On Making Chicken, & Eggs ;)
WEEK 1: Hello and WELCOME to Modern Women’s Nutrition (MWN) with Julienne! (And Happy Mother's Day, to my Mama & all of the beautiful moms reading this! Grateful for YOU!)
Hello and WELCOME to Modern Women’s Nutrition (MWN) with Julienne!
Written with lots of love by yours truly, Anja 💜
Edited & approved by Rosa Keller, PhD RD, Nutrition Science
Need personalized nutrition advice? Text our experts! +1-732-EAT-WISE (+1-732-328-9473)
I recently did a survey of 56 women in their 20’s-40’s (friends, friends of friends). A whopping 50 of them, yes 89% (!), admitted that they were either struggling with digestive and/or hormonal issues, or they were entering into an extremely new stage of life – being pregnant and being a mom.
Here’s some of what they mentioned: PCOS | Acne | Anxiety | Inflammation | Postpartum still trying to lose some weight | Pregnant | Nausea | Migraines | Bloating | Poor circulation | Hair thinning | Difficulty with conceiving | Menopause | Hot flashes | and much more
My point here: You’re not alone. And this stuff is real.
We’re meant to go through changes in life, and our health and digestive systems take the beating. This is naturally going to happen. Especially with female hormones.
But what we’re not given enough of, is the knowledge and power that it’s possible to reduce these pains, to feel better during the big life changes, by applying little habit shifts into our everyday life.
You may not believe me, or you may not want to, and you might stop reading here. That’s ok. But I encourage you to give this a chance. Because knowledge is power. And it doesn’t mean you have to change everything you’re doing today.
Tiny little shifts in your everyday life – such as subbing out your sugary oat milk (typically 18 grams of sugar per serving) with unsweetened almond milk in the morning, can make a MASSIVE difference in your entire day. (Claire – you just proved this one! So pumped that your acne is clearing up and your tummy aches are going away!)
Even more so, if you’re currently in the journey of creating a new life, and raising that cute little human, the first 1000 days of their life is going to shape the rest of their life. And I’m talking about their environment, the habits they’re forming, and the nutrients put into their body (starting with your embryo). More on this later.
Hold on, don’t freak out!! Everything you’re already doing is great. And there’s only so much you can control. But if there’s something you can do to ensure your body is at ease and feels better during the whole journey (of any tricky time in life, or particularly during the perinatal period)...
…don’t you want to learn a little more about this and give it a shot?
This Modern Women’s Nutrition newsletter will help you with these questions:
→ The “Why do I feel this way?”
→ And the “How do I implement the recommended small changes so that I can feel better?”
In MWN, I’ll start with some easy to digest information, and then finish with a simple, delicious recipe. Perhaps I’ll add some other snacks and easy cooking suggestions too. These are so that you can make and implement attainable actions that help you feel great for whatever stage of life you’re in.
And if you didn’t know, I’m a long-time professional chef with a nutrition focus, and my recipes are stellar—if I do say so myself.
We’re all super busy women with chaotic lives, and as some tell me, we’re “just trying to survive(!!!)”. (I feel you, Bekah.)
So let’s do this together, and make it a little easier, shall we?
Help me help you
A quick note: I would absolutely love to get to know YOU and hear your questions. I’m sitting at my desk right now, ready to respond.
Please share your thoughts with me, in our group chat or personally in a DM to me.
Please please help me help you and take 1 minute now to let me know — in our group chat, or DM me personally: Who are you? Where are you located? What stage of your life are you in, and do you have any questions about your health and nutrition?
Feel free to use a fake/anonymous name if it makes you feel more comfortable. I’d love to learn more about you so that I can make sure to be researching and providing the right information that will benefit you.
Or, perhaps this poll will make it easier for you, to start:
Today I am going to touch on preconception nutrition, but in the next newsletters, I am going to talk about a variety of women’s health and nutrition topics. Your above messages will help me shape what comes in the future.
This recipe and nutrition tips today not only apply to someone who is trying to conceive or is currently pregnant, but also they can be beneficial to your health anyway. But if you’re not interested in learning about preconception, scroll to the recipe and enjoy! And we will see you next week.
Understanding the importance of nutrition in our early years to our later years is fascinating, and important. Recent studies have shown that a toddler needs a very different diet than a postmenopausal woman. We’ve found that the fluctuations of hormones in the female body across a single month and an entire lifetime are incredibly complex and differ between individuals.
There are many factors proposing that “environmental exposures, including biological, physical, social and behavioral factors, as well as life experiences, throughout the entire lifespan, influence health outcomes in current and future generations.” (see source)
While we cannot control all of these factors, like where we were born or what our grandparents ate. But, one thing we can control is our diet — and this can be incredibly powerful.
The first 1000 days of one’s life are known to be the “golden window”, and starts 3 months before a baby is conceived, spanning until a baby’s second birthday. (source)
Yes, your health (from both the male and female), starting 3 months before you get pregnant (and realistically even before that), will affect your ability to conceive. It also influences your baby’s metabolism, hormones, and entire composition from their brain to their toenails.
A recent study reveals that preconception nutrition profoundly shapes a baby’s lifelong metabolic state, including their ability to digest food, absorb nutrients, process these nutrients into energy, and so much more.
But what you probably want to know most is: How does my diet influence my ability to conceive, to make a baby?
The What/Why & The How
There’s a lot that is yet to be discovered, but here are 4 pillars of the what/why you might want to pay attention to what you’re eating starting today, and how you can apply these findings to your everyday:
What/Why #1:
Protein may affect your fertility level, AND it is essential for your body’s health. You can get it from plants and animals—not just animals. The source of the protein can make a big difference. More and more, I am seeing a shift in science suggesting adding more plant protein over animal protein (believe it or not). This study of 18,555 women found that, after dietary assessments, switching 5% of total energy intake from animal protein to vegetable protein was associated with more than a 50% reduction in the risk of ovulatory infertility. WOW! With just 5% more vegetables in your diet, it can make a massive difference.
The How:
→ Eat more plant foods, and a variety is key. Plants contain all 20 essential amino acids and provide ample protein and fiber (source). Fiber is crucial for digesting protein and absorbing nutrients. While each individual plant protein might not perfectly mirror the amino acid profile of animal-based foods, combining different plant sources throughout the day can ensure sufficient intake of all essential amino acids in order for you to thrive. Try swapping *unsweetened* almond, cashew or soy milk for cow’s milk, and sub beans or tofu, for instance, for meat at least once a week.
→ When eating meat (like in this week's Whole Chicken Dinner recipe), make sure your plant serving is larger. This includes vegetables, fruits, beans, soy, whole grains, potatoes, yams, etc.
What/Why #2:
It takes two to tango, and a male’s nutrient density, including that of zinc, plays a major role in the ability for the sperm to swim and the placenta to be created. (source) In addition, exposure to pesticides, when consuming fruits and vegetables, plays a considerable role in the quality and sperm-count of a male’s semen. And a male’s semen contributes to up to 30% of infertility cases. (source)
The How:
→ Aim for local, seasonal and organic foods whenever possible. It really does make a difference, and is worth the pretty penny. This will help you avoid pesticides, and eat the best quality and most nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables, to keep fertility strong. And, make sure your partner knows they’re 100% a part of this too.
What/Why #3:
Specific micronutrients have a positive effect on fertility. A few of the most important micronutrients to consume for fertility are zinc, selenium and folate. A diet rich in these, essential micronutrients, plus vitamins A & E, folate and omega-3’s, can lower the risk of infertility, lead to fewer miscarriages, and reduce the incidence of birth defects and pediatric diseases like cancer and autism.
The How:
→ Focus on incorporating the 33 Fertility Foods for Success in your diet everyday however you can.
What/Why #4:
A high-carbohydrate diet, and particularly full of refined sugars (including white flour in bread and pasta), can lead to insulin resistance. This is a condition closely linked to infertility issues such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Many people don’t know they have insulin resistance, but yet they end up with other hormonal and digestive issues that seem unrelated but are actually correlated.
Managing carbohydrate intake is crucial not only for fertility, but also to keep your ovaries healthy. It also helps to prevent gestational diabetes during pregnancy, which affects about 10% of pregnancies, and can impact the baby's long-term health and mother's post-pregnancy health. (source)
The How:
→ Pair carbs (fruits, sugars, grains) with protein. Don’t ever leave your carbs naked! For example, if you’re having a piece of fruit, drizzle on some almond butter. When eating carbs, focus on high-quality, complex carbs like quinoa, farro, black rice and sweet potatoes (recipe ideas coming soon!). Avoid white/cane sugar and instead enjoy real fruits, honey, maple syrup and other nutrient-dense sugars. This will help maintain balanced insulin levels, crucial for ovulatory health.
→ Maintain consistent eating patterns. Eating consistently throughout the day on a stable schedule, and avoiding prolonged fasting, can help sustain your ovarian function and fertility. While intermittent fasting may have benefits, such as weight loss, recent research shows that it can lower DHEA, which is a hormone crucial for your ovaries to function correctly. We want to keep our hormones balanced by eating at regular time periods, not too much at one time, and allowing our body to take a break in between to ensure adequate intake of nutrition and happy ovaries. (source)
And remember — You’re not alone! About 12-16% of couples experience infertility. BUT paying attention to your nutrition can make a significant difference on your likelihood to conceive.
Side note — take everything with a grain of salt. Stressing about eating at the perfect time, or not washing your strawberries once in a while, will have a much greater negative impact on your hormones and health than being perfect with each food you consume. Let’s enjoy life and just do the best we can, ok?
Need personalized nutrition advice? Text our experts! +1-732-EAT-WISE (+1-732-328-9473)
And…the recipe!! I’ve chosen to provide this recipe with the themes “Nutrition for generations” and “Preconception” because the ingredients included are all rich in nutrients that will help with fertility, as well as long-term health.
Plus, this recipe can be enjoyed by anyone. It can particularly help with lowering inflammation (btw, it’s gluten-free and dairy-free), getting massive amounts of protein, managing weight while consuming essential nutrients for postpartum milk production, and just all around loving your meal and feeling good.
A whole roasted chicken sounds fancy, fun, and intimating, but in reality it’s incredibly easy and soooo delicious. Plus, you can roast tasty veggies and potatoes on the side at the same time, and call it a day. Once you nail this — 400 degrees for 60 minutes, particularly — you’ll be able to whip this out often and likely get a few meals out of it!
The vegetable flavors pair perfectly with the chicken, and are also extremely nutritious, as shown here.
Whole Roasted Chicken Dinner with Sweet Pots, Olives & Cauli
Dinner, Lunch as Leftovers (notes below)
Servings: 4
Gluten-Free | Dairy-Free | Nut-Free | Low-to-No Sugar
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 60 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Per serving: Carbs: 30g | Protein: 77g | Fiber: 6g | Fat: 27g (*← this fat amount is only if you don’t eat the skin of the chicken. Cut back a significant amount of fat by skipping the skin. Save it to use for a homemade broth later!) Macronutrient information pulled from MyFitnessPal.
INGREDIENTS
1 yellow onion
2 large sweet potatoes or yams (rinsed well, no need to peel, the tasty skin has the most fiber and tons of nutrients)
1 large head cauliflower
1 jar/can (about 8 ounces) green olives (get the good ones, ideally in olive oil — Try these, discount code: JULIENNE)
4 large garlic cloves
1 whole chicken (about 4 lbs)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (Try this - discount code: JULIENNE)
2 large tablespoons Dijon mustard (see here)
1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence (see here)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt (see here)
1 teaspoon black pepper — ideally, freshly ground (see here)
*ONE HOUR BEFORE: For the best, most evenly roasted and tender chicken, take the bird out of the fridge and bring to room temp 1 hour before roasting.
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Make sure you have two racks, one on the bottom level, and one on the second to bottom level in your oven.
Prep vegetables:
Take outer 2 layers off of onion (whatever is flimsy) and compost. Chop into large, bite-sized pieces.
Cut off not-so-pretty ends of sweet potatoes and slice into bite-sized pieces, about 1/2” wide.
Remove leaves and stem of cauliflower and compost. Chop cauliflower into bite-sized pieces, or slightly larger because it shrinks when cooked.
Open olives jar/can.
Turn your knife sideways and carefully smash garlic cloves to loosen them from their skin. Remove skin and compost.
In a large casserole dish, add onions, sweet potatoes and olives. Reserve cauliflower on the side to be cooked on a different pan.
Make the marinade: In a small mixing bowl, combine olive oil, Dijon mustard, Herbs de Provence, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Drizzle 1-2 teaspoons mixture on top of vegetables in casserole dish. Mix with your hands (my choice) or a wooden spoon. Move these vegetables out towards the edges of the dish, making room for the soon-to-be-added chicken.
Separately, on a large baking pan lined with parchment paper, add cauliflower. Drizzle 1-2 teaspoons mixture on top. Mix with your hands (my choice) or a wooden spoon. Spread cauliflower out on pan. Reserve to cook later.
Pull chicken out of package, careful not to cross contaminate your cutting board, kitchen counter or any cooking utensils. No need to rinse your chicken. Place the chicken in the middle of your casserole dish with yams, etc. Using your hands (wash them well after), rub and massage the remaining mustard mixture all over the chicken—in the center, in between the wings and thighs, etc. Everywhere.
Toss any chicken plastic/paper wrapping immediately and rinse hands thoroughly.
Place the chicken casserole dish into the oven on the upper rack. Set your timer to 30 minutes and let the chicken cook.
After 30 minutes, add cauliflower to oven on lower rack. Set timer for another 30 minutes.
Relax, or take care of the chaos in your house and get other stuff done. If you have time and interest, make the chimichurri sauce bonus recipe below.
At 60 minutes, pull the chicken out and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest for 10 minutes (very important to make sure the meat is tender).
Meanwhile, pour cauliflower onto other vegetables in the casserole dish and stir with chicken juices.
After 10 minutes, put chicken onto a cutting board. Slice meat off of carcass, and break off chicken wings and drumsticks. Place all meat on top of vegetables in casserole dish, and give it a stir to incorporate the juices.
Serve in the casserole dish, with bonus chimichurri or green tarragon sauce on the side to drizzle on top — keep an eye out for this recipe drop, coming soon.
Enjoy!! And please let me know if you made it by commenting below or sending me a message. I love photos too! If you post on Instagram or TikTok, please tag @hello_julienne so I can see and repost. 😀
Recipe, Shopping List & Equipment List (colorful + b/w) — download and print here:
Is this Pregnancy-Friendly?
YES!
Tip: For the vegetables, and especially cauliflower: Buy them whole and chop them yourself vs. buying the pre-cut vegetables. Pre-prepared vegetables are much more likely to be growing bacteria that could make you sick or harm your baby.
Be sure to source a high-quality chicken from your local butcher, and store it properly.
Is this Gestational-Diabetes-Friendly?
Yes! While the sweet potatoes are carb rich (they are sweet and decadent, after all), they are accompanied by tons of protein and fiber! The protein and fiber will slow down your body’s digesting and processing of the carbohydrates, leading you to see little to no spike in your glucose levels.
Tips: Make sure to enjoy a few bites of the cauliflower (fiber) and chicken (protein) before digging into the sweet potatoes. For an even lower spike, add some simple greens in, such as sautéd spinach or a green salad with lemon and olive oil dressing.
Want to prep ahead?
Likely, yes!
Make the marinade ahead of time and store in a jar so that it’s easy to apply to the chicken and vegetables when it’s time to cook.
Slice up the sweet potato, onion & cauliflower ahead of time (a few days is fine), and store in an airtight glass container until cooking. (Discount code for container: JULIENNE)
How to store leftovers:
Scoop it all into an air-tight glass container or jar and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days (although I recommend consuming within 3 days to be safe). Reheat on a medium-low sauté pan for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.(Discount code for container: JULIENNE)
We served our leftovers over a bed of black forbidden rice, cooked in the broth made from boiling the chicken broth carcass for 2+ hours.
Chicken: If you can’t find a whole chicken, buy 2 breasts, 2 drumsticks/legs and 2 chicken wings. Buy them with bone-in, skin on, ideally. If not, that’s fine too, but the bones and skin help with flavor and moisture. Without the bones and skin, you’ll want to reduce the cooking time by about 20 minutes.
For vegetarians, I recommend roasting 32 ounces of butter beans tossed in the same sauce. You would cook these for the same duration as the cauliflower — for about 30 minutes.
I subbed out the chicken with Guinea Fowl recently, and it was BOMB. Especially with the sweet potatoes. It’s much bigger, so I’d lower the temp to 375 and roast it a little longer, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
1 yellow onion: Leeks, green onions and red onions will all work. If you can’t have alliums, just skip it.
2 large sweet potatoes or yams: Carrots are a terrific alternative! Although, they will take less time to cook — they will take about 30 minutes, the same as the cauliflower.
1 large head cauliflower: Broccoli works well, as does asparagus. Asparagus will take less time to cook, about 15-20 minutes.
1 jar/can (about 8 ounces) green olives (get the good ones, ideally in olive oil): Any olives will work here, but high quality green olives will give you far superior flavor. You should be able to find them at any typical grocery store.
4 large garlic cloves: I hate skipping or subbing this. Real, fresh garlic from a head of garlic tastes 10x better than a jar or pre-prepped in a bag. Go for the real thing! The cloves need to be whole to withstand the long cooking time. If you use the jar of pre-cut garlic, just mix it into your marinade so that it is protected by the fat for cooking. If you can’t have alliums, just skip it.
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil is one of the healthiest fats you can have, so I highly recommend you keep extra virgin olive oil stocked up in your pantry. If you can’t have olive oil, avocado oil makes a great alternative. Throw away the canola oil and “vegetable” oil, they are total bologna and are terrible for you.
2 large tablespoons Dijon mustard: Any mustard will do, but beware that yellow mustard is full of sugar and other unnecessary additives! You can also skip for this recipe—it adds flavor, but it will also be tasty without.
1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence: Depending on where you buy it, Herbs de Provence is some blend of fennel, marjoram, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, basil, parsley, bay leaves, savory, chervil, sage, oregano, mint, and lavender. So, if you have any of these dried herbs, feel free to use them at your own will. They are all delicious in abundance on your chicken and vegetables.
1 teaspoon fine sea salt: Always go for the sea salt or pink Himalayan salt for the best nutrition value from your salt. Your body and your baby needs these minerals! If you have to, use table salt (even though it’s highly processed and stripped of its nutrients) for tonight, but swap out all of your salts with a higher quality salt for everything you cook in the future. When it’s high quality, less salt will taste more potent and give you tons more flavor, too.
1 teaspoon black pepper (ideally, freshly ground): I love to mix in other peppercorns, such as pink, green, and white, for a slightly sweeter and softer alternative. Do as you wish, you can’t go wrong here. Cayenne pepper is also great for the metabolism and immune system.
Like what you see? Have any questions? Let me know by sending me a DM! I’d love to meet you and answer your questions the best I can!
Photo credit: Keira Natalia Photography
This newsletter was edited by Rosa Keller, RD and PhD in Nutrition Science. A nutrition scientist and dietitian, Rosa’s goal is to help you develop a strong understanding of food and nutrition, based on current evidence-based research, so that you can make empowering decisions about the food you eat. Her website here and instagram here.
Rosa is an excellent resource for nutrition counseling. She also offers personalized nutrition plans. Highly recommend you check her stuff out!
Powerful stuff, thank you!