Real-food crusader, nutritional consultant, mother of five and down-to-earth blogger Katie the Wellness Mama is one of the most popular and passionate health bloggers on the planet. She makes kombucha and reads medical journals in her spare time. She’s big on meal planners and not so keen on grains. She makes marshmallows that are good for you. And she knows how to make healthy food look easy and enticing for the whole family.
Years ago, while pregnant with her first child, Katie was working as a nutritionist. She saw that each client who took traditional nutrition advice (less fat, more grains) wasn’t benefiting in the long term. And so her studies continued long after she’d graduated, in the hope that she could find which foods were the real key to health.
As these changes made a real, lasting and positive impact on her clients, Katie began applying them to her own diet and seeing great results. And the more she learned about healthy food and natural living, the more she needed an outlet, a place where she could help her community online.
Why did you start your blog?
“I started my blog in the hopes of empowering other families to switch to a real-food lifestyle and create a better future for our children. When my oldest child was six weeks old, I was sitting with him in a doctor’s waiting room, flipping through magazines. My hand stopped on a line... that the current generation of children would be the first in two centuries with a shorter life expectancy than their parents. Holding my perfect newborn, that line hit me and I resolved to do what I could to change that statistic.”
What’s your food philosophy?
“I focus on nutrient-dense, real foods and avoid chemicals and preservatives. At home our meals centre around organic proteins and lots of vegetables, and we add in foods like bone broth and fermented vegetables for an extra nutrient boost.”
Healthy food is...
“The most effective and most natural form of medicine. It is also the most basic and most important.”
With five kids to organise, you must have a good breakfast...
“I start with a good source of protein, lots of green vegies and usually my superfood coffee or tea.”
Which five ingredients are always in your pantry?
“Coconut oil, chia seeds, canned wild caught fish, herbal teas, and raw honey (though I definitely don’t recommend mixing that combo!).”
What do friends beg you to cook for them?
“Sweet potatoes. Really, I make several variations of stuffed sweet potatoes and they are the one food I most often get asked the recipe for.”
Who are your food heroes?
“Currently, they are Danielle Walker of Against All Grain, Sarah Fragoso of Everyday Paleo and Amy Densmore of Paleo Cupboard. My biggest food hero of all time? The award definitely goes to Julia Child.”
Who taught you to cook?
“I taught myself. My mum was such a good cook growing up that I never really tried to learn. Once I got married, I decided I wanted to provide really nice meals for my husband when he got home, so I started reading cookbooks and experimenting.”
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
“To enjoy food more and obsess about it less, and to learn to listen to my body and notice how different foods affect me.
What’s your top advice for others?
“Start small. Don’t stress yourself out in the beginning. Decide on one change and make it for a week and then add another. Make it sustainable and enjoyable and don’t think of it as deprivation but choosing the best option for yourself.”
Top picks from Wellness Mama
1. Fish taco salad
2. Grain-free banana bread muffins
3. Stuffed sweet potatoes
4. Homemade fruit snacks
Kitchen Farmacy editor Kris Franken
Source: Wellness Mama
Kitchen Farmacy is our food lover's blog where good health and great taste come together. Each fortnight we'll feature a health and wellbeing foodie blog, with recipes to nourish the soul and body. Here's to eating well (and satisfying all kinds of cravings). View previous Kitchen Farmacy blog entries.
