5 pregnancy myths exposed

It never ceases to amaze me how much mis-information there is out there about staying healthy and active during pregnancy. Enough is enough - it's time to debunk some of the common pregnancy health and fitness myths:

"I'm pregnant (or wanting to get pregnant) - there's no point watching the waistline now". BUSTED. The weight a woman is as she enters her pregnancy is a strong indicator of her risk of getting gestational diabetes. But even beyond the effects in pregnancy, research shows a strong link between a mother's weight and her child's risk of a lifetime battle with the bulge and type 2 diabetes.

"Exercising while pregnant? It might do more harm than good". BUSTED. In fact, research over time has shown that women who exercise during pregnancy tend to have reduced weight gain, more rapid weight loss after pregnancy, improved mood and better sleep patterns. Some recent studies have also shown a lower induction rate and a faster labour in women who exercise regularly during pregnancy.

Smoking: cutting down is "good enough"  BUSTED. The latest Aussie health statistics show the ugly truth - around a quarter of women who are pregnant or breastfeeding smoke regularly.  If you continue to smoke you're increasing your risk of giving birth to an underweight baby, which in turn, increases the risk of the baby becoming more stressed during birth, resulting in a complicated delivery. So the best thing you can do for you and your baby's long-term health, is to quit smoking for good!

Drink up your coffee, too much is never enough! BUSTED. Research shows drinking two strong cups of coffee a day could double the risk of a miscarriage. As with most things, moderation is the key - stick to one cup of moderate strength coffee a day or try a decaf option.

'I'm eating for two now'.  BUSTED. How many times have you heard this one? You need nutrients for two, rather than eating for two as you're not eating for two full-size adults. Eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables and include a mix of essential fatty acids (EFA), high quality protein, and low GI carbohydrates at every meal. For more free tips on the do's and don'ts of pregnancy and exercise contact us today.

It's time to worship the green goddess

Looking for a way to get more veggies in your day? Try this fabulous green goddess which is packed full of iron, protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and calcium! Unfortunately, my kids didn't like it (they prefer carrot, apple and celery), but I think they were put off by it's green colour. It really does taste good and yes, that's me and I did drink it :-)

How to make it
Cut and juice the following ingredients:
100g Kale
100g Broccoli
1 large stick of celery
1 green (Granny Smith) appleEnjoy straight away!

Lessons from NYC: everyone's a winner baby ain't that the truth

It's not long now until some very motivated Mums will be lacing up their shoes to do the New York City Marathon (go Ruth and Cathy!). As a running Mum myself (who did the famous race two years ago) I can't help feeling a tingle of excitement. Why?

It's the mecca for marathoners. And it's often the no. 1 running destination on a runner's 'bucket list'. The most famous 42.195 km race in the world through all five boroughs of New York is considered the peak of all marathons. The course does have its pitfalls (the long wait at the start line in Staten Island for one, the difficult course and the hilly finish in Central Park) but the 2 million people that line the streets to cheer sure do make it easier.

Just getting to the start line in NYC or any marathon is an achievement. But you don't have to run a marathon to test yourself.

Your health goal may be to drop a dress size, complete something that you've always started but never finished, or part of a long term plan to lead by example for your children. When you challenge yourself, and push the boundaries, you know what it means to be alive. And you appreciate what you have. 

Me - after finishing the NYC marathon in 2011

Exercising with others is motivational and inspiring. Everyone has their own story. I've trained with women of all shapes and sizes. Some running to beat cancer, depression, or 'move on' from marriage breakdowns. And some like Mum-of-three - who couldn't walk around the block a year ago - but is now running effortlessly for 30 minutes straight. Just hanging around with women like this is inspirational and makes you appreciate what you have. Hell, if they can do it - why can't you?

Set tangible goals for yourself. Before you start on a new training program decide what it is that you want to achieve and why it's so important to you. Just saying 'to lose weight and get fit' isn't enough of a motivator to get you out of bed in the morning, but maybe 'to run a 5km race and raise $2,000 for breast cancer research' is.

But don't rely on motivation alone to get you moving. Don't wait around for someone or something to motivate you to put your runners on and get out the front door. Sometimes you just have to ACT NOW.

Running isn't for everyone but do something that you enjoy! Cycle, swim, hike through the bush, rollerblade, play soccer with your kids. It doesn't matter what you do, as long as you enjoy it. If you do, chances are you'll continue to do it and get fitter in the process.

To paraphrase an 18th century German writer and philosopher Goethe, 'inspiration has a genius of its own. If you have a good idea, do it NOW'.

Top exercise to shape your butt - the clam

Most women have a love-hate relationship with this pilates exercise which shapes and tones the hips and thighs. But more importantly, "the clam" teaches pelvic stability as the leg rotates inward and outward at the hip.

So lie on your side and get ready for the clam!

How?

• Keep your hips and shoulders in a straight line. Bend your knees so that your thighs are at a 90 degree angle to your body.
• Rest your head on your top arm, and stretch out overhead, or bent, whichever is more comfortable. Make sure that your neck is long so that your head is not tipped back or tucked forward.
• Bend your top arm and place your hand on the floor in front of your chest for extra stability if you need to.
• Stack your hips directly on top of each other vertically. Do the same with your shoulders. Use your deep abdominal muscles to keep this alignment throughout the exercise.
• Keep your big toes together as you slowly open your top knee (only as far as you can go keeping your hips in alignment).

• Slowly bring your knee back to the start position.  Complete two sets of  up to 15 repetitions - make sure you change sides!

Too easy?

Once you've mastered the basic clam (keeping your hips in correct alignment), you can try elevating your feet off the floor.

Top time sanity savers

Stressed out? Slow down...and blow a raspberry

We all have days when stress takes its toll.

Perhaps you've been up and down with your baby all night, or your four-year-old has already asked you 95 questions and it's only 7.30am...the house really does look as if a bomb has gone off inside, and you're rushing 'round like crazy (as usual) to hang out the washing while kid wrangling so you can get to school and childcare...oh dear..late for work again...you're just at that tipping point, but don't worry, walking out the door now. Nope. The baby's just done another poo.
And then you just lose it.

OK so maybe you can't control all the chaos around you, but there are a few things you can do to cut down on stress and use what time you do have more efficiently. Here's some top time sanity savers for Mums:

• The best way to save time, is to plan your time. Write a list of your low priorities (what you do now that you could stop doing) and high priorities (what you really have to do each day). How can you make time to be physically active? (can you get out early in the morning before the kids wake up? Put your gear out the night before so it's ready when you get up). What's really important to you, and what can you cross off your list to make way for the things that you enjoy?
  
• To make time to eat healthy meals: use a kitchen whiteboard to create a weekly dinner menu. Write up the dinners planned and shop accordingly. It saves half the battle at 'arsenic' hour in the evening when everyone's tired. And you save time and money popping in and out to the supermarket – kids in tow - buying things that you don't really need!
  
• Shop in bulk, make up and freeze meals in advance. Then all you have to do is defrost overnight in the fridge and re-heat at dinner time.
  
• Organise your surroundings - it will make you feel lighter, more energised and in control. If you have time before your baby is born, have a good spring clean and sort out the house from top to bottom.
  
• Trade childcare with a friend in the same situation. This gets easier as your children get older. Babysitting swaps are also good so you and your partner can get out on a date (a lunch date if dinner is out of the question!)

• One of the biggest sanity savers is simply to recognise that things will happen that are out of your control (like when the baby vomits on you while heading out the door to work). It may hard to see the funny side of this at the time, but sometimes the best thing you can do is laugh (even if it sounds hysterical). And remember, your children are little for such a short time. So slow down, take your time, give them a hug and blow a big raspberry. It will take the stress out of the situation, make you feel better and remind yourself what's really important.
  
  
  Have you got any tried and true sanity savers that you'd like to share? We'd love to hear them!