I have had great success with clients planning / preparing for pregnancy, carrying their child and recovering or bouncing back after birth. I must say, I have not had a child, and I'm sure that later on in life I will have some better insights on the FEELINGS involved in the scenario. But I am very in tune with my clients, and extremely in tune with their anatomies. Given the courses I've taken and the experience I have, I know that I can help those trying to stay healthy and fit through their pregnancy as well as afterward.
It is very important to listen to your doctor as well as your trainer, and better yet to have the two put into communication with one another, should your pregnancy provide any complications or even specific considerations of any kind.
If you are trying to get pregnant, make sure that your folic acid levels are where they are supposed to be, and that your BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS ARE STABLE! You've head me talk about this! It's important for everyone, and is really one of the most important things to accomplish if you are attempting to bear a child.
Staying fit through your pregnancy is a wildly good idea. Now is the time you have to start considering the well-being of another human for which you are solely responsible, but that doesn't mean that sitting with your feet up through the whole thing, or mowing an extra 500 calories a day is going to be in the best interest of the baby! A healthy YOU equals a healthy baby. Most doctors recommend an extra 150 calories per day (contingent upon the individual, and the term). So the permission / urging to eat everything in sight is not such a great thing.
This is quite an extensive topic, so I don't think I'll get into nutrition too much for this entry. We'll keep it to fitness. But later on, I will discuss what foods to avoid and which to eat more of during this physically fascinating time.
If you are already training, are already running or strength training, or committed to other activities, it is usually safe to keep them up. You should be given the go-ahead by your doctor, because he / she may understand more about the specifics of your physical condition that you or I would. It is not a great idea to begin new activities, if they are out of the realm of familiarity for your body. Your body will change (your hips, for example, can become or feel much looser, urging you to perhaps push your range of motion beyond what you normally would - and this can potentially prevent the ligaments from finding their way back to normal post pregnancy). As your body changes, you need to still be very practical about your activities, despite what you may feel tempted to do at times. The most important thing to consider in your fitness is RISK vs. BENEFIT. Your trainer will know what activities are more risky than beneficial to you, and are more beneficial and less risky. Any activity in which you are prone to falling on your stomach, for the most obvious example, should be avoided. Rollerblading or skiing are probably not the best activities! Hot yoga is another one you might want to avoid, as a hot environment can exacerbate an already-heated pregnant woman. Too much heat exposure can cause birth defects. Your own body heat can be dissipated easily, but a hot environment is a different story.
You may have heard to never do any activity on your back, which draws blood away from the baby. There is a grey area here... typically 30 -60 minutes is okay, but it is best to make sure the torso is higher than the lower body. For example, rather than doing a bosu crunch with tailbone at the very top of the ball, bring the tailbone closer to the floor, so that you are a bit closer to being upright.
Planks are great, but as you put on more weight in your midsection, your back will become tighter and tighter, just from walking around (as it will be in an arched position). You may not last as long in your planks, trying to straighten that lower spine with the strength in your abdominals. Try doing a plank on a stability ball (with a trainer, please) for a slight incline, and an extra stability challenge to really recruit your rooted core muscles (from which you will muster strength for delivery).
It is vitally important to strengthen the adductors (inner thighs) for a potentially easier delivery. If you are strong on delivery day, you will have a much better time helping that baby find its way out.
It was once advised that pregnant women should never increase their heart rates above 140 bpm. Although this is a safe guideline, for a very fit client, the rules can loosen up a little bit. It is a good idea to monitor breathing, make sure you can talk easily, and you should never feel dizzy, have blurred vision or headaches. Pregnant women tend to have lower blood pressure, so you need to stand up more slowly, move from exercise to exercise a bit more slowly than you normally would.
If your joints are wobbly and much less stable than normal, it's time to modify and regress.
My last clip of advice - DO KEGELS! Women should be doing them anyway. Nobody wants the incontinence that so often accompanies pregnancy as was as the post-partum stage... it is worth it to invest some time and effort into these exercises. If you don't know what they are, google them or contact me privately. As many as you can, everyday... the more the better.
For more information, check out www.acog.org to seek the advice of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. I attended a great lecture this weekend by Annette Lang this weekend, which filled in some gaps of my knowledge on this topic, so I'd like to thank her for her information.
If you have more specific questions about hormones, risks or conditions, I have answers. Don't hesitate to contact me.
And enjoy that growing relationship with both your baby and your body!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Keep It Simple #2
We all know that eating out often incurs far more calories, sodium and grams of fat than when we compose our own balanced meals at home. But when you're stuck and need to eat a meal out, your best bet in most cases is to CUT IT IN HALF!
You can ask the server for half of it to be put right into a take-out container, and eat the serving you're left with. Portion sizes are just astronomical. Try to visualize your meal in its individual parts, chances are good you're eating between 2-5 times the amount of a normal, balancing meal. Let's take pho for example: visually separate the rice noodles from the rest of the dish. Is it 2-3 cups? Yup, that's between 2-6 times more than you need/should have for properly balanced blood sugar levels.
If you don't want to be that person with the server at the restaurant (even though there really should be absolutely no shame in managing your body properly), try to divide it up and simply eat half. If you're really listening to your body, you will most likely be full before hitting half, or at least three quarters of your meal.
Portion sizes are the killer - the reason you feel too tired / lazy to workout, the reason it's too darn hard to lose that last 5-10 pounds, the reason your blood pressure is too high, the reason your motivation is in the pits. It's well worth the commitment to shave it down.
You can ask the server for half of it to be put right into a take-out container, and eat the serving you're left with. Portion sizes are just astronomical. Try to visualize your meal in its individual parts, chances are good you're eating between 2-5 times the amount of a normal, balancing meal. Let's take pho for example: visually separate the rice noodles from the rest of the dish. Is it 2-3 cups? Yup, that's between 2-6 times more than you need/should have for properly balanced blood sugar levels.
If you don't want to be that person with the server at the restaurant (even though there really should be absolutely no shame in managing your body properly), try to divide it up and simply eat half. If you're really listening to your body, you will most likely be full before hitting half, or at least three quarters of your meal.
Portion sizes are the killer - the reason you feel too tired / lazy to workout, the reason it's too darn hard to lose that last 5-10 pounds, the reason your blood pressure is too high, the reason your motivation is in the pits. It's well worth the commitment to shave it down.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
To Be or Not to Be... a Vegetarian
Well, this is a very frequently debated topic. I can't say 100% what is right and what is wrong, that is really up to the individual. But I will voice my opinion - that is the purpose of a blog.
It is favourable that individuals eat predominantly things that grow out of the ground, and foods that are the least tampered with by human beings (we really tend to mess things up in production!). A vegetarian diet can be very healthy, when it is balanced with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and protein sources like legumes and tofu / soy products. Many people are criticizing tofu and soy products these days because some of them are genetically modified. At one of my recent nutrition courses, I asked a trusted professional her opinion on this debate. She said frankly, which I wholeheartedly repeat: "There is too much good in these foods, to focus on the modification as a major flaw. Eating modified vegetarian proteins, that are still sourced from the ground and generally healthy, is far better than consuming poor quality meats that have been injected with hormones and antibiotics, and ill-kept." So, there.
I love tofu. I eat it or other soy products a couple times / week. I have a sensitive awareness to my body's system that tells me quickly if something is bad for me, and I have NEVER had any red flags from tofu. Now, that isn't scientific backing, that is my strong instinct. But that is what I'm sharing with you.
Meat on the other hand, my body has angrily warned me against more often than not. I am not meat-bashing, I do believe in the food chain, and that humans are designed to deal with some meats in their systems. We do, of course, need all of the amino acids (complete proteins) for proper muscle repair. But, I think it is up to the individual to decide how their body responds to meat.
North American society just consumes far too much of it. And the way that it is over-consumed is not so much as a nice chicken breast from a butcher on a plate with brown rice and vegetables, as it is in processed foods such as chicken wings, strips, nuggets, pot pies, on frozen pizzas.... Think about this quality of meat:
When people become addicted to these foods because of the sodium, additives, preservatives, chemicals and sugar, they consume mass quantities of it. To meet the demand, the industry has become incredibly compromising with its farming practices... including the way it keeps and raises its animals. This is what disgusts me.
THAT is gluttony, ignorance, and lack of compassion for the food (and the creatures that provide it) that we are eating.
Oh dear, I've digressed in a slight rant. How do I sum up from here?
Try to respect the food that you are eating, whether you decide to wipe out meat altogether, or wouldn't even consider dismissing it. I, for example, consume a largely vegetarian diet, because my body prefers legumes, tofu, grains and fruits and vegetables to meat. That being said, if I crave meat, my body is telling me it needs it, and I eat it. Of course, I try to choose carefully as I know consuming some poor, sick animal is going to backfire in my psyche and affect my physicality badly. I love sushi, I love fish - but these foods are also becoming so popular and are being over-fished. Fish about twice a week, meat once to three times a week should be sufficient for everyone. It's important to experiment with the many wholesome foods the planet provides, cruelty-free.
So, listen to your body. Consume meat, if you desire it, in moderation. Eat clean foods, free of anti-biotics (stop letting these ignorant, soul-less mass-producers make money off torturing and manipulating animals, and ailing us) and then enjoy a healthier, more energetic and kinder existence.
Processed foods are ruining ALL living things. For those who care little about animals, be aware that a diet of "fake" foods is deforming you form the inside-out, too.
If you are considering becoming a vegetarian, or adding more vegetarian products to your diet, don't hesitate to contact me for recipes and nutritional advice. Guiding people to clean themselves out and clean up the pattern of this sick planet is something I happen to be very passionate about.
It is favourable that individuals eat predominantly things that grow out of the ground, and foods that are the least tampered with by human beings (we really tend to mess things up in production!). A vegetarian diet can be very healthy, when it is balanced with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and protein sources like legumes and tofu / soy products. Many people are criticizing tofu and soy products these days because some of them are genetically modified. At one of my recent nutrition courses, I asked a trusted professional her opinion on this debate. She said frankly, which I wholeheartedly repeat: "There is too much good in these foods, to focus on the modification as a major flaw. Eating modified vegetarian proteins, that are still sourced from the ground and generally healthy, is far better than consuming poor quality meats that have been injected with hormones and antibiotics, and ill-kept." So, there.
I love tofu. I eat it or other soy products a couple times / week. I have a sensitive awareness to my body's system that tells me quickly if something is bad for me, and I have NEVER had any red flags from tofu. Now, that isn't scientific backing, that is my strong instinct. But that is what I'm sharing with you.
Meat on the other hand, my body has angrily warned me against more often than not. I am not meat-bashing, I do believe in the food chain, and that humans are designed to deal with some meats in their systems. We do, of course, need all of the amino acids (complete proteins) for proper muscle repair. But, I think it is up to the individual to decide how their body responds to meat.
North American society just consumes far too much of it. And the way that it is over-consumed is not so much as a nice chicken breast from a butcher on a plate with brown rice and vegetables, as it is in processed foods such as chicken wings, strips, nuggets, pot pies, on frozen pizzas.... Think about this quality of meat:
When people become addicted to these foods because of the sodium, additives, preservatives, chemicals and sugar, they consume mass quantities of it. To meet the demand, the industry has become incredibly compromising with its farming practices... including the way it keeps and raises its animals. This is what disgusts me.
THAT is gluttony, ignorance, and lack of compassion for the food (and the creatures that provide it) that we are eating.
Oh dear, I've digressed in a slight rant. How do I sum up from here?
Try to respect the food that you are eating, whether you decide to wipe out meat altogether, or wouldn't even consider dismissing it. I, for example, consume a largely vegetarian diet, because my body prefers legumes, tofu, grains and fruits and vegetables to meat. That being said, if I crave meat, my body is telling me it needs it, and I eat it. Of course, I try to choose carefully as I know consuming some poor, sick animal is going to backfire in my psyche and affect my physicality badly. I love sushi, I love fish - but these foods are also becoming so popular and are being over-fished. Fish about twice a week, meat once to three times a week should be sufficient for everyone. It's important to experiment with the many wholesome foods the planet provides, cruelty-free.
So, listen to your body. Consume meat, if you desire it, in moderation. Eat clean foods, free of anti-biotics (stop letting these ignorant, soul-less mass-producers make money off torturing and manipulating animals, and ailing us) and then enjoy a healthier, more energetic and kinder existence.
Processed foods are ruining ALL living things. For those who care little about animals, be aware that a diet of "fake" foods is deforming you form the inside-out, too.
If you are considering becoming a vegetarian, or adding more vegetarian products to your diet, don't hesitate to contact me for recipes and nutritional advice. Guiding people to clean themselves out and clean up the pattern of this sick planet is something I happen to be very passionate about.
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