You all know how passionate I am about maintaining our physical health, but I’ve also really been loving learning about all the ways we can improve our brain health. Which, FYI…it’s NEVER too early to start thinking about!!
Your brain runs the show, so let’s give it some love! Here are a few simple ways to keep it sharp and happy:
👉 Move a little every day – walks, workouts, even dancing in your kitchen count!
👉 Get good sleep – your brain needs that reset button just as much as your body. Aim for heading to bed just 15 minutes earlier each week until you hit the 7-9 hours of recommended sleep (always a work in progress for me).
👉 Learn something new – puzzles, books, or even a new hobby to keep your mind strong.
👉 Stay connected – chatting with friends and family boosts brain and mental health too.
👉 Chill out – stress weighs on your brain, so make space for calm. Daily gratitude journaling and meditation are my fave ways to incorporate this.
👉 Drink your water – hydration = better focus + energy. And make sure you’re adding CLEAN electrolytes!!
👉 Supplement smartly – things like omega-3s, vitamin D, magnesium, creatine and nootropics can give your brain an extra boost—just make sure to choose quality and check what’s right for you. You know I’m always happy to share my fave brands!
✨✨And, if you’re free this Saturday, join my friend Cherie at this incredible brain health workshop. You will learn SO much and come away with practical tips to implement in your life.
I’m currently focusing on consistently taking my omega 3 supplement, using clean electrolytes every day and spending time engaging in a hobby a few times a week instead of working in every moment of spare time. I’d love to hear what you’re incorporating to boost your brain!
Little things add up—your brain will thank you later 💛
Guys, it’s been a busy weekend celebrating my son’s soon to be 8th birthday! But, I couldn’t let the weekend go by without celebrating a very important holiday. Cause, coffee is life, right?!?! So here’s a throwback to my post two years ago – read and don’t forget to comment for a coffee freebie!
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 supportive 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 desserts 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!!
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
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 ⛱☀️🌻
I’ve had some great conversations with clients lately about goal setting, and one thing that I’m left struggling with is…how do we stay on track when we haven’t met our goals? Anyone who knows me knows that I’m all about setting goals…especially those of the realistic, short-term (and easily rewarded)variety. But the reality is that, with busy lives and established (bad) habits, meeting even short-term goals can feel like an uphill battle. It’s so easy to say “I’m not going to eat any of the junk food around the office this week” or “I’m not going to drink this weekend.” But the more often we tell ourselves that we’re not going to do something, and then fail to keep that promise, the less likely we are to honor our goals in the future. It’s just natural to join in on the monthly luncheons or birthday parties at work, or to go out for the occasional happy hour. And I would never tell someone to completely change their social lives the second they start training. But here’s what I think…
Spend a month establishing and meeting positive daily goals. DAILY. Example: “I’m going to take a 10 minute walk tonight after dinner.” “I’m going to drink a full glass of water between every glass of wine at that party tomorrow.” “I’m going to eat one fruit or vegetable at every meal.” Think about how much physical activity you’re engaging in each day, how many whole foods you’re consuming, how much water you drink, what time you go to bed… and just focus on one of those areas each day.
If you really want to become a more fit, happier and healthier person, you need to believe that it’s possible. Every. Single. Day. Start today by choosing one healthy activity you can do this afternoon or evening and make it happen. Think positively, act positively and feel positively wonderful!
Jessica’s Personal Training is an in-home personal training business located in Newton, MA, providing fitness and health coaching to clients in and around the Newton area. The goal of training is to provide affordable, convenient and safe exercise programming, combined with effective goal setting for overall health and wellness.
Jessica's Fitness 