http://www.nourishwithmeels.com/

Nourish With Meels, Stony Plain, AB (2026)

07/21/2023

👋🏼 I wanted to share some exciting news that I’ve been keeping close to my heart the past few months 🤍

I am 24 weeks pregnant, due in early November (due date is my birthday 🥹)

This has been such a beautiful experience that I feel incredibly grateful for every day.

We are so excited 🤍✨

02/07/2023

I want to start by emphasizing that metabolism has a LOT more to do with how our cells are producing energy, and a lot LESS to do with our weight and how quickly we are burning calories. Okay now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's move on! Metabolism is the process of converting the food we eat into energy in the body. This energy affects every single system in the body (digestion, nervous system, hormones, reproductive, immune system, etc.). This process can be greatly impacted by:
➡Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
➡Restrictive diets (low-carb diets for ex. increase stress hormones in the body, and stress depletes minerals)
➡Under-eating (people who under-eat are actually slowing down their metabolism)
➡Over-exercising
➡Not moving the body enough
➡Chronic stress (during times of stress, our bodies need extra energy, and stress depletes minerals) ➡Prescription meds
➡Supplements that our body does not actually need, which can lead to mineral imbalances in the body ➡Poor sleep habits. Our metabolism can always be supported, and this is why having your minerals tested can be so helpful! Because our minerals (being the wonderful little "spark plugs" they are) are what fuel our metabolism and our metabolism is then able to fuel the rest of our body. -Meels ✨

01/21/2023

A balanced plate will help to keep you satiated and energized until your next meal. It also helps to ensure you are consuming nutrients that support your body’s needs.

Here are a 𝐟𝐞𝐰 examples of proteins, fats and carb sources.

Don’t forget to add in flavour, using fresh herbs, citrus, and seasonings!

When it comes to portion sizes, this is a 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 guideline, because we all have different dietary needs, based on how our bodies are metabolizing food. For example, if you are a slow oxidizer, your carb needs may differ from that of a fast oxidizer. Curious about how your body is metabolizing food? Let’s run a hair tissue mineral analysis to ensure your body is getting exactly what it needs for optimal energy!

10/26/2022

-Digestive bitters are foods/herbs that stimulate the production of stomach acid (HCl), and other secretions involved in the digestion process
-They support the liver and gallbladder
-They also help the body produce digestive enzymes, which help to break down proteins, fats, and carbs.

Tell me if any of this sounds familiar to you- We have a tendency to eat in a rushed and stressed state, we aren’t connecting with our food, we’re distracted, and barely able to even sit down to actually look at and enjoy the meal in front of us.

Why is this important? Because I'm a broken record when I say this, but digestion is a north-to-south process and when this happens, the brain doesn’t send signals to the rest of the digestive processes to turn on/trigger necessary secretions for proper food breakdown, therefore our food is not properly broken down, or absorbed. This can lead to uncomfortable symptoms like bloating and gas to name a few, along with mineral/vitamin deficiencies (think about this- we are trying to eat nourishing, nutrient-dense foods, but if we aren’t properly digesting and absorbing their nutrients, then what is the point?).

Consuming digestive bitters before a meal can help to stimulate salivary enzymes, and the production of HCl, which we NEED to properly digest food (HCl is also essential to kill off potential pathogens, disinfect the stomach, activate pepsin so proteins can be digested, etc.). Digestive bitters also stimulate bile so we can digest the fats we are consuming, and they are supportive of liver detoxification.

There are a variety of ways to take digestive bitters- purchased tinctures containing concentrated amounts of bitter herbs, consuming bitter, whole foods like dandelion greens, arugula, etc. before meals.

My favourite way to consume bitters is in tincture form, I love and

*Not medical advice

-Meels

10/13/2022

When it comes to the health of our gut, there are SO many factors to take into consideration, including (but certainly not limited to)-
-Reducing stress, increasing joy
-Calming the nervous system
-Reducing processed, fake, inflammatory foods, dyes and flavours
-Avoiding seed oils
-Reducing exposure to foods covered with glyphosate, and the list goes on and on and on.

There are, however, a few pantry staples I always have on hand and recommend to clients for *additional* gut support while working on the above list includes:

Aloe Vera juice can be purchased in most grocery stores, just make sure there is no added sugar (I like Lily of the Desert).

Bone broth can be homemade, or purchased at a grocery store (my favourite brands are "Kettle and Fire" for US brand, and Broya for Canadian brand). I love how versatile broth is- you can heat and sip it (and if it doesn't taste good, play around with the flavour and add some butter, herbs, lemon juice, anything- I love the brands I just mentioned because they have amazing flavours already😆), use it to cook your rice/quinoa or veggies in, use it to make gravies, etc.

Throat coat tea has become one of my favourite go-to teas to drink and can be found at most grocery/health stores.

Gut gummies are such a great 2-ingredient snack for kids and adults (recipe posted on my page). Just keep in mind the juice should not contain added sugars.

-Meels 💚

10/06/2022

I sometimes wish I could go back and tell my younger self that although it might take a little longer to find your person, you'll find him, and it will all have been worth the wait, a hundred times over ✨

09/29/2022

My HTMA results:
Metabolic type: How fast/slow a person burns energy. I am a Slow 1= My body is burning energy at a slower than usual rate.
What I also look for on a test are the first 4 single minerals (Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium and Potassium), and then rely on the micro-minerals for clues into helping me develop better recommendations. We always begin by addressing the first four, as they have a direct impact on the remaining minerals (which is so neat).

I also look at mineral ratios, which are the best in providing info about imbalances:
-Ca/P- Will show if you have a tendency toward parasympathetic or sympathetic dominance (basically whether you have defaulted to a state of exhaustion/burnout, or fight-flight)
-Na/K is your vitality ratio and tells us if your body is not optimally using glucose as fuel, adrenal function, acute stress vs. Exhaustion, etc.
-Ca/K is our thyroid ratio, indicating a sluggish or overactive thyroid
-Zn/Cu tells us about copper balance, and is also referred to as our “hormonal ratio”
-Na/Mg- our adrenal ratio tells us about adrenal gland activity and whether our adrenal glands require support (they are responsible for responding to stress in the body)
-Ca/Mg is our blood sugar ratio, indicating high or low levels of blood sugar
-Fe/Cu- Infection indication ratio (bacterial/viral infections)

I also love the heavy metal exposure component, and as you can see aluminum is raised, so now I can look at my environment for potential exposures and limit where possible.
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis can provide such in-depth information into what is happening at a cellular level in the body. I have been dealing with uncomfortable symptoms for a few months, and it is nice to see validation in this test.

It truly does emphasize the importance of foundational health, which is why I love it. I am very much looking forward to implementing specific recommendations based on my results (some of which are listed above), and using this with my clients ✨

*Not medical advice
*Not a diagnostic tool (I also do not diagnose)
*These are my personal results, if you are curious about yours, I’d love to chat and help connect the dots
-Meels 🤍

09/27/2022

*This post is extremely vulnerable for me, and may potentially be triggering for some of you*

Before I share my HTMA results, I do want to share factors that are heavily impacting those results, and why they are showing such high amounts of stress (I’ll explain them in detail in posts to come).
HTMA results will show mineral deposition in the cells and interstitial spaces over a 2-3 month period. For me, these results are going to show what my body went through in that time frame, which was a pregnancy loss. It was the first time we were able to experience pregnancy and we were thrilled, only to find out the following month that it was likely not a viable pregnancy. Fast forward another two weeks (which felt like an eternity), and our fears were confirmed by a second ultrasound.
I’ve put a lot of work in to help myself grieve, heal and accept the loss, but it is still so hard some days, and I just allow myself to feel all the raw emotions that come with this loss.
I also took it upon myself to plan a small wedding in those few months because I wanted (needed) something to look forward to, to bring me hope and joy and so I 💯 added more to my stress load.
My HTMA results are very humbling and eye-opening, and I’m going to share them with you, to show how stress impacts us and show areas I personally need to focus on to support my foundational and mental health.
I think it’s important to share this because we are all human, we all go through highs and lows in life, and I constantly hear people comparing their health to mine when I tell them I’m a Holistic Nutritionist- I’m not perfect, I will never be, and I don’t expect it from myself or my clients. But what I will always advocate for is supporting our bodies by nourishing and loving them 🤍
*My HTMA results will be shared soon!
-Meels

09/08/2022

I am adding a new tool to my practice, to better support my beautiful clients!

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis!
What the heck is it?
-Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis is a mineral biopsy that allows us to look at the mineral deposition in the cells, and interstitial spaces of the hair across a 2-3 month period.
-This provides us with insight into how our bodies are functioning at a cellular level (our cells are the major site of metabolic activity)
-This test can show us whether someone is burning through minerals and nutrients too quickly or slowly (metabolic rate- Hello energy levels!).
-What stage of stress we are in, how stress is impacting the body (chronic, acute)
-How our immune system is functioning
-Information about thyroid and adrenal health, based on hormones associated with specific minerals
-How our body tolerates carbohydrates, whether we are eating enough protein, too many carbs, etc.
-Energy levels
-Personality tendencies
This non-invasive, inexpensive lab test provides us with insight into how our bodies are functioning at a cellular level (our cells are the major site of metabolic activity)

I love this tool because sometimes it can feel impossible to know for sure if we are taking the right minerals to support our bio-individual needs, whether we are absorbing minerals, whether we have mineral deficiencies, etc., and how that could be impacting our health and contributing to unwanted symptoms. This tool allows us to look deeper. It also allows me to make more specific nutritional, lifestyle and supplemental recommendations to better support your foundational health.

I also absolutely LOVE that It is a simple, cost-effective way to validate client concerns, because it shows us what is happening inside the body, at a cellular level.

Stay tuned for more info about minerals and the process of collecting a sample.

I'm also going to share my results when they come in, to show you how amazing this tool is, and how I am going to use this tool for my clients and my personal health moving forward.

Let me know if you have any questions!
-Meels

07/07/2022

I used to think the topic of blood sugar was reserved for those with diabetes, but it actually affects how we are feeling at every moment in the day-afternoon energy crashes, tired in the mornings, sugar/carb cravings, hanger, all of these symptoms and more are directly related to blood sugar levels.
Here are 3 small, easy tips to support your blood sugar in the morning, and this is important because incorporating tips like these first thing in the morning can help SO much to set your day (and blood sugar levels) up for success, minimizing those afternoon energy crashes, the need for afternoon sugar/caffeine as a pick-me-up, etc.
1. Try to eat breakfast within 30-60 minutes of waking up, because your blood sugar levels are already low in the morning from fasting through the night, and when these levels are low, paired with a lack of breakfast, it adds stress to the body, which then triggers the release of cortisol, a stress hormone, to try to raise blood sugar levels. Eating breakfast within 30-60 mins of waking, can help to keep stress hormones at bay, thus supporting stabilized blood sugar levels.
2. Many breakfasts tend to be carb-forward (orange juice and cereal, toast or oatmeal with oat milk), and this can wreak havoc on our blood sugar levels and ultimately lead us to feel exhausted shortly after consumption, SO! To set your day up for success in terms of sustained energy and mental clarity, try making sure your breakfast includes at least one source of protein, quality fat like avocados, plain greek yogurt (hey protein AND fat, woo!), etc. Fiber is amazing because it helps to slow down the rate at which your food is absorbed, supporting stable glucose levels. Feel free to still add your carb in there, but I would recommend priority be placed on protein and fats to really support stabilized blood sugar, and if it’s easy to do so, try to eat your carb last, to support blood sugar even more!
3. Drink your coffee with or after your breakfast. I’ve posted about this before, but drinking coffee on an empty stomach is no good for keeping blood sugar levels stabilized, and thus sends it on a rollercoaster ride trying to regulate for the rest of the day
🤍

05/11/2022

Tzatziki + Roasted Garlic Hummus:

Two of my absolutely favorite dips to make, because they are nutrient-dense, quick to make, delicious and so versatile!!
I will be referring to them often in some of my other recipes 🤍

When I make either of these dips, some of my favorite ways to use them include:
-As as salad dressing (this is a great way to add extra protein and herbs to your salad)
-As a dip, paired with chopped peppers, cucumbers, carrots, other veggies, crackers (this is a great example of a paired snack that helps to keep you satiated until your next meal)
-Added to my meals if I want extra protein and flavor (either on top or on the side of a dish, depending on what it is).
-By the spoonful

Here is my favorite ways to make both dips (I can store them in the fridge for ~5 days, but to be honest they never last that long in our house 🤤)

𝐓𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐳𝐢𝐤𝐢
-1 cup full-fat, plain greek yogurt
-½ cup grated cucumber, skin on (strain most of the juice out before adding to the yogurt)
-½-1 lemon, juiced
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-2 tbsp fresh fill
-1 tsp sea salt
-pepper to taste

𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐬
-Preheat the oven to 350F
-Place a small piece of unbleached parchment paper on a baking pan
-Take a whole head of garlic, slice the top off (and make sure most of your garlic cloves are now exposed), and set it on the pan
-Drizzle olive/avocado oil over top, and add sea salt and pepper
-Bake for 30 minutes (or until garlic cloves are softened)

In a food processor, add in the following ingredients:
-2 tbsp olive oil
-3 tbsp lemon juice (more or less to taste)
-3 tbsp tahini
-2 tbsp fresh parsley
-1 can of organic chick peas (OR, to make it more nutrient dense/easier to digest, check out my post on soaking and sprouting chickpeas)
-2-3 tbsp water to thin out (optional)
-1 tsp sea salt

Once the roasted garlic is ready and cooled, pop the garlic cloves in the food processor with the remaining ingredients, blend until smooth and ENJOY!

-Meels 🤍

Nourish With Meels

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