Jessica Cording
Author Interview - Jessica Cording, MS, RD, CDN, INHC
Author of The Farewell Tour: A Caregiver's Guide to Stress Management, Sane Nutrition, and Better Sleep
When her father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Jessica Cording’s family turned their lives upside down to care for him during what he coined his “Farewell Tour”—a nod to his career in the music business. But when your loved ones need you most, who’s taking care of the caregivers? Through the lens of this heartbreaking and intimate journey, Cording offers a funny, heartwarming, and unique approach to end-of-life care or caring for someone with ongoing needs. She seamlessly blends her own expertise as a dietitian and health coach with humor and personal anecdotes while featuring interviews from other wellness professionals, world-renowned musicians, and music industry professionals. The book includes a playlist based off of songs Cording and her father were each listening to during his Farewell Tour, with suggested listening for each chapter. Cording reminds you it’s okay to laugh, it’s okay to date (if you want to), and it’s imperative to take care of yourself along the way. Whether you’re feeling burned out or isolated, whether dealing with terminal illness or ongoing needs, The Farewell Tour is an invaluable guide to navigating the burdens of caregiving that often go unspoken.
Author Interview - Jessica Cording
Author I draw inspiration from: Joan Didion
Author Interview - Jessica Cording | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book: While I do love reading in bed, there’s something special to me about reading while on a car, train, or plane trip or waiting somewhere — the escapism benefit is magnified in those situations as opposed to just being something pleasant I’m enjoying to unwind from the day.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Actually, an author who comes to mind is Gabby Bernstein. We could help each other stay in a calm mindset and be, like, “Maybe this is divine timing and we’re supposed to be stuck in this elevator right now! Everything is fiiine.”
Author Interview - Jessica Cording | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: I feel like I always knew. I remember being in the first grade and our teacher had us make little books and then record ourselves reading them—I couldn’t stop!
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: Ebook. I like that I can take an e-reader virtually anywhere.
The last book I read: “The Roughest Draft” by Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley
Author Interview - Jessica Cording | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer: Pen and paper is where everything starts for me. If I don’t write in my journal even for at least a few minutes every day I just don’t feel like myself.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: When I was reading “Book Lovers” by Emily Henry, Nora Stephens reminded me of some of the friends I made when I was living and working in NYC, someone I could see myself bonding with over networking breakfasts or drinks as we realized we had a lot more to talk about than our insane work lives.
Author Interview - Jessica Cording | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: I’m actually a dietitian, health coach, and certified Pilates mat instructor. In an alternate universe where I did not go into the health and wellness field, though, I’d be a TV writer. I love telling stories and exploring characters and how they interact with the world around them.
Favorite decade in fashion history: 1970s.
Place I’d most like to travel: Greece
My signature drink: Matcha tea. I don’t really tolerate alcohol anymore, but on the rare occasion I do drink, I adore bourbon.
Favorite artist: My brain always goes right to music when I hear the word “artist.” I draw a lot of inspiration from music and misheard song lyrics, and every project has its soundtrack. I grew up listening to a lot of classic rock and early punk with my parents. Because I came of age in the early 2000s so I have a major soft spot for indie rock. I also love a lot of contemporary folk and alt-country artists. My Spotify history will also tell you I listen to a lot of Taylor Swift in the car.
Number one on my bucket list: I really want to take my husband to Italy to explore so many of the sites I loved when I visited by myself in my twenties.
Anything else you'd like to add: Writing is the thing I have always done when I should be doing other things, and I'm grateful that I get to use writing to create materials to help people and tell stories along the way.
Find more from the author:
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/jesscording/
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/JessicaCordingNutrition/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessCording
Author Bio: Jessica Cording, MS, RD, CDN, INHC is a registered dietitian, health coach, and author with a passion for helping people simplify their wellness routine and build sustainable healthy habits. Through her writing, consulting, public speaking, and counseling, she 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 (Viva Editions).
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. Additionally, a big believer in the mental and physical benefits of exercise, she is a certified Pilates mat instructor.
