Meet Lexi Zadak Schmidt | Nutrition & Wellness Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lexi Zadak Schmidt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lexi, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
This is an awesome question! You never know unless you try, right? All my life I’ve always said I’d rather regret the things I DID do than regret the things I DIDN’T do and should have done. So with that philosophy, I am a big believer in taking risks because you never know where it might get you. Even if that risk doesn’t get you exactly where you had hoped it would, you likely still learned something along the way, so the risk was still worth it. I took a huge risk starting my own company! Luckily my husband was able to financially support us in case my business was unsuccessful but it was still pretty scary. For the first time in my life I knew I wasn’t going to have a guaranteed paycheck from a secure, consistent job each month. I also wasn’t sure if I was even qualified (in terms of nutrition knowledge) to justify starting my own business! So I ended up hiring a business coach, which was incredibly helpful, but also risky because it was NOT a cheap investment. And in the end it all worked out!
You just have to tell yourself that failure isn’t an option but also reframe what failure means. It’s not a fail if you learn from it and are able to try again with the knowledge you’ve gained. So I would say most chances in life are worth taking! I’m really glad that I took that risk!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business has definitely evolved over the last 3 years as I’ve learned what I’m truly passionate about. I started out doing basic nutrition coaching, mostly centered around performance nutrition and basic body recomposition. As great as that was, it wasn’t super fulfilling as I knew that there was SO much more that could be done with food aside from just impacting people’s weight and athletic performance. I started getting really into gut, liver and hormone health and started focusing all my continuing education classes around those topics. Now I primarily work with clients who struggle with various gut & hormone concerns such as IBS, dysbiosis/SIBO, hypothyroidism, PCOS…etc. Traditional doctors tend to prescribe medicine right off the bat for all of these conditions which unfortunately is just a Band-aid for symptoms. I dig into the root cause as to why these issues are occurring and use a combination of food, natural supplements, lifestyle changes, sleep habits and stress management to alleviate symptoms and heal these conditions.
I don’t believe in extreme diets and I don’t believe in restriction, unless there is a serious health concern present. I like to look at wellness as all encompassing, digging into every avenue of my clients’ mental, physical and emotional health. It’s incredibly rewarding to improve someone’s day to day quality of life through natural and holistic approaches!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There are so many wonderful places to eat and drink in Denver that it can actually be hard to choose my favorites! I’m a huge foodie so when people are in town, most of our itinerary is built around trying all the best food & drinks in the area! All of the activities would be outdoor/adventure based, likely some amazing hikes and day trips into the mountains. But for some great food and drinks before or after, here are my top picks: El Jefe, an upscale Mexican restaurant located in the Sunnyside neighborhood, is by far one of our favorite go-tos! The cuisine is very authentic and every drink, appetizer and dish, both from the brunch menu and the dinner menu, are incredibly flavorful!
If you’re into Thai food, without a doubt the best Thai food comes from Daughter Thai Kitchen and Bar off Platte Street. Having been to Thailand before, I’d say some of the food I’ve gotten from this restaurant is better than some of the food I had in Thailand! Highly recommend!
Sushi comes next and the Highlands neighborhoods are full of great options! Mizu Sushi, Sushi Ronin, Sushi Sasa and Sushi Hai are all wonderful places to go to get your sushi fix!
A trip to Denver isn’t complete without a trip down Tennyson street! So many of our local favorites are on that strip! The best sourdough doughnuts can be found at Hops n Pie (they also make great pizza!) and the best wings can be found at Barbed Wire Reef! Post Oak makes incredible BBQ and afterwards you must stop into the Tatarian for amazing craft cocktails!
There are so many other wonderful places to mention but I’d have to say these are my current top picks!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband, 100%! He didn’t even hesitate when I asked him if he would be ok with me quitting my current job and starting my own. He has been incredibly supportive throughout the entire process and I could not have done this without him!

Instagram: @lexi.z.schmidt.nutrition