Friday, May 25, 2012

Healthy Pregnancy

Did you know May is Pregnancy Awareness month?  Katie from Moore From Katie was kind enough to write a guest post with a few simple tips for staying healthy during pregnancy... Enjoy!



Tips for Staying Healthy During Pregnancy 

Not surprisingly, pregnant women should pay special attention to their bodies and health during pregnancy in order to provide an optimal environment for the baby to develop in.  By taking advantage of these tips, a mom-to-be can ensure she’s starting her pregnancy off on the right, and healthy, foot.  

Keep Doctor Appointments
When a woman realizes she is pregnant, the first thing she needs to do is make an appointment with her ob-gyn, to check how far along she is and to monitor her health and the baby’s health. Throughout pregnancy mom’s doctor will be essential in helping plan for her delivery; there are many choices that should be discussed and made in advance, such as what type of birthing process she would like, what pain medicines to use and other optional procedures like umbilical cord blood banking and circumcision. 

Eat a Healthy Diet
Many women think that it’s okay to eat whatever they want when they are pregnant. While it’s okay to occasionally indulge in sweets, pregnant women should eat a mostly nutritious diet. They should consume 300 extra calories a day to give their babies the nutrition they need. A pregnant woman should eat a diet filled with lean meats, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. They should stay away from raw foods, processed meats, certain fish and soft cheeses. A pregnant woman should also drink plenty of water. Water can help keep a pregnant woman hydrated and prevent constipation. 

Get Plenty of Rest
Pregnant women feel more tired than usual, so it is important for them to get plenty of rest. As a woman’s stomach grows bigger, it will be difficult for her to sleep in certain positions. A pregnant woman should sleep on her side with her knees bent to ensure comfort. Lying on her side can also prevent hemorrhoids, veins and swelling. 

Exercise Regularly
Even though it is more difficult to exercise while pregnant, women should make the effort to work out regularly. They should get at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week. They could do yoga, go for walks outside and swim. Exercising during pregnancy can increase energy, improve sleep, prevent extra weight gain and reduce pain and swelling. 

Avoid Alcohol and Nicotine
Women need to stay away from alcohol and nicotine while they are pregnant. Alcohol and nicotine can cause birth defects, low birth weight, stillbirth and asthma. 

Take Prenatal Vitamins
Even if a woman eats a very health diet during pregnancy, she can still not consume enough vital nutrients. That is why she needs to take prenatal vitamins during her pregnancy. Taking prenatal vitamins every day can help prevent neural tube defects, reduce the risk of low birth weight and promote strong bones and teeth. 

With all of the above health tips taken into consideration, as well as any special recommendations for her a doctor, a woman will be doing her best to stay healthy throughout, and even after her pregnancy. 

This article was written by Katie Moore. Katie is an active writer within the blogging community who discusses maternity, motherhood, prenatal health, childbirth and other topics within this niche.  If you have any questions or would like to connect with Katie please contact by visiting her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter @moorekm26.

Monday, May 14, 2012

I AM HEALTH

Hope everyone had a great weekend! I headed to the beach for Mother's Day and enjoyed a relaxing few hours on the coast. I'm sporting an impressive sunburn as evidence....silly really since I know how quickly I burn. One of these days I'll quit acting like I don't need sunscreen. Usually I'm pretty good about it, since I hate sunburns, but not this time. My legs got the worst of it, which means life's a bit painful for me right now. Anyway, on to the good stuff....
The nice people over at RE-BODY Blog requested an interview for a segment they call "Health Heroes". I was completely flattered and touched to be profiled. The post went up today. Hopefully you'll pop over there and give it a read... HERE.
Happy Monday bloggy world! Hope your week is off to a bang!

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Check in...

I know blogging on the weekend is pretty much a sure way NOT to get this read, since most of you have other things you're doing, but I feel like I need to check in anyway. This week was one of those weeks that no matter how hard I tried to get things done, it just wasn't flowing very well. Grrr. For the past two weeks I've been concentrating on balancing out my food intake(ala Smarter Science of Slim). What that means is that I'm trying to get my percentages of calories coming from fat, carbs and protein to balance out (33-34% each). Think of looking at a pie graph split into 3 equal portions. It's been a learning process, but I'm doing pretty well. I am eating massive amounts of non starchy veggies (average 10-12 servings a day) which keeps me feeling satisfied when combined with the good fats from flax seeds and nuts and of course lean protein. I've also been eating a couple servings of berries a day (yummy). I'm feeling like this way of eating is sustainable, healthy and balanced. I had no difficulty last weekend while out to dinner for my birthday, I just doubled up on the vegetable side instead of having the rice that would've normally come with my meal. I had to plan ahead last night and eat before the Family Fun Festival at my daughter's school, but that wasn't a big deal. The fam ate pizza but I was full from the ginormous salad I had before going. Small victories. This really isn't that different from how I had been eating, but I did add back a few of the things I used to eat (like the berries and plain nonfat Greek yogurt)and cut back slightly on the fat to a more moderate amount. Exercise lately has been good. I'm trying a different technique with the strength training, which I will share in another post. I've been walking and running in moderate amounts and active in general(I don't think you can avoid that with 3 kids). I took measurements this morning because I'm trying to gauge my progress in ways besides the scale. I really wish I could throw the stupid thing away, but I'm still too attached. Anyway, that's the update. Nothing too exciting. For you Moms out there, Happy Mother's Day! Hope you all have a great weekend. Next week I have a guest post for you, in honor of May's Pregnancy Awareness Month.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

The Smarter Science of Slim...

Just wanted to pop in quickly and give a book recommendation.  I am reading this one after hearing the author's interview on a podcast.  It has a lot of great info breaking down the how and why of fat loss/gain with tons of supporting scientific data.  It's written in such a way that the information is easy to understand and the complex is made simple.   It also focuses on the importance of eating high quality foods...something I've been working on for myself, so it's right up my alley.
Hope you are having a great week....