Life Boost with amelia
My Favorite Amazon Products
I frequently get asked about my favorite products, so I’ve rounded up all of my Amazon favorites here from healthy, gut-friendly food staples and non-toxic skincare to fitness gear, clean home essentials, and vet-approved dog products I love.
As a veterinarian and integrative health & life coach, I’ve tested a lot of options over the years while transitioning to products that support energy, well-being, and sustainable living. These are the ones I actually use and recommend.
Full disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases (at no extra cost to you). I joined the program because these are products I already use and often get asked about.
When you shop through these links, it’s a small but meaningful way to support my small business while still enjoying the convenience of Amazon. And of course, if you can find these locally and support another small business, that’s amazing too! 💗
Categories (click to jump ahead to a section)
Favorite Kitchen Items
I am all about healthy, delicious meals that don't take a lot of time. These are staples that I use all the time to feel my best.
I am obsessed with these! A client gifted them to me and I use them ALL the time. You can cook fish from frozen in 4.5 minutes in these and it comes out great. I also love making quinoa in them, because it's super quick instead of having to wait for water to boil and monitoring a simmering pan. I love that you can also then use the container to store the food by closing the vent. These are a game changer.
If you've been following me for any length of time, you probably know I'm obsessed with my Ninja Foodi. I use it pretty much every day. My favorite feature is the roast and air fryer settings, because it saves SO much time when it comes to roasting veggies or fish (I roast it in parchment paper). Not having to wait for the actual oven to heat up = I'm way more likely to roast some veggies which taste SO good. Living in North Carolina, I also love the fact that it doesn't make the kitchen hot in the summer.
Did you know you can just toss frozen veggies like cauliflower florets or cubed butternut squash and roast them? Zero prep involved!
This is an absolute must! We use ours multiple times a day. I put high quality olive oil in it and it's perfect for evenly coating food instead of a heavy drizzle that just gets a few areas.
The one thing I don't like is that it's clear glass since when oil is exposed to light it speeds up oxidation, but we try to keep it in a cabinet and I only fill it about a quarter to a third of the way at a time so we're always putting new fresh oil in it.
This isn't the exact one that we have, but since it's silicone it may be better. Regardless, if you enjoy popcorn these are such an awesome, easy option to make your own popcorn in no time. You just put the kernels in and microwave it and they come out perfectly! Then, you can use the oil sprayer to mist with EVOO (we really love using flavored olive oil like truffle) and then add herbs and other flavoring like nutritional yeast.
This is definitely an investment purchase, but my blender before this was the basic inexpensive kind and this is SOO much better. You can even use it to make nut butter (though honestly I still prefer to use my cuisinart food processor for that).
I have had my food processor forever and I really love it. I use it for so many of my recipes like amazeballs, tofu feta ricotta, and nut butter. I also use it to make my strawberry "ice cream" as described in the chocolate LMNT section and the food processor helps to create this really awesome whipped consistency that's so good (it only seems to work when you do that with a whey protein powder).
Every kitchen needs a good mandolin! I highly recommend getting one that juliennes so that you can make zucchini "noodles" without getting an actual spiralizer. I have a spiralizer, but it's quicker to use the mandolin and easier to clean.
Every kitchen needs an avocado saver. These are simple but work really well. Also, you know that once your whole avocados turn ripe you should put them in the fridge so that they last a super long time, right? If not, now you do.
Immersions blenders are awesome for when you need to blend something up but you also don't want to have to clean a blender. I use mine the most for soups when I've cooked a bunch of veggies in bone broth and want to create a creamy, thick consistency.
When I'm cooking chicken, I like to make sure it's fully cooked. This one works great!
This isn't the exactly one that we have, but I also really like having a meat thermometer that can monitor the temperature of something while it's cooking in the oven and then alert you once it's reached the appropriate temperature.
This helped me with feeling more confident roasting chickens, because I wasn't worried about overcooking it and I didn't have to keep opening and closing the door to check on it.
We've started replacing our old nonstick cookware with more non-toxic options. Overall, I really like this pan and the depth. I wouldn't really consider it "non-stick", because it does require some oil or liquid in order to prevent sticking, but overall I like it. If something does stick, the bottom of the pan has hexagon shapes so it can be hard to clean. Soaking for a few minutes with some soap easily takes care of that.
Food Staples I Always Have In My Kitchen
These are my go-to nourishing kitchen staples that are gut-friendly, nutrient-rich foods that make eating healthy feel easy, satisfying, and delicious.
Have you ever tried the Trader Joe's umami seasoning? I'm obsessed. I have been putting it in EVERYTHING since I discovered it (okay maybe not my blueberry brain bowls but other than that...). The problem is that I don't go to Trader Joe's often because I don't have one super close and Charlotte traffic can be a nightmare. I could get a similar thing at Whole Food's, but it's about 3x's the price and I go through this stuff quickly. I finally decided to look on Amazon and was thrilled to find a large container of umami seasoning for a reasonable price. It's not exactly the same as the Trader Joe's one, but it's delicious and doesn't include any weird fillers or sugar like SO many seasonings (if you've never looked at the ingredient list of your spice mixes...you'll be surprised what you find!).
Ingredients in this one: sea salt, onion, ground mustard seeds*, porcini mushroom powder, white button mushroom powder, crushed red pepper, black pepper, thyme leaves.
*Bonus: if you put this on your broccoli or Brussels sprouts, ground mustard seeds help to increase the amount of sulfurophane you get! Check out this post if you don't know what I'm talking about.
I buy nutritional yeast in bulk, because it's delicious, nutritious, and I eat it pretty much every day. It has a cheesy flavor (but it's vegan) and it's high in protein (bonus: it's a complete protein) as well as B-vitamins.
I toss it on salads, sprinkle it on popcorn*, add it to cauliflower rice nourish bowls or spaghetti squash, use it in my tofu feta ricotta recipe (one of the many recipes you get access to in my group coaching programs)...honestly, you can put it on anything you want to have an umami or cheesy flavor.
*If you like the popcorn idea, also check out the microwavable popcorn popper and oil sprayer in the Kitchen products section.
My sister introduced me to this and I am OBSESSED. It is so good and one spoonful is completely satisfying.
Things I love about it: real food ingredients, probiotics to support gut health, minimal added sugar, it feels indulgent while also being nourishing and satisfying, it tastes amazing.
Coconut Cult apparently makes a ton of delicious-sounding flavors, but so far this is the only one I've tried because it's perfection.
This is my favorite dark brand of dark chocolate! I am particular about brands for dark chocolate, because sadly a lot of dark chocolates and cocoa powder are high in heavy metals like lead and cadmium. This brand did well on the consumer labs tests which is why it's my go-to. Bonus: dark chocolate is amazing for all 3 Life Boost B's: belly (gut health), brain (so good for your brain), and blood sugar (it's very low in sugar).
This is the brand I usually get for dark chocolate chips if I'm baking and also to sometimes add to my blueberry brain bowl. I'm not sure what the heavy metal level is for these, but the company does report that they do 3rd party testing for heavy metals and they fall within the acceptable range determined by Colorado prop 65.
I love adding this to my blueberry brain bowl every day! I take frozen blueberries and slightly defrost them (usually microwave 20-30 minutes or let them sit out for a little bit), then add cinnamon, marine collagen, and creatine +/- dark chocolate chips and tahini. Blueberries + creatine + dark chocolate are all great for brain health (hence the name). I originally added the collagen because it was an easy way to add some protein to the bowl but I fell in love with the sticky consistency and texture it adds - it makes the blueberries clump together. Hard to explain, but it's delish.
Another delicious way to enjoy collage: my pecan pie nut butter with collagen recipe. 😍 It is so so good.
This is the creatine I use (and put in my blueberry brain bowl described above). Creatine is awesome for brain health and muscle growth. I chose this one because they use Creapure which is a high quality, clean source of creatine. I did a lot of research before settling on this one. I liked it for the price, quality, and ease of being able to get it on Amazon.
Since I go to ALDI a lot and they don't have tahini, I sometimes just order it on Amazon. I like to get an organic kind. Ideally, I would get ones that aren't in a plastic container, but if you're curious what I actually get and not what would be "ideal" this is the one I order. Yes, I purchase 4 at a time because I love tahini and don't like to run out. 😊
I love green tea! What I don't love: it's another one of those healthy foods that can also have heavy metals (dark chocolate and cinnamon are others). I got this tea, because it's tested for heavy metals and it's a great price compared to individual tea bags and saves packaging.
If you drink a lot of coffee but you're also experiencing anxiety, I highly recommend trying green tea as a sub! You could start with one cup of coffee in the morning and then transition over to green tea for the rest of the day. Why? Because green tea contains L-theanine in addition to caffeine which helps to give you a calm stable energy instead of the jittery some people get from coffee (which can feel exactly like anxiety).
Of course, if you're experiencing anxiety or struggling with low energy, your best best is to address what's causing that anxiety or low energy in the first place. If you'd like support with that, that's exactly why my programs support you with so you can create change that feels like a breath of fresh air. 💗
Electrolytes make such a big difference! I use LMNT. They are sweetened with stevia (unless you get the unflavored one). Warning: they're very salty (which is the point!). Usually, I only use about a third of a packet.
Just like everything, I recommend thinking about why you want to take electrolytes and then embracing your inner researcher and observing how it makes you feel. What amount feels good to you? Do you feel better when or worse when you take them? For example, sometimes I feel super thirsty even though I've been drinking a lot and I notice I have a craving for something salty. I use that as a sign to take some electrolytes and often feel so much better after.
I love chocolate salt, because it's delicious with so many things. It's yummy just with hot water or unsweetened almond milk for hot chocolate vibes. But I also love it with frozen raspberries and unsweetened coconut yogurt or cottage cheese. Or I create an "ice cream" by blending frozen strawberries, goat whey, and about 1/4 to 1/3 of one of these salt packets. It's super yummy for a protein and fiber rich snack or dessert!
Important disclaimer: this does not taste good on its own. 😆 The reviews say it's not bad...I don't agree and I think I have a pretty high tolerance for enjoying healthy food that a lot of people aren't a fan of. I thought that I would like it, because I like the tangy taste of goat cheese but that's not quite the flavor. The first time I tasted this, I wanted to return it but I couldn't.
However, since that initial not-love-at-first-taste moment, I have been using it pretty frequently - mostly in the frozen strawberry "ice cream" concoction. You can't taste it at all when mixed with that and I like that goat whey is often easier to digest and may be less inflammatory than cow products. I did choose it because I liked that it didn't have a sweetener like stevia in it. BUT, I am now mixing it with the chocolate LMNT so that was totally counter-intuitive. I may try their vanilla flavor next time.
Fitness Products
My home gym is like my playground — I love adding new “toys” that help me feel strong, energized, and mobile. These fitness favorites make it easy to stay consistent and healthy without needing a gym.
I am obsessed with my walking pad! A lot of the work I do involves being at the computer and I'm really not interested in sitting all day long. Now when I'm writing articles (like this one), editing a podcast, sending emails, and even reading, I can be getting steps in. I easily get 10-20,000 steps a day because of this!
Even though I love walks outside, it's also so nice to have the option to go for a walk inside on the days when it's extra cold and rainy. Anything that makes it easier for me to move my body throughout the day, I'm all about!
This walking pad can be more like a treadmill with the arm bars up if you want to jog, but I have the arm bars folded down by the belt so that I can use it at my standing desk. You can't go as fast when the arm bar is folded down, but it goes up to a 3.7 speed which is a fairly brisk walk - perfect for my needs. (If you're curious about the standing desk I have, I tried to find it but it doesn't seem to be available anymore).
**The treadmill linked above is currently unavailable, but I actually love this walking pad treadmill even more because it has a 12% auto incline 😍.
This was a new toy I got this year that I'm loving! I put it on for my morning walks and I love that it adds just a little extra weight (perfect for training for hikes when you'll be carrying a backpack).
I also love that it adds just a little extra challenge for my workouts. For example, I'll wear it while doing push ups or squats. I got the 10# vest, because I read a recommendation that you shouldn't go over 10% of your body weight (especially if you're running with it). I like the 10#'s but I'm thinking about getting another slightly heavier one to wear for workouts or walks.
If I could only have one thing in my home gym, it would probably be these! They make it so easy to quickly transition between different weights and they take up almost no room. I've had these for years and they're still in perfect shape.
Even though they're an investment, I like to think of the cost per use and the value. At this point, these really have only been a few cents per use and the fact that I can just walk into my home gym instead of having to drive to a gym is so worth it. Plus, they give me an energy and happiness boost every morning and that's totally worth the investment.
Note: They don't currently have the Bowflex brand on Amazon, so I linked to ones that seem equivalent (mine go up to 52.5# too).
Kettlebells are so versatile - I use mine multiple times per week! I have a 15#, 25#, and 35#. A heavier one is on my wish list.
Barbell
My barbell is my new favorite toy! I'm obsessed. I reached a point where I wanted to be doing more weight with glute exercises than I could with the bow flex weights, so this was the next step. I love that I can continue to add more and more weight for hip thrusts, and I also am really loving it for squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, etc.
It involves lots of different pieces:
The one that I have is black, but this is the one it goes to when I look back at my orders. I have the shorter 5 foot one. Note: it says that it's 5#, but it's definitely heavier than that (I think about 15-20#). However, it's not as heavy as the traditional barbells. I like that because sometimes I want to use it more for mobility than strength and I can just add as many weights on as I want when I am working on strength.
The best part about strength training and progressive overload is that each week, you get stronger and stronger. I love that as I get stronger, I can "earn" new weights as I progress to being able to lift more and more. Right now, I have two of each of these: 10#, 15#, 25#, 45#.
These are awesome, because it makes it super quick to change weights!
If you're planning to do hip thrusts, this is an absolute must!
I can't find the exact bench that I have, but I use my bench multiple times a week. It's a great staple for so many things like hip thrusts, jump up or step ups, bench presses, rows, etc. Is it absolutely necessary? No. Is it super versatile and useful to have? Absolutely.
I love this for functional movements that challenge my balance and core. I don't use mine every week, but it's a great extra to have if you're looking for a new toy to play around with.
I have other small resistance bands that are a lighter weight, but I'm not going to link to them because I go through them fairly quickly (they can't handle my strength so they eventually break 😉). This band, however, is awesome and has held up great! I love it for hip thrusts, squats, etc.
I use these multiple times per week! They're also a nice option if you want more than just body weight exercises when traveling, since you can easily fit a few in your suitcase.
This is just one of those things that is good to have! I use mine at least a few times a week especially on my mobility days.
Clothes I Love
When it comes to my style, I like clothes that are comfortable and athletic balanced with a feminine, flirty vibe. I'm petite (5'2") and often have a hard time finding clothes that fit me in stores. Amazon has become one of my go-to spots for finding cute clothes that actually fit, and I've been pleasantly surprised with the quality and price. I'll be adding more - including workout clothes!
I have this cute suit in light pink and I get compliments every time I wear it. There are so many colors and it's super reasonable, so I'm probably going to order more colors.
This is perfect for traveling (for example veterinary conferences), because you can wear the trousers and blazer separately or together for a huge number to create a ton of different cute outfits.
These trousers are really great quality, comfortable, and can easily be dressed up or down. I have the in navy and wear them with so many different things. I love that they have the elastic waist while still looking professional. I like wearing these with the pink cropped blazer above and training shoes or cute heels depending on the vibe I'm going for.
One thing I've learned as I put my body back together after years of operating in survival mode is just how important foot health is to whole-body health. Your toes should have space! Foot health is connected to pelvic floor health and even your diaphragm and how you breathe — it really is all connected!
I wear these for strength training (and walking and sometimes even with trousers). They're comfy, cute, and inexpensive.
I recognize the irony with talking about pointy toed heels right after the importance of giving your toes space, but this is about embracing the grey. 😉 Most of the time, I wear shoes that give my toes room and sometimes I want cute heels that are also comfortable.
I ordered these before a veterinary conference when I wanted neutral heels that I could wear with multiple outfits and that would be comfortable enough for walking around all day. I was pleasantly surprised by these — especially for the price! Even the packaging was cute and they came with little toe inserts for extra padding.
These are a must for when you don't want bra straps (or nipples 😆) to show. They're comfortable and can be re-used numerous times before they lose their stickiness.
Little Gift Ideas
Looking for a birthday or Christmas gift idea? Here are some items that are great to keep on hand.
My husband ordered this for me during my concussion recovery and OMG — it's amazing! It's hard to describe how good it feels and you'll instantly feel stress melt away. Now I feel like everyone needs one in their life.
This wish paper is fun and feels a little magical. You write your wish on the piece of paper, roll it up, and then llight it. It floats into the air as it burns and then the pieces gently float back down.
In the middle of my concussion recovery when things were feeling really hard, I found this paper and it added a little lightness and hope during a time that was feeling really heavy. Since then, I've been using it for gifts.
Non-Toxic Household Products
Over time, I've replaced our old household products with non-toxic ones. It has been an adventure finding which ones have non-toxic ingredients and actually work, but I've finally found great staples! I'll add more to this list!
We tried a lot of non-toxic dishwasher detergents and many of them have great ingredients but also don't actually clean the dishes. 😆 This one does an amazing job and has great ingredients, so it's now our go-to (so much so that we did buy it in bulk and now we're set for the year).
I choose organic food when possible (especially for the dirty dozen), so spraying Round-up around my house wouldn't make a lot of sense. Woodford (my dog) also eats anything outside, so I wanted a weed killer that was safe for people, humans, and bugs but would still be effective against weeds. This works great! I also purchased a sprayer like this to make it easy to apply in my garden beds.
Non-Toxic Skincare Products I Love
Switching over to eating more real foods (instead of "healthy" food that actually has a ton of weird chemicals) made such a huge difference in how I felt physically and mentally. Eventually, I realized that the ingredients in my skincare also mattered! These are some of the non-toxic skincare products I've found and love.
I am all about non-toxic skincare and micellar water is my go-to for removing make-up. It works so well! I just use reusable cotton pads (linked below) to apply and then wash my face.
I've had these for years (I purchased them in 2019!) and they're still going strong. I feel so much better about using these versus something I'm tossing into the trash every day.
This is my go-to non-toxic facial cleanser. It works great and is gentle on my skin — zero complaints.
I've started doing gua sha every day and I love it! For one thing, it's a really lovely 5 minute relaxing ritual and I feel like it helps to release tension. But I also love that it helps with lymphatic drainage. My massage therapist (who specializes in lymphatic drainage) taught me to first massage/stroke my collarbone area before starting, because that helps to stimulate the lymphatic system to help with drainage.
Conveniently, this gua sha came with a jade roller, too, so I sometimes use both. It's so inexpensive for something that feels relaxing and can help with drainage and decreasing puffiness.
I love having a little color in the summer, but I also don't love skin cancer and accelerating skin aging! So far this is the non-toxic, organic self tanner that I've been most happy with. The color is really natural. I have fair skin and usually use the fair to medium, but sometimes do the medium to dark.
Unlike some other tanners, this one doesn't have a color guard so it's a white lotion when you apply it. That has pros and cons: the color guard doesn't get on sheets or your clothes, but it can be easier to miss some spots. The day you apply it, there is a faint coconut-y self tanner smell but it goes away after. The color develops within a few hours and lasts for about 5 days for me. The lotion is great for hydrating skin!
I have also used the foam self tanner, but I think the lotion lasts longer. Sometimes I get the facial self tanner to use on my face, but other times I just use the normal self tanner lotion. I haven't had any issues with the body lotion causing any issues with my skin.
Non-Toxic Hair Products I Love
I have tried SO MANY different shampoos and conditioners to try to find what works when I want to let my wavy hair dry naturally. My hair is a 2c to 3a and lot of products I try end up getting a lot of build-up and weighing down my curls. I ended up using ChatGPT to help me to figure out what my hair needed and these are some of the products it helped me to find. So far, I've had the best luck with these and I love that they're super reasonably priced.
A lot of shampoos end up being either too drying or too heavy. I don't have either of those problems with this one!
This is light weight but adds a lot of moisture which is what my hair needs to have the most defined curls. I wanted something inexpensive with clean ingredients, and this is one is doing the job right now!
ChatGPT taught me to scrunch the conditioner into my hair instead of rubbing it in. I rinse a little bit out and while doing that keep scrunching it up, which seems to work well.
When it comes to my curls, I need a lot of moisture! A little goes a long way with this leave-in conditioner. I use maybe a dime-sized amount when my hair is still really wet and it seems to really help.
I use this on days that I don't wash my hair if my curls need a little refresher. A little goes a long way, so I just rub a couple of drops in my hands and then scrunch up my curls if they need a little taming. Or if my curls aren't as defined, I mist it first with water and then I use this when scrunching it. Even when I dry my hair straight, I'll sometimes use a little of this on the ends.
This also is really nice for cuticles!
Candy Alternative For Halloween Trick-or-Treaters
We've ordered these for the past 3 years, and they're always a hit! As an integrative health & life coach, I don't love a holiday that makes candy seem like a reward, but I still want to offer something fun. When every other house is handing out candy, kids are super excited to see something fun and different.
These ones have been really popular and have a great variety of things like unicorns, dinosaurs, robots, animals, etc. We also just love having them on hand for kids year-round.
I also ordered this version this year for older kids. These would also be awesome for adults if you're going to a black light party!
Dog Products
As a veterinarian and animal-lover, I needed to include some of Woodford's favorite products, too! I've included toys, enrichment toys, and calming supplements that we love.
I really love the broccoli one - so does Woodford. Caution with nylabones: if they're too hard for your dog's teeth they can break them.
I really love this brand, because they have some give to them but hold up really well despite despite our dogs being really heavy chewers.
I used to get Jolly balls for my horses and I love these durable balls for dogs, too!
Okay, this is kind of hysterical but Matt purchased it for Woodford to make doing his nails easier and it actually works pretty well. He puts the lick mat on the wall so that he can lick peanut butter while getting a manicure.
This is definitely an investment purchase, but my blender before this was the basic inexpensive kind and this is SOO much better. You can even use it to make nut butter (though honestly I still prefer to use my cuisinart food processor for that).
I love Vetriscience for high-quality supplements. Composure chews are a really great calming option to help with anxiety. Ideally, I recommend getting these through your vet! There is a special veterinary line that has a higher concentration of ingredients - plus it's nice to support your local vet instead of Amazon.