Hydration for Kids: Why Electrolytes Matter More Than You Think

Our Story

In 2017, when working at a pediatric primary care office, Dr. Amanda had the inspiration to start EllyPop after watching numerous sick kids in need of hydration but without natural options. As a naturopathic doctor, she would often recommend that parents make their own popsicles out of herbal tea, but also knew that this was often too high an ask of overwhelmed caretakers who needed immediate options to soothe and support their child’s healing. Finally in 2020 she gathered additional naturopathic doctors who had a shared vision of supporting children and families with natural medicine, and they began their creative journey together. Since that time, we have enjoyed experimenting with a variety of plant and fruit combinations and have landed on 3 freezer-pop formulas that combine organic fruits, herbal tea and essential electrolytes

Amanda Watters

Amanda is the CEO at EllyPop™ and first imagined creating natural electrolyte popsicles for kids when working in a primary care clinic during residency where she saw first hand how quickly children can get dehydrated when sick, and how important it is for parents to have convenient, healthy options to offer when nursing their little ones back to health! After sitting with the idea for a few years, she decided to pull together a team of other naturopathic doctors who are passionate about pediatric care to bring vision to life.

Outside of her work at EllyPop™ she runs a nonprofit organization that provides therapy services for children with disabilities and their families across the state of Oregon. Patient and parent education is one of her favorite parts of being a doctor, and she spends time ensuring that families walk away from their visits with her with a greater understanding of how to make positive changes in their lives.

In her free time, Dr. Amanda enjoys spending time outside with her two pups Magnolia and Sama, or exploring the Japanese Garden and enjoying Thai Food with her partner. She also loves to travel and has visited more than 25 countries.

Jackie Kirihara

Jackie is the CMO at EllyPop™ and her passion for inspiring families to think differently about their approach to children’s health started while working under Amanda Watters while attending her doctorate program. Jackie is a naturopathic physician and midwife serving individuals and families in and around Portland, Oregon. While working at an integrative functional medicine clinic in NW Portland, she is passionate about supporting women, adolescents, and kids to discover the amazing capacity of their bodies and to understand how to navigate normal and abnormal health hurdles. Her tendency towards organization and goals to address the root cause has brought her to support individuals in their complex chronic health challenges.

In-between running around to support women giving birth in their homes, Jackie loves to spend her time with her daughters, husband and french bulldog. She deeply enjoys celebrating others, exploring the city, fueling her competitive nature with either participating in or watching athletic events, and traveling to visit friends and family.