Busy Momma Wellness

A Bun In The Oven And A Foot On The Treadmill

Oh the wonders of pregnancy; that glow on your cheeks, the sparkle in your eyes, and the freedom to scarf and munch down almost anything you want since you are now eating for two.  The most exercise you may have planned on getting was the frequent trips to the bathroom and the fridge; and of course, the labor. This is what pregnancy is all about - right? Stop listening to old pregnant folklore, put down the bag of M&Ms, and get yourself a fitness plan.

Is That A No On The Bon-Bons?

Gone are the days where pregnant women were persuaded and encouraged to do as little physical activity as possible. Perhaps the public is remembering what is was like to be with child two hundred years ago; it is highly doubtful that Ma Kettle got to kick her feet up for nine months. She was probably picking tomatoes and green beans the day before she went into labor.

Photographs of pregnant celebrities like Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Halle Berry in track suits and towing around yoga mats have aided in making prenatal fitness popular with other women. Those gals manage to get back down to their famous svelte figures somehow. Maybe there is a method to their madness after all.

Medical studies have been confirming the benefits to exercising during the pregnancy term for some years now. The right work-outs are very safe for mothers-to-be, and also help maintain a healthy weight before the bundle of joys arrives. Even a brisk walk in the morning or evening on a daily basis can do wonders for keeping your muscles and your skin in good shape.

Staying active and healthy during your pregnancy can ward of gestational diabetes and hypertension, both of which commonly plague expectant mothers. Your weekly exercise regimen can also serve you well during your labor, possibly making it shorter and certainly with fewer complications. You will have a much less difficult time losing that baby weight if you already have a fitness work-out schedule.

One And Two, Bend And Stretch

Your first order of business is to make an appointment with your physician and discuss your best fitness options. It is likely that this topic will be broached in some length during your initial visits to the obstetrician. Many doctors and veteran mothers highly recommend yoga; the poses are easy on any shape or condition of body, and it is a form of exercise designed to strengthen muscles and eliminate stress.

The majority of fitness centers also employ personal trainers that will work one-on-one with members. You can schedule weekly or monthly sessions to fit your around your life. Check with your doctor’s office and your health insurance provider about places that they might recommend. It is not just about your health anymore. After all, you are living for two now.

But whatever you do, start slowly.  Now is not the time to jump into a new rigorous workout regimen.  Go slow and listen to what your doctor gives you as restrictions.  Remember that taking walks is always a good idea and a good habit to start as you can do that with a stroller once the baby is born also.

If you want to tighten or flatten your stomach or abs, here are some terrific exercises that will help.

Here’s a routine you may be familiar with:  First lie down on your back on a floor mat.  Bend the knees and place your feet flat on the mat.  Put your hands behind your head and rise up slowly.  Wait a few seconds; then slowly lie back down.  Repeat this 10 times.  That hold will really cause a burn in your abs.  If you feel pain in your back or neck, stop.

Here is another exercise to strengthen the ab muscles.  Sit on a mat on the floor and bend your knees.  Place your feet flat on the floor. Now take your left arm and reach up for the ceiling 15 times and visa versa with the right arm.  Keep your head inline with your spine as much as possible.  You do not want to strain your neck.  As noted earlier, if you feel any discomfort, stop.

The last routine is focused more on lower abs.  Lay flat on your back with legs straight out.  You can put your hands behind your back to support your spine.  Now slowly raise your feet to straight in the air.  Slowly lower them to a slight hover above the ground, never touching your feet to the ground.  Repeat 10+ times.  If you have lower back issues, start with fewer reps until you have built up some more endurance.

While there are a myriad of exercises to firm up the stomach and flatten the abs, these are just three of the many exercises you can try.  Whether you belong to a gym, or are beginning to focus in on one area of your body, you can achieve a successful result if you stay with it and ensure you use every precaution to avoid injury.

Your Life Path Number is 8

Your purpose in life is to help others succeedYou are both a natural leader and a natural success. You are also a great judge of character.You have a head for business and finance. You know how to make money. A great visionary, you can see gold where other people see nothing. In love, you are very generous - with gifts, time, and guidance. You love to inspire people, but it can be frustrating when they don’t understand your vision. Great success comes easily for you. But so does great failure, as you are very reckless. You are confident, and sometimes this confidence borders on arrogance.

What Is Your Life Path Number?

Well that’s interesting.  Fits quite a bit.  Especially seeing as I’m a fitness trainer and my favorite thing to do online is to guide others with their business.  Weird huh?

I’d love to hear if your’s is close to what your personality is.

Carrot Cake

I love carrot cake, but so often it is just full of oils and we all know the cream cheese frosting that is an inch thick on top is not healthy.  Try this
option full of alternatives that make it taste even yummier than the boxed version we are most used to.

Ingredients:
2 cups firmly packed finely grated carrots (approx. 3 large)
1 large orange, juiced
2 tsp natural vanilla extract
1/4 cup light olive oil
1 cup honey, liquefied in microwave (30 seconds)
1/2 cup crushed or chopped pineapple, drained
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Stir together carrots, orange juice, vanilla, olive oil, liquified honey, and pineapple until well blended.

3. In another bowl, stir together the dry ingredients: flours, baking soda, and spices. Mix in the walnuts.

4. Blend the dry ingredients into the carrot mixture, stirring until just mixed.  Will be slightly lumpy.

5. Pour the batter into a nonstick 8-inch-square baking pan and bake for 45-60 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove
from oven, let cool slightly, and remove from pan.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
334 calories
9 g total fat (1 g sat)
62 g carbohydrate
5 g protein
4 g fiber
25 mg sodium

Ingredients:

4 ripe papayas
2 small avocados, diced
1/3 c cashews, coarsely chopped
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
Juice of one lime
1 shallot, diced
1 c arugula, chopped

Halve 2 of the papayas and discard seeds. Set aside.

Peel the other 2 papayas and discard seeds. Cut into small chunks and place in a medium bowl.

Add avocados, cashews, cilantro, lime juice and shallot to diced papayas and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with arugula.

Fill the 4 scooped out papayas with salad and serve.

Are you looking for healthy, whole foods recipes? Visit Carrie Lauth at www.NaturalMomsRecipes.com

Are you searching for diet plans online? There are literally hundreds to choose from! Spotting a diet plan is not hard at all; spotting a diet plan that will actually work is very difficult. Move away from the commercial diets and on to healthy habits. In this article I will tell you the four basics of diet and weight loss.

1. Don’t starve: Your body thinks it’s dieing.

You make big weight loss decisions but when faced with the reality (a.k.a. diet and exercise) you realize that the weight loss plan your nutritionist has given you, is more difficult than you actually wanted to follow. Not only that- it is also very boring! So you decide to take matters into your own hands. You think that instead of being bogged down by food restrictions throughout your life, if only you can starve for a few days, you will lose all your weight and then you can eat whatever you like! Sounds great in theory, but unfortunately it never happens that way! Starving never helps you lose fat; you will only lose your strength by starving. Starving robs your body of nutrition and very soon you start feeling weak! And when you resume your ‘normal’ mode of eating; you usually end up gaining back whatever little weight you had lost and then some!

2. Tell your spouse to kiss you: Yeah that is a hot tip and I bet it made you jump from your chair!

Did you know that a passionate, liplock can actually help you burn calories and lose fat? Well, now that you know it, don’t waste a single moment of calorie burning.

3. Keep yourself away from diet pills: Remember that diet pills, or for that matter any product that promises you fast weight loss are more often than not a scam!

If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The outrageous claims made by the diet pill manufactures are not exception in this regard. Some of these diet pills fool you into thinking that you have lost weight by depriving your body of the essential water and lean muscle mass. In reality, you have lost weight, but NOT the fat that you actually want to lose. Mostly it was water and possibly muscle mass as you didn’t eat as much with the diet plans and went into step #1 above. Remember that if a diet pill actually worked, EVERYONE, would be taking it and marketing it.

4. Keep a weight loss diary: A diary will help you track your progress.

You will be able to see your progress in terms of weight loss, and what you have left in order to achieve your goal. Seeing the results on paper makes it easier to commit to another day of watching what you eat and exercising more. Keeping a journal also helps you realize where you are picking up excess calories that you were unconsciously eating.

Weight loss is not a difficult theory. It’s simple math of calories in and calories burned. Do the math and commit to changing the numbers and you will see success for a lifetime.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 t cinnamon
2 t ginger
2 t aluminum free baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t sea salt
2/3 c rapadura or sucanat
1/2 c coconut oil or melted butter
1 8 oz can crushed pineapple, drained with juice reserved
1/2 c carrot juice
1 t all natural vanilla extract
1 c carrots, finely grated
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c pecans, coarsely chopped (optional - may use walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a loaf pan with olive oil cooking spray or butter.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix sugar, oil, 1/4 c pineapple juice, carrot juice and vanilla. Then mix into dry ingredients. Add crushed pineapple, carrots, raisins, and nuts.

Pour batter into loaf pan and bake 60 minutes (for muffins, bake 20 minutes). Cool 5 minutes then turn onto wire rack to cool completely.

Are you looking for healthy, whole foods recipes? Visit Carrie Lauth at www.NaturalMomsRecipes.com

Here’s a great recipe to make ahead and take on your next picnic or BBQ with friends and family. It also works wonderfully for that quick lunch, toss it over a nice green leaf salad and you have a very yummy and healthy lunch. Make sure and double or triple up the recipe if you are going to take it to share. As it goes fast.

White Bean Salad

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp finely chopped red pepper
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup diced tomato
1 tbsp finely chopped red onion
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp oregano and basil blend
1 tsp fresh minced garlic

1. Combine the olive oil, vinegar, and spices in medium size bowl.

2. Add all other ingredients and toss lightly so as not to crush the tomatoes.

This recipe works great with other beans and vegetables. Experiment with your favorites and make it unique to you.

There are several forms of skin cancer: Basal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, and the worst form of skin cancer known as Malignant Melanoma. Let’s discuss what to look for, symptoms, and when you should contact your doctor.

Basal Cell Carcinoma: This is a common form of skin cancer usually caused by over-exposure to the sun. This type of skin cancer grows slowly, rarely spreads, and is seldom life-threatening. While it may vary in appearance, it is usually characterized by a small, flat module which gradually may turn into an open sore with raised edges. It appears frequently on the face, usually around the eyes, near the nose or on the nose, as well as on other sun-exposed areas including the back, chest, arms, and legs. For proper diagnosis and treatment of Basal Cell Carcinoma, see your doctor.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma: This is also a common form of skin cancer which is rarely life-threatening. It starts as a small, firm, painless lump or patch, and resembles a wart or an open sore. It is also associated with over-exposure to the sun and can occur anywhere on the body. It is most common on the back of the hands or on the lips. If you have a lump on your skin that does not heal within three weeks, check with your doctor.

Malignant Melanoma: This is the most deadly form of skin cancer. It is sometimes associated with exposure to the sun, but can occur anywhere on the body including parts of the body not exposed to the sun. It most often appears on the face, upper chest or legs, and usually grows from existing moles. Malignant moles may bleed and can resemble sores that do not heal. If you think you have a melanoma, contact your doctor immediately.

Identifying skin cancers can be difficult. However, there are ways in which you can determine if you have any of the above three skin cancers.

Cancerous moles are often asymmetrical, that is, one half of the mole looks different from the other half. The outline of a cancerous mole can be uneven or have poor defined edges and may change over time. Melanomas can be very dark in color and contain shades of tan, brown, white, red, or blue. Moles that grow larger than a half inch across may be a sign of malignant melanomas, although smaller moles can also indicate malignancy as well.

As we move into the Summer months, please remember to use your sunscreen and take care of your skin just like you do the rest of your body.

Ingredients:

1 T butter or olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 cups chopped kale
1 small yam, diced
1 T paprika
1 T curry powder
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 15 oz cans great Northern beans, drained
2 T red wine vinegar

Heat oil or butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent.

Add kale and cook until wilted. Stir in yam and seasonings.

Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Turn heat down until soup is at a simmer and cook 30 minutes. Add beans to pot and cook another ten minutes. Add vinegar, sea salt and papper.

Serve.

Are you looking for healthy, whole foods recipes? Visit Carrie Lauth at www.NaturalMomsRecipes.com