Jessica Ferrari-Wells Nutrition

11/10/2024

https://nopharmfilm.com/video-page-hover - such a fascinating documentary!!

Watch First! Do No Pharm - Dr Aseem Malhotra's Shocking Exposé on Pharma Accountability - Download Here

25/09/2024

It was just amazing to see Dr Aseem Malhotra introduce his incredible and groundbreaking documentary, First Do No Pharm.

The product of his endless bravery, willingness to stand up for his patients and his dedication to put his Hippocratic oath first. I’m just so thankful there are people like Aseem in the world 🙌

It’s so exciting to see the momentum building in both the UK and the US. On the same day this premiere aired, Senator Ron Johnson led a roundtable titled: American Health and Nutrition: A Second Opinion. Featuring - it is a truly fascinating watch for any doctors, health professionals or anyone who cares at all about our children’s health.

You can download the documentary at https://nopharmfilm.com (if you screen shot this caption you’ll be able to follow the link once it’s in photos - who knew?!)

And you can watch the US roundtable at this link:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2iWE465RCOk&pp=ygUuQW1lcmljYW4gaGVhbHRoIGFuZCBudXRyaXRpb24gYSBzZWNvbmQgb3Bpbmlvbg%3D%3D (likewise, follow this link from a screenshot of this caption) - speaks in the first 20 minutes and it’s absolutely fascinating!

30/08/2024

Whenever I discuss supplements with clients we cover “core supplements” which are most useful for supporting conception and chances of a healthy pregnancy, and “optional supplements” which are best reserved for specific conditions or dietary patterns.

Generally speaking, the core supplements are a high-quality prenatal vitamin, vitamin D, magnesium and DHA. Optional supplements we discuss might include iodine, collagen, desiccated liver and probiotics as well as key supplements for supporting certain hormone imbalances and optimising egg health including inositol, coQ10, alpha lipoic acid, NAC and certain herbs.

I’d always advise against randomly throwing more and more supplements into the mix (I see this a lot). This would only be a waste of your money. It’s important to work with a fertility professional to identify which supplements are likely to be most helpful to you in your individual case.

If you’re trying to get pregnant and you’d like to learn more then we will be diving into all things supplements on my upcoming “Mother To Be Nourished” group programme. The September cohort is now full but if you’d like any further details or you’d like to join the waiting list for the next cohort just message me. Alternatively we can run through all your supplement questions on a “mini supplement” consultation. Again just DM me for details ❤️

In addition to a prenatal multinutrient there are some others I’d almost always be recommending including vitamin D, magnesium and DHA supplements. Any other supplements would largely depend on diet, health history and symptoms.

We dive into all things supplements on the Mother To Be Nourished programme. The first cohort beginning in September is now full but if you’d like any details on this or you’d like to join the waiting list for the next cohort just message me. Alternatively we can run through all your supplement questions on a mini supplement consultation. Again just DM me for details.

17/07/2024

After our gorgeously nourishing day retreat back in the Spring, we are so excited to announce our plans for our upcoming women’s retreat in September (21-22 September - with day only option available).

This retreat is for you if you are a woman who craves taking off your many hats and leaving responsibilities and mental load at the door, with ample time for yourself and the compassionate embrace of being with other women. We will enjoy tranquil and restorative practices for your body and soul, creative workshops, and nourishing meals. We will slow down and delight in simple pleasures like drinking tea, time in nature, candlelight and joyful connection with other women.

So after a full-on summer of busy schedules, this retreat is a blissful opportunity to re-fill your cup as we transition from summer to autumn.

Being the equinox weekend, a unique time where light and dark our in perfect harmony, we will embrace the theme of balance in our lives, exploring ways to find greater equilibrium in your approach to life, work, self-care, and parenting.

This is primarily an overnight retreat but if leaving little ones for too long is difficult then day guests are so welcome, as are babes in arms.

Fancy finding out a little more? Drop us a DM for our beautiful retreat brochure containing all the details and pricing.

With Much Love,

Jess and Caroline 💕

14/07/2024

Quick intro post for any new followers ❤️

Hi everyone, I’m Jess 👋 I’m a mama to two little boys, and I’m on a mission to do anything I can to make it easier for all of us mamas to feed ourselves, and our kids, with nutritious, real food - food that is full of goodness and the nutrients we need and less of the nasty stuff which can harm our health.

Feeding our families with good food shouldn’t be as hard as it is, but let’s face it, it’s really blood hard! From navigating supermarket options to dealing with fussy eating, factoring in allergies, and juggling countless responsibilities, it’s a challenge! My aim is to help us nourish both our kids and ourselves so that we may enjoy our motherhood without the added chaos of hormone imbalances and exhaustion.

In my clinical work as a nutritional therapist I focus on women’s reproductive health - everything from menstrual health and fertility to optimising our diet before and during pregnancy and supporting our wellbeing through our postnatal journey and throughout motherhood.

Basically, I’m a hormone geek, I think the female body is INCREDIBLE and women deserve to be supported with the information they need to take charge of and optimise their health.

So with this Instagram page, my goal is simple. To share information which might help you as a woman or as a mother, always keeping it real and keeping it balanced!

With my women’s health hat on I’ll be bringing you key findings from the research and tips and info around periods, fertility, preconception, pregnancy, breastfeeding and perimenopause.

With my mama hat I’ll be bringing any ideas and strategies that have worked for me and other families to support kids health, happiness and wellbeing.

We’re all on this crazy rollercoaster of motherhood together, feeling overwhelmed, navigating life in our postpartum bodies, and doing our best to keep our kids happy and healthy and happy. So let’s share, support and remind each other we’re not alone ❤️

So welcome to my page! Why not say hello in a comment and let me know what you’d most like support with 👇

Proud member of ❤️

26/02/2024

The whole process of breastfeeding is nothing short of a miracle but this miracle is also VERY nutritionally demanding. When it comes to breastfeeding, the hunger (and the irritability that can come with it) can reach whole new heights…

Simply eating (and drinking enough) can be a real challenge and not an area where there is much support (if any at all!). Which is why supporting breastfeeding mums is one of my favourite areas to work and one I’m most passionate about.

So what do breastfeeding mothers need…?

I really don’t like talking about calories and I’m forever telling my clients to count ingredients rather than calories but it can be helpful to just mention calories in this context. Research suggests breastfeeding burns about 500-700 calories extra per day to fuel milk making. That’s a lot!

So that may help you understand the intense hunger you may be experiencing. And it’s important to eat to hunger cues, rather than restrict yourself. That may mean an additional meal in the day (who’s with me on needing a second breakfast by 10am?!) or making sure you have some easy to grab, no prep required snacks between meals, ideally protein rich ones.

Now you might assume that the need for more food drops off after the first 6 months but that really depends on how much you’re still breastfeeding. Many little ones continue breastfeeding frequently during day and night, even after solids are introduced. I certainly have an absolute b**b monster who hangs out at the milk bar A LOT!

Plus, we know from the research that that human milk in the second year postpartum contains significantly higher concentrations of total protein and significantly increased fat and energy contents compared to milk in the first year postpartum (so it’s certainly not getting any less nutritionally demanding to make!)

Yet sadly, there’s a scarcity of guidance on nutrition whilst breastfeeding, especially for mothers breastfeeding beyond six months.

So this is part 1 of a series of posts on what to eat whilst breastfeeding. Parts 2 and 3 will cover protein requirements and key nutrients whilst breastfeeding, plus plenty of ideas about foods to include and ways to do it simply ☺️

15/02/2024

A no-cooking, easy to assemble and incredibly nutrient dense lunch option:

Simply throw together:
- sheet of nori seaweed
- some avocado
- some cucumber
- smoked salmon
- spoonful of kimchi

I’ve topped it with some black sesame seeds and a good glug of olive oil to add some more good fats.

No cooking at all and I threw it together in less than two minutes - hence why these ingredients all make my list of brilliant fridge/cupboard staples for preconception, pregnancy and postpartum.

So why are these ingredients so fab?

Seaweed is a brilliant food to eat more of. Rich in iron, magnesium and numerous trace minerals including iodine. Iodine is worth a special mention. Compared to all other categories, iodine needs are highest among postpartum and breastfeeding women (a breastfeeding woman needs 200% more iodine!). Your intake of iodine predicts iodine levels in your milk - which is key for baby’s thyroid, brain and metabolic health. Iodine is also key for your postpartum thyroid health and could help prevent postpartum thyroid dysfunction which is shockingly common.

Smoked salmon - an easy way to increase your fish intake which is so key during preconception, pregnancy and postpartum. Sadly not a cheap option but I wait for a good discount, then buy a few packets to freeze at home. Tinned fish is also a great (and cheaper) easy way to increase your fish intake.

Avocado - an absolute winner in terms of nutrient content including the key nutrients magnesium and folate, and a brilliant way to easily add some healthy fats into a meal.

Kimchi - a tub of kimchi is a brilliant fridge staple and one of the easiest ways to incorporate fermented foods which is something we should all eat more of! I like the brand

More goodness in the sesame seeds and then a good glug of olive oil is a great way to add some more healthy fats to your lunch. Soy sauce or sesame oil is also delicious with this dish 😋

06/02/2024

I find it deeply saddening that there is such little advice about nutrition before a couple begin their IVF journey... The research is clear that there are certain key nutrients we need good levels of in order to conceive and enjoy a healthy pregnancy, so supporting women to understand what these key nutrients are and ways to get more of them into their diet should be an absolute priority.

Especially given this recent research which has highlighted just how many women are not getting enough of these key nutrients...

Beyond key nutrients, there are other nutritional factors which are helpful to focus on before any fertility treatment is embarked on. For example, we know from the research that dysregulated blood sugar directly compromises egg quality and disrupts the balance of other hormones that regulate the reproductive system. And the research is suggesting that poor egg quality is the main driver behind difficulties conceiving and having a healthy pregnancy. But the good news is that achieving steady balanced blood sugar levels does not require a strict low-carbohydrate diet or going sugar free. It is achievable for all of us with a few simple shifts and strategies.

If you’d like to really move the needle on your fertility and learn how you can get more of the key nutrients for getting pregnant plus the simple research-backed strategies to balance your blood levels then my upcoming group programme has been designed for you! The aim is to bring you all the information you need, in a simple and easy to action way, delivered in a group setting to bring the cost down for you.

If you’re interested to find out anymore just DM me and I can send you all the info ☺️

02/02/2024

01/02/2024

A lot of women assume that nutrition during pregnancy is what matters most and once baby is out nutrition doesn’t matter anymore…

So you might be surprised to learn that nutrient needs in breastfeeding mums are even higher than while you were pregnant! Technically you’re still growing a baby so nourishing yourself remains a huge priority, both for your own health and your baby’s.

Even if you are not breastfeeding, your nutrient requirements remain high during postpartum. You have to replenish the nutrients lost during pregnancy (which research suggests can take 3-7 years), your body is undergoing significant changes as you heal (particularly if you’ve had a C-section or tear), your uterus need to shrink down, your placenta wound needs to heal, your connective tissues need to adapt and your skin needs to regains elasticity. Not to mention you need to function and take care of a helpless newborn, often on very little sleep, and that’s before you even start wrapping your head around the transition to motherhood if it is your fist baby!

There is more and more research indicating that if we don’t replenish after birth then we put ourselves at risk of significant nutrient deficiencies in the future. We may not realise it at first but we will down the track... We need optimal nutrition for so many things including our energy, mood, digestion, gut health, bone health, hormonal health and fertility.

Hence nutrition is one of four key pillars of postpartum healing, and in many ways, the very foundation of wellbeing in motherhood.

Yet it’s not easy right!? Eating AT ALL with a new baby is hard, let alone eating well! This is why having a few simple low effort strategies up your sleeve can be so helpful and we’ll be exploring some of my favourites during our upcoming Mother Nourish retreat in Suffolk on 10th February.

If you’d like to join and myself for what’s shaping up to be a very nourishing, relaxing, informative and restorative day then all the details are on our grids!

29/01/2024

I’ve been a bit quiet on here lately… I had my first ever run in with the flu and it knocked me for six. Both my boys had it too and it was A LOT, feeling so poorly but also still having to be someone’s mother when they were poorly and needing me so intensely, especially since my youngest one wanted to breastfeed almost 24/7 🤦‍♀️

So here’s my quick and slightly foggy brain dump on what got me lots of healing goodness in with minimum effort!

- Bone broth is my saviour when poorly!!! I’d recently bought a big batch from so I was well stocked. It’s a great way to get some much needed fluids on board! I sip it as a soothing drink and add it to almost anything I’m making!

- Toast with coconut oil and almond butter - great way to get some sustaining fats on board easily. Coconut oil is a fantastic saturated fat - high in essential omega-3s, including a rare fatty-acid that is also found in breastmilk - so it’s an important one! An almond butter is a staple in this house!

- Scrambled eggs made with plenty of grass fed butter and topped with cheese - packed full of nutrients and protein and soft and easy going on a scratchy throat. Grass fed butter has loads more fat-soluble vitamins than in regular butter (vitamins A, E, D and K).

- Chicken liver pate for an easy and major injection of so many nutrients!

Then bringing in lots of foods which have amazing antiviral and anti inflammatory properties like garlic, honey, ginger and turmeric. Some of my go-tos are:

Garlic and honey: Just smash a clove. Let it sit for 10 minutes (the waiting allows time for its antiviral component to become more potent). Then swallow it down with a spoonful of good quality local honey.

Turmeric milk: I heat a cup of almond milk and stir in a teaspoon of turmeric and teaspoon of honey. I sometimes add grated ginger too and then just pour it through a sieve before drinking it.

Honey straight off the spoon to soothe a sore throat or cough! Or stirred into a warm lemon water.

Supps: elderberry, vit C, zinc and vit D

And finally… absolutely zero parenting goals!! This is a hard one but a key one. Be so kind to yourself. CBeebies parenting is more than good enough!!

20/01/2024

There are several potential causes of constipation during pregnancy and postpartum including hormones, decreased activity levels, changes to intestinal motility and use of iron or calcium supplements (if this is the case then definitely look into alternative forms of those supplements).

Whilst many of the culprits for constipation are out of your control that doesn’t mean you’re out of options.

Getting the right amount of fibre and fluids is key. Any increase in fibre intake should be gradual and alongside an increase in fluids.

Fibre supplements aren’t something I tend to work with since they are usually based on soluble fibre which alone of not very effective at improving constipation.

Whole food sources of fibre naturally contain a balance of soluble and insoluble fibre which is much more effective.

Chia seeds are great but for every tablespoon of chia seeds you’ll want to consume at least an additional 8oz of water.

Other good sources of the right balance of fibre are lentils, beans, berries, kiwis, non-starchy vegetables, almonds and avocados. Vegetables are especially helpful and often having 2 servings of veg with each meal will solve things.

Contrary to common belief grains are not a good fibre source since they contain a relatively small amount of fibre compared to the amount of carbs (a poor fibre to carb ratio).

Beyond fibre, fats are key (another reason why fats are so key in pregnancy and postpartum). So as I’m always saying, liberally incorporate more fat into your diet such as more real butter on veggies, cream in your coffee, eating the crispy skin on your chicken and rind on your bacon, more avocado, olive oil, nuts and seeds (never semi or skimmed dairy, always whole!). A good trick is adding a tablespoon of coconut oil to your porridge - that alone can help trigger a bowel movement!

Supplements can be another tool. I’ve touched on magnesium citrate but I’m going to do a separate post on supplements for constipation - covering forms of magnesium and the supplements which may be worsening your constipation as I see that happening a lot in practice.

As always, any questions just DM me!

18/01/2024

I love this quote so much!

For a long time I felt retreats were all about escaping real life for a brief while. But what good is that? The escape will be over before we know. So this quote, to me, perfectly encapsulates what a retreat should really be about. It should be about supporting your ability to thrive in your real life.

This has been a guiding principle in planning the Mother Nourish retreat…

First and foremost I wanted to create a retreat for mothers because the joyful yet fragile journey of motherhood deserves celebrating. I wanted to offer mothers the opportunity to tend to themselves, immersed in beautiful surroundings and supported in sisterhood.

Secondly I wanted to create a retreat which was just one day, rather than an overnight stay. The driving force behind this was to offer the opportunity to mothers who are not yet able to leave their child overnight. I have been in this situation - desperate to attend one of these blissful looking retreats but feeling unable to.

Thirdly, I wanted the retreat to be sprinkled with easy to implement ideas to continue the self care and nourishment back at home. This is the key thing which turns an “escape” into a chance to enjoy lasting benefits in your real life.

We have just a few spots left at our first Mother Nourish retreat on 10th February. More details in earlier posts or just DM me for more info/any questions you have.

With love and nourishment

Jess xx

16/01/2024

We’re so excited to be busy planning our upcoming Mother Nourish retreat on Saturday 10th February. It’s set to be an utterly spoiling day of peace, slowing down, connecting with fellow mothers, nourishing ourselves with wholesome food and gentle movement, plus some beautiful crafting with essential oils.

A truly deserved opportunity to celebrate all that we have become in our motherhood ❤️

Throughout the day we’ll be exploring and leaning into four pillars of postpartum wellbeing:
💕 nourishing food
💕 slowing down and rest
💕 movement
💕 social support

Over the next four Mother Nourish posts we’ll dive into each of these pillars and on the day we’ll be exploring some simple and practical ways you can bring more of these pillars into your every day life.

We have a few spots remaining so if you’re in need of some serious and hugely deserved R&R (or know someone else who is!) just DM to save your spot ❤️

14/01/2024

A little off topic for today but honest journalism and accurate reporting of scientific evidence is a cause close to my heart…

I used to naively believe that the news brought me the most newsworthy content, but as time has gone on I’ve come to learn there are far many more factors at play.

A good example of this is around the issue of excess deaths (meaning the number of deaths on top of what you’d expect in a year, based on the five-year average).

Last year was the deadliest year for excess deaths, with 53,000 excess deaths. That’s a lot of people dying…

Research by Oxford University, published today, has found the largest rise was heart failure. Professor Carl Heneghan, Director of the Centre of Evidence Based Medicine at the University of Oxford who co-authored the study said: “These figures are a real cause for concern. These deaths cannot be explained by covid, population growth nor an ageing population.

Pretty newsworthy research would you not say?

Yet aside from this article in the Express I can find barely any mention of it in today’s press.

During the covid pandemic, every day the media—particularly the BBC—could not wait to tell us how many people had died on that particular day, without any context for those figures whatsoever.

And remember when monkey pox hit the headlines last year… it turns out our media love an infectious disease but 53,000 more people dying than we’d expect isn’t worthy of a mention on our main news channel.

Not only are the media looking the other way but so are the government. There was a debate on the issue of excess deaths in October 2023, and if you watched the video coverage you could count on one hand the number of MPs who attended it… Why has it become so unacceptable to be seen to take an interest in the issue of excess deaths…

As Oxford professor Heneghan said “It is the primary responsibility of the government to understand the drivers of this huge rise. The government has failed to investigate this problem. This is completely unacceptable.”

You can read the Express article at the link in my stories.

12/01/2024

It has long been bubbling away in the cauldron of my busy mind to find ways to bring mothers together, to meet and support each other, to share freely and without concern for what others may think. Where there are no rules, or a right or wrong way to do things. Where everyone’s choices are taken account of and respected.

It is a foundational piece of postpartum wellness to feel supported and held by other mothers. I’m acutely aware that I can talk about nutrients, depletion and hormones until the cows come home (isn’t that an odd expression!) but if a mother does not feel supported, then nothing else can make up for that.

So I’m hugely excited to be putting plans into action this 2024 in the following ways for now:

💕 Firstly, I’m cohosting with the wonderful our first Mother Nourish retreat (details on my grid) on 10th February. We hope it’s the first of many! There’s just a few spaces left so DM if you’re interested!

💕 Secondly I’m hugely excited to be a guest expert at .sophie upcoming postnatal course (details on her grid). It’s wonderful to see offerings in the world of postnatal support beginning to increase and what Sophie has put together looks fantastic.

💕 Thirdly, I’ve been brainstorming with some fantastic postpartum specialists, many of whom you can find on the about more ways to bring support in 2024.

Hopefully my cauldron of ideas will churn out some more mother love and support potions soon and I’ll be sure to keep you all posted! Until then, never forget you’re doing an AMAZING job you absolute SUPERWOMAN!!

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11/01/2024

I’ve just been in an exciting planning session with the wonderful Caroline and I am so excited for what we’ve got bubbling away for you beautiful Mummas on our “Mother Nourish” day on 10th Feb…

We plan to run these seasonly and since this retreat is towards the end of winter we’ll be serving up nourishing, warm and grounding foods, and offering practices that will help you cozy into the warmth of gentle movement and breath….

We’ll be exploring some of the pillars of postpartum healing and what nourishment and self care can look like in motherhood (whatever stage you’re at!) and sprinkling the day with beautiful self care rituals you can take home as well making a luxury essential oil blend together. It’s going to be scrumptious! 💕

We have just a few spaces remaining for the day so DM if you’d like to join us!