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Nutty 4 Nutrition

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  [ WELCOME ]. My name is Chantal .  I am a retired Registered Massage Therapist and a current Stay at Home Mom looking after my first baby, Eliana. I am a  Culinary Nutrition Expert  who is passionate about making healthy and wholesome meals for the whole family. 

[ WELCOME ]. My name is Chantal .I am a retired Registered Massage Therapist and a current Stay at Home Mom looking after my first baby, Eliana. I am a Culinary Nutrition Expert who is passionate about making healthy and wholesome meals for the whole family. 

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A TRUE SPRING CLEAN ||. I used to hoard clothes like crazy. I hung onto things for years. Drawers full of jeans that didn’t fit me anymore and a closet full of items that just sat there, untouched. After I had E, I got real REAL with myself and my hoarding issue. I realized that part of accepting my new post-partum body was being held back by my inability to let go. So I did an honest clean out and it felt AMAZING. Here’s my advice:.
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Every last god damn piece that you do not wear. It needs to go. All of those “but maybe it’ll fit again one day” items that are collecting dust are being donated. Here’s the thing. By the time these clothes do fit again, they either won’t fit you like you like they used to or you’ll most likely have outgrown the style anyway. Not to mention they are harboring negative feelings. Any pile that is labeled “but maybe they’ll fit again one day” isn’t the most encouraging of thoughts to have in our lives. Any items that do fit but you have not worn in the past 6 months also need to go. You are not wearing them for a reason. You may not know what that reason is but at this point it doesn’t matter, they are clearly not serving you. This process is extremely healing because you are literally letting go of the past here. From this point on, we focus on the beauty of the present.
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Bonus:  Donating that enormous load of clothing to a shelter full of those in need will make you feel deliriously happy. Who’s up for this both physical & emotional cleanse?!
COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY ||. Tonight’s dinner was a half zoodle, half linguine pasta with pesto, vegan parmesan, mushrooms, onion, garlic, and roasted red peppers. On the side I made the easiest & tastiest pesto meatballs ever. The recipe was from @leahgarradcole’s cookbook, “It all Begins with Food.”.
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I have another one of Leah’s recipes on the menu this week as well, Sweet Potato & Black Bean Taquitos. I have made so many recipes from this book and it’s because they are all so easy with minimal ingredients (that can be swapped for things you have on hand) and are very easy to make your own. I own a lot of cookbooks and I use this one the most, hands down. I even made E’s smash cake for her 1st birthday from this book. 
I adore this compilation of recipes so much that I want you to also own this gem so I’m hosting a giveaway. To enter:.
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Like this post and write a recipe in emojis. Choose any favourite recipe of yours and break it down with emojis but also comment in text the title of the recipe. 
Example: 🌿+🥑+🍍+🍏+🥒+🍋+🍼=my current fav green smoothie. Tag a friend to play along. A winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday, April 18th at 8pm CST. Contest is open to Canadian and U.S. residents only. Good luck!
Truthfully, it’s my husband and I’s dream to have a family nap all together. It’s quite the tease when she curls up under our blankets in our big bed and asks us to get in and join the party...then bounces as soon as we get comfy and cuddly haha. She’s just not the type. We bed shared until she was 5 months old and then parted ways because it wasn’t working out for anyone at that point. I’d gladly still be sleeping with her bedside me though if we both slept better that way. However that also would’ve been real tricky for when baby comes so for now, I’ll take that quick minute of cuddling whenever and wherever it comes. #alsoallowtvtimejustforcuddles #mylittlejet
I just ate a brownie while planning healthy meals for next week. That’s how it works, right 😂!? Just like how we order out after grocery shopping. Check out my stories for all the details and links to the recipes I’ll be making for dinners next week. Feel free to steal all my brownie fueled work. If you pay me, I’ll even grocery shop for you 😂✌🏻.
He snores but does about 1,000 other things that cancel it out. He’s my rock and I don’t know what I’d do without him. Truly spoiled with love over here 💕. #besthusband #bestdad #30weeks
TACO TUESDAY ANYONE ||? These pinto bean tacos are just another variation of this family favourite. It’s got a great and simple line-up and is perfectly appropriate for those meatless nights-or lifestyles. Beans are a staple in our household and they are a nutritional powerhouse. They are full of plant-based protein and fibre and are dirt cheap. It really can’t get any better. Check out the ingredients and how to make pinto beans from scratch in this blog post. Direct link in profile.
MY FIRST ||. I just want you to know that you’ll always be my first. My sweet baby. Even when you are all grown up and perhaps starting a family of your own-you’ll still be my first baby. The person that shaped me into the woman that I am today. Always wanting to be better to everything and everyone, including myself. You’ll always be the one who made me second guess my actions and my words and what they might reflect. I put your future ahead of my own struggles and I’ll forever thank you for it. So much good, and only good, has come from it. It’s changed who I am and what I believe. You have not only made me a mother but you’ve made me into the person I’ve always wanted to be.
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And don’t you worry. You may not be my last but I’ll never forget a single thing about you. Your vibrancy will never fade. Your silliness will always be contagious. Your zest will always roar. Your smile will always light up my face and your compassion will always melt my heart. Your hand in mine will always make everything better and my love for you will only grow stronger each and every day. I can promise you that. And I can promise you that you’ll always be my baby. #hormotionalAF #thestruggleisreal #30weekspregnant
CHICKPEA SCRAMBLE ||. Today’s Meatless Monday is brought to you by @minimalistbaker. I was looking for different garbanzo bean recipes and came across this. It sounded so interesting and simple so I threw it on the meal plan. It didn’t disappoint. I added a few more spices, and used a flax egg instead of the aquafaba because I discarded it by accident (I knew I would though). It’s got flavour and would be great served many different ways. Today I just paired it with some rice & cilantro, steamed green beans, and roasted green cabbage and sweet potato. I imagine it tasting incredible in a toasted sandwich though, too. See my stories for the link to the recipe. And now on to some self-care Monday vibes: a workout, some foam rolling and stretching all followed by a long shower. A mom’s paradise. How did you celebrate your Meatless Monday?
Another week is ahead of us and another meal plan is mapped out for my fam jam. Check out the deets in my stories and let me know if you have any questions. Let’s eat great this week, shall we!? // Pic is of an epic snack platter Eliana and I shared last week for lunch.
E’s SLEEPOVER ||. My toddler is spending the night with her abuelos (grandparents). As always, I’m sending her along with a couple of packed meals and some snacks.  I often get asked why I do this. Would they not feed her? Do I not agree with what they would feed her? Is it part of our arrangement? I personally like to send food along because my kid can eat A LOT and I don’t feel right when other people worry about having to keep up with her appetite, both physically and financially.
I’m very lucky. My mother in law prepares all of her food from scratch. She’s a traditional Salvadoran mama and we all loooove her food. I’d be more than ok with E eating everything she prepares (and she does). Some days, like school kids, I get half of my food back because she preferred abuelita’s meals and hey-that’s awesome and understandable-I’d choose the same 😆. When I get food back it just makes my life easier for the following day.
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What I do have packed here is a dinner of red lentil pasta with a marinara and lentil sauce topped with a bit of mozza and cashew parmesan. Her breakfast tomorrow will be leftovers from this morning so a couple of my spinach and mushroom pancake biscuits (recipe a few posts back) and some green beans. Snacks are fruit and some @lovechildorganics goodies. How do you parents coordinate food with other care givers? Has it been a struggle or a blessing?
STARTING SOLIDS ||? I very frequently get asked advice on babies starting off on solids. When to start, what they should eat, and how much. The thing is I’m just a mama that followed my gut instincts, my heart, and my baby’s cues. I do believe that my background in nutrition did help prepare me to be in tune with those influencers and I understand that it’s not as clear cut for everyone. I’m also not a qualified professional and don’t feel comfortable telling anyone what to do-ever but especially when it comes to feeding their children.
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Luckily, I have a guest blog post written by a holistic nutritionist that addresses all these questions when it comes to introducing foods to your babes. Lisa of @healthybrightbeginnings is a world of wisdom in infant nutrition (as well as pre and post-natal nutrition). This post will guide you in the direction and leave you with confidence. It’s so well done-informative and to the point. Check it out and tag anyone you can think of approaching this exciting milestone. Direct link for the post is in my profile. Let me know what you think and if there are any questions. // Pic of happy Eliana eating some sweet potato purée. (P.S-Lisa also wrote a separate post on Purees vs. Baby led weaning on my blog as well if you need more insight on that).

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8 Pro Tips for Meal Planning
8 Pro Tips for Meal Planning
about an hour ago

A meal plan is the plan of action we come up with before we hit the supermarkets. The purpose is to have an organized menu plan that both saves us time and chaos in the kitchen. It also avoids wasting food and blowing up our grocery budgets.


Nutty is Prego

October 30, 2015 in World Wellness, Baby Nutty, Pregnancy

I usually don’t go MIA for too long and in fact, this is my longest online hiatus to date but it’s all with good reason. I’m overjoyed to finally share that I’m going to be a mother and my husband, a father. There is a baby nutty brewing inside of me and he or she is expected to arrive in May 2016. Some of you may be surprised to hear that. In fact, when I told certain people I even got the question “but I thought you didn’t want kids?” This assumption is coming from a previous (and my most popular blog ever posted) called “To Conceive or not to Conceive?” In it, I expressed that my husband and I were undecided on the subject on procreating. We would go back and forth between the decision that we never took lightly. In the post I expressed the following statements:

“I don’t want to conceive a child out of pressure, uncertainty, or worst of all-fear.”

Unfortunately, I honestly believe people today are choosing to have kids for all the wrong reasons. We are terrified of losing the race against time, the possibility of infertility issues, the fear of leaving this world scared and alone. We feel inadequate next to our friends growing lively little families and we feel constant judgement and pressure from the world. Although I can understand those reasons, I never wanted any of them to be the rationale behind our conception.

“As we currently stand-our fate is in the hands of the baby gods. Hell, who knows, after all that rambling I could very well be pregnant right now. It either happens or it doesn’t. If I have children, I want it to be done lovingly, positively, and naturally. If that doesn’t happen then maybe it wasn’t meant to be.”

The future of our family was put in the hands of the baby gods over a year ago. Would I say we were “trying” for that past year? No. We simply left it up to fate. If it happened it happened and if it didn’t it didn’t. In that past year did I struggle with fertility issues? Were my hormones so unbalanced that it took a while to conceive? I don’t know. I do know that I was working with several holistic professionals to help balance my hormones (and not to conceive just for optimal health).  I worked with a homeopath, acupuncturist, and reflexologist. I also studied my diet and made suggestive changes. I focused on cleansing my liver and although I felt as if I was getting nowhere I still tried to remain patient with the journey. My painful periods never subsided and oftentimes it led me to believe I was making no progress at all. I’m left to wonder if this pregnancy a sign of progress or was it just an effortless result of a loving act on that perfect day at the perfect hour? I don’t know. We will never know. What I do know is that we were blessed with this little life thriving inside of me. This is the hand that the baby gods dealt us and we fully accept it with honour and pleasure.


MY FIRST TRIMESTER

 

Breast "tenderness"

I knew very early on that I was pregnant (at 3 weeks) and for one reason alone.  There was one particular “effect” (I refuse to use the word symptom as symptoms are accompanied with illness and creating a human is anything but) that could not be ignored. My breasts were throbbing. Let me tell you right now that breast “tenderness” is the most underrated thing I have ever heard. I felt as if each boob had its own pulse.

Fatigue

Fatigue was nothing new for me (thanks to my chronic hormonal imbalances) so my zombie like demeanour was not a red flag for me. It did hit me harder after about a month or so and I found all I wanted to do was watch Netflix and (actually) chill. I had no desire to food prep, meal prep, cook or bake. I never opened my laptop for anything besides watching TV curled up in a ball. No blogging happened, no recipe creating, and definitely no daydreaming about vegetables. How I made it to boot camp during this time is beyond me.

Nausea

Aside from killer boobs and fatigue I felt fine for those first 3 weeks. I did avid research on preventing morning sickness because as a registered massage therapist, I could not afford to be puking while practicing. I was feeling pretty good. I was feeling so good in fact that I was borderline cocky. Then hit week 6. Fuck. This is what people talk about. Luckily I never vomited, but no matter what I did there were 3 weeks of unsettling nausea. I was taking magnesium supplements to fight the discomfort. I wore Sea Bands bracelets when I wasn’t working. I added ginger to everything I ate and drank. I bought ginger chews and even bought saltines (I haven’t had those in years). My sickness was the worst overnight. I believe this is because I would go so long without eating. I discovered that if I did eat something small every few hours I would feel completely fine but anything longer-the placenta building station got all pissy with me. Therefore I would munch on a few crackers in my bed in the dark after a few of the zillion times I would get up to pee overnight. It helped.

Cravings/Eating Habits

This is where Nutty4Nutrition died. As soon as week 6 hit, baby Nutty murdered mama Nutty. I read that quality sources of protein helped play a huge role in battling the nausea but I unfortunately had no interest in protein. I added hemp hearts in everything I could because I was not feeling animal protein nor was I even fond of beans or legumes. All this baby wanted was fruit and carbs. This was a huge mind fuck for me. As much as I knew that this time was imperative to eat well I just couldn’t help eating the crap that I was craving. My mornings started off well with my loaded smoothies full of nutrients but from there it all went downhill. During my first trimester I ate unimaginable things that Nutty would never consume in copious amounts. Gluten galore, dairy delight, and I think I could have lived off of potatoes (but that’s nothing new). I bought things I haven’t had since I was a naïve teenager. The thought of vegetables made me gag and the only color I ingested was from fruits. I can feel your judgy eyes beaming at me through the screen. Listen, unless you have been here I’m just going to tell you right now that the first trimester is a wild ride and you have next to no control. I would read blogs of fitness queens and nutritionist divas sharing all the healthy foods they ate throughout their pregnancies. They emphasized the importance of eating right and expressed that our babies need us to lead the healthiest of lifestyles yet. At first heir words made me feel hella guilty but they eventually led me to irritation. Listen, obviously some people can do it. If you have been here and managed to maintain a clean diet, congratulations superwoman. Hang tight while I go grab you a cape to symbolize your immortal strength. ..Everybody is different and at the end of the day I was just happy I could eat because I have friends that couldn’t keep a goddamn thing down no matter how hard they tried.

Constipation

I do suffer with constipation but I knew I would. I knew that a lazy digestive system was a possible effect of baking a bun and I knew that it would affect me without a doubt. Nutty4Nutrition was created as a result of me trying to get a healthy handle on my digestion. Constipation was nothing new to me. Been there, done that. I was thankful for everything I have learned on my Nutty journey in regards to aiding digestion because at least I knew ways to support my gut throughout this slow moving slug of a time. My morning smoothies are packed with fibre (and irish moss) and all I drink all day long is good old water. I snack on dates and plums and other fruits high in fibre and still take my probiotics (and even digestive enzymes on occasion). My bathroom frequency is far from ideal but I do what I can.

Acne

Well, here’s another déjà vu. Hi cystic acne that I have missed so much-not. I swear I have this one honker that is still sitting on my face and it’s been there since the beginning (I’m currently writing this at 13 weeks). It is just a hard, stubborn lump of nothing and it doesn’t seem to be parting ways anytime soon. I also knew acne would affect me as well as I have also suffered with it in the past. To be honest, I thought it would bother me more than it does but I don’t care. It is what is and hormones run this show.

All in all

Aside from those major points, I also noticed a few random effects. My boobs and belly started to get itchy pretty early on forcing me to lotion every day to relieve discomfort. Speaking of my boobs, they are ginormous (so much so that they gave my pregnancy away a few times) and my nipples are already starting to resemble something horrific and mammoth-like. I definitely have prego brain. I forgot the pin to my visa a week ago and I still can’t remember even one digit for the life of me. I have a lot of important events coming up (weddings, showers, and bachelorettes) and I’m terrified that I will forget to show up to something in the midst of the chaos (I’m included in them all).

My friends warned me that pregnancy is not fun. They confided that it’s a period of time where you feel sick, bloated, fat, and uncomfortable. And as much as that may be true, I also feel awesome. Yes my boobs hurt but they are getting ready to feed my child. Yes I pee a gazillion times a day but it’s because my hCG levels are off the chain and my baby is growing. No, I’m not eating the cleanest diet but hey, I’m having fun. I missed perogies. Yes I’m constipated but my progesterone is naturally heightened (which is protocol) and this slows down digestion. Yes, I’m bloated but that is nothing new for me and it’s the first time where I’m supposed to be so hallelujah. I’m anticipating the arrival of my bump so intensely that I analyze my profile several times a day.  I have been blessed with the gift of growing a child. Unfortunately, not everybody is able to conceive and I vow to always keep that in mind throughout this journey. Instead of complaining about the process I’m going to enjoy it. I always knew I’d love being pregnant. I’m so excited to dress my bump, feel my body change, and embrace this new journey. It’s ironic because most ladies dread pregnancy and get anxious at the thought of labour. I’m totally game for all of that (I’ve got my doula lined up and all), it’s the aftermath-the arrival of our baby into this world that scares the shit out of me. That’s when I need to learn how to change a diaper, treat rashes, and decode moans, whines, and cries. It is when I need to master the rather misunderstood art of breastfeeding, multitasking, and patience. It’s when I, somebody who rarely brushes her hair, will be expected to care for and raise a decent human being. I have faith that we will be ok. Every parent gets by somehow and it’s by simply doing the very best they can. That’s our game plan anyway.


Ladies, what were your experiences with pregnancy? I'd love to hear it all-the good, the bad, and the ugly!

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