Sunday 18 November 2012

Healthy Lifestyle Choices for Expecting Mothers *Guest Blog*

Hello everyone! I have the pleasure to introduce Katie Moore. She is doing a guest spotlight blog on Women's health. Please take a moment to read her great blog that she has graciously wrote for my site.



Healthy Lifestyle Choices for Expectant Mothers

The benefits of a healthy pregnancy are widely recognized. Although much information exists on the subjects of health and pregnancy, many women are unsure of how to maintain good health while expecting a child. And while it's true that women may differ in their health goals and needs, all expectant moms can benefit from basic health knowledge. 

Before starting a new health program however, a mother should visit her doctor. A doctor will help decide it a mother is healthy enough to begin a new diet or exercise routine. A doctor is also the best person to ask for advice when it comes to delivery. With so many optional choices to make, circumcision, umbilical cord blood banking and immunizations, a woman should be consulting her doctor every step of the way.

Diet and Exercise
A
healthy, balanced diet should be a priority during pregnancy. Eating the right foods will alleviate many of the negative side effects of pregnancy, such as water retention and constipation, and will also keep blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and weight at healthy levels.

A healthy diet for expectant moms should include lots of fresh produce, lean meats, whole grains and plenty of water. Sugars, fats, complex carbohydrates and processed foods should be kept to a minimum, but giving into pregnancy cravings is okay on occasion. In addition, it's important for expectant moms to eat three meals a day, along with several small snacks, instead of skipping meals. Skipping meals leads to drops in blood sugar levels, which can lead to dizziness, nausea and fainting.

Exercise during pregnancy is a much-debated topic, and there are many opinions on what is safe and what isn't. With all the conflicting information, many women are confused as to which workouts, if any, are right for them. The good news is that, unless a doctor has advised against it, exercise is perfectly healthy for most expectant moms. Regular exercise can improve mood and body function, help maintain a healthy weight and even promote postnatal healing.

Low-impact workouts are recommended during pregnancy, as they aren't as jarring or damaging to the body as high-impact options. A few great exercises for mommies-to-be include walking, prenatal yoga and swimming. Workouts that include a lot of bouncing, twisting or abdominal strain should be avoided, as should heavy lifting and dangerous sports, such as rafting or skiing.

Maintaining Heart Health
 
Since heart disease is a major female health issue, good heart health should be every woman's concern. Since pregnancy causes excess strain on the heart and other organs, maintaining heart health while pregnant should be an even bigger priority. In addition to healthy diet and exercise habits, there are a number of ways expectant moms can keep their hearts in great shape during pregnancy. One way is to avoid stress whenever possible. Stress and anxiety increase blood pressure and heart rate, which make the heart work harder than normally. Expectant moms who suffer from increased stress and anxiety levels can find relief with the help of yoga, meditation or other relaxing activities, such as taking a warm bath or reading a book.

Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Healthy moms are more likely to have healthy babies. And while some health knowledge is learned, much of it is common sense. Expectant moms should use their best judgment when it comes to
health and lifestyle choices. For example, abstaining from drinking, smoking and other risky behaviors is the obvious choice for moms-to-be, as is eating healthy foods and taking prenatal vitamins. Making healthy choices during pregnancy can lead to a lifetime of better health for both mother and child. 



“Katie Moore has written and submitted this article. Katie is an active blogger who discusses the topics of, motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things Mommy. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people! To connect with Katie contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter, @moorekm26.”

Tuesday 6 November 2012

Pure Green Coffee Bean Extract


Pure Green Coffee Bean Extract. Lately, you might have heard of this product. It is everywhere, T.V., your local supplement store and even supermarkets. It is being labeled as a weight loss supplement. But what do you really know about it?

What is it? How does it work? Why are TV daytime hosts such as Dr. Oz promoting this supplement? And, what are the side effects?

All very good questions, ones that I’ve asked as well; when my husband brought up this product (after seeing it on the news) and wanted to try it. Here is what I have found:

What is it?
Well, Pure Green Coffee Bean Extract, is just that. Raw beans of the Coffea fruits. Coffee has been attributed for many years for weight loss factors, including studies that suggest coffee may slow down the absorption of fat from foods.

How does it work?
Great question! Well, all the research that I have done shows that if you take 2 pills once or twice a day, 30 minutes before you eat WHILE MAINTING A HEALTHY DIET AND EXCERSIE, can help slow down fat absorption so you burn it off faster, than trying to burn stored fat. This is a very new product, and isn’t promoted as a miracle drug, however in a recent study of adults who used the pure extract, lost 10% of their overall body weight and 4.4% overall body fat.

Why is Dr. Oz promoting this?
Good question. I believe (I don’t know since I’m not a personal friend with him) that he believes in this product. Most my information on the extract itself came from his site (link will be posted below). Now, he hasn’t indorsed a brand, just the extract itself. He (along with other doctors and researchers) warns you to READ THE LABEL! Make sure you are getting 100% pure green coffee bean extract (GCA or SVETOL ), don’t be fooled by the word PURE on the name. If the bottle doesn’t list the ingredients or has fillers and artificial ingredients, DON’T BUY IT!

What are the side effects?
Well, there haven’t been any serious side effects linked to the pure green coffee bean extract, because it is in the purest form. Though there is excitability and other effects from the caffeine (think about drinking a few cups of coffee). If you have an intolerance or an allergy to caffeine, are pregnant or breastfeeding, it is in your best interest to not use this product.

 After reading everything, I decided to support my husband and try this product out myself. I have read the labels and made sure we purchased 100% Svetol (a company brand of the extract) and vegetable dissolvable (for the casing of the pills). I am not interested in the Miracle Pill, as I know they do not exist. After reading MANY reviews on this supplement, I have noticed one thing most negative reviews had in common, that they believed that this would make them lose weight without changing what they eat and becoming active. When it didn’t work they blamed the supplement.
What I have noticed from the supplement, is that added energy from the caffeine. I would not advise to take it before dinner, unless you have a hardcore workout planned later in the evening. I usually take it before lunch and the energy lasts (for me) the rest of the day and into my workout (which helps during those long runs and Insanity). As for the weightloss part, well I haven't seen it yet, because I'm only on day three of this. The pills are rather expensive, so if you rather save your money and drink that cup of coffee, I would go for it! Well that is it for my review. If you would like more information on the product you can visit these sites:

Dr. Oz Green Coffee Bean
Dr. Oz Green Coffee Bean Fact Sheet
Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity journal
weightloss coffees
warning for consumers
Yahoo! News on Green Coffee Bean Extract

 

Monday 5 November 2012

Better than Take Out, Pad Thai


I found this recipe on one of my favorite sites, Skinny Ms.Slow Cooker.
If you haven’t checked it out already, I don’t know what you are waiting for, go now!

With that being said, I tried out their Better than Take Out, Pad Thai. I am going to warn you, this meal does take awhile to prepare. You first make the roast the chicken for a good 45 minutes, then (a genius idea, using spaghetti squash for noodle) bake the Spaghetti Squash for 30 minutes.

But this recipe is worth it! My whole family loved it, including my one year old son.


Ingredients
  • 4 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs (skin will be removed later)
  • 1 small spaghetti squash
  • 1/4 cup lite soy sauce, optional Bragg Liquid Aminos or Tamari
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 tbs sucant or honey
  • 1 1/2 tbs corn starch
  • 1/4 cup natural, smooth peanut butter
  • A few dashes hot sauce
  • 1/2 tbs minced garlic
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 2 cups snow peas
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots
  • pea shoots, optional
  • chopped peanuts, optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and place chicken thighs skin side up in dish. Roast for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Remove skin and bones from thighs, roughly chop and set aside.
 
Cut spaghetti squash in half and scoop out seeds. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Place spaghetti squash cut side down on baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Scrape out squash with a fork so that it resembles noodles. Combine with chicken in a large bowl.
Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Combine soy sauce, water, sucanat and corn starch until all blended together. Stir in peanut butter until combined. Stir in hot sauce and garlic and reduce heat to low. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes and keep warm.
 
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add snow peas and carrots to skillet and sauté until soft, about 7-8 minutes. Toss vegetables with squash and chicken. Stir in peanut sauce. Serve in shallow bowls and garnish with pea shoots and peanuts if desired.
 
Serves 4-6.