Chia pudding is the perfect breakfast or dessert. It is dense in calories, fiber and nutrition, and cooling for hot summer days...perfect for mamas breastfeeding in this warm season! Ingredients: 1 can full fat coconut milk 1/2 c frozen or fresh berries 1/4 t cinnamon 1/4 t vanilla 1/4 t salt 1/4 c chia seeds Optional: - sweeteners: 2 dates, or a few drops of liquid stevia, 1t honey or maple syrup - replace berries with banana or ripe peaches/nectarines - add 1T c

This is a wonderful combination of nourishing herbs to fortify new mamas! Drink it at room temperature or cold for refreshing summer hydration, or hot for a winter warm-up; add a little honey and milk for a delicious treat! From survivingtoddlerhood.com Ingredients: Red Raspberry Leaf Lemon Balm Chamomile Nettles Dandelion Root Instructions: Put a handful of each of these herbs in a gallon jar. Fill with boiling water and let steep for at least 30 minutes. Strai

I’ve been enjoying listening to a book called Willpower Doesn't Work: Discover the Hidden Keys to Success by Benjamin Hardy over the last couple months. The basic premise is that in order to make lasting changes in our lives, we have to change our environment; expecting willpower to carry us through to the final destination doesn’t work. Hardy says: “You shape the garden of your mind by planting specific things from your environment, such as the books you read, experiences

This is a really nourishing treat post-partum. Sweet taste is grounding and nourishing. Dates are particularly nutritive to the female hormonal system and combining them with beneficial fat allows their nourishment to sink deeper into the body and calm the nervous system. Ghee dates are sustenance for a mama like breastmilk for a baby. Directions: - Pack a pint jar full of pitted medjool dates - Make ghee from 3/4 pound of butter, or melt already made ghee - Pour hot

When we give birth, the elements of Space and Air are elevated by the fast shift from being pregnant to mama and baby's bodies parting.

Over my decade of supporting new babies and their families, I have heard so many new mothers say, “I wish someone had told me…. …what postpartum depression or anxiety actually feels like …what a good breastfeeding latch looks and feels like …how much I need to focus on sleep, and get it when I can …how to put a support system in place for meals, housework, moral support …how to care for a newborn …how to care for my postpartum body …how to balance my intuition with others’ ad

Every time I make this dish for clients, they sit right down and eat the whole thing! No leftovers... I've put my own spin on this recipe, but it is based on one in The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother by Heng Ou. Incorporating Chinese traditions, it is part cookbook, part meditation on how to have a great postpartum experience. The writing and photography are gorgeous. Ou writes, "If a Chinese elder were to visit you immediately after bir

Last year at this time, I listened to a wonderful talk by Jackie Dobrinska at Jubilee! Community Church in Asheville. Her message was one that I needed to hear: In this season, life is supposed to be hard. Winter has been dark and cold; we’re running out of resources. But we are also incubating, nurturing seeds that will grow in Spring. Just when it seems unbearable, February arrives, and we get hints that light is returning, and temperatures will rise. Hope swells within us

As we near the end of January and the excitement of the holidays settles, I am enjoying this New Year's wish that a friend here in Spain recently sent me. I worked with Google Translate ;) to send it to you, along with a big hug: "I do not wish you a wonderful year in which everything is good. That is a magical, childish, utopian thought. I wish to encourage you to look at yourself, and to love yourself as you are. I wish you enough self-love to fight many battles, and the

Most of the words we use to talk about becoming a mother evoke the season of Spring: blossoming, birthing, blooming, joy, wonder, radiance, etc. However, a hidden, yet inextricable, piece of the postpartum journey for new moms is letting go. In this season of Autumn, nature is showing us how to release and retreat within. For many new mamas, one of the most challenging shifts is related to self-identity. Gone are the days of total independence, control over your to-do list

Oatmeal has a reputation as a boring porridge, but I have come to love it. It is incredibly filling, especially coupled with saturated fats, and is easy to make and digest. The addition of the eggs in this recipe gives it extra protein and creaminess; it is delicious topped with fruit and nuts! OATMEAL CUSTARD 3 c water, milk, or non-dairy milk 1.5 c rolled oats 2 eggs 1/2 c dried fruit (raisins chopped prunes, apricots, dates, etc) toppings: fresh fruit ~ berries, c

It is October in Northern Spain. The nights are rapidly becoming longer, cutting into the evenings, and threatening to continue until 9am when we take our children to school. This dramatic darkening is encouraging me to slow down. I have spent much of my adult life focused on to-do lists, being productive, and contributing to society in some way. I have to remind myself that I am creating a different pace of life for myself this year. Here, shops close from 2-5pm every da

This recipe has been a favorite of many clients since I started making it 2 years ago. It started with an old friend passing along a recipe and me tweaking it into my own. Like all recipes I share, this one is simple to follow and doesn't include many ingredients. As the autumn days shorten, I hope this brings warmth to your belly and a smile to your face. Healing Sweet Potato Stew 4 large garnet yams, or white Japanese sweet potatoes, chopped into 1" cubes 3T ghee, butter,

I have just finished participating in the Sacred Postpartum Summit, an online series of talks put together by Layla B, a Moroccan Postpartum Doula and Trainer. The speakers included midwives, doulas, pilates instructors, therapists, and others who work with postpartum families in different parts of the world, from Mexico to the Middle East, to Malaysia. It was interesting and inspiring, yet I came away feeling that something was missing. They all shared about the importance o

Let the crock pot do the cooking. Mamas still need cooked, warm, nutrient-dense food, even when it is hot out. Butter chicken has great fat (butter, coconut milk), and warming digestive spices too! Mamas, papas, and older siblings will all enjoy this dish. This recipe is based on one I've used for years in one of my favorite slow cooker cookbooks, Make it Fast, Cook It Slow by Stephanie O'Day. Butter Chicken Masala 2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs 1 onion, sli

As I work with families and their new babies, two things often strike me: New parents don’t know how to ask for help, and Friends, family and community members of new families don’t know how to offer help that is actually needed. In the past, and in many indigenous societies, there were social agreements that allowed people to impose order on their world, thereby feeling safe in it. The two things listed above leave everyone feeling like they are in limbo, not sure what to do

I often encounter first-time mothers struggling to shift from the life they have known up until birth to their new realities of life with baby. Most of them have never been told about the subtleties of this shift. The to-do list, the rapid pace of life, the external achievements, and the ignoring of their deepest needs no longer serve mama in this new reality. These things are replaced with days that slip by; feeling everything deeply; becoming engrossed in your baby’s every

Congee is a traditional porridge in many parts of Asia, made of rice and water. It can be sweet or savory, thick or smooth, but it is always comforting. I like to serve this and a mug of warm bone broth to mamas as their first meal after birth. The rice is totally broken down, so there is little effort required from the digestive system, and the molasses adds iron as well as a rich sweetness. The spices and ghee add to the perfection of this dish! Start cooking when labor

After all the contortions and effort the body goes through in pregnancy and birth, new mama digestion is weak. As summer begins (this one seems particularly hot!) it is often tempting to eat lots of raw fruits and vegetables, or cold treats. However, these foods require the digestive system to warm up them up in order to break them down. Warming up food uses energy that could be going to healing and breastmilk production. So, if YOU have recently given birth, do yourself a fa

Pot Pie is a wonderful southern comfort food. It is warm and creamy, salty with a slight sweetness in the crust, and satisfyingly filling. When we were first married, my husband used to joke about wanting a chicken pot pie at the end of a long day of work...like making one was my wifely duty! It sounded hard to make, but one day I decided to go for it, and found it surprisingly easy and delicious. I’m constantly searching for recipes that are familiar to the American p