Food as Medicine

Many of you have asked how I create my nutrient dense frothy coffee drink in the morning. The following four products are what I use! Super easy and supportive of intermittent fasting.

Lavazza Organic Coffee Beans: Did you know your coffee could be ridden with pesticides? We switched to organic coffee and love this brand. For a caffeine free and prebiotic bunch try chicory root. I actually use half coffee half chicory root. I also LOVE Purity Coffee! Please write my name in the referral response line.

Further Foods Collagen Peptides: This is the brand that I 100% trust. They are upfront about their sourcing and I know their product is clean. I have tried several other brands and this one is grass-fed, pasture raised hydrolyzed bovine hide collagen. Non-GMO, Antibiotic-Free, Hormone-Free, Sugar-Free, Kosher Certified. The cleanest! Use code MANDEE15 for 15% off!

LMNT Electrolyte Salt Drink: Did you know you need salt to stay hydrated? That’s why sometimes we can guzzle water and still be dehydrated. Products like Nuun tabs have sketchy ingredients yet this brand is clean! Proper salt intake (with a quality salt!) will give you more energy, better sleep, and better brain function. I started using these during pregnancy and was able to retain more hydration and pee less often than your typical pregnant person! I continue to use them to stay hydrated and Tony uses them before and after runs and lifting workouts.

Trace Mineral Drops: This has even more minerals than LMNT, although unflavored. I use about 5-10 drops in every water bottle to make sure my water has the minerals I need.

Kerrygold Butter: Butter has insane health benefits. Yes, I know that can be hard to hear as you probably spent most of your life avoiding it. As a healthy fat, it’s good for our brains! I start my day with butter and collagen in my coffee.

Milk Frother: I love this to create a rich, foamy froth on my coffee just like a real barista would! Add collagen and grass-fed butter (maybe some cinnamon & cardamom) and this is too die for.

Other Food as Medicine products I love:

Further Food Superfood Turmeric: This spice is awesome sprinkled on veggies, in chicken salad, or to make golden milk, to add more antioxidants, adaptogenic herb and superfoods to your diet! Use code MANDEE15 for 15% off.

Further Foods Premium Curcumin Tumeric: This is a high antioxidant supplement that I use as an all natural replacement for over the counter pain relievers. Use code MANDEE15 for 15% off..

Coconut Milk: It’s tough to find one with no gums or additives but this one is clean!

Chosen Foods Harissa Mayo: I use this healthy fat as a sauce for lots of dishes. Egg Roll in a Bowl, meatloaf, leftovers, anything!

Primal Kitchen Salad Dressing: This brand is one of the only truly clean dressings I can find on the market. I typically make my own but this one is a time saver.

Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup: I use organic maple syrup as a sweetener now that I have broken up with sugar. This is literally the best one ever. Trust me. Stop depriving yourself and order this now!

Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips: These are clean- made with avocado oil, not processed oils like almost all other chips. They are delicious and satisfying. My husband was an avid chip connoisseur before we got married and he pursued my clean eating lifestyle— and he loves these chips!

Branch Basics: Non-toxic household cleaning supplies. This is so safe you could lick it. I use this for EVERYTHING. All-purpose spray, bathroom, laundry, dishwasher, stains. I haven’t ever had so much success in getting stains out in anything- clothes, grout, whatever. They have a handy user guide that shows you how to treat all stains. I no longer buy any other cleaning brand. Most are ridden with toxins and you aren’t able to safely breath during or after use. Standard cleaning products have been known to cause a host of issues and particularly infertility, asthma, allergies and cancer.

Think Sport Face Sunscreen- Tinted: This is non-toxic, clean ingredients and love that it’s tinted! Feels light on my skin.

Made Whole Made Simple: Best cookbook of 2020. Written by Cristina Curp, a Latina woman who has had to adopt her diet to match some auto-immune conditions she's facing while remaining true to her Latin roots with flavor. She creates the most amazing recipes with super nutrient dense recipes. I do believe her recipes are part of the reason we got pregnant as they align with the ideas of the fertility diet while also healing the gut.

The Anti-Anxiety Cookbook: SO many good recipes in here- not only for those that suffer from anxiety. Many of these recipes have become staples in our household! There is a kids section and we even love those recipes ourselves.

In The Garden

We recently purchased a home that sits in the center of 1/3 of an acre. We love our house and not so much the yard work! However we are thrilled to have a vegetable garden and berry patch. We didn’t a single tool for our garden and we’d love to share the ones that have helped us. There are some amazing products that have saved us time and literal energy. We are a pesticide free garden and use only non-toxic and organic products.

Weeder: Stop what you are doing and purchase this life-changing tool! There is no point in weeding those dandelions and big weeds unless you have this tool. It makes weeding so easy, quick and efficient in that it pulls out only the weed and no surrounding dirt- leaving the ground in great condition where you pulled it from. I can’t believe I am raving about a weeding tool but here I am. Worth every penny. Love it.

Organic Soil: This is the foundation of a prosperous garden. The quality of soil will ensure quality crops. It’s worth the additional investment to buy organic- both for the increased bounty and quality of crops as well as the health benefits.

Chicken Manure Plant Food: We used this as organic fertilizer and our crops are really taking off! My mom said my garden looks like a magazine. I wouldn’t go that far by any means but the vegetables are healthy and bountiful. We also used organic soil which I think has something to do with it.

Berry Plant Food: We fertilize our berries with this organic fertilizer.

Tomato and Vegetable Plant food: Another great organic fertilizer.

Pest Control Products- all 100% organic, pesticide free and non-GMO

Garden Net: For protection against birds and bunnies. The birds love to eat our berries and the bunnies love to nibble our greens. This net is easy to spread over your crops and can be cut to any size.

Insect Barrier Net: This was a major game changing in keep the butterflies off my plants so they couldn’t lay eggs and create a caterpillar problem. Get this net up over your garden beds ASAP after planting.

Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew: An organic treatment for pests. We had a caterpillar problem. Butterflies were landing on my kale and laying eggs and the caterpillars would eat my greens! Luckily I caught it early and would remove the caterpillars. I sprayed this organic and non-toxic spray and I haven’t seen any since! It covers a bunch of other pests as well, and I felt comfortable with the ingredients and reviews.

Diatomaceous Earth-Bed Bug Flea, Ant, Crawling Insect Killer: For plants that are being eaten- I sprinkle this around then and they leave my pretty plants alone. I do not put this on vegetables. Once it rains, I re-apply.

Neem Oil: This is 100% organic, non-GMO cold-pressed neem oil at a reasonable price. Works for my indoor plants in getting rid of those annoying gnats that fly around as well as insects on my outdoor vegetables.

Tony’s Kitchen Essentials

Miyabi Kaizen: 8 inch chef knife. Great balance for all your chopping and slicing needs. Fantastic edge retention. My go to.

Zwilling Twin Stone Pro: Perfect for sharpening and maintaining all your kitchen knives.

Cooking Chopsticks: Great tool for frying and precision cooking.

Fish Turner: Multi purpose spatula, I use it for everything.

Looking for something else? I’ll check with Tony on his suggestions and we are happy to provide a link. Thank you for supporting our small business!

Healthy Baby

Real Food for Pregnancy: The knowledge in this book is vital for pre-conception, pregnancy and postpartum- in fact, great knowledge for every single human! Lily backs everything up with real science in this easy to understand book with easy to incorporate nutrition and lifestyle advice.

Tush Baby: The BEST thing for parents! Creates good posture and less back pain as we carry around the baby. I would highly recommend this. Wearing this wrapped around your waist gives the baby a place to sit and offloads your shoulders, backs and hips. It is difference than a wrap or pack in that you still keep your arm around the baby but it aids our posture so much more! The difference is invaluable! You won’t regret getting this;)

Branch Basics Non-Toxic Cleaning Supplies: Throw out all of your cleaning supplies and replace with the Branch Basics Starter Pack. Use my link to get $10 off. Not only is it totally non-toxic, so much so that I don’t worry if Jaden licked it, it is also more eco friendly as you reuse the bottles with the concentrate each time. Glass bottles available. 

Whoopsies: We used these as baby wipes with the baby wipe warmer during 0-3 months. They are dry wipes we wet in the baby wipe warmer which was much more pleasant for Jaden than the cold wipe in the middle of the night. We also use these like paper towels knowing they are 100% organic. I keep a pack in the car and diaper bag. 

Ergobaby: The official name is Omni 360 All-Position Baby Carrier for Newborn to Toddler with Lumbar Support & Cool Air Mesh: For a traditional front or back pack, we loved this carrier for the way it fit. My back and hips did not hurt and Jaden loved it after he outgrew his Solly at 3-4 months. 

Slumber Pod: I am putting this on the list of the things that are more for the parents than the baby because it will help YOU sleep because your baby has a dark place they can sleep on vacation! This is like a pop up tent that goes OVER the pack n play to give them some privacy- and it’s black to keep it dark. I love that this was featured on Shark Tank! 

100% Organic Nursing Pillow: This is to help YOU feel more comfortable while nursing but also give baby a comfortable place to rest. The traditional boppy or My Breast Friend are not organic. Since you and your baby will spend so much time in huge contact with this material, I highly recommend going organic.I also love the Holy Lamb Organics and Lifekind nursing pillows because they are 100% organic cotton and they are the same shape as a boppy. 

Organic Nipple Butter: Yup, you are gonna want to have this on hand in case your nipples get chapped like a lot of us experience! I also really loved using Tamanu oil- I purchased the roller from a company called Erin’s Faces which is a brand that uses all organic and non-toxic ingredients. 

Snuggle Me Organic: This was everything for Jaden’s sleep in the beginning. He loved this thing- the way it hugged him safely from the sides. He slept on us most of the day for contact naps but anytime we put him down we put him into this, and then he slept in between us in the Snuggle Me for 12 weeks while he was really tiny and before he was ready for the bassinet. I love this over the Dock a Tot because of the shape and because it’s organic. You really can’t go wrong with choosing organic especially in the very beginning of a life. Skin is absorbing everything, breathing in everything, etc, and less exposure to toxins is always a plus. 

Baby Bjorn Bouncer: This was a lifesaver when Mama needed to shower! And, Jaden loved bouncing in it. I chose this one because of the non toxic materials and had done a lot of research on all items/materials and chose what I was most comfortable with. 

Lotus Travel Crib: The two best pack n play’s are either Lotus or Baby Bjorn. After careful consideration I went with the Lotus. I love how it turns into a backpack for easy carrying. I got the whole set- with the sheet and cover. It’s super easy to put together and take down, and it’s organic and certified baby safe. Super important! 

Britax B-Free Stroller: High quality and non-toxic- I spent time researching strollers and this was my number one choice. There weren’t actually too many that were non-toxic (Black Shimmer colorway). Luckily this one had all the other features I was looking for as well- heavy duty enough to go off road but easy to fold down and pop in the back of the car. Rides well and feels ergonomic to me. It’s essential that you get the cup holder as well and it has several pockets/places to stash other things you’ll need! 

Nanit Baby Monitor: We loved being able to see Jaden nap even if we weren’t home as this is wifi enabled and you can see it through an app on your phone. I chose to have an old phone that I used as the baby monitor next to my bed, and my caretakers used that as well when they were at our home. I love how Nanit tracks baby sleep- I never have to guess what time he fell asleep or how long his nap was because it’s all recorded! I researched this for safety and it ranked as one of the top baby monitors. It also felt super safe because nanit will monitor his breathing and create an alert if baby stops breathing in the crib.

Glass Bottles- Mason Jar: It’s important to me to use glass bottles- there are just too many negatives about plastic. This nipple fits on any small mason jar- we used 3 ounce, 6 ounce or 8 ounce bottles- they all work! Convert your mason jars into bottles with this kit! 

Non-Toxic Bamboo Plates for Baby & Toddler: Our boy eats exclusively off these plates and even when he was eating off his Stokke tray between 6 months-one year, we served his food onto this plate while preparing it and transferred to the tray as needed. Great quality and love knowing his food is not getting any potential toxins leaching into it! 

Silicone Sippy Cup: Silicone is a great material when you’re avoiding harmful plastics. We taught our boy how to drink out of a straw pretty early and loved this cup. We also used a more traditional silicone sippy cup for a little while and for the car and traveling. 

Mushie Silicone Bib: We found this brand to be the best quality. The little catch tray is a pretty amazing feature! They have different colorways and prints. 

Stokke High Chair: Yep, this is the best one- no negatives except the price and that you have to buy the pieces separately. It has a resting place for the feet which is hugely important and will grow with the child to last for years. We had the infant seat which was amazing so baby could be closer to us and involved while we ate during those newborn days or just lounging in it while I did things in the kitchen. Then we got the tray once he was onto solids and he’ll be using this for years to come . Love it!

Kiinde Bottle Warmer: We tried a few cheaper ones and they broke immediately or broke our glass bottles! This one is the best.

Stokke Newborn Bath: To be honest I usually got in the bath and then after I had soaked for a bit Tony would bring Jaden in and I would bath him on my chest. So we didn’t use this infant tub much but it was nice to have on hand for an occasional blowout when I could put him in it in the middle of the day for an unexpected extra bath.

Stokke Infant Bath: Bigger than the newborn bath and good for when he could sit up but was still too tiny to be in the tub alone. I think honestly we will put this in the backyard this summer for him to play with as a toddler to get some more use out of it since they outgrow it in just a few months! 

Clothing and other fabrics:

Since baby’s clothes are in constant contact with their skin, which absorbs everything into their body, I prioritize 100% organic cotton material. Brands that offer this are Burt’s Bees, Spearmint Love, Honest, and even sometime the onesies at Costco will be organic cotton. Here are a few pieces we loved:

Burt’s Bee’s Bath towels: 100% organic cotton and so cute! 

Bamboo Baby Wipes: Reusable bamboo cloth- we use these to wipe Jaden’s face more often than anything else but they are meant to be actually baby wipes. You could use these in the bathtub while they are small. A great non-toxic item which I recommend for anything touching baby’s skin! 

100% Organic Wash cloths: Anything that touches babies skin should be organic! These are a little bigger than the bamboo ones. We needed a lot on hand!

Burp Cloths: These will be touching baby as well so organic is the way to go!