Becoming a parent is a huge learning curve. There are so many products on the market and so many opinions on what you should and shouldn't do. After having 2 children, I've learned a lot about the things you need and the things you can pass on. Lately, I've had a few friends and colleagues ask about my experience with some of the baby things we used so I figured it would be easiest to blog about it all!

I should start by saying, we were/are minimalists when it comes to the 'stuff.' I even had a few people comment about how there was 'nothing' on our baby registry- we pretty much stuck to just the cloth diapers we wanted! So here is the stuff we loved, passed on and things we would have changed! (Also, I have no affiliation with any of the products or companies- just one holistic Momma's experience!)

Diapering

• Diapers: We went with AppleCheeks cloth diapers. Complete disclosure, I probably didn't research cloth diapers as much as I would now, knowing what I know about the differences- I pretty much chose these because they were cute and Canadian made. However, I can't say enough great things about them! I also have a few friends who went with them too, after more research and great recommendations. They all love them as well. I think we got lucky, because even now, I would still pick these hands down! They are great for not leaking, have elastic on every side, and can be used with the inserts on top of the cover or in the cover sleeve. We stick with on top of the cover so you can often get more than one diaper change out of the cover. We also got two-layer Rayon from Bamboo liners, I don't think they had the three-layer (back in photo with green trim) at the time we registered but have gotten them since. I find the three-layers better. My son is also a 'heavy wetter' so I will use a two and three-ply in the cover and no leaks. (This topic is kind of huge, so, watch for a continuation post with more details- how many we bought, washing, savings, etc).

Transporting

Carriers/Babywearing: I love babywearing! It is by far my favourite way to transport my kidlets! We did get a stroller and my husband calls it our most expensive dust collector...although I still think a stroller is a necessary item. I have used a few different carriers and I find each has their pros and cons.

• Wrap Carrier: We didn't drop money on a commercial warp, instead a good friend and my ND doula gifted me a homemade one! They are very easy
  to DIY and there are a tonne of instructions online. I loved this wrap when my babies were first born. It works well for small babies, it keeps them close, snug and supported. There is a bit of a learning curve with tying it tight enough but there is no minimum size so you can use it right away. However, as they got bigger, I found it less ideal.
  

Structured Carrier: We originally registered for and got a Baby Bjorn. I did not like it. I found it was very hard on my back and I don't think I ever really wore it. My husband used it a handful of times and that was it. I also read a bunch of reviews (after we got it of course) about how it can be very hard on baby's hips which turned me off as well. However, when my second was born I got a bit more pushed to get a structured carrier. I knew trying to wrangle a 3 year old and manage a newborn was not going to be an easy feat, especially with our weekly visits to St Jacob's Farmer's Market. I looked into a few different ones and ended up going with the Ergo. My butterball son was born pretty big, so I wasn't sure whether we needed the infant insert. Thankfully we waited until after he was born to purchase it and I was able to take him and the carrier to my favourite baby store (Snuggle Bugz) to 'pre' test out the infant insert. Sure enough, there was no getting our fatty baby into it. I love this carrier! I have used it with both my kids- my 3 year old as a backpack and my infant in the side and front carry. It isn't the best carrier for small infants as it requires their legs to be spread pretty wide (for hip support) and I found it wasn't until about 5/6 mos that my son really started fitting it well. You can rig it to work before then but it's not really ideal. The infant insert would also help, as long as your infant isn't too big for it. 

Our son was born at 8 lbs 10.5 oz and at 6 weeks was 13 lbs 7 oz and 23.5in- size wise too big to fit in the insert but development wise (hip range of motion and neck support) still needed the extra support. Because of this, I would recommend waiting on the insert until baby is born to make sure you can use it/need it. I find it super comfortable to use, even with my daughter who is about 32 lbs. My son loves it and has no problem falling asleep in it and it is amazingly easy to discreetly nurse while wearing it! We do have the original carrier which is only a 3 position carrier- back, side and front (facing you), however, since we got it, Ergo has come out with a 360 carrier which has the 3 positions plus a front carry facing out. I think if they had released the 360, I would have splurged on it but I haven't researched it enough or tried it to say for sure.

Turns out, it's all wifi these days! We couldn't even get the camera we had. So I got a D-Link wifi baby camera to test out- I wasn't prepared to go wifi and I had a toddler and 6 mos old so I grabbed what I could and brought it home. As I waited for my warranty gift card to arrive so I could return and re-buy my camera, I thought about what I wanted to do- baby monitor cameras are over double the price of regular wifi cameras and essentially do the same job. The baby monitor camera has the added feature of 2-way speakers aka you can talk to baby through the camera and you can play music through the camera. Both the Summer Infant and Motorola sets had these features and we NEVER used them. Talking to your baby when they are trying to sleep is game over. Both the regular and baby wifi cameras have similar display quality, night vision, motion detection/notification, sound, recording function and picture function. But the regular camera is about a third of the price of the baby camera. 

• Playpen: I am an anti-playpen person, it feels a bit too cage-like to me, so we did not get this. However, there are times when you need baby to be contained- like when you have to use the washroom or shower. So we do have other items. We got a swing which I loved- baby loved to rock and sleep in it, it gives you a place to put them down, it's portable so you can move it to keep an eye on them, ours played music and had a mobile. I used that from about newborn to 4/5 mos or so. A bouncy chair would also serve this purpose but might not be as 'entertaining' for as long. Then we graduated to our exersaucer (or my fave name- The Circle of Neglect) around 5/6 mos. I love this little contraption. My son is ALL go! He never stops and he puts everything in his mouth! So when I need to shower, leave the room, use the washroom, in the circle he goes. It has toys and buttons and rattles to keep him entertained and I know he isn't getting into anything he shouldn't. It's perfect. For the most part, I let my children roam around which I find has helped them learn about things they can do/touch and things they can't much faster. It's more work for me at the beginning but a lot less in the long run.
• Bumboo: We were given this used from a friend who received two as hand-me-downs. I feel pretty 'meh' about this item. We used it maybe twice for each child. I don't see the point too much, if they can't sit yet, they can't sit. I'm glad I didn't spend money on it.
• Jolly Jumper: We avoided this as well mainly because of the research that suggests it can promote imbalanced muscles development- legs develop before core muscles which can affect developmental milestones. The exersaucer can also cause this, however, because I use it in a limited way as more 'containment', I am not concerned and both my children have hit their milestones as expected.

So, I think I've hit all the big items, at least I can't seem to think of anything else! I will be doing a continuation post on cloth diapering since it is such a huge topic and likely a toddler/preschool post since my daughter is now 3 and a half and there have been some things we have found that we love for this age group...so stay tuned! Hope you find it all helpful!

Disclaimer: Naturopathic Doctors strive to provide individualized health care. The information contained in these topics is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, it is provided for educational purposes only. This information shouldn’t take the place of seeing an ND for individualized health recommendations.

If I had to pick what causes some of the most confusion when it comes to discussing nutrition, I think I would have to go with carbohydrates. When people hear the word, most immediately think of bread, and I would even say grains for that matter. Many don't even realize that all vegetables are considered carbohydrates, as well as, all fruits. So let's answer some common questions.

What is a carbohydrate? 

• Carbohydrates are essentially sugar molecules. These sugar molecules can be on their own (sugar or simple carbohydrates) or in long chains (starches or complex carbohydrates). All you need is 3 or more sugars to consider something a complex carbohydrate.

Are Complex carbs really better?

• The truth here is that the body handles simple and complex carbs the same way- they get broken down into single sugar molecules and then cross into the blood stream. The one exception being fibre. Fibre can't be broken down by the body and therefore, can't be absorbed. (I touched on the importance of fibre in the diet and blood sugar regulation in my last blog post: Smoothie vs Juicing).

I thought whole grains were better? How can that be if it's absorbed the same?

• True, unprocessed whole grains are a better option. But I want to stress the 'unprocessed'. Unprocessed is the key here, as soon as something is made into a flour it is no longer a whole grain. Let's take 'whole grain' bread as an example. If you were to eat an unprocessed grain, your body would have to break down the hard
  outer part of the grain, the bran, to reach the starchy/sugary inside of the grain, the endosperm. This takes time and slows the release of sugar, tempering how quickly sugar can enter the blood stream. When you break down the grain into flour, you break down that outer layer of bran and allow the body easy access to the sugar which means it can be absorbed much faster and raise blood sugar much faster. Whole grain flour is made by breaking down the grain and separating the bran from the starch. The starch alone would be white flour, but by adding the broken down bran back into the sugar part, it now becomes a whole grain, technically. The added fibre (bran) in whole flour will slow absorption compared to white flour but it will still be much faster than eating the whole, unaltered grain. It's kind of like saying having one piece of cake is better than having two pieces of cake- yes, technically it is, but just because it's better doesn't make it healthy.
  
  

What about these no grain or paleo diets?

• Like any diet or style of eating you can follow it in a healthy way or a not so healthy way. I remember being in high school and knowing a few girls who got into Weight Watchers. And I remember one lunch, one of the girls figuring out what she was going to eat at a fast food restaurant, adding up her points and deciding she just wouldn't eat the rest of the day. Not exactly healthy. The same can be said for a paleo style diet. If done in the right way, paleo-style diets can be very healthy ways of eating! Consider two meals:
  • Meal 1: Mixed greens (lettuce, spinach, kale, etc.), chopped boiled egg, grilled chicken breast, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, sunflower seeds, nuts, avocado with olive oil, lemon juice and mixed herbs.
  • Meal 2: Steak with bacon and sweet potato fries.
• Technically both of these meals would be considered paleo, though one is clearly healthier than the other. Paleo doesn't necessarily mean meat. Vegetables (aside from potatoes) are all 'paleo' foods. Fruits are all paleo foods. Nuts and seeds are all paleo foods. You will never go wrong by increasing vegetables and (moderate amounts) of fruits in your diet no matter what 'style' of eating you subscribe to.

And what about gluten?

• Oh, gluten. It's like the hot button word of our time and has become almost polarizing. Many people have become staunchly anti-gluten, whether or not they really understand what gluten is...[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdJFE1sp4Fw[/embed]
• Gluten is a protein found in certain grains such as wheat, rye and barley. It's what gives baked foods that elasticity so they aren't crumbly. Oats do not contain gluten, however, oats are often processed in a facility that also deals with gluten containing grains and therefore tend to be 'contaminated' with gluten.

Gluten Sensitivity? Celia? What's the Deal?

• Celiac disease occurs when your body produces antibodies (immune cells) against gluten in your small intestine. These antibodies cause inflammation and damage to the small intestine decreasing the ability to properly absorb nutrients. This can lead to an array of symptoms throughout the body. Digestive issues are what most think of but it can also cause other symptoms such as joint pain, headaches, rash, nerve damage and more.
• Gluten sensitivity occurs when you have a negative reaction to eating gluten. The standard testing for Celiac will be negative, but the symptoms are still there.

It seems everyone is gluten sensitive these days, why?

• There are many theories as to why gluten issues seems to be on the rise:
• Modern Wheat- modern day wheat is vastly different from ancient wheat of the past. There used to be hundreds of varieties of wheat, while the vast majority of today's wheat crop is of only a few varieties, most being a high-yield dwarf wheat.
• Processing- modern wheat is highly processed and prepared very differently than in the past, usually leading to fewer nutrients.
• Over Consumption- wheat and gluten are in everything these days. Pretty much every single processed food will contain gluten/wheat. The modern North American Diet is laden with grain consumption.
• This is a great article discussing more on the pitfalls of modern wheat here.

But I've heart Gluten-Free is often worse than the 'regular' stuff?

• I have seen these articles floating around essentially stating gluten free diets aren't as healthy as you think, often they are worse for you. These articles base this on comparing regular processed items to the gluten free version. Often times they find that the gluten free version contains more calories, processed flours, sugar or other additives such as careegnan (a thickener). However, the foods they usually compare are processed/pre-made foods- waffles, pancakes, cookies, granola bars, breads, muffins, etc.- none of which are really healthy foods. When someone wants to eat healthier, whether that diet will contain gluten or not, most of these foods should be avoided and eaten only on occasion as a treat. When I recommend to patients to try going gluten free for a week or two, my hope is not that they simply replace junk food with gluten-free junk food but that they adopt a whole food diet- increasing fruits and vegetables and lean proteins- and decrease all processed foods whether gluten free or not. Are gluten free junk foods worse than the regular non-gluten free junk food? Who really cares, they are both junk foods!

So what to do?

• For the vast majority of people who don't have serious health concerns, eating some grains are perfectly fine. However, making sure grains that are chosen are actual whole grains are your best options. If there is Celiac, digestive issues or even an auto-immune condition, avoiding all gluten can be very beneficial, some respond even better to avoiding all grains.
• Avoid processed foods. If it's pre-packaged or has an ingredient list- it's processed. If you remove all processed foods from your diet, the quality of your diet increases exponentially.
• Be mindful of your grain consumption. No one needs to eat heaps of grains at every meal. If you told someone you had eggs for breakfast, frittata and salad for lunch and an omelette for dinner, their immediate response would likely be asking if you don't think that's too many eggs. However, how many people eat bagels or cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and pasta for dinner and no one bats an eye.
• Load up on your vegetables and fruits- these are like your nutrient power houses; Eat lean proteins; Don't be afraid of fat; Avoid added sugar and processed foods. Follow these guidelines and your diet and health will more than likely improve!

 


Disclaimer: Naturopathic Doctors strive to provide individualized health care. The information contained in these topics is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, it is provided for educational purposes only. This information shouldn’t take the place of seeing an ND for individualized health recommendations.

I have been asked this question so many times now: What's better, making a smoothie or juicing? As much as many may think this should be a black and white question, it's actually a bit more complicated.

Juicing has become ever more popular in the last couple of years- though die-hards may say it's been popular long before then. With food and health related documentaries becoming more mainstream and their wide availability on Netflix, films like Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and Food Matters have likely been a driving force behind juicing's ever more popularity.

Juicing offers the body nutrients on a silver plater so to speak. It's like a 'nutrient shot' for your body. Fibre which would normally help slow digestion and absorption is removed allowing for nutrients to be quickly absorbed and utilized. This can be very helpful to rapidly increase ones nutrients as  multiple fruits and vegetables are used to make just a cup of juice, while trying to eat all those fruits and vegetables would fill you up a lot faster- again, because of the fibre.

That leads into some of the downsides of juicing, the first being, fibre is good! We need fibre! For what you might ask? Well here's a little breakdown of fibre's role in the body:

• helps keep bowel movements regular
• helps with weight loss by slowing passage of food and giving that feeling of fullness
• moderates blood sugar levels by slowing absorption of glucose (sugar)
• binds water to increase stool bulk to ease and regulate movement through the intestines
• acts like a brush to clean out the bowels
• satisfies appetite
• reduces bacterial toxins
• speeds elimination of waste
• absorbs toxins
• softens stools and improves bowel disorders

Most people should strive to get 35-50g of fibre EACH DAY, while the average Canadian actually only gets 14g- less than half of the MINIMUM recommended.  And though many may hear "fibre" and think grains, fruits and vegetables are by and large your best sources of fibre. Juicing, however, removes this.

The second issue is that because fibre is removed, everything is absorbed much, much faster and not just your vitamins and minerals but also sugar. This can lead to a blood sugar spike. Now, this issue can be easily resolved by reducing the amount of sugar in the juice- ie. reducing the amounts of fruits and starchy or sweet veggies used like carrots. However, I often find when I hear about the ingredients going into a juice it's very heavy in fruits and very light in the veggie department. I recently had someone tell me after a work out class the instructor gave everyone some fresh juice she had made and it was SO good. So I asked what was in it- carrots, apples, ginger, lemon. Of course it tasted great! It was like a little sugar shot! Yes, it had lots of antioxidants. Yes, it had lots of vitamins and minerals. But it also probably had about 50 grams of sugar! However, smoothies can also fall victim to this same issue- too much sugar. How many of you make fruit smoothies in the morning? Do you use frozen fruit (like strawberries), a banana, water, splash of orange juice, vanilla yogurt (maybe it's Greek)? Would it surprise you to know this combo packs about 58 grams of carbohydrates, only 6.3g of which is dietary fibre, and only provides 10.7 grams of protein and 2.4 grams of fat most of which is saturated (from the dairy)? That means that there is over 50 grams of sugar in this smoothie- 2 Snickers chocolate bars worth! I do want to note, I am not promoting chocolate bars for breakfast, the smoothie does provide more nutrition- vitamins, minerals, antioxidants- than a chocolate bar would, the issue is the huge amount of sugar.

So, where does this leave us? You may be thinking neither smoothies or juicing is the way to go! But I would say don't drop either! Like most things, it comes down to using either, a juice or a smoothie, in the right way and doing it properly.

Smoothies can be a wonderful part of your diet- quick, convenient, tasty and a great way to get a few servings of fruits and vegetables- they just have to be done properly.  Here are some tips:

• Go easy on the fruit: fruit will make a smoothie taste good, and I am all about enjoying what you are eating (or drinking), but don't just add fruit. Add your greens- spinach, kale, collards, etc. The fruit will make it so you don't even taste the veggies. Focus on lower sugar fruits. Berries are low on the glycemic index, one of the lowest sugar fruits and have a decent amount of fibre. One banana has double the amount of sugar compared to an entire cup of strawberries.
• Don't forget the protein: protein helps keep you full and slows the absorption of sugar. Good quality powders (preferable vegan) are a great option, but you can also use nuts, seeds, hemp hearts, etc- all will help increase the protein content, some more than others.
• Up the fat: since smoothies are great as a meal, you need to make sure you have all the macronutrients (carbs, protein and fat) to make it a healthy meal! Add some avocado, scoop of coconut oil, nut butters, chia seeds, etc. Again, our bodies NEED fat. Every single cell of our body needs fat. Our hormone production needs fat. Even our brain is made up of about 70% fat. And fat helps us stay full and slows sugar absorption. Don't be scared of fat.
• Add the "extras": smoothies are a great way to increase your fibre intake, up your nutrients and add some 'super foods.' Smoothies can make it easy to add some of those super foods that would normally be harder to just eat a spoonful of- ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp hearts, spirulina, goji berries, etc. Like something chocolatey? Add a scoop of raw cacao which is LOADED with antioxidants but quite bitter on it's own. Smoothies are super customizable!

So, you're doing everything right- low in fruits, high in veggies- which is better, a smoothie or a juice?

Smoothies are a great option as a meal, because (if done properly) they contain carbs, proteins, fats, and fibre. They will provide all the macronutrients for a balanced meal and lots of fibre. With fat, protein and fibre, smoothies can keep you satisfied until your next meal and temper the carbohydrate absorption to keep blood sugar levels steady.

Juices are a great addition to a healthy diet, again, assuming they are done properly with mostly veggies and only a piece or two of fruit for sweetness. Because they don't provide any real fat, protein or fibre, I wouldn't recommend a juice as a meal but a great addition to a meal or as a snack. Juicing is a fantastic way to boost nutrients and increase your veggie intake. You can also keep the pulp left over from juicing and use it in another recipe- that way you still get the fibre and any nutrients left behind!

Like everything, it's all about balance. Both smoothies and juicing can be great additions to your diet, they just have to be done properly and used appropriately.

My daughter LOVES baking and cooking with me. This weekend we were gardening and she would pick up a handful of dirt and shout "me roll dough"! So last night before bed I told her we could make blueberry pancakes for breakfast! She has a remarkable memory for a not quite three year old as she will wake up asking for what I told her we could do the night before- "Lily Mommy Boo-berry Pancakes." We are extremely fortunate to live in Waterloo where we are surrounded by local farms and produce- local maple syrup, fresh local eggs, local organic meat, fruits and vegetables- all at our finger tips! This recipe is another example of how to take a basic recipe and change it into a gluten, dairy free option! The original recipe called for wheat flour, buttermilk and butter, all of which have been replaced!

Blueberry Pancakes

2 eggs

2 cups oat flour

2 tbsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups coconut milk (or almond or other non-dairy milk)

4 tbsp melted coconut oil

1 container blueberries

Beat the eggs until frothy. Add the rest of the ingredients (aside from blueberries) and stir until just blended. Add in the blueberries and mix. Cook in a heated pan over medium-high heat.

A note about using dairy free milk, I find I like using coconut milk (from a can) the best. If you let the batter sit for a few minutes before cooking, it tends to thicken up and results in thicker, fluffier pancakes. I find when using almond milk or a thinner milk, the pancakes are very thin and flat, though still very tasty!

Disclaimer: Naturopathic Doctors strive to provide individualized health care. The information contained in these topics is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, it is provided for educational purposes only. This information shouldn’t take the place of seeing an ND for individualized health recommendations. 

Today is two weeks of clean eating- gluten, dairy and refined sugar free (with the exception of my Mother's Day cheat)! So, I made a recipe that I have been eyeing for a few weeks now from Elana's Pantry- Chocolate Mousse. Oh. My. Word. These little pots of mousse are AMAZING. They are rich, delicious and decadent!

Chocolate Mousse by Elana Amsterdam

¼ cup water
¼ cup coconut sugar
1 cup chocolate chunks (I used chips)
4 eggs, separated
½ cup coconut cream from coconut milk

In a medium pot, heat water to boiling. Reduce heat, stir in coconut sugar until dissolved. Remove pan from stove and cool coconut sugar mixture for 8 minutes, add chocolate, stirring until melted. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks until pale yellow. In another medium bowl beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Stir egg yolks into chocolate mixture (in the pot), then stir egg whites into chocolate-yolk mixture until well combined, then stir in coconut cream. Spoon mousse into jars, place in refrigerator overnight to set. Enjoy!

As a side note, most of the coconut cream recipes call for you to take a can of coconut milk, put it in the fridge and then open and take the thickened layer of coconut 'cream' from the top. However, the other day at Freshco (great ethnic food section) I found canned coconut cream! This can be used to make whipped coconut cream or anything that calls for coconut cream!

So now that the detox is finished, how will our diets change? In general, we don't completely avoid anything but we limit gluten and dairy. We rarely have bread in the house, though during the summer and bbq season you will find hamburger buns. When it comes to dairy, we aren't a milk drinking family (only almond or coconut milk) though we do splurge with goat feta and the occasional ice cream. Again, for us the main reason to do a detox is to 'reset' our diet. So though we don't completely avoid anything, we highly limit! However, having great recipes and resources makes it much easier and so you don't feel like you are deprived in any way!

Disclaimer: Naturopathic Doctors strive to provide individualized health care. The information contained in these topics is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, it is provided for educational purposes only. This information shouldn’t take the place of seeing an ND for individualized health recommendations. 

Today for dinner we had Red Lentil Dal, a pretty simple, delicious recipe. This again, is from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre. This recipe makes a rather large portion so it's great to make if you are looking for a meal that gives ample left overs for lunches and dinners.

Red Lentil Dal

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds (I couldn't find these so I use brown)

1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (again, couldn't find these so I use ground)

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 large carrots, peeled and diced

3 medium red potatoes, cubed

2 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed and drained

6 cups water

1 can coconut milk

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes

2 tsp sea salt or Herbamare

In a large pot heat coconut oil over medium heat, then add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Saute until they begin to pop, quickly add onions and garlic and saute until soft about 5 min. Add turmeric, ground cumin, cayenne, carrots, and potatoes, saute a few minutes more. Add red lentils, water, coconut milk and diced tomatoes. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then let simmer, covered, for about 45 min. Add salt to taste and serve.

I actually think this meal tastes even better the next day! If you haven't decided yet, this cookbook, The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen, is a kitchen staple!

Disclaimer: Naturopathic Doctors strive to provide individualized health care. The information contained in these topics is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, it is provided for educational purposes only. This information shouldn’t take the place of seeing an ND for individualized health recommendations. 

Today's meal was another featuring veggies and grilled chicken- Marinated chicken, baked kale chips and baked sweet potato fries. This was another homemade marinade my husband threw together, so instead I will touch on the two sides.

Sweet Potato Fries

Simply chop sweet potatoes into the size you'd like and toss in olive oil. We always add a cajun seasoning mix to them but any seasoning can be added- from salt and pepper to a sweeter cinnamon and honey. Bake for about 20 min in a 400F oven, tossing half way through. Cooking times will vary depending on how large the potato pieces are.

Kale Chips

These are so good my husband and I actually sometimes fight over them. Wash kale leaves and rip into bite sized pieces discarding the hard stalks. Toss lightly in olive oil- I will actually use my hands to mix the kale with the oil so that it's all lightly coated and you can use less oil. Spread on a baking sheet. It's important to not crowd the kale as this will leave you with 'soggy' chips vs crispy. Sprinkle with any seasoning you'd like, we favour just sea salt but there are many other options, nutritional yeast will give a 'cheesy' flavour. Baking temps will vary and we tend to just use whatever temperature we have the oven set to- between 350 and 400F works best. It's important to keep an eye on the kale as it will cook quickly and can burn, tossing often helps to ensure non soggy kale as well. It will usually take about 10 minutes for the kale to crisp up.

These are two of our favourite sides and so quick and easy to toss together! Our toddler polished off everything on her plate at this meal!

Disclaimer: Naturopathic Doctors strive to provide individualized health care. The information contained in these topics is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, it is provided for educational purposes only. This information shouldn’t take the place of seeing an ND for individualized health recommendations. 

This is a great meal for the nights where you just don't feel like cooking or are in a hurry!

Disclaimer: Naturopathic Doctors strive to provide individualized health care. The information contained in these topics is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, it is provided for educational purposes only. This information shouldn’t take the place of seeing an ND for individualized health recommendations. 

This is a recipe I've posted before but is detox friendly and delicious- chocolate chip muffins. This is another recipe where, after making a few substitutions, is gluten, dairy and refined sugar free. A big take home message about all these recipes is that, just because you are avoiding gluten/dairy/sugar, doesn't mean you have to give up your favourite recipes or foods, by finding and understanding how to make simple substitutions you can adjust your recipes to give you 'healthier' versions! I also like to add ground flaxseeds, hemp hearts and chia seeds to anything I can!

Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 cup oat flour (you can use any gluten free flour you'd like, I just find oat an easy sub)

3/4 cup rolled oats (oat bran is what's called for, but I was out)

1/4 cup ground flaxseeds

1/4 cup hemp hearts

1/3 cup sweetener- honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, unsweetened apple sauce etc.

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon (I usually add more than this)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 1/4 cup almond milk

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix dry ingredients together (if using dry sweetener like coconut sugar mix this in here). Mix wet ingredients together (if using wet sweetener like honey or maple syrup mix in here). Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stir just until moistened, then mix in chocolate chips. Fill muffin cups and bake for 16-20 min. Enjoy!

And these, like all my recipes, are very toddler approved!