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
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!!
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?!!
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 ❄️❄️❄️
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?
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…
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!
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 🍁🍁🍁
We’re off enjoying a super fun, beautiful (albeit rainy) weekend in our absolute favorite place- the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Have you guys been here for peak foliage season before?? I mean- I really can’t think of many things more beautiful. 🍁🍁🍁
View coming down from Mt. Washington
After a super busy (sorta stressful) few weeks starting my new therapy job, my soul needed this trip 🙏 We’ve dodged the rain (mostly) and gotten lots of time outdoors, finally took the kids to Storyland and had plenty of cozy fires to round out a real New England fall weekend.
Walking around Bretton Woods, NH
Now, I’m starting my next 11 day reset with friends on Monday, so I enjoyed some indulgences this weekend. But I’ve never been one to completely let go of my wellness tools on vacation. For one- my body does not do well with the inflammation that comes with too much sugar, processed foods or gluten. Plus, it feels good to move, to have energy and to breathe in nature or sightsee anywhere we are- all perfectly accomplished by walking. So, here’s a quick list of our “musts” when traveling ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Supplements not pictured, but I always travel with my shakes, bone broth, healthier protein bars and crackers and lots of fruit and veggies
✅Whenever possible, we book a hotel unit or condo with a kitchen. My husband and I just prefer to cook most of our food, and even the kids get bored eating out if it’s more than once a day. Plus- when we’re up here in New Hampshire, sitting on our porch overlooking the mountains beats eating in any restaurant dining room I can think of. Oh- and there’s also the money we save by not eating out most of the time ✅Bring the essentials. Always. For me, that’s fresh fruit and veggies, air dried or (sometimes) dried fruit for when we’re out, some of my gluten free meal/side alternatives (sweet potatoes, chickpea pasta…) and healthier snacks. ✅Don’t skip the supplements. Adam and I both travel with a bag of our must have supplements. For me, it’s mitochondrial support, gut support and detox drainage pathway support. Plus magnesium glycinate to support sleep. Exactly what I need is likely not exactly what you need- but when you work with a qualified functional health practitioner and find the right supplements to feel your best, you won’t leave home without them either! Now- taking them on a schedule can be a bit trickier- for that, leaving them somewhere you will see them early and often seems to help (I’m taking about you, my best friend the coffee machine). ✅Move. And keep moving- it feels good! I’ve always found that I get the most steps when we’re away. Like, double the amount of my average. And why not? Some of our absolute favorite memories are walking around San Francisco, Paris, Nice, Portland, San Diego, etc…all incredible places that we would miss some of if we were on train or in a cab. ✅Choose nature. We’re all hearing the terms “forest bathing” these days- and for good reason! Hiking, walking local trails, horseback riding, biking- there is SO much beauty to be seen around us and being out in nature is beneficial for our stress levels, circadian rhythms, mental health, and our bodies. I’m not saying I don’t LOVE a good beach chair, sunny day and a book- but it sure does feel even more enjoyable after a long morning walk on the beach or parasailing. I hope you are all enjoying time away, time in nature and time with loves ones this fall. Tell me all about your favorite spots!!
Guys! It’s the first day of fall here and I’m ready for it! I could do without the rainy day we’re having, but still…I’m ready for this new season of letting go, starting anew and enjoying some of the most beautiful days of the year 🍁🍂🍃
Now, every season is the right season to fall back into fitness, but I’ve been thinking more about how to help my clients (and myself) fall in LOVE with fitness!! Exercise is something that we really do NEED- the recommendations are 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise (or 75 minutes of vigorous). But moderate and vigorous do not have to mean torture, friends…the best kind of exercise you can do is the one you want to do- consistently.
Fall is a GREAT season to explore new fitness endeavors- with kids back in school, outdoor weather being cooler and the scenery outside being SO gorgeous. Some of my fave recommendations- hiking, a new group class, meeting some mom friends for walks while the kids are back in school. Maybe join an adult soccer league, try a boot camp class or take a family bike ride in the crisp, cool air.
Days are as busy as ever for our family, with work getting busy for my husband and I, the kids back in school and sports picking up in the afternoons and weekends. But still, I’m not letting this season of beauty get by me without trying new fitness activities, and I hope you won’t either!
Comment below with your favorite fall movement activities and let’s all motivate each other ⬇️⬇️⬇️
And, if you’re looking for something new or some guidance as you fall in love with fitness, email me to sign up for a free consult!
Jessica's Fitness 