Wellness Mama®
Simple Answers for Healthier Families
I’ve been using chia seeds in drinks and as an egg substitute in recipes for years. In fact, we just had homemade chia seed pudding with lunch today. While chia seeds can be an incredibly useful ingredient, especially for egg free or gluten free families, there is also a lot of conflicting information about these little seeds. What are …
I love chia seeds and use them all the time. Chia seeds are mini powerhouses packing more calcium than milk, more antioxidants than blueberries, and more omega-3 than salmon. Their texture can take a little getting used to, but they are very versatile and are a great protein-packed addition to many recipes because of their …
I love chia seeds and use them in a variety of ways. They add a nice crunch when they’re used dry and gel when added to a liquid. Even better, I love their spectacular nutrient profile. I’ve used chia seeds in many ways, but these chia seed energy balls are without a doubt my favorite! …
One time, while on vacation and stranded in a Whole Foods while my husband was in a meeting (I guess there are worse places to get stranded!) I bought a bottle of chia seed kombucha. In hindsight, I don’t know why I bought it since I didn’t really expect to like it and I don’t …
Fresh produce you can grow on your kitchen counter in a matter of days? Yes please! Doug Evans learned everything you could ever want to know about sprouting by learning to live off the food grid on his desert property in California. He learned so much he wrote The Sprout Book to share the benefits of …
We can all do with an energy boost sometimes, but store-bought energy drinks are far from the best option. The side effects of popular energy drinks may surprise you. Below I’ll show you how I use natural energy boosters, the scary side effects in energy drinks, and why you won’t see me with one in …
I’m a huge advocate of eating real food instead of low nutrient, processed foods. Real food gives the body the nutrients it needs to function. But sometimes, foods that are normally healthy and full of important nutrients need to be avoided for some reason. Eggs are one of those foods that many avoid on special diets …
I’ve written about how to stock up a real food kitchen, and that includes a whole list of fresh fruits, veggies, almond milk, and eggs that last in the fridge for a few days. But what about pantry staples that will last much longer than that? If you don’t typically rely on processed foods or a …
Smoothies can be a delicious and healthy way to add an extra boost of nutrition to your diet (and a sneaky way to get extra nutrition into kids). I have a collection of some of our favorite whey-free smoothie recipes here, but this strawberry cheesecake smoothie is just as delicious as our old favorites. Unlike …
Egg allergies are on the rise and one of the most common allergens in children, second only to dairy allergies. My most recent test showed that I had actually reversed my sensitivity to grains and dairy but still had a strong reaction to eggs. (A little parting gift from my autoimmune disease.) Avoiding eggs can …
Since we don’t eat a lot of grains, I’ve had to get pretty creative to find alternatives to eggs for breakfast. We’ve done cottage cheese crepes and chia seed pudding. This coconut granola recipe was created in an attempt to find something new. If you’ve been looking for a healthy “cereal,” this is a good option. Granola Without …
I don’t make desserts often, but when I do, we usually stick to low or no-sugar options like chia seed pudding. Still, my kids had been asking to help create some new blog recipes (since I try to let them help out in the kitchen as much as possible) and I remembered the no-bake cookies I used to …
I use mason jars for just about everything. You’ll find jars with homemade kombucha in my fridge, and jars with sprouts growing on my counter. They’re sturdy, non-toxic, and versatile containers, making them perfect for the kitchen. Expand your mason jar horizons with these 25 unique ideas for mason jars. 1. Soap Dispensers Turn your …
One of the biggest challenges in switching to a real food diet is figuring out what to eat for breakfast. Breakfast cereals are a really common choice these days, especially for kids, but sadly are not real food. Even healthy and organic breakfast cereals must be processed in some way to reach cereal form, and …
I sometimes am asked how I “get it all done” with kids, and the answer is that I don’t. Or at least I don’t every day, or with a patient attitude all the time, or while still managing to get a shower and brush my hair. How the Kids Help Out The other answer is …
This episode is with one of my favorite people and researchers… Dr. Terry Wahls of The Wahls Protocol is not only a brilliant doctor and researcher, but she reversed her progressive MS through food and lifestyle changes and went from using a tilt recline wheelchair to walking, biking and running. To say she is an …
On days when a fast and simple breakfast is needed, a basic frittata recipe saves invaluable time (and delivers on a hearty helping of healthy veggies to boot!). Just prepare and stick in the oven while you get ready or shower, and it is ready by the time you are done. (Or try these ham and cheese …
Summer is coming and with it strawberry season. Nothing beats the flavor of fresh-picked berries. And since summertime also means warmer weather, I like to have a few dessert recipes on hand that don’t require heating up the kitchen with the oven. That’s one of the reasons I created these chocolate coconut no-bake cookies. This …
This quick and easy breakfast pizza recipe was born one morning when the kids couldn’t decide if they’d rather have bacon or sausage, and they were tired of our basic scrambled eggs and veggies. Since then this has become a Saturday morning favorite that never gets old, since there are endless ways to reinvent and mix …
For many years I suspected that I had some form of thyroid problem based on my own research and symptoms like dry skin, occasional fatigue, trouble losing weight after having a baby, and hair thinning. Even with all those symptoms, I was never able to get answers from conventional tests which showed that my T3 …
The lovely Megan Gilmore—perhaps better known as the popular health food blogger “The Detoxinista” and author of Everyday Detox—sat down with me to share her fascinating journey from fast food junkie to green smoothie goddess. In her earlier days of searching for a healthier lifestyle, Megan tried a variety of extreme detox diets but found …
Dr. Amy Shah is back by popular demand! This is no surprise to me as I know what a wealth of information she is. Dr. Amy is a double board-certified doctor and nutrition expert with training from Cornell, Columbia, and Harvard University. She also has an extensive background in internal medicine and allergy and immunology, …
Thanks to reader Sarah for passing on this great tip for a healthy banana bread recipe! She modified my apple cinnamon coconut flour muffins to make a healthy grain-free banana bread recipe with coconut flour. This wasn’t a recipe I’d tried myself, because I’m not much for bananas and just hadn’t had a desire to …
