Wellness By Jessica

04/05/2025

It’s time to share our news, Kieran and I have a baby girl joining us in July 💕

As some of you know, our journey hasn’t been the easiest, so are excited to have made it this far and can’t wait for her to join us earth side. 🌈

My thoughts are always with those still on their journey to pregnancy and bringing home a baby, I know how heartbreaking and tough it can be.

I will be starting maternity leave on the 9th of June, and will be on emails after that point until baby makes her arrival. Once she is here I will be completely offline for 6 weeks. After this point I will have limited time on email, but won’t be seeing clients again until 2026.

Current patients: please look out for a email coming soon with more details about supplements, on going support, and who is here to help you while I’m away.

Jess x

07/03/2025

Trying to conceive with PCOS can feel impossible, but I promise you, there is so much you can do to improve your chances.

The most important thing is to start prep early!

05/03/2025

It’s endometriosis awareness month. For a disease that impacts 10% of those assigned female at birth, it is spoken about far too little.

There is a very good chance that at least a few people you come into contact with today suffer from endometriosis.

I have spent 10 years of my career working with women and helping them manage their endometriosis. Little did I know that I would become 1 in 10 too.

After our first miscarriage and then 13 months of no luck trying to conceive, I decided I would have a laparoscopy to look for possible issues.

With very few symptoms I really didn’t think my surgeon would find endometriosis. Well I was wrong.

Waking up to the diagnosis of adenomyosis and stage 3 endometriosis was a bit of a shock. My only symptoms were slightly long bleeding, and on and off nerve pain in my legs, and I guess infertility. You would think that as someone with so much knowledge of the disease I would have been less shocked.

The point is that endometriosis can present in a multitude of ways. Painful periods is just the tip of the iceberg, endo can cause gut and bladder issues, leg pain, infertility, fatigue, abnormal bleeding, pain, brain fog, painful s*x and more.

In NZ it takes almost 10 years to get diagnosed, which is ridiculous. If you have female anatomy and present with any endo symptoms then the diagnosis should be on the table from the get go.

The more people speak about it the more those struggling can get the help they need. 💛

05/03/2025

POV: you’re diagnosed with PCOS at 18 and told it will cause infertility 😦 A common, but misleading story. Not everyone with PCOS will experience infertility, and there is so much that can be done to mitigate issues and improve chances of conception.

03/03/2025

There are different types of PCOS! Almost all the advice I see online is aimed at insulin resistant based PCOS, but if that’s not what’s driving your PCOS then that advice will do NOTHING for you 🤷🏼‍♀️

How do you figure out what type you have? You test - blood testing a few different markers is the best way to figure it out. Drop a comment and I will send you the link to my blog with the list of tests needed (chat to your GP or health professional about testing) 🍓

02/03/2025

I see PCOS misdiagnosed all the time! Women living their lives for 10+ years thinking they have PCOS when in fact, they don’t 😲😲. So, do you even have PCOS? 👇

PCOS or Polycystic ovarian syndrome is associated with the following symptoms:

Symptoms:
Dark facial hair growth
Hair loss from the scalp
Acne on the face or body
Weight gain
Irregular cycles - longer than 35 days
Infertility
High cholesterol 

Before we get into the ins and outs of PCOS, first, let’s see if the diagnosis fits you. 

According to the Rotterdam criteria PCOS can be diagnosed if any two of the following are present:

Clinical or biochemical hyperandrogenism - high androgens on a blood test or physical signs of high androgens (dark facial hair growth, hair loss, acne)
Evidence of oligo-anovulation - lack of ovulation or irregular ovulation (cycles longer than 35 days)
Polycystic appearing-ovarian morphology on ultrasound (note: you can have polycystic ovaries on an ultrasound WITHOUT having PCOS the condition)

There also needs to be no other causes for the symptoms, all other disorders are ruled out. 

Newer thinking focuses on the androgen excess aspect of the syndrome, and believe for a true PCOS diagnosis that androgen excess must be present physically or on a blood test. A change of name of the syndrome has been suggested for better clarity, from PCOS to Androgen Excess Syndrome.  This would leave other factors causing irregular ovulation to be classified as their own syndrome/issue.

To find out more about PCOS testing and the types of PCOS, head over to my blog. Link in bio 🍓

02/03/2025

On the blog this month I am diving into the details of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS affects about 10% of the population, but is still something that I see misdiagnosed all of the time. 
 
In this blog I have broken down what PCOS is (and isn’t), how it can be diagnosed, blood tests used to diagnose PCOS and rule out other conditions, the types of PCOS, and how it impacts fertility.
 
If you have been diagnosed with PCOS or have any of the following symptoms:
* Dark facial hair growth
* Hair loss from the scalp
* Acne on the face or body
* Weight gain
* Irregular cycles - longer than 35 days
* Infertility
* High cholesterol

Then you should have a read of my latest blog - linked in my bio.

Leave your PCOS questions below or in my story box and I will answer these this week.

03/02/2025

🍳If you could buy a pill that would give you less hunger, more focus, and better energy - you would! Well guess what, breakfast does this for you.

Comment on this post and I will send you some of my go-to higher protein recipes. Make sure you save slide 5 too! 💕

26/01/2025

If you’re looking to make changes for 2025 I suggest starting here….

These are my every day health habits that improve my life the most but with the smallest about of effort.

What would you add to this list? 🤔💕

26/11/2024

Such a great night with Women in Business 💕

🌟 Highlights from Jessica's inspiring talk at our event last month 🌟

We were thrilled to host Jessica from Wellness By Jessica who shared her expert advice on how to improve our health and productivity through better sleep and nutrition. Here are some of her top tips:

💤 Sleep is the Foundation to Good Decisions:
Jessica emphasised that great decisions start with good sleep! Even just one glass of wine can disrupt your deep sleep cycle, so aim for reducing or limiting alcohol.

☕ Caffeine & Sleep:
Did you know that coffee takes 12 hours for half of the dose to leave your system? To avoid disrupting your sleep, try to cut off caffeine after midday.

🌙 Early Bedtime = Restorative Sleep:
You get the most restorative sleep before midnight, so getting to bed early is crucial. Consistency is key—try to go to bed at the same time each night. We know that’s not always easy over the festive season!

🍳 Protein Power:
Finally, make sure each meal includes good-quality protein, and don't skip breakfast -it’s your chance to start the day strong and fuel your body right. Jessica also shared a handy tip: add collagen into your meal or even your coffee for an extra protein boost – you won’t even know it’s in there!

If you have any further questions, Jessica can be reached at: www.wellnessbyjessica.com

Start incorporating Jessica’s tips into your routine and enjoy better sleep, sharper focus, and more energy to tackle your goals. 💪🌱

09/10/2024

Buy Tickets on Humanitix - Women in Business Spring 2024 hosted by Women in Business. Merchant of Matamata, 44 Broadway, Matamata 3400, New Zealand. Monday 21st October 2024. Find event information.

06/09/2024

Add to cart 🛒

These are foods I buy all the time to help me build satisfying mid afternoon snacks.

Yes, I snack pretty much every day around 4pm. Why? Because I feel best when I eat every 4-5 hours. It helps me maintain energy in the afternoon, and stops me turning into a monster just before dinner at 6/7pm. 👹

These foods are 100% luxuries and a massive privilege to be able to buy, and there are other home made options that are cheaper and just as nutrient dense.

Let me know what types of home made snack options you need help with for me next post 💕