exercise for mama and baby’s heart health

mamas – please be committed to exercising!

you’ll feel better throughout your pregnancy, you’ll establish healthy routines, you’ll also be helping baby’s heart health

“A 2008 pilot study conducted by [Linda E. May, an exercise physiologist and anatomist] and her collaborators at KCUMB and the Kansas City University of Medicine found that pregnant women who exercised at least 30 minutes three times a week had fetuses with lower heart rates — a sign of heart health — during the final weeks of development.”

The researchers “revealed that the fetuses’ improved cardiovascular heart control is maintained one month after pregnancy, which indicates that mothers’ efforts to stay active have lasting effects. “

i’m going throw it out there that a baby with a strong heart will fare better during a stressful labor?

if you feel lazy, think about how junior will be heartier

your kids like chickinwangs because you like chickinwangs

from ScienceDaily on Dec. 6, 2010 “A major new study shows that a pregnant mother’s diet not only sensitizes the fetus to those smells and flavors, but physically changes the brain directly impacting what the infant eats and drinks in the future”

this means that…

if you eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables, and varying in tastes and spices, your child might just develop a taste for healthy, delicious foods!

according to the study’s author, “Exposure to odor or flavor in the womb elicits the preference but also shapes the brain development…from the fetus’ point of view, whatever is in the womb is considered “good.” If your mother ate it and survived to give birth to you then it was probably safe…This is a good strategy for a mouse that is foraging for food. It treats those same foods as safe.”

by establishing good nutrition practices now in your pregnancy (or even better yet – before you conceive) you have a greater chance at raising a less picky kid who not only likes your cooking, but who eats their veggies!

if you’re eating mac & cheese, fries & milkshakes – what do you think your kid will want to eat as they get older?

try new flavors and new types of cuisine -my tip would be to stick to veggie choices to minimize the risk of an upset stomach if you go to a new restaurant or cook up a new recipe

choose organic: pesticides linked to ADHD

kids with higher exposure to certain agricultural pesticides showed a higher incidence of ADHD symptoms than less-exposed kids.

photo tucson citizen

clearly, the point of a pesticide is to KILL bugs – they do this with chemicals called organophosphates – chosen for this specific effect on the nervous system. the specific effect again, is death.  what did they think they were going to do to humans? the study author postulates that pesticides act on a set of brain chemicals closely related to those involved in ADHD.

“Detectable levels of pesticides are present in a large number of fruits and vegetables sold in the U.S., according to a 2008 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited in the study. In a representative sample of produce tested by the agency, 28 percent of frozen blueberries, 20 percent of celery, and 25 percent of strawberries contained traces of one type of organophosphate. Other types of organophosphates were found in 27 percent of green beans, 17 percent of peaches, and 8 percent of broccoli.”

so this means that these veggies should really be bought organic whenever possible

“Although kids should not stop eating fruits and vegetables, buying organic or local produce whenever possible is a good idea Organic fruits and vegetables contain much less pesticides, so I would certainly advise getting those for children…National surveys have also shown that fruits and vegetables from farmers’ markets contain less pesticides even if they’re not organic.”

there are some limits to this specific research – they are doing larger, longer term studies, but, as the article notes, the authors suspect that an even greater link will be found between levels of exposure and psychological/behavioral symptoms in kids.

i know organic food costs more, but what’s the price limit you’re willing to place when it comes to your family’s long term health

just because the store says it’s ok to eat? the food you eat goes through a heck of lot before it gets to your plate, try to eat lower on the complication scale.

a bad mood is the VERY REASON to exercise

new research confirms the mental health benefits of daily exercise (duh)

“Exercise appears to affect, like an antidepressant, particular neurotransmitter systems in the brain, and it helps patients with depression re-establish positive behaviors. For patients with anxiety disorders, exercise reduces their fears of fear and related bodily sensations such as a racing heart and rapid breathing.”

for people who are cleared to exercise by their health-care providers, research suggests that “the public health dose… is 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity activity” that breaks down to about 30 minutes a day or 45 minutes-1 hour on 4 days a week.

we’re always trying to make exercise fit into our day – how can you make it a necessary part of your day? would you consider going  work without brushing your teeth, getting makeupped or hair-do’d? how much time do you spend watching tv or checking blogs all day? how do you spend your lunch breaks? how can you fit a 45 minute walk into your lunch hour? can you ask your supervisor for a longer lunch so that you can both exercise?

you should try to relish in your daily dose of exercise as a mood-booster and a way to feel better naturally.

consider the IMMEDIATE benefits “After just 25 minutes, your mood improves, you are less stressed, you have more energy — and you’ll be motivated to exercise again tomorrow. A bad mood is no longer a barrier to exercise; it is the very reason to exercise.”

even if you can’t get to your prescribed 30 minutes of happycise, this article demonstrated that just 5 minutes a day of “green exercising” “in a park, working in a backyard garden, on a nature trail, or other green space will benefit mental health.” They stressed that nature was important for the boost of self esteem – and that even just as few as 5 minutes can elevate your mood.

add another great reason to exercise outside: soaking up the vitamin D, and you really have no excuse.

now go outside for a walk please

hidden sources of MSG

do you have a sensitivity to MSG?  you are probably vigilant in reading ingredient lists and avoiding food that contain listed MSG, but you might not know that “the FDA …[does] not have to label ingredients that contain free glutamic acid, even though it’s the main component of MSG. There are over 40 labeled ingredients that contain glutamic acid”

Here is a list of ingredients that ALWAYS contain MSG:

Autolyzed Yeast Calcium Caseinate Gelatin
Glutamate Glutamic Acid Hydrolyzed Protein
Monopotassium Glutamate Monosodium Glutamate Sodium Caseinate
Textured Protein Yeast Extract Yeast Food
Yeast Nutrient

These ingredients OFTEN contain MSG or create MSG during processing:

Flavors and Flavorings Seasonings Natural Flavors and Flavorings Natural Pork Flavoring Natural Beef Flavoring
Natural Chicken Flavoring Soy Sauce Soy Protein Isolate Soy Protein Bouillon
Stock Broth Malt Extract Malt Flavoring Barley Malt
Anything Enzyme Modified Carrageenan Maltodextrin Pectin Enzymes
Protease Corn Starch Citric Acid Powdered Milk Anything Protein Fortified
Anything Ultra-Pasteurized

it may be helpful to print out this list and take it with you in your wallet next to your seafood guide.

courtesty of Dr. Mercola

new year, real resolutions

started my new years resolutions in february – like reaching out to my soon-to-be-mother-in-law and getting back into marathon training and cruciferous vegetables. its easy to get off track and so hard to get started again when the new year rolls around.

a lot of us need help to get that push in the right direction – even those of us that eat, sleep and breathe wellness.

that’s the beauty of health counselors like me! i’m so jazzed that my friend and fellow health counselor aqiylah collins gave a proper shout-out to us PNW holistic health counselors (woohoo!)

she so appropriately elaborates:  “Much like a doula or a personal fitness trainer, a holistic health coach is trained to listen, observe, guide your creation of clear, attainable goals, navigate obstacles, and cheer you on! Your health counselor is totally invested in YOU and your success.”

Hey that’s what I do! Do you need to connect with someone to get your health in order? contact me or check out the other fantastic health counselors in the article!

how to actually reduce BPA in your life

soak and cook dried beans – it’s so much cheaper and tastier

eat fresh tomatoes (not canned)

store food in glass containers

use wooden cooking utensils

never ever ever microwave plastics – even the ones that say they are safe

avoid take-out food containers (chinese food boxes, plastic clam shells, soup bowls) – to do this successfully you really have to cook at home – if you eat out and frequently end up with “leftovers” consider sharing a meal with a friend so you don’t have anything to carry out.

drink tap water and use a ZERO filter- brita and pur pitchers have BPA

change your food processing – hamilton beach makes safe plastic appliances

handle receipts sparingly – get them in your wallet or an envelope right away

drink sodas (if you gotta) from a glass bottle

if plastic smells – it’s not good for you

look under your plastics – the recycle code tells you what’s in it – 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6 is free of BPA. AVOID # 3 & 7

prenatal exposure to BPA is making your daughter a witch

i don’t want to beg but omg plastic! please stop using plastic!

it’s ubiquitous but oh so toxic

it’s in your receipts, your canned tomatoes & beans, your baby food & your soda can

and it’s making your daughter a brat and a half -

this toxic plastic makes us fat, increases prostate cancer in boys and now they find it promotes aggression in girls:

“Researchers found that daughters of women who had higher concentrations of BPA in their urine samples during pregnancy were more likely to have aggressive and hyperactive behaviors than children of women with lower BPA levels, especially if higher exposure was seen earlier in pregnancy.”

YIKES

speakerphone people!…or get a headset

i know that it seems like some tinfoil-on-the-head news but moms need to keep the cell phone away from the body please.

this report from like, 2 years ago, showed that women who used thier cell phones while pregnant had kids who were more likely to be “UNRULY”

well, there are a few factors here that make this reserach a bit inconclusive – perhaps the kids are unruly due to cultural influences that may also increase moms’s cell use – or that kids are misbehaving cause mom’s on the phone all the time… but the research did find a link even for infrequent use.

kids were even unrulier if they used cells themselves

get yourself a headset even when you’re not driving – not a bluetooth, but a hard-wired one so you can keep the cell away from your body (in a purse or bag)

if you have a landline at work or home, you should use it – and try to avoid making calls on the cell when you have poor reception or low power bars – the phone is more likely to be emitting more radiation in order to connect.

texting and speakerphone put you at less risk since you’re holding the phone away from your head – and if you do need to get on the phone, talk short – phones transmit less radiation when you’re listening than when you’re talking

i recommend the mercola blue-tube headset - click here and be warned that a video will play right away

for more info - download the full environmental working group’s report on cell phones

for more great tips – see this list from enviroblog

Nutrition Class this weekend!

Prenatal & Nursing Nutrition basics

October 11 
11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Cost: $20

** Bring a friend to the October 11th Prenatal and Nursing Nutrition Basics class and you both come for half price! Be sure to preregister by following the links through our website.

Do you still have questions about what to eat and how to nourish your new body? This workshop will provide you with strategies for achieving and maintaining great health during and after your pregnancy. This class is for conceiving, pregnant and nursing women, as well as partners.

Learn how to stay energized throughout your pregnancy, easy ways to get your necessary nutrients with whole foods and how to manage morning sickness, food aversions and cravings.

The class is facilitated by Kathryn Davis, BS and Leah Shuchter, MPH.
Leah Shuchter is a prenatal health counselor, doula and yoga teacher.
Kathryn Davis is a nutritional consultant and yoga teacher.

To register or for more information please call:
(347) 678-7151 or contact me at Leah@NaturalPregnancies.com