Meet Lifesum’s Health Advisory Board: Christina Jax

Woman doing home delivery grocery shopping in her cellphone

We strive to provide quality, expert-backed nutritional guidance for people to become healthier through better food choices. We recently announced our Health Advisory Board which helps us remain innovative while providing additional expertise for success in the nutritional field.

One of our inaugural Health Advisory Board members is Christina Meyer-Jax MS, RDN, LDN, RYT. Christina is a nationally recognized food and nutrition expert, food systems and industry strategist, health marketing communications professional, and educator. 

We sat down with Christina to learn her views on the current and future state of nutrition.

What was one of the biggest health and wellness trends we saw in 2020?  

The pandemic brought a sudden societal shift that needed contactless and virtual services that address basic life necessities: groceries, vital healthcare, and at-home fitness. The seismic rise of online ordering created a new way for people to order food; telemedicine and virtual coaching also skyrocketed. This dynamic combination will continue to expand the effective opportunities health practitioners will support so that people can make healthier choices.

What do you predict will be the top trends in 2021? And beyond? What are the causes/catalysts for these trends? 

As we move into 2021, the trend is getting back to the basics: taking control of and actively improving health. We learned in 2020 that comorbidities not only lead to chronic disease but put individuals at higher risk for complications in acute illness, such as viruses. 

With less commuting and traffic for many, there is finally the ability to prioritize sleep, cleaning up our diets, making time for exercise and daily movement, and recognizing the value of fundamental nutrients, such as Vitamin D. 

In 2021 and beyond, we will see employers and insurers continue to support the vast value of food as medicine in coverage plans that improve health outcomes. From helping those in food insecurity obtain healthy foods to providing virtual nutrition tools and coaching to help achieve goals and reduce chronic disease, the importance of foundational health is becoming a priority.

In food choice specifically, the shift to being climate-conscious will continue to rise.  Plant-based eating has been trending for several years, but understanding the connection between human and planetary health became vivid in 2020 with continued record-high global temperatures, famine, and complications of Covid-19 for those with high levels of diet-related comorbidities.

How can tech impact nutrition specifically? 

Tech has an enormous role in making health easy, ultimately helping make it a “sticky” habit.  As a dietitian, I know the importance of consistency. The Lifesum nutrition app is ideal for supporting people by reminding them of their goals and providing simple steps to achieve them. 

Knowing what’s healthy to eat isn’t always intuitive, either.  Lifesum has a quiz that determines an individual’s current health habits and future health goals; the app then recommends a meal plan that fits the individual and their goals. With that plan, you can then order groceries online with just a few taps, and you have nutritious foods and meals for the week, leveraging the new tech available to simplify health and life in general. Health is really starting to look like pressing the easy button!

Find a Diet you love

Find a nutritious Diet that fits your lifestyle and food preferences. Take charge of your daily habits with one of the many ongoing Diets including Clean Eating and High Protein.

Start a simplified Meal Plan

Follow a 7-21 day Meal Plan and get four pre-planned recipes a day. Depending on your health goals, there are many Meal Plans to choose from including Keto Burn and Vegan for a week.

Enjoy hundreds of tasty and nutritious recipes

Enjoy hundreds of easy-to-cook recipes filled with nutritious and tasty food. All of the recipes include information about their nutritional value so you can keep track of your daily energy intake.

Use the helpful barcode scanner

Identify your food items with the super easy-to-use barcode scanner. Scan the item, log it and get the nutritional information you need to stay on track.

Track your way to success

Track your activities and what you eat with the help of our food-, exercise- and water trackers to maintain a balanced everyday life.

Create your own health journey

To help you reach your goals and customize your health journey you can add your favorite meals, food items, recipes and exercises to your Favorites.

All of the content and media on Lifesum is created and published for information purposes only. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Users should always consult with a doctor or other health care professional for medical advice. If you have or think you are at risk of developing an eating disorder, do not use the Lifesum app and seek immediate medical help.