Jessica Cording Nutrition

Jessica Cording Nutrition Dietitian. Health Coach. Podcast Host. Author of The Little Book Of Game-Changers and The Farewell Tour. Creator of the Drama-free Healrhy Living Podcast.

Follow me for mind-body wellness resources ✨ Jessica Cording, MS, RD, CDN, IFNCP is a registered dietitian, health coach, and author with a passion for helping people simplify their wellness routine by building sustainable healthy habits. In her work, she focuses on the connections between nutrition, lifestyle, and mental health. Through her writing, consulting, public speaking, and counseling, sh

e works with individuals, corporations, and the media to help make drama-free healthy living approachable and enjoyable. She is the author of "The Little Book of Game-Changers: 50 Healthy Habits For Managing Stress & Anxiety" and "The Farewell Tour: A Caregiver’s Guide To Stress Management, Sane Nutrition, and Better Sleep." She also runs the Drama-Free Healthy Living podcast and has recorded guided meditations for Simple Habit. She also has created educational content for CARAVAN Wellness. Cording is a part of the mindbodygreen Collective and a frequent contributor to various media outlets such as Forbes, SHAPE, and more. As a speaker, she has presented to a wide variety of organizations, such as the US ARMY, Corner Market Communications, William Grant and Sons, and more. Additionally, a big believer in the mental and physical benefits of exercise, she is a certified Pilates mat instructor. She also is a certified reiki practitioner.

I wasn’t expecting one of the most emotional parts of my preventive mastectomy journey to be…choosing my new breast size...
07/29/2026

I wasn’t expecting one of the most emotional parts of my preventive mastectomy journey to be…choosing my new breast size.

In today’s Substack, I’m sharing why I asked my husband not to come to my implant sizing appointment (despite him being an incredibly supportive partner), how a running joke about getting a “soft B” unexpectedly hit a nerve at first, and why this whole experience made me realize just how disconnected I’d become from my own body after years of biopsies, fertility struggles, trauma, and trying to reduce my cancer risk.

This post isn’t really about bra sizes.

It’s about body autonomy, healing, and learning to make peace with a body that has sometimes felt more like a battleground than a home.

And yes…I still have absolutely no idea what bra size I actually am. 😂

You can read the full story at the link below. If you’ve ever struggled to feel at home in your body—or if you’ve navigated breast cancer, high-risk screening, infertility, or another health challenge—I hope something in it helps you feel a little less alone. ❤️



https://open.substack.com/pub/jessicacording/p/to-soft-b-or-not-to-soft-b

𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐞𝐬—𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫?It sounds like a simple comparison, but from a nutrition perspectiv...
07/27/2026

𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐞𝐬—𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫?

It sounds like a simple comparison, but from a nutrition perspective, the answer depends on more than the food itself. The variety, cooking method, portion size, and what you pair it with can all influence how a meal affects blood sugar.

I recently contributed expert insight to Taylor Ann Spencer’s Delish article, “Rice vs. Potatoes: Which Is Better for Blood Sugar?” alongside fellow dietitian Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, LD.

One of the biggest takeaways is that neither food needs to be labeled “good” or “bad.” A more useful approach is to look at the whole plate and pair carbohydrates with protein, fiber, and healthy fats to support steadier energy and greater satisfaction.

I share more insights in my latest Substack post.

Read it here 👉 https://bit.ly/Rice-vs-potatoes

Read the full Delish article here 👉 https://www.delish.com/food/a71776466/rice-vs-potatoes-blood-sugar/

Which one appears on your plate more often—rice or potatoes?

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬.One day, everyone is talking about protein....
07/24/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬.

One day, everyone is talking about protein. The next, it’s creatine, energy drinks, meal replacements, gut health, or the latest product promising to make healthy living easier.

But after spending the past quarter writing, researching, and talking with experts, I kept coming back to the same thought: we do not always need more wellness rules. Sometimes, we just need better information and a little more context.

This quarter, I wrote about changing wellness trends for Forbes and shared expert insights with SELF, Food & Wine, Martha Stewart, Everyday Health, EatingWell, , , , , and .

The topics were wide-ranging, but the questions were often the same: Is this actually helpful? Is the science solid? Does it fit into real life? And is it something people can realistically maintain?

I pulled together all of my Q2 stories, media contributions, and key takeaways in my new blog post, 2026 Q2 Media Round Up.

Read the full blog here 👉 https://wp.me/paYk5v-8ks

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭-𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧𝐞 “𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭” 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲, 𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚...
07/23/2026

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭-𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧𝐞 “𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭” 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲, 𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫.

The American Heart Association’s updated 2026 dietary guidance takes a much more practical view: what you eat most of the time matters more than any single meal, ingredient, or nutrient.

In this Food & Wine article by Andi Breitowich, experts break down what the new guidance actually means for everyday eating.

Jennifer Pallian, RD, Foodess, explains that the focus is shifting away from looking at nutrients in isolation, like saturated fat, sugar, sodium, or cholesterol, and toward the bigger picture of what we consistently eat and drink over time.

Kanval Shah, MD, points to the stronger emphasis on plant-based proteins such as beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds, not as a trend, but as a meaningful way to support long-term cardiovascular health.

I also shared why the American Heart Association’s recommendations may look a little different from broader federal dietary guidelines. The AHA is specifically focused on heart health, including eating patterns that can help support healthier LDL cholesterol levels, blood pressure, blood sugar, inflammation, and overall cardiovascular function.

The article also touches on ultra-processed foods, alcohol, chronic inflammation, and why the habits we build early in life can have a lasting impact on heart health.

The takeaway I hope people hear is this: your heart does not need you to be perfect. It needs you to build a pattern of choices that support you consistently, realistically, and sustainably.

Read the full Food & Wine article to learn what the AHA’s updated dietary guidance could mean for your plate. 🔗 https://www.foodandwine.com/american-heart-association-dietary-guidelines-2026-11995873

I thought this was going to be a post about clothes.It turned into a post about anxiety, Amazon returns, trying to prepa...
07/23/2026

I thought this was going to be a post about clothes.

It turned into a post about anxiety, Amazon returns, trying to prepare for something scary, and why I apparently buy outfits for imaginary versions of my life whenever I'm stressed.

As I get ready for my preventive mastectomy, I've been trying to figure out what I'll actually need during recovery. Along the way, I also found myself making more trips to the UPS Store than I'd like to admit, convinced the employees were judging me for returning so many things.

This post is about that strange urge to explain ourselves to strangers, the comfort of feeling prepared, and the reminder that sometimes we're shopping for certainty more than we're shopping for clothes.

I also rounded up the recovery pieces I actually ended up keeping and what I bought with credits i got from returning stuff.

And parents... please tell me I'm not the only one who's purchased approximately 47 different sippy cups trying to find the one. 😅

If you've ever stress-shopped, overprepared for something, or found yourself buying things for a future version of yourself, I'd love to hear what your "thing" is.

You can read the full story here: https://bit.ly/4fnc2iB 💛

07/21/2026

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬.

Others call for making breakfast the night before because tomorrow already has enough going on.

Lately, I’ve been leaning hard on simple, make-ahead meals that help take one decision off my plate. These cake batter overnight oats and the snack version have been doing exactly that—practical, satisfying, and just fun enough to make a busy day feel a little lighter.

There’s something reassuring about knowing that even when life feels full, you can still do small things that support you. Sometimes self-care is profound. Sometimes it’s protein, fiber, and sprinkles waiting in the fridge.

I shared both recipes, along with a more personal update on why make-ahead meals have been especially helpful for me lately.

Read the full post on Substack and follow along for more practical nutrition ideas, honest reflections, and real-life ways to make taking care of yourself feel more doable.

👉 https://bit.ly/Cake-Batter-Overnight-Oats

𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭? 𝐈𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩.Fatigue that doesn’t seem to go away. Feeling m...
07/20/2026

𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭? 𝐈𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩.

Fatigue that doesn’t seem to go away. Feeling more irritable than usual. Trouble sleeping. Changes in appetite. Losing interest in work you once cared about. Sometimes, burnout shows up in small ways that slowly start to feel normal.

With “cortisol-lowering” supplements becoming more popular, it’s worth asking what they can realistically support—and what recovering from burnout may involve beyond a supplement.

In my latest Forbes article, award-winning science journalist Elizabeth Svoboda, author of The Art of Pacing, shares why constantly operating at full throttle can leave you feeling drained even after you rest. Dr. Cassandra Vieten, clinical psychologist and Director of Research at UC San Diego’s Center for Human Imagination, also discusses why burnout isn’t something you can simply push your way through.

We explore energy pacing, “healthy selfishness,” selective mediocrity, proactive living, intentional imagination, and one important shift in perspective:

Instead of only asking, “What can I take?” it may help to also ask, “What needs to change?”

Read the full article on Forbes 🔗 https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesscording/2026/07/06/burned-out-try-this-before-you-buy-a-cortisol-lowering-supplement/

07/17/2026

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬?

Decide before you’re stressed.

Having a few default meals and go-to takeout orders takes the pressure off when life gets busy.

Sometimes healthy eating is less about willpower and more about reducing decision fatigue.

What’s one meal you could make your “default” this week?

This is part 2 of my 5-part series on eating well during stressful times. If you want to know what the others are, tap the link in my bio or visit jessicacording.substack.com.

Well...this is not the kind of announcement I expected to be making in 2026. In a few weeks, I'll be having a preventive...
07/15/2026

Well...this is not the kind of announcement I expected to be making in 2026.

In a few weeks, I'll be having a preventive double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction after years of mammograms, MRIs, ultrasounds, biopsies (seven of them 😑), and deciding that I'd really like to stop collecting titanium biopsy clips like they're Pokémon.

I've been hinting over the past few months that life has been...a lot. This is a big part of why.

I finally decided it was time to tell the whole story—not because I enjoy oversharing (okay, maybe a little), but because one question always guides what I choose to share:

**Could this help someone else?**

When I've gone through hard things, other people's honest stories have helped me feel less alone. So I'm hoping mine might do the same for someone else.

I'm calling this series **The Parts We Don't Talk About: A Preventive Mastectomy Diary**, and yes, there will be unfiltered thoughts, awkward moments, medical weirdness, inappropriate humor, probably a few F-bombs, and the story of "the soft B."

I genuinely never thought I'd have something in common with Dolly Parton, but life is weird.

I'd love for you to read it. If you know someone navigating breast cancer risk, endless screenings, or preventive surgery, I'd be honored if you'd share it with them.

You can read the first installment here: https://open.substack.com/pub/jessicacording/p/i-never-thought-id-have-this-in-common?r=1mi2ww&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Thanks for coming along for the ride. ❤️ It's already been one.

𝐓𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞?That doesn’t automat...
07/13/2026

𝐓𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞?

That doesn’t automatically mean fiber is the problem. Sometimes, it comes down to how quickly you’re adding it, whether you’re drinking enough water, or what else is on your plate.

The frustrating part is that you can feel like you’re doing everything “right” and still not feel great.

A few small adjustments can make a big difference.

I broke down three common fiber mistakes in my latest Substack post. 👉 https://bit.ly/3-Fiber-Mistakes-To-Avoid

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