!! If I were to suggest one single area for a client to focus on to obtain the abs they’re looking for, it would be investing in their nutritional habits. Mainly, protein pacing, eating enough fruits and veggies, eliminating or greatly reducing unhealthy processed foods and incorporating the right intermittent fasting protocol for their body. For those who need a bit more guidance in adopting these habits in a healthy, convenient way, my 7 day reset might be the way to go: https://jessicatreadwell1.isagenix.com/en-us/shop/weight-management/7-day-reset?pid=4b40a31da5ba44e29fd6e98499ef7f71

2. Don’t be afraid to lift- heavy! I understand that cardio exercise burns more calories in the moment, but remember- we’re going for fat burn here. We need to convert fat into muscle and you can’t do that without building muscle. If you’ve been lifting the same five pound weights for years and running five days a week- but still not feeling the difference in your core- let’s switch it up. With the right guidance (enter a qualified personal trainer), you’ll wanna start changing your workout routine, progressively increasing the weight you lift and incorporate functional strength training. I love things like deadlifts, lunges with a core rotation, squat presses, push ups…Again, have a trainer check your form and progress load gradually.

3. This last tip may not be for everyone, so read thoughtfully and decide it it’s right for you. Using some type of a food journal (again- safely) can be a really great tool. Studies show that food journaling leads to greater weight loss AND more sustainable weight loss for many. I actually find it helpful for tracking macros way more than calories. If you want abs, consider this: are you getting enough protein in your day? What’s your percentage of carbs to healthy fats and protein? Every body is SO different, and so are our macronutrient needs, but if we don’t track where we’re at and alter things a bit, we can’t know what will work. Again, if you can track your food for a week or too without becoming obsessed with calories, this might be worth a try. Take a look at your macronutrient ratio at the end of each day and see what you may want to tweak going forward.

So, if you’re doing all these things and still want some more ab definition, add those core workouts. But if you’re not doing these yet, I highly encourage you to give these a try first.

If you don’t have a health coach to guide you through these steps, reach out anytime for a free consultation. If you do try these, I’d love to hear what’s working for you!

To your health- and strength!

~Jess