hale to the kale.....breastfeeding mamas salad

To all you breastfeeding mamas out there it can be very daunting knowing what you can and can’t eat for your baby! Knowing what to put in your body to benefit your new baby is definitely top of the list (for me at least).

We have carried these little humans and protected them for nine long months, now they are here, their needs are changing and you will notice they react differently according to what you eat. Did what I ate last night make them gassy? Is that rash on their face because of me? Do they have an ear infection because of MY eating habits?? MAYBE it is and maybe it isn’t. When I was breastfeeding I found myself scrolling through countless articles and books to make sure I was doing everything right. I would watch what I was eating and make sure Eden didn’t have a reaction over the next few days.

Good news is this salad is perfect for breastfeeding mamas as it cover all the nutritional bases. If however you have hypothyroidism you need to be a little weary of kale as it is does contain goitrogens when eaten RAW. So depending on your nutritional needs (please check with your healthcare provider) you may be able to steam it first and have it as a warm salad, or substitute for spinach or romaine lettuce.

Foods a breastfeeding mama should be including in their diet are;

  1. Dark Leafy Greens
  2. Good Quality Protein
  3. Healthy Fats
  4. Complex Carbohydrates

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

  • 8 cups kale
  • 2 cups cubed and roasted butternut squash
  • 1 cup cooked green lentils
  • 1 green apple sliced into sticks
  • 1/4 cup red onion
  • 1/4 cup crushed almonds
  • 4 tbsp. goat feta

Dressing

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (with the mother)
  • 2 tbsp. dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp. maple syrup

Method

Roast the squash ahead of time, sprinkle the cubes with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 20-30 mins @375 until tender. Let them cool. Boil the green lentils using the instructions on the package (usually simmer on low for 30 mins).

Layer all the ingredients on top of a bed of kale, add the dressing and serve. It is great as a meal or you can use it as a side salad with grilled chicken or a white fleshed fish.

p.s. I like to prepare the whole butternut squash and extra green lentils ahead of time so there are leftovers for other meals throughout the week.

Also, big shout out to my mother in law for the home grown kale!!

7 min HIIT home workout - with socks!!

For all you moms who don’t have time to get to a gym, OR don’t feel comfortable going to a gym….here is a little workout for you!! You don’t need equipment to get the full benefits of exercise, you don’t even need a lot of time! We can all find 7 minutes in our day right? That’s all this workout needs, unless you want to repeat the workout multiple times to get in a full 24 min session.

The challenges a mother can face in a day really puts you off getting a workout in. Some days I will go to the gym for a ‘break’ from my daughter, some days I’ll do my workout with her, then others I’ll wait till she naps. Either way I make it a habit to exercise. Now this doesn’t have to be an hour long workout. It can be anything from 7 mins to 60 mins (sometimes 90 depending on how much of a break I need). You will find which time of the day suits you best. If you are a new mom, the times will change as you go through peaks and troughs with your little.

The BEST thing about a home workout is you can do it in the comfort of your own home, with no one watching you (except maybe a baby/toddler).

With this work out you can modify the exercises to suit you, do each one for 60 seconds and rest for 30. Repeat three times if needed;

  • Exercise ONE: Jump switch lunge OR alternate lunge
  • Exercise TWO: Jumping lateral leg slide OR single leg slide (30 secs each side)
  • Exercise THREE: Sliding mountain climb (fast) OR sliding mountain climb (slow)
  • Exercise FOUR: Sliding plank abduction on hands OR sliding plank abduction on elbows
  • Exercise FIVE: Balancing leg slide side and back  

NOT suitable for Diastasis Recti, pelvic floor issues or beyond the first trimester in pregnancy.

Please remember to consult with a medical professional before entering into a new workout regime.

the mighty push-up

The mighty push-up or press-up as known in some countries. A great FULL body exercise used by many personal trainers and fitness professionals across the world. Most people know it as a chest exercise, which it is...but it can do so much more when done correctly. When done in a high plank position, the body needs the core, glutes, anterior delts, triceps and hamstrings to stabilize the position. So why are so many people doing the ‘lady’ version...when your knees are on the floor?

To me, the ‘lady’ push-up seems counterproductive and sexist to say the least. Why should this version be named after us? AND why are we still doing them? Not only does it take out the lower body element, makes it really tough to activate your core effectively, but it also renders it seemingly impossible to progress into a full push-up.

Follow these simple progressions to help you through any phase in your life;

The wall push-up – A GREAT exercise to use when you are pregnant as you can activate your core without adding to much pressure to your abdominal wall. It uses your full body whilst strengthening and toning your upper body. For an added challenge, use a stability ball between you and the wall. Not only can you do this when pregnant but if you suffer from Diastasis Recti (DR) too. Include these into your program once you have completed a few foundation moves and can effectively activate your core muscle group.

The incline push-up – Once you find the wall push up easy and you are not pregnant, you can progress into the incline push-up. The great thing about the incline push up is you can pick a level that suits you and adapt it as needed. Most people have a staircase in their house and this is where I tell most of my clients to do their push-ups. Pick a step that is challenging but where you are able to maintain form and reduce the level when needed until you no longer need a step. This is by FAR the best way to learn how to do a full push-up.

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The full push-up – Not an easy move and not to be done if you suffer from DR or are pregnant as it can increase the gap between your abs (stretching the linea alba). The key here is to keep your bum down, but not dipped (maintain a flat back by pulling your abs in towards your spine). Don’t T your arms out to the side, keep a 20-40 degree angle from your torso to your upper arm (this applies to ALL push-ups explained above). Lower as close to the ground as possible, PAUSE and return to the top.

The decline push-up – Not for the faint hearted! Definitely an advanced move for us mamas who are well beyond our postpartum phase and have zero separation of the abs. I’m not great at them myself but it is something I’m working on. Adding a step to your feet will increase the use of shoulders and upper chest.

Have fun with exercise and don’t be afraid to try new things…If you HATE push-ups because they are so hard, try one of these versions to keep you on track!

BONUS

Eden trying to do a push-up and telling daddy he had to do one too…she is a great ring leader and hopefully one day will be a great leader! Lead by example mamas!

Please remember to consult with a medical professional before entering into an exercise regime.

back pain GO AWAY!

I hear many moms talk about back pain post pregnancy or when their children are learning to walk. There are many reasons why back pain can occur, weak muscles, pinched nerves, tight muscle or poor posture to name but a few. the good news is you CAN reduce and even eliminate this pain.

Here is a little bit about pregnancy/postpartum anatomy. During pregnancy your body releases a hormone called relaxin which does exactly what it says. It relaxes the ligaments of your body to prepare for delivery which is great right! Yes BUT, this also puts stress on the spine if a mother doesn't have a strong core. The major core muscles being the rectus abdominis (abs), internal/external abdominal oblique, transverse abdominal, erector spinae, pelvic floor and glutes. If these muscles are tight/weak then the result will surely be PAIN!!

The pain might go away on its own after a while postpartum, but it will be back when your little is learning to walk (or if you're planning to have another!) Prepare yourself now for the adventures ahead. You'll be sick to death of bending over but believe me....your back shouldn't be an issue. I know when Eden was learning to walk (from 6 months till 10 months old) I was bent over all the time, once she realize she could be mobile....there is no turning back! P.S she crawled for all of 4 weeks before walking so I got ZERO break!

DON'T RUN BEFORE YOU CAN WALK....AND THAT MEANS YOU NOT THE BABY! Build a solid foundation before jumping into a crazy hard workout program! More damage may be done than good.

Now DON"T start crunching till the cows come home, that is going to do more harm than good. focus on including these exercise pre-pregnancy, during and postpartum. ALL are safe stabilization exercises.

  1.  Core breath/kegals
  2. Lying bent knee leg lift
  3. Seated stability ball knee lifts
  4. Wall push up
  5. Lying clam shell
  6. Modified side plank
  7. Stability ball squat
  8. Lunge (holding wall if needed)

Focus on keeping you core strong, exhale on the lift and inhale on the lower. Aim for 10-15 reps to begin with. If you are pregnant, keep doing this until birth then rest until given clearance to exercise postpartum. However, you can keep doing the core breath and kegals.

Please remember to get clearance and consult with a medical professional before commencing a workout regime.

legs legs legs + toddler

Are you ready for a killer leg workout?? I did this workout and by the end my legs were ready to give in. Today was a day I didn't really feel like working out, but I took my own advice and put on my gym clothes and instantly felt like going to the gym. I filmed this a little later on when my husband was home but I did this as part of my workout earlier in the day. Its even more fun when Eden joins in, it acts as a distraction form the pain (and sometimes an excuse to pause hehe). Whether you decide to do it alone or with a mini person, you will love your legs afterwards!

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Do 60 seconds of each exercise, complete each exercise back to back with very little/no pausing. REST for 60 seconds then repeat 4 times through (total time 20 mins). Now who doesn't have 20 mins to fit into their day right??

  1. Get Up/Kneel Down (keep low)
  2. Bridge (Hip Thrusts if you are pregnant)
  3. Forward/Backward shuffle (I should have been lower, but keep low)
  4. Frog Squat Jump back (avoid if pregnant or have Diastasis Recti, stick to a squat with pulse at the bottom)
  5. 60 seconds REST

Please remember to get clearance and consult with a medical professional before commencing a workout regime

some days you feel like screaming

Friday felt like I had the WHOLE world on my shoulders. I'm not usually the type of person to get stressed but I can very easily feel overwhelmed. I had a very challenging week where my husband was away on business, Eden what having a VERY (understatement) challenging week and my puppy was going through an 'I'm going to test everything' phase. Each element alone is fine, even two parts combined is OK, but three all in one week......and I'm a mess!!

I was trying to dry my hair in the bathroom and Eden is doing her usual empty the bathroom cabinet whilst my husband is down stairs...and that was it....I picked her up....stormed downstairs....and threw her at my husband (ok not literally, that would be child/husband abuse)....went back upstairs and sobbed my little heart out. My hair never got dried that day!

It happens even to the best of us. We ALLLLL have them, some once a week and some once a year. I never really thought about how to change these episodes until now. But it really is useful for your mental health and well-being to put systems in place to help you out when you feel like 'LIFE' is getting too much. Even if it isn't depression the Canadian Mental Health Association (www.cmha.ca) has some really useful information about looking after your mental health.

Here is what I learned;

  1. Have a good support system. This could be friends, extended family, neighbors and of course your husband (when he is there)
  2. Have food available in the freezer for easy access. When times are tough and you REALLY don't feel like cooking, have a couple back up meals in the freezer waiting.
  3. Schedule activities in the week. For this week I had very few plans which meant I sat around the house feeling sorry for myself.
  4. Sleep. Whether it be a nap during the day or going to bed extra early, just make sure you get what you need to recharge for the next day.
  5. Indulge yourself. This could be something as small as having a coffee in a coffee shop, going for a pedicure or having a nice long bath while everyone is sleeping.

Next week is another challenging week for me so I have hired some help (my mother-in-law), planned some alone time and prepared some quick and easy meals I can make when time is a challenge.

I hope this help all you mamas feel 'normal' and give you some tools to fight through the tough times. If you're a new mom and it seems like more than just feeling low/overwhelmed talk to someone. There is help out there.

“Its natural for new parents to experience mood swings, feeling joyful one minute and depressed the next. These feelings are sometimes known as the ‘baby blues,’ and often go away soon after birth. However, some parents may experience a deep and ongoing depression that last much longer. This is called postpartum depression.”
— http://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/postpartum-depression

Yours in health, Lucy.