As January 2023 comes to a close, perhaps your New Year’s resolutions have started to wain, or you’re in need of a little motivational boost to keep your health on track this year. We’ve spoken to Jessica Sepel, nutritionist and founder of JS Health Vitamins to find out her tips for how to stay healthy in 2023.

January can be so overwhelming with health products, supplements, or fitness routines for people. What would you say is the best way to tackle the New Year if someone wants to feel healthier?

Some of my tips to leading a healthier life this New Year are:

1.Take everything one step at a time. You don’t need to do everything at once! Remember that the journey to better health is not something achieved overnight, but if you begin your journey in winter you’ll already feel revitalised by the time summer comes around.

2.Try one new exercise. Choose one exercise you want to try and commit to doing it once a week. Gradually increase your exercise to two or three times a week, and build up the habit slowly. Remember that the exercises do not have to be strenuous and can be as simple as walking around the park.

3.Be kind to yourself as you try new things. You may not be the best in your first pilates class (or your second), but it’s important to remember that every small step you make is helping you lead a happier and healthier life.

4.Add more greens to your diet. You can do this by experimenting with different produce and trying to eat in season – it’s cheaper and nature gives us what we need at different times of the year. Some winter season greens include avocado, spinach, peas and broccoli.

The JSHealth philosophy is all about balance – don’t cut out all your favourite treats, or force yourself to exercise when it doesn’t feel right for your body! This lead-0-s to bingeing, and feeling restricted! Instead, aim to make healthy choices the majority of the time, and allow yourself to indulge mindfully a couple of times per week! No need to cut all your fave foods out, that isn’t health! 

So don’t feel pressured to diet this January, to work off that Christmas weight! Make small changes to live a healthy, sustainable lifestyle, and be kind to yourself! Everything in moderation

How can people know where to start when adding supplements into their diet?

You’ve got to tune into your health and state of wellbeing. I really encourage people to listen to the signs and signals of their bodies. Additionally, doing a clinical assessment, which usually involves blood tests from a GP/nutritionist, is a great way to gather data that will help determine if and what supplements to add.

I do find there is a lot of confusion out there about supplements and people are often overwhelmed, not knowing what to take. That’s why I created the JSHealth Vitamins range of signature formulas to be solution-driven. This means that they target specific and common complaints and symptoms, such as low energy, stress, hormonal imbalances, poor sleep, hair loss and skin issues, making it easy for customers to find one that will best help them.

What does a typical day in the life look like for you?

Each morning I’ll wake up around 7.30am as I try to get 7-8 hours of sleep each night. I continue my technology ban from the evening – so no checking of social media, texts or emails –  until after I’ve been awake for at least 30-40 minutes and practiced my wholesome morning routine.

My bedtime ritual is probably my most committed part of the day, which I call my ‘Sleepy Routine.’

 Anyone who knows me knows I am incredibly dedicated to my nighttime routine, because it has profoundly changed the way I sleep and how I feel when I wake up. 

At around 8.30-9pm, I have a very strict boundary where I switch off from ALL social media and emails. I know that there are some busy mums/workers out there that need to work in the evening, so simply find a time that works for you and stick to it. The trick is – to then commit to it. I take it so seriously that I even delete the apps and redownload them in the morning – which completely removes the temptation to cheat and check anything!

At this time, I run an epsom salt and lavender oil bath, which I soak in while listening to a podcast or reading a book. Following this, I make a chamomile apple tea with manuka honey. I then put my legs up against the wall for 10 minutes and take deep belly breaths. This practice is incredibly powerful for calming down the nervous system and it truly helps me to fall asleep faster. I then head to bed and watch Masterchef before switching off for sleep. I always pop 1-2 PM+ Sleep vitamins from our range about 30 minutes before bed, which contain my favourite herbs and nutrients for deep sleep. Life-changing!

What JSHealth products prove to be most popular in the winter months, and why?

Our most popular products for the Winter season tend to be Vitamin D, Immune+ and AM+. That’s why we created a bundle especially for the colder months, our ‘Winter Wellness Kit’. 

Winter is the season for colds and flu, so it’s important especially at this time of year to boost our immune systems. Our Immune formula contains Andrographis, Zinc and Echinacea which support healthy immune system function. Zinc and Olive Leaf are antioxidants that support free radical damage to body cells.

Vitamin D is also extremely important. It is a fat-soluble vitamin used by the body for many important processes. Our bodies synthesize vitamin D naturally through adequate exposure to sunlight, so it’s very easy to become deficient during the winter months. Around 50% of the population has vitamin D insufficiency as they are not getting enough of this important vitamin through sun exposure and diet alone, which is where a quality supplement may be helpful.

If you had to recommend a selection of supplements for someone suffering with their hormones, what would it be?

When extra support is needed, I recommend the JSHealth Vitamins Hormone + PMS Support formula, which has helped so many women balance their hormones and menstrual cycles. It features the incredible herbs Chaste Tree and Dong Quai, which work to nourish the reproductive system, support healthy periods and regular cycles, whilst relieving the unwanted symptoms of PMS, such as mood swings and cramps. 

What would be your desert island supplements?

It changes all the time! I have always believed that one must tune into their bodies and connect to what their body is needing- and as this changes all the time, so will the supplements you need at a particular point in life.

Right now,  I am really loving our nighttime sleep formula, PM+ for sleep support and calming the mind. We live in a chaotic world and stress levels are high which can impact sleep. I also am working longer, later hours. This formula helps me to fall asleep quickly and stay in a deep sleep.

I also really adore our Vitality X Collagen, as this is a formula that contains the purest form of marine collagen from Norway, plus 10 of my other favourite nutrients, minerals and antioxidants that support vitality, digestion, energy and skin health. It is my go-to inner beauty powder.

What piece of advice would you give to someone who has a big list of New Year’s resolutions?

When it comes to keeping resolutions, it is very important you don’t place pressure on yourself to do it all perfectly and follow the “perfect” diet/exercise regime– often this pressure backfires and we give up altogether. Think, balance, and be kind towards yourself. Just make the best choices available to you. Be proud of the small changes that you ARE making! Therefore, my advice would be to prioritise your top two or three targets for the year, focus on those wholeheartedly and go from there. Remember to enjoy yourself!