You can't go wrong with a yummy chocolate treat with ingredients that you can feel good about serving to your family.
Ingredients:
- 3 large organic avocados peeled and pitted
- 1 ½ cup organic raw unsweetened cocoa powder (this is one that I use)
- ¾ cup organic maple syrup
- ½ cup organic raw agave (I left this out when I made it because I didn’t feel I needed it, but it was there in the original recipe)
- 1 15oz can of coconut cream (refrigerated overnight)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 4 drops cinnamon bark vitality oil (or you can use 8 drops of orange vitality if that’s your desired flavor profile)
- 1 pinch finely ground pink himalayan salt
Instructions:
- Place avocados in a food processor with blade attachment and puree
- Add cocoa powder, maple syrup, agave syrup, vanilla powder, Cinnamon Bark Vitality Oil (or Orange Vitality Oil) and salt
- Mix until all ingredients are combined and smooth
- In a separate bowl whip the coconut whipping cream until fluffy
- Gently fold the chocolate mixture and whipped cream together until all chocolate mixture is incorporated
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve
Recipe derived from https://www.recipeswithessentialoils.com/dark-chocolate-cinnamon-mousse/
Hey pregnant ladies, I see you over there juggling a million thoughts at once all while growing your human and getting ready for them to come Earthside. It can get overwhelming at first! You’re trying to make all the “right” decisions and do the best things for you and your baby, but Google can lead you down a spiraling path.
I actually used to think about all the crazy things I’d eat when I was pregnant because I didn’t have to worry about gaining weight or being skinny. Obviously I was going to gain weight anyway so let's live it up! While this is a nice thought, those “garbage” foods aren’t going to provide much nourishment to your or baby. Often times they leave you feeling worse! This was just an initial thought haha, I truly wanted to do what would serve my body and baby.
When I was pregnant I definitely thought a ton about the different things i was eating! Growing a baby is important work! I did a lot of research and really upped my game a bit too (gotta keep a growing baby healthy!) It’s funny how these things change over the years and through different parts of motherhood.
There are many different view points on what a pregnant woman should eat but some of the important ones are (THIS is in NO WAY an exhaustive list but keeping it short!):
✨Choline
✨Vitamin A
✨B12
✨Folate (don’t confuse with folic acid!)
✨Glycine
All of these nutrients are important for a pregnant mom and provide a lot of nourishment to baby as well! They can help in so many aspects of development including potentially preventing birth defects. When it comes to being pregnant, your body is doing so much already that it’s important to eat good foods to give your body the energy it needs. Growing a baby is a full time job!
Join the waitlist here to grab my Pregnancy Nutrition Guide when it debuts!
I want to preface this post by saying that everyone’s pregnancy is different! Our bodies all handle pregnancy in their own way. With that being said though, I loved being pregnant.
I’m not saying it wasn’t hard at times, of course there were those moments where I didn’t quite look pregnant, but definitely didn’t fit into any of my clothes anymore (apparently I liked to wear tight things) or couldn’t fly anymore because it was kind of past the ‘safe’ point.
A lot of women I had met over the years were less than thrilled with being pregnant, either they were mad they couldn’t have sushi (spoiler alert you can), or drink alcohol (this one is a little more dicey) or do all the things they used to do while not being pregnant. Some women just felt so achy and overwhelmed plus there was the feeling of just being SO BIG!
But again for me, I felt pretty damn good right up until the last few days before going into labor. I definitely attribute that to my workouts, water intake, meditations, supplements and largely, my food. (When I was writing this it autocorrected to god so let’s throw that in there too). I’m not saying it was perfect all the time (nope), but I put a lot of work into making sure I got a lot of high quality nutrient dense food.
Food has always been a huge focus for me to help with my autoimmune. I really wanted to focus on food during my pregnancy because I know how well the right foods serve my body. What we put into our body helps give us the energy we need (which we really need during pregnancy!), but knowing what food serves your body is key.
I know that a lot of women don’t always know the ins and outs of food and what can really help you and your baby. I’ve decided that I’m putting together a pregnancy guide that outlines a whole boatload of information!
Join the waitlist here to receive in your inbox when it debuts!
There are different thoughts around whether or not you should exercise when you're breastfeeding, but I think it’s important to have the knowledge and make an informed decision for yourself! I truly believe that every mom is different and it’s important to do what serves you and your body.
A study caught my eye this morning, it was the "Effect of energy restriction and exercise on vitamin B-6 status of women during lactation"
After birth we're often nutrient depleted, working hard at feeding our little ones often on very little sleep, not to mention the actual experience of birthing your baby!
So some say that initiating a weight loss and exercise program could put women at further risk for these nutrient deficiencies. Which if you've seen anything I've shared in the last many months, it is an important thing to pay attention to for not only yourself but for your growing baby.
This particular study focused on vitamin B6, as many lactating women were below the recommended daily allowance of 2.0mg. B6 is needed for linear growth as well as behavior development and other brain related activity. Bonus points: vitamin B-6 also helps to make antibodies (these help stave off infections and disease) AND helps with the production of serotonin and norepinephrine, the chemicals which help with nerve function and the transmission of signals within your brain.
B6 is found in:
✨ Wild Salmon: has higher concentrations of B6 (and most of the nutrients)
✨Eggs also have B6, but same thing, go for local/pasture raised eggs to have the most nutrients available.
✨Spinach is high in B-6, as well as in vitamins A and C, plus iron.
✨Sweet Potato: About 18% of the Daily Value
✨Chickpeas: 1 cup has 65% of the DV
✨Bananas: One medium-sized banana can provide up to 33% of the DV
Bottom line, taking a B vitamin supplement can be really helpful, whether you're breastfeeding or not! I take Super B from Young Living for more of the bioavailable Bs and focus on getting a variety of foods too!
Someone asked me why I don't talk as much about autoimmune conditions compared to motherhood and frankly there are a lot of reasons. The first one that came to mind though was the thoughts around whether or not these types of diagnoses are what they say they are.
In fact for many people, when we believe our own body is attacking us we not only hinder our healing process, but often feel our body betrayed us and we become the scapegoat for this 'disease'.
That's not to say that what those with autoimmune conditions don't experience big symptoms, in fact that's kind of the point. When you're experiencing some of the big symptoms that can show up, finding a diagnosis can be a sense of relief and yet there is the question-is my body really attacking itself?
Some say yes, some say no. Either way, I choose to focus more on feeling good and healing whatever may or may not be going on.
Here's a list of some of the top foods that I incorporate and a little bit about why:
🥦Sulfur containing veggies: onions, garlic and cruciferous veggies like cauliflower, broccoli and brussel sprouts.
✨Sulfur-rich foods nourish cells and mitochondria, helps the body remove toxins, and synthesizes protein to produce collagen (which helps with connective tissues). Sulfur also helps with hair, skin and nails as well as joint health.
🥒Greens: Leafy greens have many different vitamins and minerals that can be helpful like Folate, (pre-formed) Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin K1 just to name a few. So each of these nutrients do things like support your immune system, increasing elasticity of your skin, eye health, and nerve insolation.
🍓Colors: Similarly to leafy greens, consuming fruits and vegetables of varying colors throughout your day or week can have many benefits like; healthier brain cells, immune system health, reproductive health, skin health, better cognition, eye health (another big one!), DNA protection, healthier overall cells, anticancer properties and anti-inflammatory properties.
(this is based on the Wahls Protocol for Autoimmune)
If eating good foods is something you struggle with, click here to grab my meal plans!
