Sleep like a baby for pregnancy

If pregnancy complaints arekeeping you awake at night, hereare some safe solutions forback pain, leg cramps and more.

if you haven’t already heard it, eventually someone is going to tell you to sleep all you can now because you won’t be getting any rest after your baby is born. Easier said than done, right? Telling someone to“just go to sleep” is like telling someone to “just” pull a red wood tree out of the ground with his or her bare hands:It simply can’t be done. Sleep is what restores all those important connections in the brain that allow your mindand body to function at their best—something that’s doubly important when there’s a baby on board. But thanks to muscle pains, pee breaks, heartburn, hot flashes andmore, pregnant women often face big sleep challenges.

We know you don’t want to take any medications if youcan possibly avoid it. So to help, here are some ways tomake getting the rest you need a little easier.

Lie on your left side Sleeping on your side relieves stresson your back, which may be aching right about nowthanks to your growing belly. But it’s also better for yourdeveloping baby than lying flat on your back: When youdo that, the weight of your uterus compresses the bloodvessels that feed the placenta. Additionally, lying on yourleft side is better than lying on your right side because itallows more blood to flow to the uterus.

Use pillows as props If trouble breathing is keepingyou awake, use pillows to elevate your upper body. Thiswill allow your uterus to drop down, away from your diaphragm,making it easier for your lungs to inflate.Banish the bum If heartburn is a sleep stealer, elevate thehead of your bed (not just your head) by putting blocksunder the legs.

Mellow out with milk Have a small glass of warm lowfatmilk, but not after 6 p.m. (In fact, you should limit allliquids in the evening to avoid having to get up and outof bed and pee in the middle of the night.) The lactose inthe milk is a sugar; this stimulates the release of insulin,which in turn helps milk’s calming proteins like tryptophanto enter your brain.

Keep your cool The pregnant body runs hot, so if youwant to avoid waking up in a sweat, open the bedroomwindow, run a fan or ratchet up the air conditioner.

Calm cramps and kicks Many pregnant womens sleep isdisrupted by leg cramps or restless leg syndrome, whichoccurs when your leg reflexively spasms in a kickingmotion. Applying a heating pad to the area can help, ascan getting 800 micrograms of folate or folic acid a day;you can get your daily dose with a supplement or foods,such as fortified cereals and grains, spinach and lentils.

Consider safe meds Quieting pain so that you can getthe sleep you need is better for your mind and body than“toughing it out” in order to avoid taking medicine whenexpecting. Tylenol is safe to take if pain is keeping youawake. Benadryl, an antihistamine that makes manypeople sleepy, is also considered safe during pregnancy.You can also ask your doctor about taking the over-thecountermedication Unisom, which has been shown tohelp promote sleep during pregnancy. Just don’t use it formore than one week.

See shocking foods you thought ware bad for you that help you to KILL stubborn abdominal fat

The Diet Solution Program

Long-term risks to moms and babies

In many pregnancies affected by GDM, the baby absorbs the mother’sglucose and grows bigger than he or she should, and a Cesareansection is often necessary. In others, the baby is underdeveloped and has a low birth weight. Babies born to mothers with GDM may also have problems with breathing, low glucose levels or jaundice. After delivery, the mom’s blood sugar levels typically revert to normal, but according to a study of nearly 10,000 mother-child pairs, this may not be the end of the story for either mom or baby.


Researchers at Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore., and Hawaii found that the higher a mother’s blood sugar was during pregnancy, the more likely her baby would be over weight by age 7. “Quite a few studies have shown that if you’re overweightat ages 5 to 7, you’re much more likely to be overweight asan adult,” says endocrinologist Teresa Hillier, M.D., the study’s lead author. Hillier found an increased risk of childhood obesity even among GDM babies who weren’t large at birth. “To me, that suggest ssomething has been metabolically changed that allows the baby tomore easily store fat,” she says.

Among women diagnosed with GDM, 50 percent will develop typeII diabetes within five to eight years, and 70 percent to 85 percent will develop the disease during their lifetimes, says Boyd E. Metzger, M.D.,a professor of medicine and endocrinology at Northwestern UniversityFeinberg School of Medicine in Chicago (see “Life After GestationalDiabetes,” pg. 37). The National Diabetes Education Program and theAmerican College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recently joined together to state that women who have GDM (as well as their children)should be followed closely after childbirth to monitor—andminimize—their risk of developing diabetes.

In addition, a 2012 study published in the journal Circulation found that having had GDM boosted a 50-year-old woman’s 10-yearheart disease risk by 26 percent. Researchers suggest that women with GDM might need to have their blood pressure as well as their blood sugar checked more regularly as they get older.

Diet and exercise can help

A GDM diagnosis can serve as an early warning,motivating at-risk women to make permanentlifestyle changes. “Even if treatment only delays diabetes by 10 or 15 years, that’s huge,”Metzger says.Hillier found the risks to children were reduced when women with GDM were treated with diet changes, such as eating fewer sweetsand starchy foods, smaller, more frequent mealsand more fruits and vegetables; increased exercise;and, if that was insufficient, by adding medication,typically insulin. When women remained untreated, their baby’s risk of being overweight or obese at ages 5 to 7 was nearly twice as high.“But the children of women who were treatedfor GDM had no greater risk of obesity or being overweight compared with children of motherswho had normal blood sugar during pregnancy,”Hillier says. “This suggests that treating moms during pregnancy gives their babies a fightingchance for a normal metabolism.”Like Paetsch, Jennie Wolter, 32, wasshocked by a GDM diagnosis because she, too,had no obvious risk factors. “But I came to termswith it when I was assured by my health careproviders that I could manage the risks and havea healthy baby,” says Wolter, the community relations manager for a nonprofit organization inSacramento, Calif. In addition to changing her diet with the help of her midwife, a nutritionist,a nurse and a supervising OB, Wolter also creditsexercise with helping her avoid having to takeinsulin. “My team told me that blood sugar couldbe well controlled by getting some exercise aftereach meal,” she says. When Wolter delivered her8-pound, 6-ounce baby vaginally, she was only 15pounds over her prepregnancy weight—with hercaregivers’ blessing.Paetsch did need to take insulin during herpregnancy, and she credits her diet and exercisechanges for feeling better physically at that pointthan she had in a long time, for weighing about10 to 12 pounds less today than when she became pregnant and for teaching her a healthier wayto live, long-term. “Monitoring my diet was ahuge pain at the time, but I learned a lot abouthow much self-restraint I could actually have,”she says. She also learned she could fit in smallamounts of exercise throughout the day and haveit count, the way experts say it will. “GDM feltlike such a devastating diagnosis at the time,”Paetsch says, “but it was actually a bit of a blessingin disguise.”Suzanne Schlosberg is a health and fitness writerin Bend, Ore.

What parents need to know about building a brainy baby?

What’s the best way to boost your baby’s brain power?Here’s what the latest research says:

Max out cuddle time Terrie E. Inder, M.D., a neonatalneurologist at Washington University in St. Louis,studied premature babies and the amount of negativestress they incurred (mostly due to medical procedureslike shots, changing of feeding tubes, etc.). Babies withthe highest number of stressors showed the most negativechanges in frontal and temporal lobes, the portionsof the brain associated with emotional stability, planningand language. Holding and soothing a baby, though,mitigated some of the effects of stress. “The less stressand the more soothing, positive experiences—the morea parent can hold and comfort a baby—the better for thebaby’s brain development,” says Inder.

Breastfeed A Danish study published in the Journalof the American Medical Association in 2002 found thatIQ measured some 15-plus years after breastfeedingceased was strongly correlated with the duration ofbreastfeeding: The biggest gains in IQ were seen whenbabies were breastfed for up to 9 months. “We knowit’s best for brain development to breastfeed a babyexclusively for the first four to six months. After that,it’s age-appropriate foods plus breast milk until age1,” says Michael Georgieff, M.D., professor of pediatricsand a neonatal nutrition researcher at the Universityof Minnesota in Minneapolis. The second best thingto breast milk, though, may be formula with DHA andcholine. Both of these nutrients are important for braindevelopment, says Georgieff. More studies are needed,however, to understand if this addition to formula providesany long-term benefits.

Focus on the relationship A crucial foundationof intelligence is the relationship an infant has withthe people around him, says Amy Hunter, L.I.C.S.W.,assistant professor at Georgetown University Centerfor Child and Human Development in Washington, D.C.If your baby babbles or blinks at you, do it back. You’reencouraging trust, confidence and communication. Also,narrate: “Mommy is peeling a banana. The banana isyellow. I’m cutting it into pieces with a knife so you caneat it for lunch.” “It may feel ridiculous at first, but you’retalking about an experience, what’s happening next andpredicting and explaining. This helps your baby developlanguage skills and make other valuable brain connections,”says Hunter, — victoria clayton

Back to School: Healthy Breakfast and Lunch Recipes for Your Kids

School may have started for your kids, or it may be just around the corner. That means it’s time to start thinking about giving your kids a nutritional edge with the food you feed them! If your kids are like most, they are probably really busy once the school year rolls around with activities, homework, friends, and other obligations. With such a busy schedule, it’s easy to let nutrition give way to convenience, so it’s understandable why so many give into the temptations of school breakfasts and lunches. Still, with a little planning and minimal preparation, you can provide healthy, homemade breakfasts and lunches for your kids that fit well within their busy lives and yours.

WHY IT MATTERS

Nutritional status is linked to multiple performance aspects of a child’s life. Some of those aspects are obvious, such as energy levels. Others have become clear through studies.

• A 2010 case study evaluated the Healthy Kids, Smart Kids program at Browns Mill Elementary School in Georgia. The program promoted nutrition and physical activity, and researchers tracked kids’ performance between the years of 1995 and 2006. During the studied period, counseling and disciplinary referrals declined while standardized test scores improved after the program’s implementation.
• Multiple studies have linked skipping breakfast to poor learning outcomes.
• A 2010 study showed a correlation between a high fat, high sugar, high processed food diet and lower IQ scores in children at 8 years of age.

These are but a few of the many nutrition and learning outcome studies that point to the conclusion that kids who eat healthy meals are likely to experience better academic performance.

BEYOND CEREAL – BETTER BREAKFASTS FOR KIDS

There’s no doubt school mornings can be chaos, but there’s plenty you can do to ensure your children have something healthy on board before they head out the door. The ideal breakfast is quick, healthy, and plant-based. Of course, you can always give your kids a Glowing Green Smoothie for breakfast, at least as part of breakfast. It is amazing for children.  Here are some other options to try.

Nutty Carob Power Shake

Carob doesn’t have caffeine like cacao does.

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• ½ banana
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened carob powder
• 1 ounce raw almonds
• Stevia to taste

Blend all ingredients together in a blender until creamy.

Chia Acai Smoothie

• 1 tablespoons of chia
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 packet frozen acai smoothie package
• 1 cup almond milk

1. Soak chia in water overnight in refrigerator.
2. Add chia gel, banana, acai and almond milk to a blender and mix well.

Banana Breakfast Wrap

• 1 sprouted whole grain tortilla
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond butter
• 1 banana, diced

1. Spread almond butter on tortilla.
2. Top with bananas and roll.

Hearty Breakfast Quinoa

• 1 cup quinoa, soaked and cooked
• 2 tablespoons of your favorite dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, blueberries, etc.)
• Dash sea salt
• Cinnamon or grated nutmeg to taste
• Stevia to taste
• 1 cup almond milk

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.
2. Heat over medium heat until liquid is absorbed.

QUICK, HEALTHY LUNCHES

These lunches are easy to prepare the night before and send to school with your kids.

Zucchini Hummus and Veggies 

• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
• ½ teaspoon cumin seed
• Dash sea salt
• Your favorite vegetables.

Combine all ingredients (except vegetables) in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth. Serve with cut vegetables or spread on a pita wrap or gluten-free bread along with veggies.

Quinoa Pasta Salad

• 1 cup quinoa rotini pasta, cooked, drained, and cooled
• ½ sweet red pepper, chopped
• 1 green onion, chopped
• ½ tomato, seeded and chopped
• ½ zucchini, chopped
• ½ cucumber chopped
• 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon organic lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Dash sea salt
• Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

1. Mix pasta, pepper, onion, tomato, zucchini, cucumber and parsley.
2. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour over salad. Toss to mix.

California Veggie Wrap

• 1 sprouted grain, gluten-free tortilla
• ½ avocado
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Dash sea salt
• ¼ cup baby spinach
• ½ cup carrots, peeled and shredded
• ½ tomato, chopped
• ¼ cup spicy sprouts
• ½ red bell pepper, sliced

1. Combine avocado, lemon juice and sea salt in a small bowl. Lightly mash with a fork.
2. Spread mashed avocado on tortilla.
3. Top with spinach, carrots, tomato, sprouts, and pepper.
4. Roll and cut in half.

OTHER LUNCH BOX ADDITIONS

Along with the recipes above, you can add the following to your kids’ lunches:

• Bugs on a log (celery sticks with almond butter and raisins)
• Coconut yogurt
• Seasonal fruit kabobs
• Leftovers
• Veggie soups in a thermos
• Kale chips
• Veggies and salsa
• Fruit salad
• Brown rice and beans
• Raw almonds or seeds
• Homemade trail mix

WHAT NOT TO PUT IN YOUR KIDS’ LUNCHBOX

In order to give your kids the healthiest possible foods, avoid the following common lunch items:

• Cheese
• Breads containing wheat
• Candy
• Commercial granola bars
• Commercial fruit snacks
• Juice boxes
• Dairy yogurt
• Milk
• Potato chips
• Processed meats like bologna or hot dogs
• Soft drinks and energy drinks
• Fast processed snacks like Lunchables or packaged cheese and crackers

[Infographic] The Long-Term Effects of That Fast Food Meal

No matter where you live, the Fast Food Machine (FFM) will try to get you. They want you, me and everyone that ever eats a meal (yeah, in other words everyone!) or has a dollar in their pocket to support their ever-expanding empire, which is built on a sickening foundation of the cheapest, most processed “food” that contributes to myriad diseases and sickness.
So what I propose to do here is to start you thinking, really thinking, about the implications of every fast food meal. Some will say “Everything in moderation,” but I say not so with fast food. Each fast food meal digests to leave hormones, steroids, next-to-impossible to digest oils, cheap refined sugars and so many other horrible substances in your body that we made a whole infographic (below) on the subject.

Please share this with friends and family members that eat fast food