Wellness Mama®
Simple Answers for Healthier Families
Coloring Easter eggs with the smell of vinegar in the air, brightly colored sweetened drinks or candies and neon gelatin jigglers (not even healthy ones)…. Those were my childhood memories involving food dyes, and they were great memories. Most of those foods bring back memories of special times with family, playing outside with neighbors or visits …
If a doula were a drug, it would be unethical not to use it. ~ John H. Kennell, MD I’ve had the privilege of serving as a doula dozens of times, for many different types of births, and each time I am still in awe of the strength of laboring moms and the beauty of …
Nothing conjures up memories of weekend breakfasts with my family and camping trips like our large, seasoned cast iron pan. As a hand me down that had come from pervious generations and was “seasoned” in more than one way. Like many of the good things in life, seasoning a cast iron pan and getting the perfect …
Microgreens are all the rage lately. They are similar to sprouts, but require soil and sunlight (or a grow light) to grow. What are Microgreens? As the name suggests, microgreens are just miniature plants of greens, herbs, or other vegetables. Like sprouts, they are a concentrated nutrient source and packed with beneficial enzymes because of their rapid …
“A total hippie food”… that was what I thought as I looked down at the turkey, sprouts, and avocado sandwich on flax bread that my friend had insisted I “had to try.” This was well before my transition to real food and I wasn’t enthralled with the rather dry sandwich, but I really liked the …
A skinned knee… my first impression of Ginkgo Biloba was not a positive one. We had a single Ginkgo tree in our yard at my house growing up. It has fascinating leaves that turned bright yellow in the fall. It measured about 20-25 feet tall, but at my age, it might as well have been a …
Many of my recipes are my healthy interpretations of restaurant favorites. I love making healthier versions of recipes at home, but this is not a recipe that I ever expected to be on this list. Fish Tacos? As a child, we rarely ate out and our small town had very few options for restaurants. Very …
As a mom, few things in life are more difficult than seeing your child suffer, and ear infections can be a very painful part of childhood for some kids. As a child, I had recurring ear infections and several rounds of tubes. Even though I haven’t had one since I was about 5, I still vividly …
I once asked my high school drama teacher if I could buy some of the ultra-thick stage makeup from her… she looked at me a little strange, since I wasn’t even on the cast of the current musical and was working backstage/tech. She asked why and I confessed that it was the only makeup I’d …
I have a confession, I’m not a food blogger — just a mom who loves to cook. When I started out, my recipes were good, but my pictures were bad. Really bad. Since then, I’ve learned a little about photography and improved some (I hope), but I’m still just a mom who cooks and sometimes, …
Stomach acid has gotten a bad rap in recent decades as the growing antacid industry marketed products to reduce acid and provide relief. Estimates suggest that half to 3/4 of Americans struggle with having too little stomach acid and continually taking things to reduce stomach acid can make the problem worse. Low Stomach Acid Problems Stomach acid is …
Note from Katie: My own health struggles have been thyroid and autoimmune related, but I’ve received many questions from readers who suffer with digestive struggles like Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Since I don’t have any firsthand experience, I asked my friend Suzanne, who works as a coach for those with IBS, to talk about a scientifically …
Note from Katie: There is a good reason I regularly eat liver (or take capsules) and it isn’t the taste! Kayla Grossman, R.N. (who blogs at Radiant Life Catalog) is sharing her knowledge about an essential vitamin that can affect mental health (and deficiency can lead to depression). Enter Kayla… It is often referred to as the …
We don’t get much snow since we moved (or any!) but back in the day the kids loved to play outside for hours when it snowed. It’s pretty much a sacred tradition of every childhood to have a cup of steaming hot chocolate to warm up when you come inside, so I was eager to …
Long eyelashes are a classic feminine trait and many women have gone to great lengths (pun intended) for longer eyelashes. Unfortunately, many treatments like eyelash extensions and growth serums can cause allergic reactions, infection, or other problems. Naturally Longer Lashes Of course, there is a genetic aspect to long eyelashes, but that doesn’t mean that …
Teeth whitening is a multi-billion dollar industry, but unfortunately many teeth whitening treatments contain harsh chemicals that can leave teeth feeling sensitive for a long time. I had sensitive teeth for years after my high school attempts at teeth whitening (at home and at the dentist office). Once I became pregnant with our first child, I …
A few days ago, one of my kids commented on a jar of mayo I had out on the counter, asking “I thought we don’t eat store bought mayo because of the vegetable oils… don’t we just make it?” I typically do make mayonnaise, but was trying a new soy and canola free mayo made with avocado oil (verdict at our house = …
