Breastfeeding

So first let me give my disclaimer- if you choose not to or can not breastfeed, this post isn't intended to make you feel bad. I recognize that there are a lot of reasons that someone would use formula and I am grateful that in this day and age we have that option. Also, if breastfeeding isn't a topic that applies to you, keep reading! I promise that you can benefit too! That being said, I really wanted to breastfeed my little guy and thankfully everything worked out so we were able to...but I am definitely learning a bunch of things!

First off, every single thing I eat goes to my milk and thus my baby. This more than anything else has helped me to change some of my eating habits...only the best for my boy! :) Now I know that there are plenty of people these days that breastfeed and don't really change their diet, but I wanted to make the best/most nutritious/easiest to digest milk that I could and that required some definite changes.

I am not eating any foods that would be super acidic or gassy, spicy or garlicy, etc. To say the least it is a fairly bland diet. Oh and one more thing- no chocolate! It is said that chocolate is hard to digest in babies (like in dogs) and can give diarrhea....and since I would rather be safe than sorry, chocolate is out along with tomatoes, onions, beans, anything in the cabbage family, etc.

So what is the point? How is this relevant to you? Well I have been finding that meals are a struggle for me- just what exactly do I eat? I am hungrier than ever and it seems like everything has at least one no-no on the ingredient list. So I am here to share some recipes that I find that would be good for breastfeeding mothers...and everyone else!

The first recipe is for "fluff"...maybe it has a real name, but my grandma always called it "fluff".

Fluff

1 container whipped topping

1 container cottage cheese

1 small box jello

fruit

Put all ingredients in a big bowl and mix! Serve chilled. So easy that I can do it with my baby in my arms! :)

Now my favorite is orange jello with mandarin oranges in it, not only because it is delicious but because it is a year-round go-to with no fresh fruit needed. Other favorites include raspberry/strawberry/cherry jello with strawberries/raspberries/blackberries.

This recipe helps me eat cottage cheese which I definitely am not a fan of plain. But it is a great snack as it is high in protein and calcium. Plus if you get the fat free cottage cheese and cool whip and sugar free jello, it is about as healthy as a sweet treat can get!

I will be back next week sharing more recipes and ideas!

*Side note: Altering your diet while breastfeeding is seen as old fashioned...however I am just here to say that I can count the times on one hand that my baby has spit up, diaper changes are quick and painless, and he is hardly fussy at all. I would much rather have an easy baby than deal with spit up or a gassy baby!*

What do you know about FOLIC ACID?

Folic acid is a type of B-vitamin...Vitamin B9 to be exact. It is especially important because it aids in cell production...most specifically in producing healthy red blood cells which deliver oxygen to all parts of your body. Folic acid is needed particularly in women, women in child-bearing years, and children.

How do you get folic acid? Well some of the best sources these days are in breakfast cereals...but you must check your labels to make sure that it has indeed been added in a significant amount. Asparagus, spinach, liver, and sunflower seeds are all packed with folic acid; other popular foods that have moderate amounts of the vitamin include orange juice, bananas, corn, and romaine lettuce.

How much folic acid should you consume daily? About 400 micrograms daily is sufficient for most people; make sure you are diligent about getting your folic acid if you are pregnant or hoping to get pregnant! (And even if you aren't, it has been shown that folic acid has a role in preventing obesity and type 2 diabetes!)

Now, go get some!!!

Scared of dieting? Take a little liquid courage!

Hahaha...I am so funny. I know that "liquid courage" usually references liquor, but I am not talking about alcohol! Not at all...and quite frankly it amazes me that so many people insist on drinking when we have medical evidence that it isn't good for the body- smoking too!

Anywho, on to the real post. Last week my insides were not working properly...my doctor recommended that I stay on a clear liquid diet for 48 hours to flush out anything that might be stuck in the kinks of the intestines that the baby is squishing. I was not happy about this- who really wants to give up food for gatorade and jello? So I put it off, hoping that it would clear up on its own. After 5 days of feeling not quite right, I caved. 48 hours and a whole bunch of empty bottles later, I feel great! :)

Now, I am not recommending that everyone get on a clear liquid diet (unless recommended by your doctor) but I am encouraging everyone to step up their liquid intake this week. I was so sure I was going to be starving living off chicken broth and mr. freeze popcicles (especially since I am eating for 1.2 now*) but to tell you the absolute truth would be that I wasn't that hungry at all! Sure food looked good and smelled good and was appealing when I was cooking for my hubby or at the grocery store, but my body wasn't crying out to me to give it food.

Scientifically we know that drinking water can curb your appetite, and I am here to tell you that it really does work! So this week make sure you carry a water bottle with you at all times and force yourself to drink up! I bet you will feel so full that you will pass on ordinary snacks that may not be good for you or simply eat smaller portions. Just make sure you listen to your body, not your mind!

Oh and kudos to Katie and Kathy for fitting into their "regular" size of pants! I was so encouraged when I read their posts about how excited they are to fit into size 8's and 10's...because it reminded me that just because I can't button up my size 4 jeans anymore, I am not a whale! It is all about perspective! We are all different and have different "normals" and it is so fantastic to see women excited about and celebrating feeling good and healthy instead of just focusing on numbers. I applaud their efforts and am already getting excited about losing my own baby weight in 6 months!

*Sorry ladies; you can't really "eat for 2" when you are pregnant. You really only need about 300 extra calories per day, which isn't very much at all. So instead of thinking about "eating for 2", think about "eating for 1.2" which is way more accurate!*

Bone Strengthening BFFs...Calcium & Vitamin D

So most of us on here are women, right? (Men- keep reading...this still applies to you!) Do you know that at least half of us will have a bone fracture by the time we are 50 years old? Did you also know that there is something you can do today to prevent it? It is called Calcium my friends.

Osteoporosis is serious disease that affects many men and women...mostly women though. And although it is generally thought of as a disease of the elderly, it can strike at any age...especially if you have some of the risk factors such as:

Being female

Family history of osteoporosis or broken bones

Being small framed

Being overly thin

Low calcium and vitamin D intake

Excessive intake of protein, sodium, or caffeine

Inactive lifestyle

Smoking

Alcohol abuse

Now most of our bone mass has already been formed- about 85% of it by the time girls are 18. However there are still things you can do to protect yourself!

The easiest thing is to eat a diet rich in both calcium and vitamin D. Now calcium is what will really help your bones, however it can not be absorbed if the body does not have an adequate supply of vitamin D...so all that milk you chugged would be for nothing! (Unless it was fortified with Vitamin D...some are, so check your labels!) So think of calcium and vitamin D as BFFs that must go together. Here is some more on calcium and vitamin D...

Calcium

Calcium is most famous for giving our bones their strength, but did you know that they also keep our teeth healthy, prevent hemorrhages in our bloodstreams, and plays a crucial role in transferring light to chemical impulses in the retina?

Sources include:

milk

cottage cheese

cheddar, swiss, or american cheese

yogurt

orange juice

fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel

sesame seeds

soy

collard greens, cooked kale, broccoli

corn tortillas

cooked beans such as great northern, navy, or pinto

almonds & peanuts

dried fruit

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is most famous for helping us to absorb calcium but did you know that it also helps joint pain, relieves back pain, and can also prevent certain types of cancer? And did you know that your body naturally makes Vitamin D? Your body has to be exposed to sunlight though! Just about an hour a week is all it takes!

Sources include:

fish such as herring, catfish, oysters, salmon, trout, halibut, sardines, tuna, or mackerel

milk/soy milk

some cereals (check the label!)

eggs

mushrooms

sunlight

Now another easy thing to do to try and prevent osteoporosis is to do weight-bearing exercises such as running, jogging, dancing, walking, stair-climbing, hiking, and racquet sports. So pick one of those to try this week at least once!

Remember that osteoporosis is a silent disease- none of us can really feel our bones getting weaker! So make sure that no matter how old you are, today you commit to doing all you can to increase and maintain your bone density!

How to choose what enters your mouth 101

Okay Skinny Readers- I know it is summer and it is hot and we want to be lazy, but this is no time to give up! You can make it!

Now exercise is wonderful; it can do wonders for your body and your attitude. However, if you are really focused on shedding some pounds you have to be conscious of what you are eating. That is why we have food journals, log our meals, etc. right? Because no amount of exercise is going to make you look fantastic if you don't eat smart!

Here are a few tips on how to choose what goes in your mouth:

All calories are not created equal! 200 calories from cake is not the same as 200 calories from a lean protein source and serving of leafy greens. Don't fool yourself by thinking you can just "count your calories" and stop at a certain number...your body needs nourishment!

"Carbs" is not a bad word! Don't try to skip all the carb goodness in this world...that is too cruel! Just realize that there are refined/simple carbohydrates that offer nothing more than calories and then there are unrefined/complex carbs that are full of fiber and B vitamins. Obviously it isn't a good idea to go overboard on anything, but when choosing your carbohydrates, choose complex!

Good foods remember where they came from! If you have no idea where your food has come from, it is probably best not to eat it! Have you ever seen a frosted flake tree? Or a vine that grows donuts? Try to pick foods that looked the same before they got to the store. Also, when picking these better foods, remember that if they haven't seen their homeland recently, they might not be the best choice. Things that have been boiled, processed, canned, and stored on a shelf for months don't have too much nutritional goodness left in them.

Have some good ole' Vitamin C! So, vitamin C is great because it helps to repair tissue, heals our wounds, bolsters our immune system, prevents different kind of diseases like of the eye and heart, and may even protect our skin from wrinkling! Sadly, our bodies can not keep a supply of vitamin C...it can store lots of vitamins and nutrients, but not C! So we need to have at least one serving of it daily; here are some ideas...

Vitamin C Rich Foods

grapefruit or grapefruit juice

orange or orange juice

mango

papaya

cantaloupe

strawberries

blackberries

raspberries

tomatoes or tomato juice

raw cabbage/cole slaw

red or green pepper

cooked broccoli

cooked cauliflower

cooked kale

raw spinach

(and best of all, all of these foods remember where they came from!)

And remember, every bite counts! Think about each bite you take and ask yourself if it is really the best thing for you to give your body. If it is, go ahead! If it isn't, put it down (better yet, throw it out!) and pick something better for your body. Your body works hard for you each day...take care of it!

Are you one of the 28% of Americans that (supposedly) floss daily?

Flossing is oh so important- not only to the health of your teeth, but to your overall health as well. Many diseases start in the mouth as the mouth is the gateway to the body. It is the only part of the body that is involved in food ingestion, digestion, breathing, speaking...and is the only soft tissue of the internal body that is constantly exposed to the outside world.

Your gums are loaded with bacteria- some good and some bad. Flossing each and every day will keep the good bacteria while getting rid of the bad bacteria. If your teeth are not flossed, even if they are brushed, bacteria can cause serious problems.

Not flossing can result in inflammatory disease throughout your body- studies have found links between not flossing and cardivascular disease (bacteria enters the bloodstream through infected gums and can cause heart disease, clogged arteries, stroke, and more), respiratory disease (bacteria in mouth can travel and settle in the lungs when you breathe), and even premature births (women with severe bacteria and inflammation in their mouth are more likely to give birth prematurely).

I know it can be hard to start, but after hearing a friend that was a dentist say that if you could only do one thing- brush or floss- he would tell people to floss, my husband and I decided to go for it. It has been over a year now and we hardly miss a day...it has just become part of our routine to go to bed!

So suck it up and try it out this week; the benefits may not be as visible as some other exercises, but your health will improve nonetheless!

Challenge: Try to floss at least 5 times this upcoming week!

Tri/Biathlon update: It is this weekend! Wish me luck on Saturday and stay tuned for pictures! :)

Its getting hot, hot, hot!

So did you step up at least one workout since last week? I did! Friday I rode my bike 1 1/2 miles to meet my mom, we ran 5 miles, walked 1 to cool down, and then I rode my bike another 1 1/2 miles home! It was a sweaty one, but I felt great afterwards!

It is getting hot here in Houston- really hot. There are plenty of days that we have 100% humidity which makes it feel like I am exercising in a sauna! This week it has really started to feel like summer even when I am running before the sun gets up.

Summer can be a dangerous time to exercise, so please be careful. Below you will find three of the most common problems that occur during the summer- make sure you know the symptoms and treatment of each and always drink plenty of water when you exercise!

PROBLEMS

Dehydration: This person's body is losing more water than it is taking in. The body is 75% water and is in constant flux; the body routinely loses water by breathing, sweating, and remove waste and needs fluids to replenish what it loses each day.

Heat exhaustion: This person's body fluids are lost through sweating, causing the body to overheat. The person's temperature may be elevated, but not above 104°F.

Heat stroke: The person's cooling system, which is controlled by the brain, stops working and the internal body temperature rises to the point where brain damage or damage to other internal organs may result (temperature may reach 105+°F).

SYMPTOMS

Dehydration symptoms

Increased thirst; dry mouth and swollen tongue; weakness; dizziness; palpitations (feeling that the heart is jumping or pounding); confusion; sluggishness, even fainting; inability to sweat; decreased urine output (Urine color may indicate dehydration. If urine is concentrated and deeply yellow or amber, you may be dehydrated.)

Heat exhaustion symptoms

Often pale with cool, moist skin; sweating profusely; muscle cramps or pains; feels faint or dizzy; may complain of headache, weakness, thirst, and nausea; core temperature elevated-usually more than 100°F-and the pulse rate increased

Heat stroke symptoms

Unconscious or has a markedly abnormal mental status (dizziness, confusion, hallucinations, or coma); flushed, hot, and dry skin; may have slightly elevated blood pressure at first that falls later; may be hyperventilating; core temperature of 105°F or more.

TREATMENT

Dehydration treatment

Sip small amounts of water; drink carbohydrate/electrolyte-containing drinks- good choices are sports drinks such as Gatorade or prepared replacement solutions (Pedialyte is one example); suck on popsicles made from juices and sports drinks; suck on ice chips; remove any excess clothing and loosen other clothing; air-conditioned areas are best for helping return body temperatures to normal and break the heat exposure cycle; avoid exposing skin to excessive cold, such as ice packs or ice water as this can cause the blood vessels in the skin to constrict and will decrease rather than increase heat loss. (Exposure to excessive cold can also cause shivering, which will increase body temperature—the opposite effect you're trying to achieve.)

Heat exhaustion treatment

Rest in a cool, shaded area; give cool fluids such as water or sports drinks (that will replace the salt that has been lost) -salty snacks are appropriate as tolerated; loosen or remove clothing; apply cool water to skin; do not use an alcohol rub; do not give any beverages containing alcohol or caffeine.

Heat stroke treatment

Do not attempt to treat a case of heat stroke at home, but you can help while waiting for medical assistance to arrive.

Call 911 immediately; move the person to a cooler environment, or place him or her in a cool bath of water (as long as he or she is conscious and can be attended continuously); alternatively, moisten the skin with lukewarm water and use a fan to blow cool air across the skin; give cool beverages by mouth only if the person has a normal mental state and can tolerate it.

Triathlon/Biathlon Update: It is like a week away! I am getting nervous and excited and making the last few workouts really count. Ready or not, here I come!

K.I.S.S.

We have a little saying the in dance business...K.I.S.S. This stands for Keep It Simple, Stupid. Why on earth would we have this little saying among us teachers? Well because, whether it is dance or anything else, we know that people won't do it if it doesn't seem fun and easy. Now this isn't to say that people can't do things that aren't simple, but who will really want to?

In the book Food Politics it talks about how the American public is so confused on what to eat even though the dietary recommendations have stayed the same for decades. Once people start talking about carbs and protein and fiber and such, most people just lose interest. It isn't that they don't want to be healthy, but unless it is simple we aren't usually willing to add it to our already full plates (no pun intended!). Diets and exercise programs can overwhelm people, especially if it isn't what you are focusing on...lets be honest- not a lot of us have multiple hours per day/week to analyze

nutrition information, do workouts for each part of the body, plan and prepare meals that will give all the nutrients needed, etc.

So here it is- my very simple tip to help you make your food choices. Assign each food you eat to one of two groups: animal or plant. Animal foods are those that come from animals...meat, fish, cheese, milk, eggs, etc. Plant foods are those that come from plants...fruits, veggies, grains, etc. Each and every meal you eat, make sure your plant foods outweigh your animal foods. That is it! How simple, quick, and easy is that? It isn't eliminating any foods, just making sure that you have more of the great foods for your body and less of the just okay foods. I dare you to try it out this week; I can guarantee you will be making healthier food choices without looking at any labels, counting any calories, etc.

(Side note: do not try and make the argument that cookies are good for you because they have plant foods like flour in them...they still have a lot of animal foods in them too, like butter and eggs. I tried making that argument already but my husband shot it down!)

Triathlon Update: The last two weekends I have run a race: a 5k and a 10k. They were really fun (for more on the races check my blog at HERE). I am feeling good and strong and am starting to add in more and more bike rides along with my runs. I got new shoes which have eliminated the heel pain (more on that some other day). I think I will be ready to do the Biathlon on May 22nd! )

Portion Control

Lets talk about portion sizes. Obesity is a huge problem and it is partly due to the fact that people over eat. I do not believe there are any "evil" foods that you should never ever eat. With that being said, I do know that you should eat only little amounts of good things. This chart may be able to help some of you visualize your portion sizes.

Or perhaps this will help- try associating a portion size to an object, like below:

1 cup - baseball

1/2 cup - lightbulb

1 0z. or 2 Tbsp - golfball

1 Tbsp - poker chip

3 oz. meat - deck of cards

3 oz. fish - checkbook

This week I heard that the U.S. military is starting to join in the battle against obesity. Their recruiting numbers are down and they are attributing it in part to the fact that the rate of overweight and obese 17-24 year olds (their main recruits) has increased significantly over the past few years. Interesting, huh? It must be a big deal if even the military is getting involved- especially when they have so much to do elsewhere.

So take a moment and study up on your portion sizes- make a little guide for yourself or print one off (WebMD has a wallet-sized one here) and vow to stick to it for at least a week. This way you get to enjoy all of your favorite foods and still keep that waistline down! You will be surprised at how little you can eat and feel just great!

Triathlon Update: Well, today is the day I have to register (or else the price goes up). After much thought and consideration, I think I am going to make my first tri a bi instead. I just haven't been able to train as I was hoping to and I really don't want my first experience to be a terrible one because I am forcing myself when I am unprepared because then I know I won't want to do it again. Plus this event has the option of doing 2 out of the 3 events...so May 22nd will be a biathlon and I will be doing a real triathlon sometime later this summer (I will let you know the date once I do a bit more research.)

The journey of a 1,000 miles begins with a single step!

Well hello faithful readers...if I didn't scare you all away last week! :) I apologize for having a bit of a breakdown- it had been a really stressful and quite frankly terrible couple of weeks and it just came out...sorry. The good news is that I am over it and feeling a lot better. Thanks to all of you who offered suggestions; I will keep them in my bag! (Callie: Nick and I did decide to make our menus on Sundays now...we would try and do that before, but we didn't have a set time we did it and so it often got overlooked. So thanks for that tip!)

So, what happens when you have a breakdown? What happens when you just get off track for one reason or another? Or when you get really busy and things fall apart...or you have a vacation...or, well you get the point. It is easy for us to control what we eat and our activity level when we are in control, but sometimes we just aren't. We could feel sorry for ourselves and get into a slump, or feel like we failed and stop trying, or we could push on. (How many of us have done the first two? I know I am guilty!)

The way I see it, it took time to get into good habits. And even though we can get out of them super quickly (which sucks), we can get back into them if we give ourselves time again. Try focusing on just one or two things to begin with- once you feel like you are mastering them, add a couple more. Continue on until you are back to where you were before (or better!)

See, I had a few terrible weeks. My workouts suffered; my meals suffered; everything suffered. And it was easy for me to say "well I just undid everything I had been working towards so I might as well not try anymore." I knew that I wasn't just going to wake up one day and all of the sudden be back to all of my wonderfully healthy habits. So I picked two to begin with- drinking water and a bedtime for the kitchen.

I know that when I drink lots of water my body can get rid of its toxins and my skin looks better. It also helps me to not be so snacky. A good rule of thumb I have heard is to drink half of your body weight in ounces each day. This is my minimum. Add some Texas heat, running, and dancing and you can often catch me drinking my entire body weight in ounces throughout the day. It just makes me feel great.

Secondly, I need a specific bedtime for the kitchen or I will snack right up until bedtime...and I know I don't have time to burn those last minute calories I jam in before laying still for hours! This one is particularly hard for me as I often get home at 10pm and haven't eaten since 4pm or so...I just can't seem to make myself go to bed hungry! However I put the kitchen to bed at 9pm now- and that is it. Sorry, but the kitchen is sleeping and there isn't anything I can do about it! Knowing that it isn't even an option helps me to resist temptation.

Those are my two things for this week- we will see how I feel next week and maybe I will add a couple more. I suggest for any of you that are this healthy thing just isn't going to work to make a list of a few things you can do to make yourself healthier- then just pick one to focus on at a time!

Triathlon update: I have been very terrible due to my "slump". However this week I did hit the gym hard already once and have added some new strength training exercises to my regulars. I haven't made myself get in the pool again (which is long overdue) but I am running regularly and have been biking both indoors and outside on a real bike. This Saturday I am running a 10K in beautiful Texas Bluebonnet country...so wish me luck! :)

Food Politics update: Who knew that the Food Guide Pyramid was so controversial? I definitely do not remember it being a big subject in the news in the 90's, but I also was a kid that probably didn't pay much attention to the news. The drama started in the mid 1970's to create a guide for the public that could inform them of nutritional information. There were debates on which department got to oversee it (why was the Dept. of Agriculture giving nutritional advice instead of the Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare/Health and Human Services?) and how to advise people to essentially eat less while not sending the message to "eat less" (corporations/committees wouldn't let anything pass that recommended eating less of its products). Eye opener for sure- don't just blindly follow the Food Guide Pyramid...it has corporate interests at heart!

P.S. The Giveaway will close at midnight on Saturday! Over $150 raised for Clean Water so far!!

Here's the the link.

Some interesting reading...

So for today's post I decided to let you in on some interesting reading I have been doing. First, a continuation of Sunday's post on moderation. I was reading this article after I had already posted titled "Are You Hooked?" It was all about soft addictions- things that are an escape from uncomfortable feelings that aren't life-threatening like alcohol or drugs. Like eating because you are bored, excessively surfing the web because you are lonely, shopping because you are unhappy with what you have, etc. "When you understand what soft addictions enable you to avoid- and when you learn to control these cravings- you're more likely to get what you really want out of life." I loved that- hello moderation, right? :)

Interestingly enough, most people do not have a hard time admitting that they have a soft addiction, unlike those that have a hard addiction. The real question is if they think/realize it is bad enough to stop. One method they encourage is for you to list some of your frequent behaviors, then jot down how you feel before, during, and after you engage in the addictive behavior. Once you identify why you are, say, overeating, you can satisfy that need in other ways and stop being a slave!

Now, on to my real interesting reading at the moment. I have been rereading Food Politics- it is a book I read in college for my Sociology of Health class; it isn't a textbook, but it isn't exactly light reading either. The author does say that she is aiming it towards non-nutrition professionals. It is a look at how the food industry affects our diet...and if you think they don't, just read the book.

Food companies are in a competitive

marketplace in the US and they will do anything to make their products sell. These same food companies give lots of money to government officials meaning that no matter how much research comes to the conclusion that we simply need to eat less, that will never be the recommendation. It also shows how misguided our beloved Food Guide Pyramid is. It is all quite insane.

I remember loving it while I was in school, but couldn't remember a lot of the specifics and it was just taunting me by sitting on the shelf. Now, I can't put it down. Not only is it informational and eye-opening, but it is motivating as well. I feel a renewed sense of "I'm going to make the right food choices no matter what" after reading it. :) Now although the book was written in 2002 and is already somewhat out of date I am sure, I would encourage all of you to pick it up...and even if you don't, I am sure I will be providing many fun facts as I read through it! :) Or you can take a look at the author's website and blog at www.foodpolitics.com.