Tag Archives: healthy

The Dreaded Workout

Posted on by
Reply

Have you ever dreaded going to workout…..got yourself there…..and come out thinking, yeah that still sucked? 😂 That’s not what you thought I was going to say was it 🤪 But seriously. Some days when I am not feeling the gym, I drag myself there and afterward I’m like oh yeah that was great I’m glad I went. Other days I think to myself, that was horrible and I’m still annoyed I’m not just sitting on my sofa.

We all have our days! Today was one of mine. I just had zero motivation. I finished my workout and still felt no motivation. I would much rather have been in sweatpants sitting on my sofa with a hot bowl of pho.

I’m sure my body is grateful I went to the gym, it’s just not letting me know it yet. The movement helps increase blood flow which reduces my risk of blood clot during pregnancy. It also reduces my leg and foot swelling so I have less aching during the day. There’s so many amazing benefits of workout during pregnancy. So for now I’ll just be grateful I made it through the workout despite my lack of motivation. I know there will come a day, last time it was right at 9 months, when I almost physically can’t workout due to size even though I’ll be dying to.

Morning vs Evening Workout

Posted on by
Reply

Should you workout in the morning or in the evening? In all honesty it’s up to you.

There have been studies that show you burn more in the early morning before breakfast. This is because your body has to burn fat for fuel, as your glycogen stores will be depleted after a night of fasting.

With evening workouts, some studies have found that muscular function and strength peaks in the evening hours, in addition to oxygen uptake and utilization. This means you may be able to push harder, better, faster and stronger! Some people find it easier to sleep better at night after an evening workout.

I personally prefer morning workouts. If I get up and workout first thing in the morning, I feel like I have more energy throughout the day. I also feel more productive. With morning workouts I’ve started my day out “healthy” so I’m encouraged I stay on track better with my diet throughout the day.

If I try to do evening workouts I’m typically really exhausted by the end of the day and I’ve usually lost motivation. For me personally my workouts struggle a bit in the evening. It takes me longer to get through an evening workout than a morning one. I feel like I piddle around more at the gym in the evenings than I would in the morning.

Honestly it just comes down to what works best for you. Are you a morning or evening gym person?

Get Your Iron!

Posted on by
Reply

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!💪🏻

Getting your body back

Posted on by
Reply

I think it’s funny when I hear someone say “You’re going to have to work harder to get your body back after this second baby.” It makes me laugh every time I hear it. Is my body going somewhere? Did it get lost? 😂

Having a baby doesn’t mean you LOSE your body. Yes your body changes but it’s still there! People keep telling me it’s harder to get back to your old shape after baby number two. Is it really? Or is that just an excuse we use?

I actually liked my body better after I had Ryder. It took me some time to lose the extra baby weight but I like to think I bounced back pretty well. I wasn’t one of those IG moms who got back to pre baby size in 5 months. It took me a full year. But I did it and I was beyond proud of myself and loved how I looked. No I don’t have my 20 year old body. I probably never will and I’m ok with that. But this 33 year old body is pretty resilient and it’s been good to me.

I think this time around I’m going to enjoy myself (and food). I was so paranoid while pregnant with ryder, that I wouldn’t get back to my original size. I put so much stress on myself mentally, that I don’t think it was very healthy. Now I know I can get back to a good size with a bit of hard work. So I’m not going to stress this time. I don’t plan to go overboard and eat everything in sight and skip workouts! But I will treat myself if I want! And if my body is too drained to workout, rather than force myself to go to the gym, I’ll rest. I can try again the next day. Everything in moderation and at my own pace.💙

New Years resolution

Posted on by
Reply

Just a few days left till the new year. I guess it’s time to make a New Years resolution. I always forget to do these!

This year I think I’m going to focus on being more positive. I’m a pretty decently positive person but I have my moments. I also have a bad habit of letting others around me be negative and drag me down.

My dad was always a very positive person. He could find the good in everything. It was almost annoying sometimes😂. But I admired him for it. I’d like to be more like him. See the good, or positive whenever I can.

It can be hard sometimes when our society naturally focuses on the negative. It’s hard not to get sucked in. This resolution will definitely be a battle and take a lot of my will, but I think I can do it. It’ll be good for me and a good example for my son. I want him to see that you can find the good in everything. 🌸

Food battle

Posted on by
Reply

“Are you going to be a picky eater tonight?” Or “why aren’t you eating that? The amount of times I’ve heard these……🤔

Why are we so critical of what other people eat or don’t eat? I’ve battled with a food allergy for almost 10 years now. I’ve gone to dinner at peoples houses and not been able to eat much of anything because they served something I’m allergic to. I’ve gotten better about letting people know ahead of time. But I used to be so shy about it that I wouldn’t eat. A people assumed I had an eating disorder because I wouldn’t eat. Little did they know, on my way home I was eating the protein bar I had stashed in my car and would wolf down everything in my fridge at home!

There have been other times where I had to pick around food in hopes of eating something without getting sick. I’ve been called a picky eater because of this. I don’t really think a food allergy qualifies someone as a picky eater. It’s not really their choice to have a food allergy. If I could get rid of it I would! It would definitely make life easier when eating out or at peoples houses!

Rather than assume someone has an eating disorder or brand them as a picky eater, why not give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they have a food allergy! Or maybe they just don’t like what you’re serving. 😂 I think we as a society need to work on being less critical. We also need to worry more about ourselves and less about what other people are doing (in some cases).

Everyone has an opinion

Posted on by
Reply

Everyone has an opinion and everyone wants to give you advice when you have a child. Some people’s advice can be helpful and others can be confusing and strange. I personally try not to listen too much when people give me their unsolicited advice. I don’t do it because I’m trying to be rude, it’s just that I’m someone who would rather find their own way. I like to figure things out on my own. I learn better that way.

Not everything that works for one child will work the same for all. Every child is different. When I first had Ryder I took a few peoples advice and tried what they recommended. It didn’t workout well. It either upset him more or just did let have a affect. That’s when I made my decision to just ignore the advice of others and find my own way as I went. There were a few people I listened to, like my doctor and my mother, but I tried to filter out all the other random advice.

I still laugh when I remember being at an event and someone asked me if Ryder was crawling yet. I told them that he skipped crawling and went right from army crawling to cruising. She got a look or horror on her face and said “oh my gosh he’s going to be behind developmentally. You need to get him to crawl.” I have no idea what look was on my face when she said that. But I replied by telling her my doctor said crawling is no longer considered a milestone because so many kids skip over it. Her reply was “I guess times have changed.” Lord! Imagine if my doctor hadn’t told me that. I might have panicked and thought something was wrong with my child! This is exactly why you need to take peoples comments and advice with a grain of salt.

When someone gives you advice or makes a comment about what your child should be doing at a certain stage, take it as you want (unless it’s your doctor). Use it or just forget about it. It’s your child and you are free to raise them as you please. You’re their momma (or daddy) and your instincts will tell you what you should do. Go with what YOU think is best. It’s all a learning process and no one is perfect!

Fast Food

Posted on by
Reply

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?

Relieving headaches naturally

Posted on by
2

Headaches….they are so incredibly common and can be brought on by the littlest things! Stress, noise exposure, straining your eyes, consuming too much caffeine, consuming too much sugar, dehydration and lack of sleep, are just a few examples of things that cause headaches. You can take an OTC med to alleviate the pain, or there are a few natural things you can try…..

🔹 Ease pressure on your scalp. Let your hair down, or remove your hat or eyewear

🔹 Dim lights, set your phone down and turn off the computer

🔹Massage your temples

🔹 Eat foods rich in magnesium. Low levels of magnesium can cause headaches

🔹 Take vitamin B-12

🔹 Try a hot or cold compress

🔹 Drink lots of water

🔹 Lay down and shut your eyes

🔹 Try reflexology

🔹 Go on a walk or try yoga

I have a habit of pulling my hair up too tight and giving myself a headache. I know better but I still do it every time! A few of these work for me, if just letting my hair down doesn’t work.

Overly disinfecting toys

Posted on by
Reply

Truth: I have let my kid eat dirt (it was one time and it was more of a little dirt disc He found on the floor) and sometimes I have to pull things out of his mouth that he picked up off the floor (like an old blueberry he found on the floor that the dog didn’t eat and I didn’t sweep up). If his pacifier fell on the ground, at home, I dusted it off and popped it back in his mouth. But I totally disinfect his toys every two weeks. It’s all about balance!

I’m a firm believer in allowing your child to build an immune system. If you overly disinfect things, you actually reduce your child’s ability to be exposed to certain bacteria and pathogens, therefore causing them to have a weaker immune system.

By no means am I telling you to allow your child to lick a gas station floor (I went a little dramatic there I know). But don’t overly sanitize. You don’t need to clean their toys every day. And don’t freak out if they eat dirt on occasion or chew on the dogs chew toy (been there). They will turn out just fine! It’s good for them to be exposed to different elements.

I know I ate my fair share of dirt when I was little. I even drank from the hose! I turned out just fine.

Disinfect toys every so often. Aim for every other week, or every week if you’re a clean freak. Don’t make it a daily thing. Especially if you keep your house decently clean. Spend more time playing with your child and making sure they stay physically safe. They grow up too fast. Wouldn’t you rather spend that hour you would disinfecting, playing with them instead?