Wellness Mama®
Simple Answers for Healthier Families
It’s no secret that fats have a bad reputation lately, and are generally discouraged by most in the medical community and nutritional fields. Most foods that are considered “healthy” by the majority of Americans carry a “low-fat” label. I just had a friend tell me she was going on the slim-fast and Special-K diet (cringe) …
Grains are a controversial food in modern society, but the real problem with grains may not be what you think! On the one hand, you have experts who claim that we aren’t meant to eat them based on the stance that grains are a modern addition to the food supply and people have consumed them for only …
So…. I married an Italian who loves pasta and then researched my way into being mostly grain-free. Needless to say, he wasn’t thrilled when I stopped making pasta and I wanted to find alternatives. While there are gluten-free pastas now, like rice and quinoa pasta, I wanted to find a truly real-food version and turned …
After much trial and error, I present to you my perfect chicken salad recipe. Why is it perfect, you ask? Besides tasting great, it is gluten free, mayo free, low carb, and packed with nutrients. It uses probiotic rich yogurt in place of mayo for a unique twist. Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe… The only chicken salad …
I love the flavor of rotisserie style chicken from the store, but at least in our area, we can’t find organic or free range chicken cooked rotisserie style. In the past, I’d bought a couple rotisserie chicken every couple of weeks and we’d use the meat to make chicken salad, casseroles, and the bones to …
Curried shrimp and vegetables is an easy recipe with a complex curry taste. It is super fast to make and only has six ingredients, so it can be made on the go. This recipe goes from frozen to completely cooked in less than 30 minutes! Curried Shrimp? Growing up, I had a bad experience with …
Confession… I am a lazy cook! That is why most of the recipes in my cookbook take 15-30 minutes and one pan to make. It is why I absolutely love stir-frys and let my children learn early how to help prepare and cook them. My chicken vegetable stir fry includes chicken, onions, summer squash, and …
I love salads, and my apple and walnut tuna salad is one of my favorites! Tuna Salad Tip I like making this ahead of time and storing it in the bottom of a quart size mason jar. Then, I fill the jar with lettuce or spinach and cap tightly. When stored in the fridge, this will last …
This is one of my favorite simple salad recipes. My husband is Italian, and therefore likes all food that comes from “The Boot”. This tomato, basil, and mozzarella Caprese salad is an easy summer favorite that he loves (and the kids do to!). We make this often when our tomatoes are in season. This classic …
Stuffed bell peppers are an easy recipe, especially during the summer when peppers are in season. We usually make this with red bell peppers, but any color will work. For kids who don’t like bell peppers, just bake some of the filling in muffin tins and top with cheese and guacamole (and check out this …
Having some Louisiana roots, Cajun Gumbolaya is a family favorite. It combines the flavors of gumbo and jambalaya for an intensely flavorful recipe. As they say: “Laissez les bons temps rouler” (Let the good times roll!). I’ve also always been somewhat of a rule breaker, so while gumbo and jambalaya are both excellent dishes in their …
I’m always trying to find ways to add more vegetables to meals. I also try to replace the unhealthy or nutrient-lacking parts of a traditional recipe with a healthier and fresher option if possible. Some of my favorite ways to do this are: Using cabbage for “noodles” in recipes like spaghetti Using spiral cut parsnips …
During the winter months, when winter squash is abundant, this is one of my favorite go-to meals. Why Butternut Squash? Latkes, or potato pancakes, are traditionally made with grated potatoes, but this simple switch ups the nutrient content quite a bit (and makes them even more delicious, in my opinion). You can top the latkes …
One of my earliest childhood memories was peeling broccoli stems. Strange early memory, huh? My dad preferred the stems of broccoli, so my mom would always peel them and chop them and steam with the broccoli crowns whenever we made fresh broccoli. Once I got married, I couldn’t shake the habit of peeling the broccoli, …
Many readers ask me to define my ideal Wellness Lifestyle. I find that it’s easier to start by explaining what it isn’t. What is the Wellness Lifestyle Not? If you want to make truly lasting health changes, they have to be a complete lifestyle change, not just a diet. Diets rely on willpower and have …
I really like Mexican food (ok, I’m obsessed with it!) and so do my kids. A lot of my favorite meals have a Mexican theme, and this steak fajita salad is one of my all-time favorites! It is really easy to make and can transform leftover beef (almost any cut) into a stellar meal. This …
When I found out I was pregnant for the third time, I knew I wanted a natural birth like the one I’d had with our second baby, but I wondered if I needed a formal hospital setting to do so. With my last birth, I hadn’t even gotten an IV and the only thing the doctors …
Ever since the first Christmas I can remember, I woke up to the warm smell of cinnamon, apple, cranberry, and orange simmering in the crock pot. It was a tradition that came from my grandparents (and perhaps their parents) of making a drink called wassail for holidays. What is Wassail? Wassail is a traditional German …
Making your own natural, homemade laundry detergent is one of the easiest parts of a transition to natural living. This natural laundry soap recipe a great way to save money on laundry detergent and is incredibly easy to make. This homemade laundry detergent post is an updated version of this recipe that addresses high efficiency washers …
Blessed Thistle (also known as Holy Thistle or St. Benedict’s Thistle) was given this name due to its reputation as a cure-all. It’s Latin name, Cnicus Benedictus, was given because its ability to cure was considered a gift from God. It is perhaps most well known for its usage with female related problems, though it …
After all of the unwanted interventions during my first hospital birth experience, I knew I wanted a different birth experience this time and a more supportive provider. I finally settled on a group of nurse midwives who practiced under a doctor and could deliver babies in the hospital. Since I didn’t know I could get …
Green tea has been used as a health-promoting drink by various cultures around the world for thousands of years. It’s high antioxidant and nutrient levels make it beneficial to the body in many ways and research is now showing that it can help reduce the risk of some cancers, promote a healthy weight, and support the brain. …
When my husband and I were expecting our third baby, at my 32-week appointment, we found out that our little one was breech. We were planning a natural home birth, so it became a high priority to get baby to rotate (even though at 32 weeks we still had plenty of time). At the recommendation of my wonderful …
Several years ago, I switched to using natural cleaning products. Since then, I have found a lot of great recipes, tricks and shortcuts that have not only taken the chemicals out of my daily life, but made our house cleaner, fresher, and faster to clean! One of the products I use the most when cleaning …
