Brittany, Author at Full and Wholly Nourished

A Fertility Friendly Approach to Resolutions

Are you planning a pregnancy or better health and fertility this year?

Let’s make this year different than any before!

I’m suggesting we skip the lofty New Year’s resolutions that often leave us deprived and unhappy and trade it in for living an intentional and mindful year that prioritizes self-care. Especially if we’re looking to prioritize our health for us and our family building plans, we don’t need deprivation or restrictive lifestyles to get us there.

While self-care has become quite the trendy term, it simply boils down to prioritizing one’s own physical and mental health. It requires turning inward to uncover the things that bring happiness and joy, and ensuring we do more of those things!

in Lifestyle

Dairy Free Chai “Latte” (GF, DF, Caffeine free, Coffee free, AIP)

This creamy, dairy free chai is everything you want in a warm drink. Just by calling this a chai latte I’ll probably have the recipe police coming after me. That’s because this recipe contains neither component of a latte (no steamed milk and no coffee).

Whatever you call it, this is a warm, tasty drink that’s perfect for long winter nights when you’re tired of hot cocoa. Even I, a hot cocoa lover, sometimes like to mix it up. If you’re in the mood for hot cocoa still, check out my hormone healthy hot cocoa recipe.

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Full and Wholly Nourished Holiday Nutrition Fertility

7 Ways to Nourish Your Fertility and Hormones this Holiday Season

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

The Holiday season is known to be filled with love, joy, family, and friends. Even in 2020, I hope you’re able to connect with loved ones and keep some traditions alive. This season can also be filled with stress, lack of movement, and over-consumption of sugar and alcohol which means systemic inflammation can be at an all-time high.

Inflammation is no friend of your fertility, and finding ways to reduce inflammation can have huge positive impacts on both male and female fertility. Inflammation can contribute to hormonal imbalances that leave us feeling bleh and not like ourselves.

But that doesn’t mean you have to give up on celebrating the holidays with loved ones! In this article, we’ll discuss 7 practical ways to keep inflammation at bay while enjoying the holiday season so you can continue to nourish your health and fertility.

in Education / Lifestyle

Full and Wholly Nourished Hot Cocoa Recipe Healthy

Hormone Healthy Hot Chocolate (GF, DF, High Protein)

What says holiday season more than a steaming cup of hot chocolate?

Bonus if you make it peppermint!

Truth be told, I can drink hot chocolate all year round. I actually used to drink it in the middle of the heat of northern California summers and I had a hot chocolate bar at my wedding reception, where guests could mix their own cups. It’s the perfect combo of hot, flavorful, comforting, and delicious. But truth be told, I didn’t always feel the best after those cups because many of them are laden with sugar and dairy which can be problematic for many people.

So I’m sharing a couple recipes for how to make quick, easy, hormone healthy hot chocolate in your home without the sugar and dairy, but with the flavor you love!

in Recipes

What Cycle Tracking Can Tell You About Your Health and Fertility

…Even If You’re Not Concerned About Fertility Right Now

If you’re anything like me, you probably have used about a dozen ways to track your period before. These days, there are so many ways whether you track it on your calendar, through your fitbit, via Apple Health App, or other new fangled apps. You can sometimes input flow, cramping, mood changes, bloating, headaches, and other symptoms.

But period tracking and cycle tracking are two different things. Period tracking shows you what days you had your menstrual flow on and help you predict your next period, but cycle tracking can change your life. Stick with me. Cycle tracking is a quick, daily, observation recording that can give you invaluable insights into your health, uncover early signs of underlying problems, and help you live more in tune with the natural cycle of your hormones.

in Education

Prenatal Vitamin Nutrition for Pregnancy

Why Should I Take a Prenatal Vitamin Before I Plan to Conceive?

Prenatal Vitamins are the first thing that a woman looks for when she sees a positive pregnancy test and they’re one of the only standard recommendations in the US for women who are newly pregnant. If women have the ability to plan ahead before their conceptions, I recommend that every woman planning on conceiving in the next year actually get on a prenatal, with a minimum of 3 months on a high quality prenatal before conceiving, if possible. Here are the top reasons why starting a prenatal before you conceive is a good idea.

It takes around 3 months for your eggs to undergo their final maturation process before being ovulated.

in Education

Turmeric Cauliflower Rice (Paleo, Low-Carb, GF, AIP swaps)

Turmeric is all the rage these days and for good reason! It’s not just for dying your fingers perpetually yellow for a day, though I’ve done that too many times to count. It’s becoming more and more popular for its anti-inflammatory compounds. Inflammation is at the root cause of many illnesses, especially chronic illness. Inflammation has also been linked to infertility and pregnancy complications as well.

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“Dirty” Roasted Chicken Cauliflower Rice (AIP, Paleo, Low Carb, Whole 30) [One-pan]

When I lived in the Philippines, I learned to eat copious amounts of rice. I ate so much rice when I got there in fact, it really plugged me up for awhile. That was not the greatest experience.

I still love white rice and even brown rice, but since starting to eat Paleo and AIP, I’ve stopped eating those grains for now. I do hope to reintroduce them in the future though, since I find them to be so delicious and comforting.

Now the go-to replacement for rice is riced cauliflower. I don’t know if the person who invented riced cauliflower as a rice replacement actually ate the cauliflower, because I’m sure that if they did, they would have discovered that cauliflower rice is NOTHING LIKE RICE! Everything warm, tasty, aromatic, fluffy, and amazing about rice is there in riced cauliflower. It’s just not.

in Recipes

Fresh Citrus Fennel Salad (AIP, Paleo, Low Carb, Whole30)

Fresh Citrus Fennel Salad

One of my favorite ways to eat new vegetables is to add them to my online grocery order. Then I’m forced to find ways to work them into my meals!

I did this with fennel a few months ago and I’m STILL making this salad. With the warm weather coming, it’s the perfect refreshing way to get a sweet, salty crunchy salad in that somehow quenches my thirst and satisfies my itch for salty goodness.

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