Amy Jarosky found her call to wellness after experiencing burnout from the demands of working at a New York City hedge fund. Needing a change of pace, she discovered her passion for helping people take charge of their health, including her own. Now a health coach, the founder of Healthy Vices, and a Provenance Partner, Amy supports hardworking professionals balance the pressures of corporate jobs with healthy habits. In a time when we are all reevaluating our lifestyles, Amy shares why we need to slow down, tips to create change, and how routine cleanses can improve performance and presence.
As the founder of Healthy Vices and a health coach, you help people with busy schedules make positive lifestyle changes. What do you feel are the biggest barriers to making change?
For busy professionals, lack of time is definitely a barrier for change. It can be difficult to prioritize your health when you’re drowning in work and barely have time for yourself. But, there are ways you can add in new, healthy habits without taking up much more time. For example, you can meditate for five minutes while getting dressed in the morning. Or, you can have healthy groceries delivered to save time on food shopping or order pre-cooked meals from a healthy meal delivery service to cut back on hours of cooking time.
Another roadblock is staying motivated. When you have a goal in mind, motivation can definitely come and go on a daily basis. Focusing on just one or two new habits that align with your end goal is a great way to maintain motivation. You set yourself up for success by not taking on too much at a time. After you master those habits, then you can add in one or two more and keep building on them. This habit stacking process will help you feel like you’re making progress, which will keep you engaged. Hiring a coach to provide accountability and support is another way to stay excited about the process.
Do you think COVID-19 has been a wake-up call for people to seek opportunities that support their health and well-being?
Absolutely! I think COVID-19 has given everyone a chance to reevaluate and redesign their lifestyle. As most people’s schedules have changed dramatically, we’ve been given a clean slate to build a healthier, more meaningful routine. We’ve had the opportunity to truly think about what was working and what wasn’t serving us. From our careers and relationships to food choices and workout routines, every aspect of our life has been reconsidered. I think this is one of the silver linings to this incredibly challenging time.
“Eating clean became a daily practice, which has been life changing for me. Including whole, unprocessed foods in my diet allows me to feel my absolute best, mentally and physically.”
You found your calling in health and wellness after ending a career in the stressful world of finance. How does clean eating support stress reduction?
For over 10 years, I worked at a large hedge fund in NYC. During this time, I began to feel unwell and eventually left the corporate world to prioritize my health and wellness. Eating clean became a daily practice, which has been life-changing for me. Including whole, unprocessed foods in my diet allows me to feel my absolute best, mentally and physically. Foods such as dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds, berries, fermented foods, and even dark chocolate provide tons of antioxidants and phytonutrients that support mood and keep stress at bay.
What are the top five tips you would recommend to someone wanting to change their eating habits?
Start slow - Whenever you want to make a change, starting slow is the key. Working on one or two dietary changes at a time is ideal. This way, you won’t feel overwhelmed and eventually quit.
Get support - Trying to reach any goal all alone is always harder. Finding support by joining a group program with like-minded people will help you stay motivated. Hiring a coach is another great way to gain support and accountability.
Focus on mindset - Creating new eating habits can be stressful. Focusing on stress management and a positive mindset through meditation, a yoga practice, etc. will keep you on track.
Keep healthy food at home - We can only eat what is available to us. So, by keeping primarily healthy food in your house, you will be much more likely to eat healthy food. It can be that simple!
Crowd out unhealthy food - Focus on the foods you CAN eat, as opposed to the ones you can’t eat. This way, you won’t feel deprived and you’ll fill up on lots of nutritious foods.
You recently hosted a group detox with our Feel Good Fix, a three-day, plant-based program. What are some key takeaways that you and your participants have?
A few weeks ago, I ran a group detox with 10 participants. The first takeaway is that the food was absolutely delicious. Everyone was blown away by the incredible flavors of the plant-based meals. Also, the participants felt way more energized by the end of the detox. They believed that by eliminating inflammatory triggers, they were able to be more productive once day three hit. Personally, it allowed me to create a more regular eating schedule going forward as well. I’ve cut back on snacking and eating before bed since I completed the detox.
“Doing a detox like the Feel Good Fix is a great way
to guarantee you’re consuming clean, nutrient-dense meals, which allows your immune system to focus on fighting pathogens as opposed
to breaking down hard-to-digest foods. ”
You mentioned the call to slow down has been a huge part of your pandemic experience, and reappeared again in your reset with the Feel Good Fix program. What do you find to be the most beneficial thing about taking time to slow down and be more mindful about the present?
This pandemic has definitely forced me to slow down in every area of my life. But, just when I thought I couldn’t slow down anymore, I decided to do the Feel Good Fix. This three-day detox took slowing down to another level. My body was now telling me to rest and that’s exactly what I did during this program.
Slowing down usually leads to mindfulness and being more mindful allows your truth to surface. It forces all of the noise to take a back seat so your present feelings and thoughts become more clear. Your mind and body’s true needs become obvious and I’m always grateful for that clarity.
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Why do you think eating nutrient-dense foods and participating in a detox like the Feel Good Fix is important right now?
We are all going through a very difficult time right now. And, unfortunately, stressful events can significantly affect our mental and physical health. Taking care of ourselves by eating nutritious food is so important for providing immune support. Doing a detox like the Feel Good Fix is a great way to guarantee you’re consuming clean, nutrient-dense meals, which allows your immune system to focus on fighting pathogens as opposed to breaking down hard-to-digest foods.
Is there anything inspiring you have seen or heard lately that you would like to share?
I’m excited for the whole work from home concept to develop from a wellness perspective. I’ve seen many exciting lifestyle brands being founded around this workplace shift in order to help remote workers live a healthy lifestyle. As this seems to be a new normal, I’m looking forward to all the resources, ideas, and research that will be available to employers and work from home employees.
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