Jessica Faissal's Diet and Fitness tips.

01/08/2026

The 2025–2030 new dietary guidelines-while many recommendations align with longstanding nutrition science, other elements raise significant concerns.

What the Academy of nutrition supports:

🥗 Encouraging nutrient-dense foods, including fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
🍩 Recommendations to limit highly processed foods and added sugars.
🥩 Maintaining a limit of no more than 10% of total calories from saturated fat, while prioritizing healthier fats.
🫘 Increased attention to fiber and microbiome health.

Where the Academy has concerns:

🧈 Saturated Fat: Emphasis on butter, beef tallow, red meat and full fat dairy is inconsistent with the recommendation of limiting saturated fat to 10% of total calories. Evidence shows https://lnkd.in/gAwrVqX6) that these foods are high in saturated fat, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

🧀 Dairy: The new guidelines do not consider individuals who cannot or choose not to consume dairy products.

🧁 Low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners: The guidelines emphasize moderation even though evidence to date indicates they are generally considered safe within acceptable intake limits

11/27/2025

I had the wonderful opportunity to lead a healthy eating presentation for a group of preschoolers, and it was such a rewarding experience.

We explored the basics of nutrition in a way that made sense for their age—using simple language, colorful visuals, and interactive moments to help them understand the importance of balanced eating.

We talked about “anytime foods” vs. “sometimes foods,” the power of colorful fruits and vegetables, and how healthy choices help our bodies grow strong and energized.

What impressed me most was their enthusiasm. They eagerly shared their favorite foods and guessed food groups. Their curiosity and openness at this age make these conversations especially meaningful.

It was a wonderful reminder that building healthy habits truly starts early—and that education can be both impactful and fun.

11/12/2025

Exercise isn’t just about looking a certain way, it’s about feeling stronger, both physically and mentally.
It’s so much easier to stay consistent with an activity you like.

This might explain why some people view the gym as an invaluable time of solitude—a place where they can get away from the grind and be present with their thoughts. Whether they work out in their garage or the local gym, their exercise routine is a place of refuge.

One of the temptations that arise when you’re working out in a community setting is that of comparison. It doesn’t matter what people next to you or on social media are doing, instead, focus on yourself and meet yourself where you are.

09/25/2025

Tips on ordering healthier Indian dishes:

Order dishes with Dal (lentils), choose tomato sauces over creamy ones

Skip: Naan, this soft flatbread has little nutritional value.
Order: Chana Masala. Its main ingredient is chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans. The legume is loaded with folate, iron, fiber, and vitamin B.

Skip: Chicken Tikka Masala
It’s one of the most-ordered entrees at Indian joints. But like many Indian dishes that were originally low fat, the modern recipe for chicken tikka masala is anything but. An average portion has whopping 1,249 calories and 90.8 grams of fat. A lot of that comes from the ghee and heavy cream.

Order: Tandoori Proteins
Much like grilling, all the flavor comes from the meat and marinade, not oils or other unneeded fats.

07/27/2025

First time bouldering 🧗🏼

04/21/2025

What to look for when choosing shoes? 🏃‍♀️
•Focus on fit. When you run, your feet expand and swell. Aim for at least a thumb’s width of space between your longest toe and the end of your shoe.
•Try lots of shoes. If possible, visit a specialty running store for a fitting. Try on a bunch of shoes, and go back to the pairs that felt the best.
•Comfort is key. If a shoe feels off when you try it on for the first time, it most likely won’t feel much better on a run.
•Shop with a goal. Consider what you want most from your shoes. Is it distance? Think cushioning. Speed? Look for weight and responsiveness.

A good pair of running shoes will run near about $100 to $160. Prices much higher than that are likely to offer options that you don’t need as a beginner. That said, most running shoe companies update their popular models nearly every year, and you can sometimes find very good deals on last year’s version. Most running shoes are designed for somewhere between 300 and 500 miles.


What are your favorites running shoes? Share below ⬇️.

03/08/2025

Finding your why when it comes to being active will help you stay consistent.
Go deep, and get specific. Instead of “I want to lose weight,” think about why you want to lose weight — does diabetes run in your family? Do you want to stave off chronic disease? What about keeping up with your kids? Drop your “why” in the comments!

02/07/2025

Slowly regaining my strength post second delivery. It’s a journey but I’m enjoying the challenge ❤️‍🔥 Happy to share practical tips with new moms/ moms to be 📧

11/27/2024

Celiac disease (CD) is a condition in which a person’s immune system attacks their body’s own tissues after eating gluten.

Gluten intolerance is different and occurs when people feel unwell after eating gluten.

The body’s reactions to gluten play a key role in the underlying causes of both CD and gluten insensitivity. Examples of foods with gluten include:

wheat products, including baked goods, bread, and pasta
barley products, such as beer, food colorings, and malt
rye products, like bread and cereals
Products containing oats may also have experienced cross-contamination with gluten during transport, meaning that some may trigger an immune response in people with CD. However, individuals with CD usually tolerate specifically gluten-free oat products well.

The only way to treat either CD or Gluten Sensitivity is to follow a gluten-free diet. People with these diets will need to avoid any contact with gluten.

They may also want to keep their food separate from gluten-containing foods and prepare their food separately, avoiding any shared serving utensils, cutting boards, ovens, and toasters.

Gluten-free foods that may be safe for people with CD and GS to eat include:

fruits and vegetables
milk, cheese, butter, and most other dairy products
rice and rice noodles
meat and fish (without batter or breadcrumbs)
gluten-free flours such as rice, soy, potato, and corn four.

09/16/2024

Healthy Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients
1X

▢ 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut up into strips
▢ 3 TBSP olive oil
▢ 2 garlic cloves, minced
▢ 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
▢ 1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized chunks
▢ 1 small onion, chopped into bite-sized chunks
▢ 1 large carrot, cut into strips

Chicken marinade.
▢ 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
▢ 1 tsp rice wine
▢ 1/2 tsp sea salt
▢ 1/4 tsp sesame oil

Sweet and sour sauce.
▢ 1/2 cup rice vinegar
▢ 1/2 cup raw honey
▢ 1/3 cup ketchup
▢ 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce

Chicken 🍗 marinade.
Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Place the cut up chicken into it and toss to coat. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.

Sweet and sour sauce.
In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the sweet and sour sauce ingredients until well combined.

Heat a skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, transfer the marinated chicken to it and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until golden brown (about 3-5 minutes). Transfer the chicken to a bowl and set aside.

If necessary, add a bit of oil to the pan. Add the vegetables, and let them sauté until they’ve softened—about 5 minutes.

Bring the chicken back to the pan and cook alongside the vegetables for another minute or until the chicken registers an internal temperature of 165ºF. Stir in the sweet and sour sauce and toss all of the ingredients to evenly coat them. Bring the skillet to a low simmer and let the sauce thicken a bit.

Turn off the heat, stir in the scallions, and top with sesame seeds.

Serve with rice

08/19/2024

08/13/2024

Summer salads are the best 🥗🥗