Feel Like you Have No Time to Eat Right or Take Care of Yourself?

Eating can become a physical and emotional struggle for a new mom or for any mom juggling, kids, family and work. From a practical perspective, you are so focused on taking care of baby and the rest of your family that your own mealtimes can be rushed or forgotten altogether. If you skip meals, you may be so famished that you head straight for the easiest thing to eat - fast food or a bag of cookies! At the same time, your awareness of your excess flab can trigger pangs of guilt: 'Should I be eating this?' When it comes to fitting in workouts or time to relax, the same mental battles arise where you pit your welfare against that of your baby or family: 'I need to exercise, but I can't leave my baby.' Usually, you accept the sacrifice and tough it out. But putting self-care on hold completely can seriously impair a new mom's quality of life.

What can you do about it? As a Mom, it's a fact that you now have less time than before. That's not going to change. But what you can change are your choices. You can choose foods that are nourishing and fast and easy to prepare. When you pack up baby wipes, you can throw in almonds and walnuts for yourself. When you mash up banana for your child, you can slice an extra piece for yourself and mix it with yogurt and oatmeal flakes. You can also drink your veggies - V8 to help you get at least 3 to 5 servings of vegetables daily. A 2009 study showed that a vegetable-rich diet lowers risk of heart disease.

Maybe you don't have time to work out? But you do have time to do what it takes to be a good mom. When baby is crying his eyes out, you can entertain him or her by strapping him into his front-pack carrier and then doing a series of lower body toners like squats and lunges while you talk or sing him into a more joyful mood. Guess what? you've also squeezed in a workout. Of course, you can join us at Stroller Strides and give baby a dose of sunshine by joining other moms for a stroller walk, some strength building exercises, a playgroup for the kids, and a much needed timeout for mom. This way, mothering turns into me-time and aren't you worth it?!

Stay Hydrated!

Did you know more fluids are necessary for a multitude of functions including providing for the expanding blood volume that helps to carry nutrients to mom & baby? When you're nursing, you will need the extra fluid to maintain a healthy flow of breast milk for your baby. Drink about 8 to 10 8 oz. glasses of non-caffeinated, non-caloric fluids per day. Caffeine in excess can be dehydrating and high caloric drinks such as soda and juice can add up extra calories.

Even if you are not nursing or pregnant, anyone can benefit from the added bonus that drinking a lot of water is the best way for your skin to get that healthy glow! Cheers to that!

Gone Fishing.....

While fish has a lot of health benefits - high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids, low in fat, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding you need to watch how much and what kind of fish you eat because of toxic levels of mercury found in many fish today. As your doctor may have already warned you while you were pregnant, Mercury is very dangerous to the healthy growth of fetuses, babies and children.

As a reminder, avoid fish, like shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish, which are high in mercury. It's okay to eat a small amount of fish that have minimal levels of mercury. You can eat up to 12 ounces of these fish a week. The 12 ounces can include:

- Shrimp, salmon, pollock, catfish and canned light tuna
- Albacore (white tuna): Don't eat more than 6 ounces of this tuna in one week.

Always check with your doctor if you have additional questions about the types of fish you can or cannot eat.

Healthy Eating Tips

No one said that eating healthier would be easier. But here are some tips that will save you time in your quest for more nutritious meals. When making dinner, make twice as much - keeping the extra for lunches the next day. If you are cooking two chicken breasts, you might as well cook four. If you are making salad, pull out a to-go container and throw an extra serving in it for the next day for lunch at work or while watching the kids practice sports.

Fruits and veggies are fabulous portable snacks that will help you to meet your daily vitamin and mineral needs. As you're heading out for the day, be sure to pack two to three pieces of fresh fruit and some cut-up veggies for healthy snacking. "Ants on a Log" isn't just for kids; it's a good snack for you too. Spread some peanut butter on that celery stick and top it with a few raisins!

Dried fruits and nuts are also handy snacks to have around. Along with fruits, vegetables and whole grains, adding dried fruit and nut mix can help you reach the 20-35 grams of fiber recommended for each day and is a healthy source of non-animal protein.

And remember, LUNA Bars are a great snack for moms. Created especially for women, LUNA bars include calcium, iron, fiber, protein, folic acid and other vitamins and nutrients that moms need and always available at our Stroller Strides class.

Prenatal and New Mom Nutrition

When women become pregnant, they are more likely to make improvements in their nutrition than at almost any other time in their lives. Whether you're pregnant or a new mom, the following nutrients are especially important to include in your diet.

Calcium is necessary for formation of baby's bones, and also to strengthen your bones and teeth. Where do I find it? Calcium is found in dairy, tofu, dark green leafy vegetables and beans. Recommended allowance: 1000-12000 mg.

Folic Acid helps to prevent birth defects and promote normal cell growth. Sources include, dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, beans, fortified orange juice or grains. Recommended allowance: 500-600 mcg.

Fiber fights constipation and helps to control blood sugar level, which reduces the risk of gestational diabetes. You can increase your fiber intake by eating more legumes, carrots, apples, whole wheat and brown rice. Just be sure to drink lots of water as the opposite effect can happen when eating too much fiber and not drinking enough water. Recommended allowance: 25 grams.

Iron helps to prevent anemia in the mother and helps the baby gain weight. Sources of iron are legumes, dark green leafy vegetables, red meat, dried fruits and whole grains. Recommended allowance: 30 milligrams.

Protein provides materials for the growing tissues, including the placenta, the mother's blood and the baby. You can get more protein into your diet with eggs, fish, poultry and beef, tofu and cottage cheese. It's suggested to take 74 grams of protein daily with pregnancy.

Remember to shop at your local farmer's market - good for you and the environment!

The Biomechanics of Motherhood

The proper body movement can help Moms take better care of their bodies. Why is this important? Body biomechanics is important for preventing injury. Knowing the right and wrong ways of lifting and carrying is beneficial to daily lifestyles in reducing future pains. Whether it is picking up after the kids or lifting the stroller out of the car, there is a certain way to do it. There is even a correct way to get up and down out of bed. Specific research studies performed on the lower back determined that getting up and down from the bed, just once in the morning and once at night, when done incorrectly can cause fraying in the disc in the back. Over time this may create a predisposition to having back problems. The improper method is to sit down on the bed and lay straight back down on the back. If you were at class on Monday, I demonstrated the correct method which is to lay on the side, on the shoulder, lift the feet up at the same time and roll over onto the back or stomach. With the correct method the weight of your body is taken in your arms. To get up after lying down, instead of sitting directly up, putting all of the pressure on the back, the method is reversed. First roll over onto the side, bend the knees up, push down on the bed with your hands and drop the feet over the edge to sit up. This way it is possible to get up and down with the arms without putting any pressure on the back, which is especially important right after childbirth because the spine is still in a more crucial position.

I will have more tips about the proper way to lift the stroller, carrying an infant and of course, the proper walking form when pushing the stroller!

I Prefer Doing Cardio, Why Should I Strength Train?

This is a question I am often asked by many women while personal training or teaching a Stroller Strides class. There are numerous benefits to strength training for females and males alike. As the muscles become stronger, the bones become stronger and denser. As a result, the risk of osteoporosis is greatly reduced. In our Stroller Strides class we do several exercises with the resistance band to strengthen our upper back and chest while always engaging our core to improve our posture. Why focus on improving your posture so much? Because having a degree of muscle strength specifically in the back muscles can lead to better posture and proper alignment which can reduce the chance of common injuries and lower back problems. As our Moms gain muscle tissue, their resting metabolic rate will increase. Muscle tissue also burns fuel more efficiently than fat tissue, therefore decreasing body fat. If you have been doing cardio for months or years and have lost weight but are still 'flabby', don't be afraid to strength train, you will feel and look stronger and shape a tone, fit body. Oh the answer is no, you will never get 'big' or look like a bodybuilder unless you dedicate yourself 100% through intense weight training, a strict diet and even supplements to get 'big'. As a women it is genetically impossible to add large muscle mass similar to a man but I do guarantee you that you will love your muscles and want to show them off!

Boost Your Energy With Breakfast

In your morning race to start your day, breakfast may slip your mind. Skipping out on breakfast can rob you of so much energy you feel it into the next day. Don't miss out on this stamina building morning eating occasion! Think of your needs while meeting those of your baby. For example, as you fill your baby's sippy cup, pour a glass of milk for yourself. Or, if you don't like milk, try a drinkable yogurt or flavored milk to get the calcium you need. Smoothies are a great way to sneak in that extra calcium for a quick on the go breakfast. Just mix frozen or fresh fruit, skim or 1% milk, some protein powder if you have it handy and whirl - you get protein, calcium and fiber in a refreshing yummy drink.

Now because you can't get by on yogurt or milk alone, instead of grabbing that pastry at the coffee shop or while running errands, reach for whole-grain foods such as sugar-free instant oatmeal, LUNA bars, or a slice of peanut-buttered whole-grain toast to compliment your morning dairy selection. You will be powering your body with the energy you need to get through a typical busy day!

Eating for Two?

Do you double your portions because you're now "eating for two"? Not so fast. The recommended weight gain for the average pregnant woman is 25-35 pounds. Did you know it only takes approximately 300 extra calories a day to meet this recommended weight goal. Great, extra calories, you say? A snack equivalent to 300 calories is a 6-ounce container of yogurt and 1/4 cup of raisins. So you can see while you are eating for two, you are not eating for two adults. You are eating for one adult and a fetus that starts off the size of a grain of rice! Here are some nutrients you will need even more now that you are directly responsible for the nutritional needs of your baby, whether you're pregnant or a new mom: calcium, protein, folic acid, fiber, iron and fluids. In the next few weeks, we'll review the importance of each of these and how you can incorporate more of it into your diet.

Beach Vacation is Over!

The beach and the weather were great! We were lucky Hurricane Bill stayed away while we were at the Beach. Made a lot of good memories with family and friends but was so busy having fun I didn't have time to blog or post messages on Facebook. I missed everyone and have a lot to catch up so let the blogging about fitness, nutrition and wellness begin again!

'Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional, and mental states' - Carol Welch

I want my Abs back!

Every mom is anxious to get their abs back into shape. This requires a combination of cardio to burn enough calories to reduce fat, and strengthening exercises to tone up the weakened muscles. The moms at class have heard me say doing hundreds of sit-ups, crunches, or extreme leg-lifting Pilates moves is not the solution. It’s ineffective to pummel away at your abs with exercises that will increase the spinal load on your lower back. Instead, you need to do less bending and more stabilizing. Learn to engage all the ab and back muscles that encircle your entire torso, known as the core, not only when you are exercising but through everyday mommy movements such as, picking up baby, driving the car or using the bathroom. The first step is learning how to consciously contract those muscles. An easy visualization trick is to imagine you are wearing a very tight pair of jeans, the kind where you have to suck it all in to get them on. (We’ve all been there right?) Now imagine that the button is broken. You need to suck in your belly button or your pants will open up. Keep those jeans zipped up and buttoned up, but without holding your breath! Remember you can do this anytime throughout the day, folding laundry, playing with the kids, even while watching tv and you will be breathing your way to a strong core!

Moms On The Move

Most new Moms find that exercise drops to the bottom of their priority list. But its essential to fit it in and adapt your workouts to the changes and challenges of motherhood. More changes happen to your body in 9 months of pregnancy than will happen to a man's body in his entire life. And to top it off, afterward when you are weak and de-conditioned, you are expected to carry around a 10-20 pound baby all day long. The exercises you do at our Stroller Strides class address all of your post-pregnancy needs. Each workout includes the necessary exercises to strengthen what's weak, stretch what's tight, tone up what's flabby, and lean down what's mushy all while your baby is with you and learning positive health behaviors from Mom! Remember all it takes is motivation, dedication and consistency to get the results you want. Follow this blog to keep informed on nutrition, exercise, challenges and motivational tips for pre and post pregnancy moms to help you overcome obstacles, feel and look better and strengthen yourself for motherhood!