The things I actually use
No miracle products, no ten step protocol. Just the brands and the kitchen gear that show up in my own house, and a few honest notes on when each one is worth the money.
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Nothing here treats, cures or prevents anything, and none of it is a substitute for your doctor. If you are on medication, ask your pharmacist before adding a supplement. That is not me being cautious for legal reasons. Interactions are real.
Holiday Gift Guide
A few gift ideas from things I actually use, sorted by who you are shopping for. The Amazon links earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.
College kids, first apartments, anyone who just started cooking for one.
My first-kitchen cookbook. 28 family favorites, a month of dinners with grocery lists, and the kitchen cheats I swear by. There's a "Made for" page in the front for your note.
See the cookbookThe nonstick set in my kitchen. A real set of pans is the gift that makes cooking at home actually happen.
See it on AmazonCook once, eat twice needs somewhere to keep the leftovers. Glass goes from fridge to microwave.
See it on AmazonHave a college kid? Prime for Young Adults is $0 for the first 6 months. Most people don't know it exists.
Check it outLittle things that make her days a bit easier.
I love mine. Warm without a big bulky coat, which makes "go outside anyway" a whole lot easier in an Iowa November.
See it on AmazonI like these a lot. Glass with a silicone sleeve, so water just tastes like water.
See it on AmazonLunches packed on Sunday, grabbed on the way out the door all week.
See it on AmazonSmall, useful, and things I actually keep in my own kitchen.
The hydration packets I keep on hand. Tear one open, stir it into water, done.
See it on AmazonMy friend Tamara sells it. The everyday kitchen tools make easy little gifts that hold up.
Shop with TamaraMy friend Nici sells it. A couple of microfiber cloths are a stocking stuffer people actually use.
Shop with NiciYou take care of everyone else in December. This part is for you.
A full week of meals, 30 recipes and a shopping list to get off the sugar roller coaster. $17 through November 30.
See the plan$25, and it's credited toward coaching if we decide to work together. No pressure and no pitch.
Book your callThree or six months of coaching built around your real life, not a perfect one.
See the packagesThinking about doing what I do? The Institute for Integrative Nutrition is where I trained.
See IINSupplements
Our food does not carry what it used to. I am not shy about that. But a supplement is a supplement, not a fix, and the right one depends on your budget and what is already on your plate. Any of these four is a good place to land.
Third party tested, and the brand I reach for first when someone wants to keep it simple. This link goes to my own Thorne shop, with my favorites right up top.
Shop my Thorne picksPrefer Amazon? Thorne on Amazon
Whole food based formulas. This is the line I keep coming back to when someone wants food first and a supplement second.
See it on AmazonHerbs, done carefully. Good middle of the road pricing when the budget is real.
See it on AmazonShort ingredient lists and very few fillers, which matters when someone reacts to everything.
See it on AmazonLike to read up before you buy? Thorne puts out a free magazine called Take 5 Daily, with short articles, videos and podcasts on supplements and nutrients. It is one of my go-to places to learn. Read Take 5 Daily
Lab testing
Function Health is what I use to see what is actually going on with my own labs instead of guessing. Your results are yours to take to your doctor, and that conversation is where the real decisions belong.
A yearly membership that runs a big panel of lab tests and tracks your results over time. Join through my link and you get $25 off.
Join with $25 offPantry, kitchen and home
This is where most people get the biggest change for the least money. Swap the salt, swap the spices, swap the pan. That is a whole different kitchen for under a hundred dollars.
Apple cider vinegar, olive oil, the liquid aminos. Pantry staples I use constantly.
See it on AmazonSpices without the anti caking extras. The easiest swap on this whole page.
See it on AmazonCoffee and collagen. Worth it if your morning cup is non negotiable, and mine is.
See it on AmazonCeramic nonstick without the forever chemicals. This is the swap I nag people about.
See it on AmazonEssential oils I trust. Good quality without the multi level marketing price tag.
See it on AmazonI love my heated vest. Warm without a big bulky coat, so getting outside in the cold actually happens.
See it on AmazonMy water bottle pick. Glass with a silicone sleeve, so water just tastes like water.
See it on AmazonWhat is actually in my kitchen
Specific things, not brands. These are the ones I would replace tomorrow.
Glass instead of plastic, and the size range covers almost everything.
See it on AmazonThree compartments. This is what makes Sunday prep actually hold up all week.
See it on AmazonThe whole set, PFAS free. If you are replacing everything at once, start here.
See it on AmazonTaco night is a real meal plan. I will not be talked out of these.
See it on AmazonHands free while you fill a bag. Silly, and I use it every single week.
See it on AmazonHydration packets I keep on hand. Tear one open, stir it into water, done.
See it on AmazonWhat I’m currently reading
On my nightstand right now. A funny, honest guide to (mostly) thriving with ADHD.
See it on AmazonFriends I buy from
These two are not affiliate links. They are friends of mine who sell these lines, and I would rather send you to them than to a search bar. I do not earn anything on these. They do, and that is the point.
My friend Tamara sells it. The stoneware and the everyday tools hold up, and it is an easy first swap when you are trying to get plastic out of the kitchen.
Shop with TamaraMy friend Nici sells it. The microfiber cloths are how I cut most of the sprays out from under my sink, and they just keep going.
Shop with NiciWant to do what I did?
The program that trained me
I started at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in 2012 and I am still taking their courses. If you have been circling the idea of coaching, or you just want to understand your own health at a deeper level, this is where I would send you.
They are running a discount right now, and my code brings the price down further.
Look at the course catalog
I am an IIN referral partner, so I earn a commission if you enroll through my link or code. I cannot promise you any particular income or outcome from the program, and neither can they. Current savings and terms are set by IIN and can change at any time.
or scan this
Continuing education through IIN: Hormone Health, Whole Person Health, Detox Your Life, and Nutrition for Life.
I am a health coach, not a doctor. I will never diagnose you and I will never tell you to stop a medication. What I will do is help you ask your doctor better questions.
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