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Join me for a new series of nutrition articles highlighting foods my family eats on a regular basis. I will cover the nutrition benefits of these foods and tips for how to prepare and eat them.  For my first food, I am highlighting quail eggs. I shared in years past how I first learned about these eggs from my friend Pavel….who is now my wonderful husband. He grew up with quail in Ukraine where they are native. Pavel and I now raise quail so that our whole family can enjoy the benefits of these eggs every day.  There are many ways to eat the quail egg. Pavel and his family grew up drinking them raw from a cup. This is how I was first introduced to the eggs. These eggs have a mild sweet flavor, much like the yolk of a soft-boiled chicken egg. Although the texture can take time to get used to, the flavor definitely grows on you. However, when I was pregnant with our first child and experiencing morning sickness, I switched to putting them raw into our morning smoothie. This has continued as our daily practice for consumption. Is eating the raw egg safe? Well, you certainly can enjoy them prepared any way you would cook a chicken egg. However, unlike chicken eggs, quail eggs contain little to no Salmonella due to an increased amount of lysozyme--an enzyme that kills bacteria. So, if you trust the source of the egg and it is fresh (no older than a week), you can enjoy all these nutrients raw which preserves more of the quail egg nutrients compared to cooking them.  The origin of quail egg consumption can be traced back to Egyptian and Chinese medicines,  when it was used to fight respiratory diseases and general immune conditions. This practice soon spread to other Asian cultures--Japan is known for feeding their children 2 quail eggs for a school breakfast. The eggs are also prized in European countries and they are quite common in some South American countries where they are typically served hard boiled.  Of course, every sustainably raised egg (chicken, duck, quail, etc.) deserves a five-star rating for nutrition. For example, all of these eggs contain high levels of vitamin A, D, B12, selenium, protein and fat--making them a great food for vision and blood sugar handling among other things. However, the quail egg has some unique treasures. When comparing quail eggs to chicken eggs, one quail egg contains six times more vitamin B1 and fifteen times more vitamin B2. Also, between 1960-1980, two physicians, Dr. Truffier and Dr. Lucotte conducted separate studies of therapeutic doses of quail eggs which resulted in profound ‘cures’ of asthma and allergies. (Supporting their historical use in Egypt and China.) This is the result of unique enzymes in the egg white which inhibit trypsin (a protein which causes allergies.) Pavel’s siblings experienced complete recovery from allergy and digestion issues when consuming these eggs daily!  If you want to benefit from these eggs, aim for 3 eggs daily for adults, 2 eggs daily for children 5 and older, 1 egg daily for children under 5.  Now, if you are ready to start trying these lovely eggs, I would love to help connect you with a trusted source! I look forward to hearing from you!   [1] Douglas, Alexandra Teodozja. Coturnix Revolution: The Success in Keeping the Versatile Coturnix: Everything You Need to Know about the Japanese Quail. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013.

Here we are in 2025. A quarter of a century. A fresh year to restart goals and refresh vision. I am dreaming a little bigger and casting vision a little further in my life this year. I’m asking myself, what are my personal and business dreams, not just for the next 6-12 months but for the next 5-10 years and beyond. These dreams allow me to begin to process practical goals and daily habits that are needed to steer me towards those dreams. (One of my 2024 inspirations for goal setting was Atomic Habits by James Clear. I highly recommend it if you are making any new year goals or resolutions!) So, with my long-term dreams stirring in my heart, what is my 2025 New Year Vision? For both personal and business life, I have an overarching theme to grow in teaching/public speaking. As mentioned in last week's article on my 2024 review, I had several opportunities to teach for ministry at our church, Lighthouse Christian Fellowship as well as for my business through Postpartum classes and the Symposium at Houghton College. Through all those events, I was rediscovering the passion for preparing a message/class and the reward of delivering it to an excited and engaging audience. This will be my focus for the new year. To grow in these teaching opportunities I have to be strategic with my time for two reasons. First, my time is limited as I continue to choose to be a stay at home mom (or a domestic engineer as some moms like to say.) While at home, I love being a homemaker and providing optimal nutrition for my family through homemade sourdough bread, kefir, yogurt, fruits of gardening and more. This is where I put into practice all that I “preach” to my clients. Secondly, this year is a transitional season for us as Pavel will step into the senior pastor position at Lighthouse in May. This will bring change to our family in many ways. We anticipate wonderful things ahead but there are certainly many unknowns as our schedule and lifestyle shifts.  Therefore, I have chosen to not take on any private clients for nutrition for the next 6-8 months. Instead, I will be focusing my time on teaching nutrition classes. (Stay tuned for the upcoming class schedule for the next few months!) I will also have the opportunity to begin teaching a monthly ladies Bible study at Lighthouse in February. It will be a rich year of pouring into many through these teaching opportunities. I will continue to be a researcher and writer on nutrition–producing monthly content in the Sun and for my blog. And keep you updated on exciting life transitions as God leads and blesses our family.  I would love to hear from you readers! What are some dreams and goals you are intentionally pursuing for the year 2025? How are they building off the things you grew in in 2024 and helping you pursue longer term dreams and vision? As always, I also welcome any nutrition questions you have!

Happy New Year! 2025 is an exciting and fresh year. I have some big things to expect for personal and business life. However, before sharing those plans with you next week, I want to reflect on some highlights from 2024.  At the beginning of the new year for 2024, I shared with you that Pavel and I had chosen the word “excellence” to be our theme for the year.  In essence, less is more. It was our goal to focus on doing certain specific things in our life with greater excellence–greater order, intentionality, preparation, etc. All of my business and personal goals were filtered through this vision of excellence.  Personally, 2024 was a year of many new responsibilities, two specific ones! This theme of excellence helped us to grow through those new things. First, our second child Aaron was born in February. Motherhood was sometimes all consuming, yes in hard and tiring ways, but also beautiful precious moments. There was practical learning on how to train our kids through each stage of development…and I have definitely learned more about holistic nutrition for kiddos as we navigate seasonal colds and viruses! And also the richer blessing of family as we cultivate a culture of security, peace, and joy in our home. Secondly, in April, we were ordained as associate pastors at the Lighthouse Christian Fellowship of Alfred. This meant more opportunities to teach and preach, but also grow in counseling and mentoring others.  For my business, I focused my attention on niche clients wanting support with fertility, prenatal and postpartum health. This was so very rewarding as I coached them to adapt new foods and habits to suit their specific health requirements.  I wrote and taught two new classes. First, my Postpartum Nutrition Class which I was able to present at Gently Borne Midwifery in Ithaca to expecting mama’s eager to take care of their health postpartum. Topics included keys for postpartum recovery, breastfeeding and maternal nutrition, as well as tips for infant health. I also spoke at a Stress and Trauma symposium at Houghton College. This symposium was an event for teachers, human service professionals, healthcare professionals, law enforcement, mental health counselors, and social workers. My class, Healing and Balance Found in Nutrition, was a dynamic time of equipping them with essential steps to understanding their physical and mental health through the lens of nutrition. The excellence I focused on was definitely not perfection. And with all the new in 2024, it definitely wasn’t perfect. But I am so thankful I was able to grow in specific areas of life which I value so highly.    Stay tuned for next week as I share updates for this 2025 New Year! Here are a few pictures capturing this year! Our Happy Boy, Aaron Anatoliy Boyuk. Mom life! Our Family of Four! Associate Pastor Ordination

Last month I shared three reasons why proper postpartum nutrition is so important for mama’s. Now I want to begin to lay the groundwork for what  that nutrition is. So, within this article, I will present to you a few “super foods” for the postpartum season. For review, there is a foundation on which every mom can start, focusing on the composition of macronutrients in each meal: 2 cups + of vegetables (with some fat, like butter or olive oil) 3-4 oz. of protein (with naturally occurring fat, like the skin on chicken) 1/2 to 1 cup of starchy or carbohydrate-rich whole foods  This example meal supplies a variety of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to support proper blood sugar levels and hormonal balance. These foods have the  potential  to be nutrient rich food with a high yield of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and amino acids. How do we maximize the potential of our food? It’s all in the quality. Sourcing the best quality of these foods reduces toxins and increases nutrient density of those foods. As much as possible, buy organically grown foods, sourced from a trusted local farmer. In Alfred, we are blessed with many farms and farmers who truly value the quality of nutrition they provide their customers through their products. A few that I have highlighted here before include Sunny Cove Farm (organic raw milk, grass fed beef, pork, chicken and goat) and Living Acres and Living Cultures (organic produce and fermented, probiotic rich foods such as sauerkraut and sourdough bread.)   Here are some specific postpartum superfoods: Proteins such as red meat provide iron for rebuilding blood postpartum, chicken liver being the best source for iron.   Eggs contain cholesterol, the hormone important for managing inflammation, and a building block for sex hormones, stress-resilience hormones, and healthy brain development. Eggs are also the best sources for choline, the mineral needed for baby’s brain and nervous system development.  Homemade bone broth is rich in minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids, great for optimizing digestion and healing from birth. It also supports your baby’s developing immune system. (Note: the longer the broth simmers the higher it is in amino acids. This is a good thing! However, there is potential for mom to have a sensitivity to histamines and since the baby's immune and nervous system is still developing, short simmered broths are a good idea as you introduce this new food.) Vegetables, especially in the fermented form like sauerkraut, provide not only nourishing vitamins but needed fiber and probiotics for our digestive system and healthy gut microbiome for mama and baby! There are SO many more superfoods for postpartum. But don’t worry, just start incorporating a variety of whole foods and you will be off to a great start! Then begin to incorporate one or two new “superfoods” to boost your diet. If you are pregnant and preparing for that healing postpartum season, you can also reach out to friends or family to support you with specific healing foods after the baby is born. Stay tuned for next month as I share some tips for  how to prepare  these superfoods to best support the postpartum season.

The postpartum season is filled with the joys of life with your precious new baby….and spending a lot of time day and  night taking care of the newborn. Oftentimes the healing and care for mom gets neglected in this busyness. However, this is truly a recent neglect within modern society. Traditionally, cultures considered the postpartum season to be a sacred time when mothers were supported by other women in their community to ensure the mother received proper care, rest, and nutrition. This is so important for three specific reasons.  First, building a baby during pregnancy requires a large amount of nutrients from mama’s body. Her body needs to replenish those nutrients postpartum. Second, birth is like a marathon for a mama that demands nutrients to recover the energy expended and for repair of tissues, blood loss, and wound healing (whether it was a natural birth or C-section). Third, if breastfeeding, mama will spend more energy and nutrients making this rich milk for the baby. Because the nutrients in the milk come from mama’s milk or her nutrient stores, a nutrient-depleted mama will have nutrient-depleted milk and a mama eating a diet of nutrient-rich foods will have nutrient-rich milk. [1] Eating the right foods may seem more challenging these days because our modern American diet has become so consumed with processed foods and distanced from whole nutrient rich foods. And unfortunately hospital food, the diet of most mother’s immediately after giving birth, is not the nourishing menu needed. But if a mother is educated and has the proper support team, she can thrive.  Let me give you a sneak peak of what this should look like…a real food diet should be her foundation, similar to the ideal diet within pregnancy which I have shared previously [2]. On this foundation, there are many postpartum super foods that will support mamas during this season. 2 cups + of vegetables (with some fat, like butter or olive oil) 3-4 oz. of protein (with naturally occurring fat, like the skin on chicken) 1/2 to 1 cup of starchy or carbohydrate-rich whole foods  Now that we have covered the why  for proper postpartum nutrition stay tuned for my next article in which I will provide more information on what proper postpartum looks like!  References [1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1695403315003057?via%3Dihub [2] https://www.thrivinghealthny.com/post/review-of-lily-nichols-real-food-for-pregnancy

Hello readers! I have been enjoying some quiet weeks at home with the newest member of our family! His name is Aaron Anatoliy Boyuk. Born at home 2/25/24. He was 6lbs 5oz…and such a healthy little boy. We had an exciting labor and delivery! I had 2 days of pre-labor contractions that started and stopped a few times. When labor kicked into gear Sunday morning we called the home birth midwives right away. However, Aaron decided to come only an hour and a half later at 3:18am. Pavel had the honor of delivering his son 20 minutes before the midwives arrived! It was intense but beautiful and natural. My dream of a home birth came true and it was so peaceful welcoming Aaron into the world from the comfort of our home.   After some more quiet maternity leave, I will be back in action sharing nutrition tips and recipes!

Happy New Year from Thriving Health! We are a couple weeks into 2024 and life is beginning to settle back into a routine after the holidays. For Thriving Health, I am enjoying meeting with clients and preparing for maternity leave when our baby arrives in a couple months. This is also a fun “nesting season” as I organize our home and my business in motherly fashion. This nesting season is also accompanied by an overarching vision which ties together all my new year goals. I decided on this vision, along with Pavel, during an annual retreat we took at the end of December. During this time we review finances, business/career goals, reflect on highlights and lessons from the previous year, and pray about vision for the new year. Our theme for the new year is the word “excellence”. In essence, less is more. We want to focus on doing certain specific things in our life with greater excellence–greater order, intentionality, preparation, etc. All of my business and personal goals are filtered through this vision of excellence. It is very exciting and focused. Have you ever considered having a word for the new year to cast vision and help you focus on specific goals? It is a rewarding practice that enriches our year with intentionality. Whether you adapt this exact practice or not, I encourage you to start this new year with purpose and defined goals. This will set you up for a successful year of growth. Next week, I will begin sharing with you my series on Building a Thriving Lifestyle. Each article will provide insightful education and tips to support a healthier new year! Comment below with your new year’s goals and resolutions! #2024 #thenutritionistmom #thrivinghealthny #newyearvision #healthierme #purposedrivenlife #newyearsresolutions #excellance

This is a refreshing RESTART-approved beverage to cut the sweet cravings and boost your protein intake! Plus if you opt for full fat coconut milk from a can, it will increase your nutrient dense fats and give you so much energy for your day. Ingredients 1/2-1 Cup Frozen berries (Limit to half cup if on RESTART or need to manage blood sugar) 3/4 Cup Milk (Coconut, Almond, or Raw Milk) 1/2-1 Cup Ice 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Dash of Salt (Himalayan or Sea Salt 1 Scoop Collagen Pepties* (Awesome sources of protein!) Directions Add all ingredients to the blender. Blend well. Sip and enjoy! +Great Lakes is a good brand available at Wegmans for collagen! For other brands you can set up a FREE account with my supplement dispensery. I will send you recommendations. https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/thriving-health/store-start

This is my original recipe I shared when I first started teaching RESTART in Alfred in 2018! I shared it with the Terra Cotta Coffee shop where it was enjoyed by many! Ingredients 3/4 Cup Milk (Almond, Coconut, Raw Milk) 1 Green Tipped Banana 2 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract 2 Tbsp. avocado (this makes the smoothie extra smooth!) Dash of Salt (Sea Salt or Himalayan Optional: 1 Scoop Collagen Peptides 1 Cup of Ice Directions Add all ingredients to a blend. Blend until smooth. Add additional ice if desired. Sip and enjoy! +Great Lakes is a good brand available at Wegmans for collagen! For other brands you can set up a FREE account with my supplement dispensery. I will send you recommendations. https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/thriving-health/store-start

Juice from 2 lemons 1 tsp. Turmeric powder Dash of black pepper 2 pinches of Mineral salt 2-4 drop liquid stevia (or honey or monk fruit to taste) Optional: 1 scoop collagen ⅛ tsp cream of tartar ¼ tsp magnesium powder Combine all ingredients in a quart mason jar. Add water and stir well. Top off jar with ice. Enjoy! Adapted from the THM original recipe, Singing Canary

We get our milk fresh Sunny Cove Organic Farm
Their cows are certified organic, grass-fed. AND produce gorgeous cream perfect homemade ice cream! All you need is an ice cream maker-electric or hand churn. We have made SO many variations of this recipe-chocolate, peach, strawberry banana, vanilla, etc. But our classic is Maple Ice Cream w/toppings. Here is the recipe we enjoyed last night: Ingredients:
2 Cups Cream
2 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
Optional Toppings-fresh strawberries, bananas, and homemade granola. Directions:
Combine cream and maple syrup. Add to ice cream maker. Churn until frozen! Add desired toppings. Enjoy!

This simple ranch is delicious and light! I always have yogurt on hand so it has been my go-to creamy recipe. Ingredients 1 Cup Plain Yogurt (Greek or Regular) 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice 1 tsp Garlic Powder 1/2 tsp Himalayan Salt 1/4 tsp Pepper 1-2 Tbsp. Fresh Dill Stevia or Honey to Taste Combine all ingredients and serve!