Author Archives: Amanda Naturally

Birth Control

| 0 Comments | Holistic Health, Pregnancy & Postpartum

Two years before even starting to try to conceive, I went off the birth control. I went off it for other reasons as well, and while this post isn’t about birth control and health, it is important to recognize that birth control is not a 100% safe and harmless pharmaceutical. This is not the time or place to discuss whether or not oral contraception is right for you, I just want to bring to light 2 major reasons why it is important to come off the birth control pill more than a month before trying to conceive. 

  1. The birth control pill depletes nutrients. Building a baby requires nutrients. Lots of them. Like a seriously crazy amount. And if you’re just barely sufficient (or more likely depleted), do you think baby is going to take the hit? No way. Mom does. Baby will suck everything it needs from you and mom will be left with major nutrient deficiencies. In fact, many of the symptoms attributed to “pregnancy” may actually be pre-existing nutrient deficiencies rearing their ugly heads when your needs further increase. This may also play a role in why so many women experience the onset of health conditions (often autoimmune) after pregnancy, and why the 2nd pregnancy is often harder than the first since you go in further depleted than the first.
  2. The birth control pill artificially controls your hormones and floods your body with excess estrogen. While this is very effective for contraception, it can seriously mess with our natural hormonal processes. The body is very good at not wasting energy or resources when it doesn’t have to. So if it’s not required to manage your hormonal cycle, it’s not going to. That’s why it can take months to normalize after coming off. Which was exactly my experience – it was 3 months before I got my period, and 8 months before I ovulated, and a full year before things were working like clockwork. Imagine if I had gone off the pill and hoped to get pregnant the next month? That would have been devastating. And I would probably have ended up down the road of fertility treatments, simply because my body hadn’t normalized yet.

My recommendation is always to give yourself as much time between coming off the pill and trying to conceive as possible. Ideally 1 full year, and if you don’t have that time, aim for 6 months. But during those 6 months it is recommended that you work with someone to rebalance your hormones and flood the body with the nutrients that were depleted from continuous use of oral contraceptives.

Here are some great resources about oral contraception and for helping coming off the pill:

The Pill, Sex Drugs and Mood Swings Part 1 (Part 2 and Part 3)

5 Reasons to Come Off The Birth Control Pill 2+ Years Before You Plan To Start a Family

Birth Control Pills: How They Work, Benefits, And Risks

Birth Control Unlocked: Your Body, Your Options, Your Guide

How to Recover from Long Term Use of Birth Control Pills

 

Alternative Contraception Methods:

1. Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler – hands down the most informative book on learning how your body works and the Fertility Awareness Method. The subtitle is “The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health” which couldn’t be more accurate. I know a lot about the body, and my husband (a naturopath) knows even more and we learned SO much from this book. I couldn’t stop reading it! I used it to effectively prevent conception prior to when desired (in combination with the barrier method, see below) and it was very helpful once we did want to conceive! 

2. Barrier Method – the old fashioned barrier method (a.k.a. condoms) are still one of the most effective methods of contraception, if used correctly. However, one of my biggest issues with condoms is the materials they are made of and the sketchy ingredients in the lubricant and/or spermicide. The brands I recommend are Glyde and Sir Richard’s (bonus with this brand is they donate a box of condoms for every box you buy!).

3. Withdrawal Method (A Sex-Educator’s Take) – if it would absolutely be the worst to get pregnant, or you’re particularly anxious about it, combining the Fertility Awareness Method with a barrier AND withdrawal on your highly fertile days can be helpful in reducing stress and actually enjoying yourself! 

Chicken “Noodle” Soup

| 0 Comments | AIP, Beatty Protocols, Meals, Recipes

Chicken "Noodle" Soup | gluten-free, grain-free, paleo | AIP & low-carb options | AmandaNaturally.comAnyone else love chicken noodle soup? I certainly do. It reminds me of when I was a kid and my mom would make it to make me feel better!

Unfortunately, most chicken noodle soups out of a box or can are full of junk. And for those of us who don’t tolerate gluten or grains, even the homemade kinds can be off limits.

So today I want to share with you a few tweaks to the standard chicken noodle soup recipe, that can make it allergen friendly and a super food! 

1. Use Bone Broth!

I can go on and on about the health benefits of bone broth…oh wait, I already have. Check out my post on why making bone broth is one of the best habits you can get into!

If you can’t (or won’t) make your own broth, or you run out, you can use boxed broth. Keep in mind though that boxed broth is purely for flavour and won’t have any health benefits. In fact, many contain hidden ingredients like gluten and nightshades, so if either of those foods are a problem for you, make sure to do your research and get a quality broth.

If you want bone broth, but you don’t have time to make it, either get yourself a pressure cooker (this is the one I have and LOVE) or buy it from one of my favourite local companies – Eat Savage.

2. Use a Noodle Alternative!

My favourite option are spaghetti squash (as shown in the recipe below) or plain white rice. You can use zucchini noodles (a spiralizer helps a ton during prep) but they don’t stand up over time, especially in the freezer, the way rice and spaghetti squash do. If you do want to use zoodles, I recommend making the soup without them, and a few minutes before you’re about to serve, or while you’re reheating it, throw them in.

Quick note re. spaghetti squash. It takes about 45 minutes or so to roast – see squash tutorial for tips and tricks. But it only takes 5 minutes in the Instant Pot – another reason I love this gadget. Simply slice in half, remove the seeds and place in the Instant Pot with 1 cup of water. Set to manual for 5 minutes and let it do its thing. Use the quick release method when the 5 minutes is done!

What do I think of gluten-free noodles? Well, anything that’s trying to be something that it’s not, isn’t something that belongs in the diet on a regular basis. Gluten-free products, dairy-free milks – they don’t have any health benefits, and they sometimes come with negative ones (refined starch, gut irritants, additives, thickeners etc.). So if you must use gluten-free noodles, make sure to get ones that are as simple as possible. My favourites are Korean sweet potato noodles (found at Asian markets) or plain white rice noodles (vermicelli). Watch out for gluten-free noodles that use corn, quinoa and brown rice if you’re sensitive to whole grains (like I am!).

3. Add in veggies!

Many chicken noodles soups are just that, chicken + noodles + (store-bought) broth. Some have a few carrots or onions, if you’re lucky. Buck the trend and fill it with veggies! Stick with classic soup veggies like carrots, onions and celery (just use a ton) or take it to the next level and throw in some kale! I love using kale in soups because it doesn’t get slimy like spinach does. If you’re feeling adventurous, try adding some seaweed for a super hit of minerals and some thyroid love.

 

Chicken “Noodle” Soup

So without further ado, I give you my recipe for chicken “noodle” soup. It’s based on the recipe my mom used to make when I was a kid… it’s just been amandanaturalized as she likes say! 

 

Chicken "Noodle" Soup
Serves 8
A twist on a classic favourite - packed with nutrient dense foods like bone broth and veggies. Gluten-free, grain-free, low-carb and AIP options!
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
45 min
Total Time
1 hr
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
45 min
Total Time
1 hr
Soup
  1. 2 tbsp olive oil (or other healthy fat - butter, ghee, lard, tallow, avocado oil)
  2. 2 onions, diced
  3. 2 cups carrots, chopped
  4. 2 cups celery, chopped
  5. 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
  6. 8-10 cups bone broth (or broth + water combo)
  7. 2 bay leaves
  8. 2 tbsp basil
  9. sea salt to taste
  10. 3 lbs chicken thighs, cubed (about 6 thighs)
  11. black pepper (optional)
  12. 1 head of kale, roughly chopped
"Noodle" Alternatives
  1. 1 spaghetti squash, cooked and shredded
  2. ¾ cup white rice (+ 1 extra cup water)
  3. 2 cups gluten-free noodles (preferably white rice vermicelli or sweet potato)
  4. zucchini noodles
Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot, over medium heat.
  2. Sautee onions, celery and carrots for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add in garlic, cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
  4. Add broth (and water if using), bay leaves, basil, sea salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
  5. Once the soup is boiling, add in raw chicken cubes. Bring to a boil.
  6. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
  7. Add chopped kale 5 minutes before serving.
Noodles
  1. Spaghetti squash noodles - add in 5 minutes before serving.
  2. White rice - add in 15 minutes before serving, with an extra cup of water.
  3. Gluten-free noodles - add in according to package instructions (2-10 minutes, depending on time)
  4. Zucchini noodles - add to bowl before serving soup. Only spiralize enough for each serving. Freeze/store soup without zoodles. Add raw zoodles each time before you reheat!
Tips
  1. Raw chicken is easiest to cube when it is still partially frozen.
  2. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are easiest to manage, but a little more expensive than bone-in, skin-on. Chicken breasts work as well, but aren't as tender in the soup.
  3. You can add the raw chicken directly to the soup! As long as it cooks at a boil/simmer for 15 minutes or so. I know it seems risky, but it's totally safe!
  4. This recipes freezes really well - especially if you use the white rice or spaghetti squash option for noodles.
Amanda Naturally http://www.amandanaturally.com/

Chocolate Smoothie (with hidden spinach!)

| 2 Comments | Apps, Snacks & Sides, Beatty Protocols, Breakfasts, In The Kitchen, Recipes

Chocolate SmoothieAh the smoothie. The breakfast that always sits on a pedestal. Even if it’s full of crappy ingredients, the word “smoothie” always brings to mind healthy, fit individuals. Is that legit? Well, in some cases maybe – so let’s sort out all the info.

Benefits of Smoothies

  1. Fast.
  2. Can be made ahead.
  3. Easy way to get additional fruit and veggies in.
  4. You can sneak in super foods like collagen and any supplements you might want.
  5. If you’re dealing with major digestive distress, smoothies can be helpful because less digestive function is required. 
  6. Helps people shift away from the traditional North American breakfasts of refined grains on sugar on pasteurized dairy.
  7. Great for the whole family (bonus if you have a large blender, you can make everyone’s at once!).
  8. Great to send in kids lunches (especially in lieu of crappy yogurt drinks).

Downsides of Smoothies 

  1. Some people don’t register the liquid calories in a smoothie as a meal, so it can leave them feeling hungry.
  2. By not chewing food, you fail to start the digestion pathway. Chewing is essential in releasing amylase in your saliva and triggering the stomach to start secreting stomach acid. 
  3. Smoothies allow you to eat standing up or on the run, which does not allow you to get into proper rest and digest mode. This means you won’t digest your food properly, which can lead to nutrient malabsorption and gut problems like dysbiosis and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. 
  4. Most people do not design them properly! I usually see smoothies fall into one of the following categories:
    1. All fruit + water/almond milk. The problem with this is you’re getting a massive hit of sugar, with no fat or protein to sustain you. You’ll burn through that smoothie in 90 minutes or less, storing much of the sugar as body fat, and then be reaching for a snack.
    2. Protein + water. This combination is way too low calorie to be a meal. At 100-120 calories, heck it’s barely a snack! The only time this is appropriate is if you need a post-workout protein hit. But even then, it should contain carbohydrates to replenish muscle glycogen.
    3. Crappy protein powders. So many proteins contain fake junk. Ingredients like artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame-potassium), food dyes and artificial flavours should be avoided at all cost. Whey protein, while ideal from a bioavailability standpoint, can cause problems in the large percentage of the population that has trouble tolerating dairy. And plant-based proteins are often primarily pea protein, which is a poor quality protein that is notorious for causing major gut irritation.
    4. Random, unnecessary ingredients. So I pretty much added this bullet to address flax. Both the seeds and the oils are completely unnecessary and yet so many people add them to their smoothies! What’s your reasoning for adding flax? Here are the 3 common ones I hear all the time:
      1. Chocolate Smoothie (with hidden spinach!) | dairy free, vegan, paleo | AmandaNaturally.comOmega-3’s! I hate to break it to you, but the type of omega-3 found in flax seed is ALA and unfortunately, that’s not the form our bodies need. We need EPA and DHA. Sure we can convert some ALA to the usable forms, but at the rate of 0.5-2%. So yeah, not very efficient. One bite of salmon gives you the same amount of omega-3’s as a whole whack of flax.
      2. It keeps me regular! Then you have a GI issue that you need to work on. If flax seeds are keeping you regular, it might be that you’re not getting enough fibre. Add spinach, berries, apples, pears, pumpkin, sweet potato etc. to your diet and get back to me! Not working? Likely there’s something that is causing constipation (a food allergy, gut overgrowth, poor digestive function).
      3. They’re so healthy! Well that’s debatable. They’re not a great source of omega-3’s, the fibre can be irritating to the gut in some cases, and most importantly, they’re highly estrogenic. So if there are any hormonal imbalances that need to be addressed, flax shouldn’t be consumed on a regular basis.

So to sum up, if drinking a smoothie is going to prevent you from swinging through Tim’s for a bagel with cream cheese, go for it! Just make sure it’s properly designed (see below). Also, make sure to give yourself 10 minutes to sit, relax and actually enjoy your smoothie – to aid in digestion!

 

Creating an Awesome Smoothie 

So how do you make a smoothie that’s good for you and an actual meal?

Use the following equation:

 

CARBS

fruit and starchy veggies

banana/berry

mango/pineapple

pumpkin puree (for pumpkin pie!)

+

VEGGIES

baby spinach (my preference because it blends easily and doesn’t add any flavour)

cucumber, fresh herbs, kale, celery etc.

+ 

PROTEIN

Grassfed/organic whey protein is the best from a bioavailability standpoint (Prairie Naturals Organic Whey, or New Zealand Whey are my favs).

If you don’t tolerate dairy, my other favourites are Manitoba Harvest Hemp Pro, Brown Rice Protein by Prairie Naturals or Sun Warrior and Pumpkin Seed Protein by Omega Alpha.

If you are on an autoimmune protocol, there aren’t any great options for complete proteins. However you can use the Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides. It’s not a complete protein, but 2 scoops gives you 18g of protein AND gut/joint healing awesomeness. So just make sure you eat other quality proteins during the day to balance it out!

+

FAT 

Key to keeping you full! Yes protein helps keep you full, but fat does a much better job.

Plus the body likes to burn fat as fuel, if you let it.

¼ cup canned coconut milk (full fat!)

½ avocado

1-2 tbsp almond butter or other nut butter

¼ cup cashews

+

LIQUID

water

don’t waste your money on almond milk, it’s just expensive white water with no nutritional value, synthetic crappy vitamins and some gut irritants (carrageenan, guar gum)

+

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS

vanilla extract

peppermint extract

sea salt

cocoa powder (carob powder for AIP)

spices (cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice)

chilled coffee or tea

scoop of kefir (coconut or dairy if tolerated)

supplements

collagen protein (not just for the autoimmune protocol! I add a scoop to every smoothie to support my gut & joints. Not to mention support my skin, hair and nails!)

 

Chocolate Smoothie (with hidden spinach!)

This is one of my favourite recipes for sneaking veggies into kids’ breakfasts. Ok if I’m being honest, I fully use this with adults too since many people are weirded out by a green-coloured smoothie (get over it people!). Cocoa covers up the green colour beautifully!

 

Chocolate Smoothie
Serves 1
A dairy-free, well-designed meal that is delicious and manages to hide some veggies!
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Prep Time
2 min
Total Time
2 min
Prep Time
2 min
Total Time
2 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 ripe banana
  2. handful of spinach
  3. 2 tbsp cocoa powder (carob for AIP)
  4. 1 tsp vanilla extract
  5. pinch of sea salt
  6. 1-2 scoops protein powder and/or collagen
  7. handful of ice
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients.
  2. Blend and serve!
Notes
  1. 1. This can be made ahead and refrigerated or sent in a lunch box with an ice pack.
  2. 2. Protein powder options are (a) grassfed/organic whey, if dairy is tolerated (b) hemp seed, pumpkin seed or brown rice protein for plant-based options and (c) 2 scoops of Vital Proteins collagen peptides for a super gentle & healing protein or AIP option
  3. 3. Try not to add additional sweetener to this smoothie. It's not a super sweet, chocolatey milkshake, but the flavour is rich. If your kid refuses to eat it, add 1-2 of raw honey or real maple syrup, and over a few weeks reduce the amount until you're not putting in any.
Amanda Naturally http://www.amandanaturally.com/

 

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