The Healthy Glow

Welcome to my tiny corner of the internet! I’m Amanda Franza, a wife, mom of 3, and a human that has a huge heart and passion for helping others feel their best. I’m so grateful that you’re here!

A little about me: I practice a holistic approach to health and wellness, which means that I believe the body is interconnected, and all of our systems affect one another. I believe we should look beyond just treating your symptoms, but rather, explore the root cause of what’s happening internally so you can feel truly healthy, inside and out.

My definition of being healthy has changed greatly over the years.

Back in high school, being “healthy” meant being skinny. It meant eating salads. It meant counting calories and fat.

In college, being “healthy” meant restriction. It was about keeping a certain body image in order to have any self worth.

I learned, by accident, what it meant to truly get heathy from my struggles with acne. I tried tons of pills, creams, face washes and treatments that all failed me. My acne would always come and go no matter what I did, and I struggled mentally and physically for a number of years.

I finally ditched the dermatologist and decided to do my own research. Thats where the lightbulb went off. My acne was a reflection of inside my body, not the outside. For so long I viewed acne as an external problem - but it was really an internal problem! I learned all about my skin and its connection to hormones, gut health, and blood sugar management - and the ways that these imbalances can result in skin conditions like acne. I was floored.

I had viewed health through the wrong lens for so many years and it was time to finally heal from the inside, out.

This was my a-ha moment. 💡 Through years of healing my acne naturally, I was led to true health and wellness. I felt so empowered and encouraged.

I guess that’s where the health coach in me was born.

And the rest is history.

Moral of the story: listen to your body and the signs it’s giving you. True health is achieved through internal healing, and it involves the big picture of lifestyle changes — not diets, pills or creams that only mask or bandaid the issue.

As a health coach, one of the things I love doing is helping you shift your palette. The less sugar you eat, the less sugar you crave. That doesn’t mean we deprive ourselves of yummy foods. Instead, we replace with healthier alternatives!

With time and consistency, your taste will shift, and it will become easier and easier to adopt new nutritional habits.

These breakfast muffins were so easy to make! Let me know if you try them at home. 🧑‍🍳

Throw all the ingredients in a bowl, mix well, then add to your greased muffin tins:

- 3 mushy bananas
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- Sprinkle of sea salt
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (for a little sweetness, you can leave them out if you prefer plain!)

Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees! 🙌

THREE EASY TIPS TO REMEMBER WHEN READING YOUR FOOD LABELS! 🥘

1: Remember that your ingredient list goes in order from greatest to least, meaning the ingredient used most is listed first and the least used ingredients are listed last.

2: Look for a shorter list of ingredients- this is usually a good sign! A long list usually means there are more unhealthy additives. And if you can’t pronounce an ingredient, it’s probably not good for you!

3: Try to buy more foods that have no label at all, for example fruits, veggies, meats, fish, eggs. The bulk of your diet should be made from God, not man, meaning grown in the ground/in nature vs. in a factory!

There are so many antibiotics and over the counter medications out there. So why should you care about natural alternatives? ⬇️

Because over time, all of your health decisions add up- the things you put into your body effect the way you feel and the way your body functions.

Supplements, homeopathic remedies, and natural alternatives can help you:

1. Avoid antibiotics- which cannot only have harmful side effects, but also create antibiotic resistant infections, weaken your gut health and immune system.

2. Avoid excess doctor trips - you expose your body to further illness everytime you step foot in the doctor’s office, which is why we personally avoid the trip unless it’s really necessary.

3. Strengthen your body long term - sometimes there is a tremendous amount of power in just letting your body do its job, since so much of what we experience is often viral and just needs to take its course, without jumping to the unnecessary interference of drugs.

4. Avoid toxic additives - antibiotics and certain over the counter medications have chemical based ingredients, dyes and preservatives that can present long term issues to your health.

I created The Ultimate Sick Day Cheat Sheet for these very reasons! You’ll find a categorized list inside with tons of supplement and natural remedies, major tips for getting ahead of sickness, and key info on nutrition + essential oil usage.

Grab your copy over on my website! 👏
thehealthyglow.org

One of the things I talk about inside of The Ultimate Sick Day Cheat Sheet is getting ahead of your illness, before it gets ahead of you.

When someone in our house starts feeling sick- we don’t wait until later, or tomorrow, to see how we feel. We start treating ourselves right away. This significantly speeds up our recovery time!

We start by making a wellness bomb, a little concoction of immune boosters:

Wellness bomb 💣
Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate powder)
Vitamin D (vitamin shoppe liquid)
Elderberry syrup (vitamin shoppe brand)
Echinacea (herb pharm tincture)

We mix these supplements together in a few ounces of water and take anywhere from 2-4x per day, depending on the severity of our symptoms. It’s a powerhouse for our immune system and helps us to feel better a lot faster.

If you’re looking for natural ways to help you through cold and flu season, head over to my website to check out my newest guide, which gives you lots of natural supplement ideas! (Note: I am sharing what works for our family, always be sure to do your own research and consult your healthcare provider!)

thehealthyglow.org “guides”section to grab your copy of The Ultimate Sick Day Cheat Sheet! 💪

I love my treats, but I’ve learned to enjoy healthier alternatives like these cookies instead of conventional desserts.

I stick with low sugar options, good quality ingredients, and healthier swaps (for example, sweetening desserts with things like coconut sugar, bananas, maple sugar).

I feel so much better when I eat this way! My skin stays clear, I have energy and my body doesn’t feel sluggish. There’s no belly bloat or feeling of a “crash and burn.”

This recipe is SO easy and too good not to share:

Banana Oat Cookies 🍪
1 cup oats
2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup almond flour
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients together and mix well. Form balls of dough and transfer onto parchment paper lined baking sheet. Press into cookie shapes and bake at 350 degrees for 12-13 minutes!

Like and share if you plan to try this one at home!

Our MIND BODY RESET PROGRAM starts in 1 week- the perfect way to kick off your summer!

If you struggle with overwhelm, low energy, burnout, digestive issues, and need help cleaning up your eating: this program is for YOU.

During our 3 week program, we’ll walk you through:
- how to increase mindfulness and decrease stress
- how to support your gut and digestive health
- how to shift your nutritional habits through planning and prepping healthy meals

If you feel called to join us, comment below for more information! We start on June 1st! 🙌

Hosting a free live webinar on April 20th at 8pm! We’re keeping it short and sweet but packing it with information. Here’s what we’ll cover:

🍩 How a low sugar lifestyle effects your weight and overall health
🧠 What you can experience during a low sugar lifestyle
🥘 Why we believe diets don't work
🥑 One key takeaway for you to start working on when it comes to cleaning up your eating and loosing weight

Send me a message or comment below if you’re interested in joining us!

YOUR FRIDAY WELLNESS TIP! 💥

This is a concept that I go over with my clients during our sessions together.

It’s a super easy way to reduce your sugar spikes and work on your health goals.

Doing this will decrease the way your body absorbs carbs and sugars during meals.

If you’re trying to loose a few pounds, boost your energy, or just feel better overall by lowering your blood sugar- you need to try this.

Eat your FIBER at the beginning of your meal- for example, your veggie or your salad! If you eat this first before moving onto your other food, you will reduce that sugar spike and effect the way your body metabolizes those carbs and sugars. Amazing right?

Like and share if you found this tip helpful!

Did you realize the huge link between indoor chemicals and all sorts of hormonal and emotional disruptions?

But it seems like no big deal 👇🏼

It’s just cleaning supplies.
It’s just laundry products.
But it’s only shampoo and soap.
The makeup and personal care products.
Those candles and air fresheners.

Over time, all of these little things can add together to put you and your family at an increased risk of health conditions.

Did you know?
🌱 The age of puberty is declining, causing mood swings in your girls even earlier than ever because of weird chemicals in most make-up and skincare lines.
🌱 Most candle brands are now being called the “new second hand smoke,” not only are they hurting our lungs, but also our hormonal systems, throwing off how we regulate our emotions.
🌱 Indoor air quality has been shown to be several times more toxic than the outdoor air quality in cities! Our over-burdened systems make us more susceptible to chronic headaches, fatigue, respiratory issues, cancer, and asthma.

I’m not here to be alarmist, friend. But isn’t it time that we just take a realistic look at what kind of stuff we have in our homes?

These are just a few of the chemicals you want to look out for inside of your household cleaners and personal care products:

☠️ Phthalates = alter hormonal levels. They can increase or decrease estrogen, cause preterm labor, risk birth defects and interfere with the intellectual development of children. There's also a correlation between phthalates and a higher incidence of food and environmental allergies.

☠️ Triclosan = food and skin allergies, increases both estrogen and testosterone and is known to pass into blood, urine and breast milk.

☠️ 2-Butoxy ethanol = can cause skeletal defects and inhibit coordination especially in young children.

☠️ Perchlorethylene = nervous system depressant and WHO class 2 carcinogen.

☠️ Chlorine, ammonia, sodium hydroxide = harmful irritants to the lungs and skin.

Is your head spinning yet? Don’t worry, I’ll be sharing lots of clean switches with you this month to help you along on your wellness journey.

What’s one area you’re looking to improve in your home?

One of my biggest philosophies as a health coach is to get connected with your body and the messages that it’s sending you. 🫶

I don’t believe in diets, counting calories or fat. I believe in nourishing your body simply with whole foods and cleaner alternatives.

The signs and symptoms that your body is sending you are not just at the surface. There is a root cause of that condition. I believe in digging deep to get to a place of healing through nutrition and lifestyle changes.

Is it easier to throw a bandaid on the problem? Maybe short term. But there will be other consequences because of it.

By nourishing your body from a holistic standpoint, not only will you feel empowered, but your entire physical, mental and emotional way of being can shift.

What is holding you back?

The Healthy Glow is my 1:1 program that allows you to work on your unique health goals with love and without restriction. Schedule your free consultation through my website! Link in bio 👋

During The Sugar Detox Program, one of the things that came up inside of our community call is “knowing your WHY.” 👇🏼

Why do you want to make changes to your health? If your WHY is strong enough, you will go far. You will keep pushing through the hurdles, because your reasoning behind the changes is so strong that it becomes your biggest focus. It has to be worth it.

The desperate desire to have clear skin was my driving force. I was willing to do anything to get rid of my acne. I was willing to do anything to look in the mirror and feel confident in who I was.

My Saturday tip: dig deep to figure out your why. It will carry you through.

If you’re looking for support with this, we cover it all inside of The Sugar Detox Program. You’ll have 4 weeks dedicated to self reflection, personal growth, and lifestyle changes.

All you need are the right tools to carry you through, and a why strong enough to keep you going. 💯

We are insanely excited to re launch The Sugar Detox Program next month!

We had a ton of success with our clients, as they reported improvements in:
💪 Weight loss
🧼 Healthy skin
🍩 Sugar cravings
⚡️ Energy levels
🥑 Learning what to eat for their body
🫐 Learning how to read labels and change nutritional habits long term

If you’ve been struggling with any of these areas and want to crush your health goals to become a better version of you- join us starting on March 6th! We KNOW this lifestyle works and can be truly life changing.

Comment “detox” below for more details on the program! ❤️

I’m always searching for healthier dessert alternatives- there are so many great ones out there!

This is a mini chocolate chip loaf; it’s so quick and easy to throw together with ingredients you probably have laying around your house! 🏠

1/2 c oats
1/2 ripe banana
1 egg
1/4 cup milk of choice
Pinch of sea salt
1/4 c baking soda
Handful of chocolate chips
1 tsp healthy sweetener (honey,
maple syrup or coconut sugar)

Add all ingredients except chocolate chips to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour batter into an oven safe baking dish. Top with extra chocolate chips and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes! 😋

I got a great response about our helpful breakfast tips so I decided to take it one step further! 🍎

When I was struggling with acne, I had to learn how to balance my blood sugar and shift my nutritional habits in order to clear my skin. This is also key for other health issues like chronic headaches, digestive issues, poor mood, low energy, joint pain- or shedding a few pounds!

I used to skip breakfast entirely or reach for a granola bar first thing in the morning until I learned how much it was effecting my skin (and overall wellness!)

Remember to eat that savory meal in the morning and stick with PFF! If you’re in need of breakfast recipes, click below to grab a copy of my guide! 👇🏼

thehealthyglow.org Make sure to eat a savory breakfast that pairs your carbs with protein, fiber, and fat! If you're in need of some breakfast ideas, start here.

Leaning into what feels good for 2023! 🌱

I am excited to expand my health coaching business beyond natural acne clearing.

Plans for continued group coaching and general 1:1 coaching to help you with your unique nutrition and lifestyle goals.

If you’re looking for weekly health and wellness tips, check out my updated email page below!

https://amanda-franza.mailchimpsites.com/?fbclid=PAAaZ3ttpEkAMy59QxXFbcumbU77J6KrRrwRHwuqD1J7f7qHcv_X19pZRE5jY

We are super excited to launch The Sugar Detox Program; a group program that will kick off your New Year with focus and intention! Christine and I want to teach you how to reduce sugar in a way that feels right for you, in order to help with your energy, mood, digestion, skin, inflammation levels, even shedding a couple of pounds! 😉

Secure your spot this weekend to lock in the Black Friday savings and have a plan to get back on track with your health after the holiday season.

You will receive:
- Daily education
- Live trainings
- Community calls
- Resources, inspiration, and accountability

The program has been discounted to $99 from Friday 11/25- Monday 11/28! Comment below or message me for more details!! ❤️