Holistic health trends for newborns. Are they worth the hype? As a holistic nutritionist (and mom), here’s my take on natural care like cord clamping, feeding, diapering, first foods, and vaccination schedules.

It’s always bittersweet when it’s time to move your little one from their crib to their toddler bed. Before the arrival of our third baby, we wanted to have our two year old setup in his big boy bed to match his brothers. We have always sourced non-toxic, organic crib mattresses but hadn’t fully explored what was available for our kids twin and full mattress setups.

In the cold months, it’s easy to reach for an extra cup of coffee or hot chocolate to get you through a chilly afternoon at work. But what if your drink of choice could actively reduce inflammation, clear your skin, and help you meet your protein goals?

I’m talking about bone broth. The viral drink that’s got everyone (even the celebrities) talking about its benefits. As a holistic nutritionist, I can confirm that bone broth deserves its superfood reputation.

But you shouldn’t drink it just because you’ve heard it’s good for you. You should drink it with intention and, preferably, with delicious recipes.

Preparing for a baby is so exciting. But it can also be overwhelming, especially if you’re a first-time mom. When making your baby registry list, there are tons of products to sift through (from the best cribs to baby monitors) — and this can feel stressful if you don’t know what items are best.

As a holistic nutritionist, I like to take my baby registry planning even further by including nontoxic items for the home. Many common baby items are covered in flame retardants, plastics, and forever chemicals (PFAS) — which can be harmful to your baby.

When we had our little one, Colter, last year, I heavily researched each item on our baby registry checklist. I’m particularly passionate about using nontoxic items here because…

As a mom and holistic nutritionist, it’s comforting to know that I’ve made the important decisions before I’m in the delivery room.

I’m talking about a birth plan.

A birth plan is your way of ensuring your wishes for pain management, cord clamping, and skin-to-skin contact are honored. It’s the calm before the storm. And it’s a beautiful way to know your baby will be cared for during his or her first moments of life.

Gestational diabetes (a temporary form of diabetes) is the most common kind of blood sugar disruption during pregnancy. It’s characterized by high blood sugar levels and your body’s inability to produce enough insulin.

But gestational diabetes isn’t the only way you can experience blood sugar imbalance during pregnancy. Even without a diagnosis, you may notice food cravings, mood swings, and energy lulls — all related to your blood sugar levels. This is common during pregnancy, and as a holistic nutritionist, I have a number of simple tools you can use to prevent it.

When we talk about fertility, it’s often the woman’s hormones that get time in the spotlight. But what if I told you men’s fertility is just as important? Yes, sperm quality can have a dramatic impact on the growth and development of your baby.

As a holistic nutritionist, I work with both men and women to optimize their fertility. There is some crossover for healthy food, lifestyle, and supplement choices — but here are my recommendations specifically for men…

If you’re tired of guessing the root cause of your symptoms and are ready to find real answers, I recommend functional lab testing. These tests are much different from your typical doctor’s recommendations, and work to get the data behind your concerns.

Intentional testing is your best resource for truly understanding your hormone health (no more throwing darts). Here, I’m sharing the tests I recommend to help you find real answers you can turn into an action plan.

When I’m working with clients on hormone or fertility health, I don’t want getting well to feel like a chore. That’s why I combine diet and lifestyle recommendations with products and therapies that require almost no effort.

Red light is a great example of this. It’s a powerful way to supercharge your mitochondria, boost your fertility, and set up your circadian rhythm for success — without dramatically changing your lifestyle.

Let me say something a little controversial:

The standard recommendations for first trimester pregnancy nutrition don’t scratch the surface of what women actually need.

A quick Google search will fill you in on your baby’s growth and development — and may suggest a prenatal vitamin. But it won’t tell you that our ancestors spent months and years preparing their bodies for pregnancy. You won’t learn that nutrient-dense foods are more important than calorie counting. And you won’t discover how to harness your intuition for a powerful and life-changing pregnancy experience.

Elderberry syrup is my go-to natural replacement for synthetic vitamin C supplements, cough syrup, and other common cold medications. We even find that it works better for our family than most over-the-counter remedies. Plus, it’s completely natural.

Since cold and flu season is on the way, I’m sharing everything I know about the benefits of elderberry syrup and how to make it at home.

The fact that we rarely use conventional cold remedies at the Braswell house should come as no surprise. It’s my view that mild colds can strengthen our immune systems, preparing us to overcome more severe illnesses. And leaving cold symptoms alone allows our bodies to fight the germs and heal faster.

That said, we still need to support our immune systems as much as we can throughout cold and flu season.

Here I’m sharing nine natural supplements that are cold and flu season staples in our home. They truly make such a difference in how quickly we recover.

Infertility isn’t just a diagnosis. It’s an emotional journey that touches almost every aspect of life — from your relationship with your partner to social stigmas and the idea that your body has “failed.” It’s difficult to go about daily life with more questions than answers.

To be diagnosed with infertility, you must be unable to conceive for a year or more. It’s estimated that over ten percent of women struggle with infertility, and those numbers are on the rise.

If infertility is part of your story, you’re familiar with diagnoses like endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and diminished ovarian reserve. While helpful, these diagnoses only offer a small window into the full picture of your fertility.

There are several misconceptions about seed oils. Some holistic nutritionists recommend avoiding them at all costs. At the same time, mainstream media and other medical professionals don’t see anything wrong with seed oil consumption.

But if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s this: if you pick up a cereal box or snack food from your local grocery store, it almost always contains seed oil. Canola, vegetable, and safflower oils are common ingredients in packaged foods. So it’s essential for us to understand how they impact our cells.

It’s estimated that two-thirds of American women use birth control pills.

I work with many women who struggle to get pregnant after the pill — or who experience unexplained symptoms while using synthetic hormones.

Every woman deserves to be informed about the long-term risks of hormonal birth control, and what she can use instead.

As a pregnancy nutritionist, it’s my job to work with women like you to support a healthy and empowered pregnancy. We’ll use whole foods, lifestyle changes, and hormone-balancing techniques to help you show up as the best version of yourself.

(Yes, even during pregnancy.)

There are many different tools I use to empower women to advocate for themselves and embrace a nutrient-rich pregnancy diet plan. One of my favorites is a pregnancy nutrition calculator.

Women’s health is overlooked and understudied — especially when it comes to pregnancy.

Knowing what foods to avoid and which prescription drugs are safe to use is helpful, but it’s only a small part of pregnancy.

If we want to thrive, we need to understand how nutrients impact our bodies, how to optimize energy levels, and how to curb nausea.

This is where pregnancy nutrition comes in.

Yes, you can still have a healthy baby if you have gestational diabetes.

Gestational diabetes is an extremely common pregnancy complication.

It occurs when the body struggles to metabolize insulin, leading to high blood sugar.

But the most important thing to remember about gestational diabetes is it’s easy to manage.