While I love cooking, I also love going out + trying new restaurants, especially living in NYC. However, it can be difficult to navigate the menu and stay on track with your healthy eating lifestyle. I’ve developed 3 easy “little adapts” you can apply to your next restaurant meal:

1. Eat a little something before you go so you’re not starving. Otherwise, you might opt to eat the bread basket, which is usually “not worth it”. It’s usually best just to refuse it in this case, but again totally up to you!
2. Order a veggie appetizer, side + split your entree with another person in order to have a meal that is ¾ greens + veggies. We often focus on the animal protein as the star of the meal when in fact our veggies should be the center of attention. This also helps with portion control as entree meals are usually too much for 1 person.
3. Don’t be afraid to tell the waiter about any allergies/requests as you are paying for your food and you should get it the way you like! Plus, they put gluten + dairy in everything so if you don’t tell them, you won’t know and the consequences are definitely “not worth it”. For example, it’s okay to ask to have your veggies cooked in olive oil + not butter. 

These “little adapts” can be applied to every dining out experience with some additions if you are following a particular diet. For many of my clients, they will send me a restaurant ahead of time and I will tell them what are their best options for meals along with any substitutions or additions they need to request. This also goes for researching the best lunch options near their office. This helps them to see how I order my meals + view food as a way to fuel + heal my body. As a result, they learn how to order to make sure they are getting the healthiest meal given the circumstances. If this is an area you struggle with, feel free to reach out for your complimentary 15 minute consultation today!

Hope you found these healthy eating out options helpful + always remember when in doubt:

EAT MORE PLANTS!

With Health + Happiness,

Jax

PS – Don’t forget to sign up for the “12 Day Real Food Reboot” Program that starts on Monday, April 22nd – click here for more info!

Happy March everyone (despite the horrid snow in NYC we had this past weekend!) I cannot wait for spring to be here because I’m over this cold weather. With that being said, I want to discuss a subject that I speak about with both my prospective + current clients.The question is: Have you gotten your blood tested recently? If you haven’t, I highly recommend it and here’s why you should get blood work done to find your optimal health.

Why?

Even when we are doing all of the right things when it comes to eating, exercising + managing stress, it’s good to know where we stand from a science standpoint. For example, 2 years ago was the first time I had gotten my blood drawn + tested in quite a while. The results? I was below the normal range for Folate (B9) and at the low end of the spectrum for Vitamin B12. This was very surprising to me as I eat a ton of foods rich in folate, such as spinach, legumes, eggs, broccoli + avocado, and in B12, such as salmon, tuna, eggs + nutritional yeast. This just means that for whatever reason (probably digestive related) that I wasn’t absorbing all of the nutrients from my food in my small intestine. Now that I was aware of this, I would just need to properly supplement with a b-complex vitamin and utilize digestive enzymes with meals. After incorporating these supplements into my daily regiment, I was tested a year later and my Folate levels were in the normal range and my B12 levels had increased!

If I hadn’t gotten my blood tested, I would have never known. Along with micronutrients, testing for inflammatory + thyroid markers and even food sensitivities are really eye opening to healing gut issues, increasing energy levels, preventing disease, and balancing hormones. Many of my clients who have gotten their blood work done either before or during my nutrition programs were low in either one or both of Vitamin D and Vitamin B12, which make you feel extremely fatigued and lethargic! It’s also really helpful for those of you thinking about starting a family because you want to make sure you have enough nutrients to be able to carry a baby. I’m glad I got my blood checked because Folate is an extremely important nutrient for pregnancy, and it probably would have been difficult to get pregnant with such low levels. This allowed me time to get my body healthy so that my body is prepared for when we’re ready for that next step.

What + Where?

Now that you are thinking to yourself – ummm, I haven’t had my blood tested in a while and I know I need to, but I don’t know where to go? Don’t worry – I got you! I work with a medical doctor at Broadway Chiropractic and Wellness (located on 39th Street + Broadway) who can draw your blood + read your results, which you can then incorporate on your own or by working with me and my “little adapts” philosophy. The blood panel covers micronutrients, inflammatory + thyroid markers, and food sensitivities. You can simply give them a call and they will verify if your insurance is covered – just make sure to mention my name as your referral 🙂 You will also receive a complimentary spinal consult. I’m actually a patient here and the entire office from the medical doctor to the chiropractors to the PT are phenomenal. If you’re not in NYC and you already have a general practitioner you go to annually, I would highly recommend that you make sure they test you for Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 because that is not always included on your standard blood panel (I know, I know – doesn’t make a lot of sense since most people are deficient in one or both!)

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me as well as to schedule your complimentary 15 minute consultation!

To see the brands I use for supplements, click here.

With Health + Happiness,

Jax

PS – If you’re still feeling under the weather from the cold, check out my recent blog post on the Immunity Boosting Smoothie!

With the cold weather, are you worried about getting sick? Well, look no further as I have a few medicinal herbs that I swear by during the winter months (and anytime I’m starting to feel under the weather) that will help you to prevent, decrease the amount of time you are sick + the severity of the symptoms.

1. Oil of Oregano

This is my #1 herb I use anytime I’m starting to feel sick. Oil of oregano is concentrated medicinal grade oregano that is antibacterial, antiviral + anti-fungal. It is also contains antioxidants, vitamin k, iron + manganese. It’s nature’s natural antibiotic that helps to decrease inflammation and treat sinus infections + allergies. I use it for everything though! Once I know my body is feeling under the weather, I immediately start taking oil of oregano (I prefer the capsules as the water concoction tastes like oregano just exploded in your mouth!) However, desperate times call for desperate measures and I’ll even put the oil directly on my lip if I start to feel a cold sore coming on. Since this is such a potent herb, I would recommend taking 2 capsules morning + night for a maximum of 2 weeks. (*Note: You should not use this herb if you are pregnant.)

2. Echinacea

This powerful herbal wildflower is used specifically for colds + the flu. It is an antimicrobial, which prevents the spread of bacteria, fungi + some viruses. It also contains antioxidants and vitamins A, B complex + E. Once you have the symptoms of a cold, immediately start taking echinacea. I would recommend taking it similarly to the oil of oregano, 2 capsules morning + night until symptoms start to subside (usually 2 to 4 days). If you want to take it for preventative measures, I would recommend decreasing the dosage further.

3. Garlic

This kitchen staple contains a compound called allicin, which is highly effective at killing countless microorganisms for common + rare viruses, including the common cold. I would recommend taking these in tandem with either the oil of oregano or the echinacea, especially for flu/cold symptoms. Again, I would recommend taking 2 capsules morning + night until symptoms start to subside. You can also eat a raw garlic clove, but that’s not for everyone!

Lastly, drink lots of water + coconut water if you are coming down with anything as HYDRATION is key! (*Note: Always check with your doctor if you are taking any medications or if you are pregnant before taking any natural herbs + supplements.)

Hope everyone stays warm + healthy this winter!

With Health + Happiness,

Jax

PS – Want to boost your immunity + rid your body of toxins? Sign up for my “12 Day Real Food Reboot” that starts on Monday, January 14th by clicking here!

PPS – If you’re interested in other supplement recommendations, take a look at my Amazon page here 🙂

Happy December! As we continue enjoying the holiday season, I’m sure many of you have already thought about potentially “detoxing” come January (I know I have!) While I’m not a big fan of the word “detox” because it is often a crazy diet meant to jump start weight loss and is absolutely miserable – I do believe it is important to cleanse the body every so often to give it time to reset, heal and clear out toxins. In this day + age, we are constantly absorbing toxins from the air we breath to the food we eat. In addition, we always seem to be stressed 24/7, which 100% effects our overall health. Our bodies are constantly working extra hard to clear out these toxins so a detox cleanse diet is meant to aid + enhance the detoxification process. I believe in using real, plant based foods to reboot the system rather than a juice cleanse or liquid diet because it allows you to eat and continue exercising (hello, sweating is great for removing toxins from the skin!) The reasons I suggest taking animal protein out of your diet during a reboot is because 1. Meat is much more taxing on the body to digest 2. If cooked at high temperatures, it can release toxins and cause inflammation in the body. With that being said, here are 5 foods you can add to your diet to help your body detox after the holidays:

1. Berries + Fruits

Berries will provide you with those much needed antioxidants. Antioxidants is a word that gets thrown around often, but what does it actually mean? They prevent the oxidation of molecules in the body, which if unchallenged, can lead to disease and chronic illnesses. The body produces antioxidants but not enough to balance the number of free radicals we have, which is why we need to eat foods that are high in antioxidants.

2. Beets

Want to help out your liver that has been working so hard over the holidays? Add some beets into your diet the next day, whether it’s in your smoothie, a side to your main meal, or on top of your salad. Beets are high in antioxidants, but contain nutrients which help the liver to eliminate toxins and support the detoxification process.

3. Tea

Tea helps you bounce back in multiple ways depending upon the type of tea as well as acting a source of hydration. Green tea contains a lot of antioxidants, but herbs like lemongrass, ginger, dandelion, and milk thistle all have similar characteristics that support a healthy liver.

4. Coconut Water

Coconut water is a great body detox drink. It actually hydrates you faster than water and adds back electrolytes + potassium into your body to help regulate your fluid levels. This is a staple in my diet!

5. Fermented Foods

Digestion is key after a holiday to make sure you break down the food you have eaten + absorb as many nutrients as possible so you don’t feel bloated and full. Kombucha is a fermented tea that contains naturally occurring probiotics and healthy organic acids. Just like kombucha which is fermented, you can also find naturally occurring probiotics in fermented foods, such as tempeh, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, soy sauce, miso, + yogurt labeled with “live + active” cultures.

If you are looking for a detox program this January, you are in luck! I am hosting a “12 Day Real Food Reboot Program” starting January 14th. This program will include 3 remote group sessions, a plant based food guide (both what to eat + not eat), a meal plan guide, and natural remedies to enhance the detoxification process from supplements to stress management tools. Lastly, you will have access to the “Little Adapts By Jax Reboot” community to support one another in this journey. From now until December 25th, you can receive the “Early Bird Special” of $129 (Regular cost of the program is $149). To sign up today, click the below button!

With Health + Happiness,
Jax

It’s finally November and Thanksgiving is around the corner! Many of my clients have asked me to come up with a “Holiday Little Adapts” guide for them so they can still enjoy themselves during this wonderful time of the year without feeling bloated, guilty, or stressed. Since I think all of the “Little Adapts” community would benefit, I wanted to give you 3 tips on how to stay your healthiest + happiest during the holiday season.

1. Stay hydrated + increase digestion.

One of the best things you can do for your body is staying hydrated. It helps keep your digestion on track, flushes out the toxins, and brings nutrients to your cells. In addition to these benefits, drinking water will also keep you from overeating, especially if it’s chia seed water! Chia seed water is one of my new favorite elixirs. You add 1 tbsp of chia seeds in a water bottle or glass of water, shake it up/stir, and then wait 5 minutes to allow the seeds to absorb the water. These superfood seeds are packed with protein, fiber, and omega-3s that will keep you satisfied. Speaking of fiber, if you feel like you need a little extra digestion boost – drink a Health-Ade kombucha and/or take a digestive enzyme after dinner. Lastly, hydration will help your body bounce back more quickly the next day after the rich food and holiday wine/cocktails!

2. Offer to bring healthy apps, sides, and/or dessert so you have options that make you feel good!

This is one of my favorite tips because: 1. No one ever gets upset if you offer to bring food. 2. You can influence others to eat better with your healthy dishes! If you have been following me for a while, you know that I’m always trying to “healthify” the classics. I have been doing this since 2013, especially when my family had no idea what I could or couldn’t eat.

I usually opt for extra veggie dishes and dairy-free, gluten-free desserts. The extra veggies help you to fill your plate with ¾ greens + veggies and still leaves ¼ of the plate for a few of the indulgent holiday foods you love. It’s not about what you can’t have; it’s about just eating more of the healthier, nutrient dense foods so you don’t overindulge in the rich foods on the table. Also, don’t forget to use my go-to motto: “Is it worth it?” This will also help you to pick and choose your battles as well as figure out which holidays foods you actually love.

Finally, the healthy dessert works because you can literally “have your cake and eat it too!” I did this a few years ago with my famous dark chocolate covered strawberries and they were the star of the dessert table. Stay tuned for my new “Pumpkin Pie Truffle” recipe that will be posted to the blog next week. It gives you all the feels of pumpkin pie without the guilt!

3. Move your body!

As much as I love using food to heal + nourish the body, I am also a huge fan of using exercise to keep the body in balance. I know schedules are tough around the holidays, but ask yourself – do you have 20 to 30 minutes to squeeze in a quick workout? The answer 99% of the time is: YES! You might have to wake up slightly earlier, but I’m telling you that it is always worth it and the way you feel mentally is amazing. I would recommend exercising the morning of and definitely doing a detox workout the next day. Again, it doesn’t require you to go to a class or the gym – it could be as easy as doing a 4×7 workout or going for a run outside. (If you haven’t tried my 4×7 workouts yet, you can find some of them on my highlights on my Instagram @littleadaptsbyjax – they are super easy to do no matter where you are!) If that’s not compelling enough, here is a list of reasons why you should do a quick, at-home workout: 1. It’s free 2. You control the length of the workout. 3. You won’t feel as guilty if you happen to indulge slightly more than you would have wanted to. 4. It allows you to let off some of the stress caused by the holidays AKA family drama (let’s be honest, we all have it!)

Hope these tips were helpful to help you navigate the holiday scene without feeling overwhelmed and guilty. The holidays are meant to be enjoyed over food with the people who mean the most to you. These guidelines will help you to change your perception about the food we put in our bodies, which is to fuel, nourish + heal us. Remember: As long as you’re consistent 80% of the time, you can still enjoy and live your life. Happy Thanksgiving, friends!

With Health + Happiness,

Jax

The obvious answer is NOW. However, we tend to wait until we can’t take our unhealthy habits anymore or there is a big life change/event coming up, such as getting engaged, going on a beach vacation, preparing to get pregnant, getting back on track after having multiple kids, etc. The reason people have to go on “diets” is because many of us often make our health the last priority. When in reality, this should never be the case; your health is all you have and nobody but YOU is going to prioritize it. The best way to love yourself and your family + friends is to keep yourself healthy + strong so you can be there for them. Your health should always be your number one priority no matter what.  

The question is — why wait? Creating a healthy + happy lifestyle is a way of life; it’s not a periodic diet that only lasts until you can no longer sustain it and eventually go back to your old ways. This lifestyle doesn’t happen overnight or in a few weeks, but develops over months and years by making small, gradual changes or “little adapts” to make the transition as easy as possible all while learning to listen to your body. You’ll never “diet” again if you figure out what works for you. By starting now, you’ll never have to worry about any of these life events being a motivation to “get healthy” because you’ll always already be there. With this lifestyle, you’ll have more energy, feel less bloated, lose weight and start to crave healthy foods because you’ll actually enjoy eating them.

As my one year wedding anniversary approaches and I look back on the last 2 years, I think about how happy I am with my own version of “healthy + happy”. I’ve been on this journey since 2013 with many bumps in the road and learning curves figuring how to create the best “Jax” lifestyle. It hasn’t been all that easy with a lot of learning and healing along the way. I’m proud to say that I’ve finally figured it out and have been able to maintain my weight, muscle tone, strength + eating habits. The only thing I changed eating wise in my so-called “wedding diet” was not having dark chocolate or a healthy sweet EVERY single night! Honestly, it was for the best because sweets (even the healthy ones) aren’t meant to be eaten everyday. Now that I’ve convinced you that your healthy + happy lifestyle starts today, where do you begin?

Here are 3 easy tips to get your started:

1. Decide what part of your lifestyle you would like to work on first. Most of my clients are looking to focus on their nutrition. However, this can be totally overwhelming. I would recommend picking one meal a day to start with. For example, you could choose to work on making your snacks healthier or finding new healthy breakfast alternatives. It’s much easier to work on meal by meal versus changing your breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and dessert all at once. Once you get the hang of one meal, you can easily move onto the next. Lastly, I just want to highlight that I mentioned “lifestyle” and not just nutrition and fitness because some of you may choose to work on handling stress, sleeping, or toxic relationships first in your life. Living a healthy + happy lifestyle is not solely about just nutrition and fitness; it’s taking a holistic approach to your entire life.

2. Once you’ve determined what you will be working on first, set 3 monthly goals and 2-3 weekly goals to get started. The monthly goals are where you want to be at the end of the month. The weekly goals are the “little adapts” you will take each week in order to reach your monthly goals.

For example, your monthly goals could be something like this:

1. Find healthier snack alternatives and recipes.
2. Grocery shop weekly.
3. Find a healthier version of my favorite protein bar.  

Then your weekly goals would look something like this:

1. Come up with 1 new whole food healthy snack to try.
2. Research a new healthy protein bar to try this week.
3. Create a grocery list that includes these new healthy snacks.

*Note: It’s definitely okay to take a few weeks to figure out what works best for you and try new things. Again, there is no right answer except figuring out what works best for you. You can always adjust your monthly goals if you feel like you’re ready to work on the next meal group before the month is up!

3. Be consistent! I can’t stress this enough. The only way to create this lifestyle is by sticking to your goals and holding yourself accountable. The more you do something, the more easily it becomes second nature. Also, don’t forget to be kind to yourself and have patience throughout the process! This is not going to happen overnight, but I PROMISE that it will work!

I hope this blog was inspirational and helpful to get you started on your own healthy + happy lifestyle. If you think you need more guidance and accountability, feel free to reach out for a complimentary 30 minute consultation to see if my program is right for you. (I provide you with everything you need to get started, including grocery lists and food guides as well as access to all of my health knowledge so you don’t have to do the research yourself!) In addition, please reach out if there are any specific health topics you would like me to cover in my next monthly newsletter. Happy October!

With Health + Happiness,
Jax

Now that summer is coming to an end, how will your eating habits change? Typically the cyclical dieting routine goes like this: extreme dieting before summer, flexible dieting to enjoy the summer, detox immediately after the summer, and loose “dieting” during the winter because “hello sweaters and jeans”. What if I told that you didn’t have to go through these extremes and could find YOUR own version of healthy + happy? Not someone else’s and not some strict diet that gives you great results, but makes you absolutely miserable and just isn’t sustainable long term. It doesn’t require any restricting; just gradual, positive changes AKA “little adapts”.

There seem to be so many different diets these days, such as Whole30, Keto, Paleo, Macros, South Beach, that it’s hard to keep track of them all. While I do believe that these diets can help to instill healthier habits + provide great, immediate results, they don’t really teach you about why you should be eating certain foods and what nutrients they are providing you. Ultimately, you’re not paying attention to how certain foods make you feel but rather focusing on the number of LBs you’re losing. Both are important depending upon what your goals are, but if you choose to focus on how certain foods make you feel and how your body reacts as well, you will more easily be able to develop a healthy, happy lifestyle to transition after your 2 week or 1 month diet ends. This is exactly what I provide for my clients as well as create their own individual food guides to help keep them on track.

As you transition from a diet to a lifestyle, you’ll need to start incorporating foods again that maybe were limited or restricted from the diet. This is the perfect opportunity to really understand what that food does to your body and if you actually have any sensitivities to it. Many of my clients will use a food tracker for a few weeks to become more conscious of what they are putting in their bodies and how they feel after eating.

Whether you are starting your healthy lifestyle or transitioning off of a restrictive diet, you need to start thinking about if the food you are eating is REAL FOOD. This is the easiest + healthiest way to make better food choices. Don’t get me wrong, everyone’s body is different so we require different ratios of food or macros and definitely have different sensitivities to food. Since macros are a term thrown around often these days, let’s define them. Macronutrients are the food groups that we need to eat in large quantities and provides us with the bulk of our energy: carbohydrates, protein, + fats. In addition, micronutrients are essential elements (vitamins + minerals) that we require in smaller quantities to help our bodies function and stay healthy. We need both macronutrients + micronutrients to survive and thrive.

I keep referring to “Real Food” because at the end of the day, you need to buy and eat less packaged foods filled with sugar, salt + chemicals as well as make a conscious effort to cook at home more frequently. In addition, one of the biggest lessons I teach my clients is that 3/4 of your plate should be filled with greens + veggies. I can’t tell you how many photos I see where I see the carbs, protein + 1 measly green when the plate should be overflowing with greens + veggies. Greens + veggies provide our bodies with so many nutrients + vitamins not to mention plant based protein that it’s silly not to have them as part of almost every meal. The easiest way to do this is by adding a handful of spinach or kale to your morning smoothie or asking for a side salad or veggie with your meal.

Lastly, the key to creating a healthy lifestyle is by being consistent with your healthy food choices and workout routine. I’m not saying you need to eat healthy 100% of the time, but it’s about making the healthiest food choices you can at least 80% of the time given your circumstances. With that being said, don’t forget to live your life and to utilize the question “Is it worth it?” to help guide your healthy food choices. As you’re more consistent with your healthy lifestyle, you will start to have more energy and feel better overall. As a result, you will be motivated to continue making new “little adapts” each week to get the results that not only make you feel and look good but also make you happy!

In conclusion, listen to your body when it comes to eating and pay attention to what it’s telling you. Maybe try tracking your food for a week or 2 in a free food tracker like myfitnesspal and see what your diet is really like. Lastly when it comes to eating, try as best you can to choose the “real food” option, make sure there is always an abundance of greens + veggies on your plate, and be consistent with this new healthy lifestyle you are developing. If you’re someone who needs and wants more guidance, reach out for a FREE 30 minute consultation because why not? Happy September!

With Health + Happiness,

Jax

Some of you may have seen my recent insta post: “Is it real food?” Again, this is the easiest and simplest question you can ask yourself before eating something. Food in its raw form will always have more nutrients and vitamins since it has not been cooked or processed in anyway. This is why it is so important to read nutrition labels before consuming or buying food as many packaged goods are super processed and packed with chemicals. This is also why I am a big believer in trying to cook at home as much as possible because you really don’t know what restaurants are putting in their food. Today my goal is to break down how to read a nutrition label in just 3 easy steps so you can confidently walk into any grocery store and be able to decide if the food is healthy or not.

Let’s go through an example with my favorite granola, Purely Elizabeth:

Step 1: Do you know what all of the ingredients are (aka can you even pronounce them)?

• Before I even look at the nutrition facts, I go straight to the ingredients. If you don’t know most of the ingredients, just put it back on the shelf. If you don’t know what they are, then your body definitely won’t know either. Therefore, it will take a lot longer for your body to digest as opposed to a food with real, whole ingredients.

Step 2: How many ingredients are there?

• My rule of thumb is to stick to at least 10 ingredients or less. The less the better, and if there are more than 10 ingredients, then make a judgement call based on step 1.

Step 3: Are there less than 9 grams of sugar per serving?

I’m sure you’ve heard at one point or another that sugar is evil (which I will confirm that this is true and most people are addicted in some way or another!) There are so many hidden sugars in our food and you’ll start to notice this as you go through the ingredients. Some of the most common ones are: sugar/sucrose, fructose, agave, cane sugar, honey, brown rice syrup, dates, maple syrup, corn syrup, blackstrap molasses, etc. (Click here if you would like to see all 56 names for sugar.) As a rule of thumb, I try to stick to 9 grams of sugar or less per serving, but again it’s more of a judgement call based on the first 2 steps and the type of sugar. Typically on-the-go bars will be a little higher around 14g or so, which is why I only eat them when I’m traveling or need a meal/snack in a pinch as they are easy to throw in my bag or suitcase.

This granola has real, whole ingredients (a total of 10) and there are only 6g of sugar per serving. In addition, it it sweetened with coconut sugar, which is the best type of sugar to use as it doesn’t spike your blood sugar levels like other sugars do!

This is one of my favorite things to teach clients and I’m happy I was able to share it with you too. Now that I have made nutrition reading less daunting for you, give it a try the next time you are in the grocery store. You’ll be surprised by the foods you once deemed “healthy”!

With Health + Happiness,

Jax