Tag Archives: healthy meals

Food Aversions

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This third baby is taking a toll on my diet. I swear I can’t eat anything without getting nauseous. With my second baby I was sick for maybe a month and it went away. But this time around it’s stretching a lot longer.

Strangely enough, the only things that don’t make me sick are: Ice cream, a tortilla with peanut butter, avocado toast, milk, pizza, cheese and vanilla cheerios. You’d think milk products wouldn’t be easy on the stomach and would make me sick. But weirdly enough they don’t bother it!

One strange food aversion I’m having that I had with our second baby is with chicken. I can’t eat chicken cooked at someone’s house. It literally makes me start gagging. I can’t even cook it myself without feeling sick. But I can eat chicken from a restaurant! There’s something about the smell of it cooking in the house that makes me sick. Since I can’t smell the chicken being cooked in the restaurant, it doesn’t bother me.

The first three months I was really battling with food. But now I’ve found a few items I can eat regularly with no major issue. So every day, I eat pretty much the exact same thing. I actually don’t mind it much because I’m a creature of habit and love schedules. I’ve always had my meals planned out days in advance so I’m not doing too much different than my usual other than being limited on foods.

This is definitely proof that every pregnancy is different! I’m learning as I go with each one!

Diet pains

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Ever gone on a diet and felt achy during it? Sort of those body aches you get just before you actually get sick? Well, that’s not uncommon. So what causes it?……

When you eat unhealthy foods for a while, your body builds “immunity” to these junk foods. That’s why you don’t feel any major discomfort after having eaten them for weeks, months or years. Once you remove these foods from your diet, your body can actually go through withdrawals. Your body became addicted to these foods so it’s a shock to it when you remove them. Symptoms can include body aches, anxiety, exhaustion, irritability, jitteriness, and tiredness.

A lot of people who get these symptoms while dieting feel like their diet isn’t working due to the symptoms they experience. What they fail to remember is that dieting isn’t easy at first. You have to get your body into a routine. They often feel this discomfort, get discouraged and immediately want to feel comfort. They remember how junk food was a comfort feeling for some of them, so they go right back to eating it.

Don’t get me wrong, I eat my fair share of junk food. However, I eat it in moderation. I may eat a burger and fries for dinner one night. But all my meals before that are healthy. I don’t do an entire day of eating terrible. If I do eat terrible one entire day, my body goes into a shock and I actually get an achy, tired and uncomfortable feel. It’s one I can actually feel in my muscles and stomach.

There is what I call the “diet hump.” For me it’s always around week 3 or 4 of my diet. I start to feel achy and I get tired and discouraged. I think to myself how much I hate this feeling and I just want to lay on the sofa with a box of pizza and Chinese food. But once I push past those thoughts and a few days of the achy, tiredness passes, I feel better. Things get easier after that hump. My diet becomes more of a routine and easy to follow. I don’t crave unhealthy foods as much. My body actually feels stronger after.

Diet and weight loss is not easy. It honestly takes a lot more mental work than people realize. It’s not 100% physical when going on a diet. You have to keep yourself on track and not let what may be withdrawal symptoms, set you back if they come on. For me a lot of “self talk” is involved. I tell myself regularly “I can do this.” It’s a lot of mental pushing. But it’s worth it on the end. Especially to wake up feeling better every day. Having my stomach feel clear and not heavy and bloated. To not have my joints an muscles ache when I try to get up or sit down. With two kids under 3, I need all the strength and energy I can get from this body!

Summer slim down

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I started my “summer slim down.” This year I have a good friend helping hold me accountable. I’m a week in and I’ve done pretty good! I’m someone who does better with a goal. I’m less likely to cheat on a diet or get lazy with workouts if I set a goal to work towards. I think it’s the competitive side of me that kicks in. I don’t like to lose. Plus, having a friend give me that little push tends to help.

I’m not doing an extreme diet or anything. I’m simply cutting out a few items that I regularly grab while grazing or boredom eating. So less cheese, less milk (I drink a crazy amount), less sugar, less carbs and less alcohol. I still consume a good amount of carbs. I need them to fuel my body. But I’m aiming to add in more complex carbs and reduce my simple carb intake.

The word diet doesn’t mean you’re going on some strict meal plan. A diet by definition is “the kinds of foods that a person habitually eats.” So I’m making little adjustments to my regular eating habits.

My overall goal is less snacking. I’m someone who goes to the fridge to eat just because I’m bored. So I’ll grab a snack when I’m not even hungry. I’m attempting to cut out these extra unnecessary snacks/meals.

Chia Seed Pudding

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My new obsession…..chia seeds! Specifically chia seed pudding. Yes it’s pronounced the same way as the chia pets you saw on tv as a kid. That’s because it’s the same seeds! Sounds super weird when you think about eating the seeds that make a chia pet. 😂

Chia seeds are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, fiber, iron and calcium. Eating chia seeds once a day can provide 18% of your daily calcium need! 💪🏻

Chia seed pudding is actually super easy to make and tastes great! I eat it in the evening as desert! Some people eat it in the morning because it can be very filling.

To make chia seed pudding, I use one cup of silk coconut milk, 2 1/2 tbsp chia seeds, and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Mix together until seeds are incorporated into the milk. Wait a few minutes for the pudding to settle, then mix again. Put in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. I like to top mine with shredded coconut, strawberries, blueberries and sometimes granola! It’s a perfect snack or night time dessert! 🍨

Glucose Test

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I passed my glucose test!!! Sounds ridiculous to be excited about something like that, but I seriously am. I’m a healthy eater but those things can be so easily thrown off. I failed it with Ryder the first time because I drank milk the night before 🤦🏼‍♀️ So I got stuck doing the 4 hour test after that, which I passed, but it was absolutely miserable! You literally have to sit in the doctors office for 4 hours! To make matters worse my doctor at the time had no WiFi or extra plug outlets in her waiting room. (First world problems I know!)🤷🏼‍♀️

This time around I asked lots of questions and made sure to do a little research. I made myself a 3 day meal plan and stuck to it. I avoided simple carbs, dairy and sugars. I ate only meat, eggs, and veggies. I avoided fruit the day before just to be safe. I also drank more water than normal. It worked because I passed this time around! Whoohooo!

I was seriously dreading sitting in the doctors office with a 1 1/2 year old for 4 hours. 😩 One less stress to worry about!!! It’s smooth sailing from here now! ⛵️

Get Your Iron!

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You’re supposed to keep up your iron levels when pregnant. So what better way than a steak from Del Friscos! Ok yes there are other sources, but when this is an option you know I’m going to take it!

Women need 18 mg per day of iron. Pregnant women need about 27 mg. An 8oz filet contains roughly 4 mg of iron. Spinach, oysters, broccoli and legumes are great sources of iron as well if beef isn’t your thing.

Unfamiliar with what iron does in the body? Here’s a short explanation…..iron is a component of hemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that helps transport oxygen through the body. Iron is also necessary in helping maintain healthy skin, hair and nails.

Keep your body strong from the inside out! Make sure you’re getting the proper amount of iron each day!💪🏻

Fighting disease or feeding it

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Everything you eat either fights disease or feeds it. Did you know that sugar is like fuel for cancer? Cancer feeds off sugar therefore fueling rapid growth of cancer cells. Cancer cells uptake sugar at 10-12 times the rate of healthy cells.

The most simple forms of sugar are single molecule sugars, like glucose and fructose. This is why refined carbs like white sugar, white flour, soft drinks, etc should be limited or avoided for anyone with cancer.

(There is also evidence that some cancer cells feed on amino acids or lipids.)

Understanding how your body works and what works best for it are SO important. Help your body fight against illness and disease by feeding it things that support it.

Turkey and butternut squash chili

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Nothing goes better with cold weather than a nice hot bowl of chili! I typically do a traditional Texas chili but I changed it up a little last night. Here is the recipe for my turkey and butternut squash chili!

Ingredients:

🔹8 oz butternut squash cubed

🔹2 tbsp Chile rub

🔹1/4 oz cilantro

🔹15 oz crushed tomatoes

🔹12 oz ground turkey

🔹1 shallot

🔹1 oz cheddar-Jack cheese

🔹2 oz sour cream

🔹1 tomato

Recipe:

Halve and peel shallot. Dice halves. Core tomato and dice. Stem and mince cilantro.

Place a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add 2 tsp olive oil, butternut squash and shallot to hot pan. Stir often until squash is browned and begins to soften. 7-10 minutes

Add turkey, half the Chile rub and a pinch of pepper. Stir often, breaking up meat with a spoon until no pink remains.

Add crushed tomatoes and 1 1/4 cup of water and a pinch of salt to pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook until thickened. 10-12 minutes

Taste chili and stir in remaining chili rub if desired. Plate dish with cheese, sour cream and cilantro

Fast Food

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Often times when we think of fast food, we think of unhealthy, greasy, fatty food items. Places like McDonald’s, Chick-fil-a, Sonic, etc come to mind for the average person. The true definition of “fast food” is food that can be prepared quickly and easily and is sold in restaurants and snack bars as a quick meal or to be taken out. Just because there isn’t a drive through doesn’t mean it can’t be fast food!

Did you know your grocery store can fall under the fast food category? Many grocery stores have salad bars or pre made meal options available to grab and go. My favorite “fast food” place is Whole Foods or Central Market! Their salad bars are AMAZING! They have so many healthy options to pick from!

Fast food doesn’t have to mean greasy, fatty foods. You can find healthy options almost anywhere you go now. Let’s change our thinking of the words fast food since it just means a quick meal option that’s easy to take on the go and isn’t actually a specific food.

What’s your favorite fast food place?

Salmon with wild rice

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Ingredients

-2 6oz salmon filets

-1/2 cup seasoned wild rice

-1/4 oz fresh parsley

-4 oz grape tomatoes

-2 cups chopped broccoli

-2 tsp grainy mustard

-2 garlic cloves

-Olive oil

Recipe

Bring medium pot with 1 1/2 cups of water and wild rice to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover. Cook until tender. 20-23 minutes

Halve tomatoes. Mince garlic. Mince parsley. Rinse salmon, pat dry and season with salt and pepper.

Place water and steaming basket in a medium pot. Bring water to boil and place broccoli in pot. Steam for 5-6 minutes

Place a medium non stick pan over medium heat. Add 1 tsp of olive oil and salmon. Cook 4-6 minutes each side. Remove from burner and plate salmon.

Use same pan used to cook salmon. Add 1 tsp of olive oil, tomatoes, garlic and parsley. Stir till tomatoes blister. 1-2 minutes. Remove from burner and mix in mustard. Top salmon with mixture.

Plate rice and broccoli with salmon and enjoy! 🍴