Food | Greens for the mama & the toddler

I've been reading up on health, nutrition and fitness like a mad woman lately. I've been collecting green juice recipes over the past week and finally got to try one yesterday after my workout. This recipe is actually recommended for people who suffer from acne, so if that's you, you must try it! As for me, I was hoping it would give my iron levels a boost, since I think I might be anemic. And of course, my skin could most certainly use a little help.

1 Lemon

1/2 c. Parsley

Chopped 1 rib of celery

2 big handfuls of spinach

1 pince of peeled ginger

1 medium cucumber

This makes 16 oz. of juice/smoothie

Naturally, I forgot to buy celery when I was at the store, so I made it without, and just added a bit of water, since my blender really struggles unless there's enough liquid. Otherwise, I kept it just about like the recipe says. I was afraid of what it would taste like, but it really just tasted very lemony, which is just fine by me. And next time I think I'll use a bit more ginger, because I couldn't really taste it.

A note on the lemon: Most places I've read say that lemons (as well as limes) should be juiced whole. I cut the yellow skin off, though, because I didn't think my blender would be able to handle it. The white of citrus fruits is very nutritious, though, so I tried to keep as much of that on as possible.

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think! Do you have any favorite green juice recipes?


**UPDATE: this woman knows far more about juicing than I do. So glad she posted about it this morning!

And what about the toddler? Well, he will finally eat something green. This is a huge triumph in our house, and you'd better believe that cucumbers will be on my grocery list every week, without fail. The only problem is convincing him that eating them is even more fun than playing with them...

P.S. This juice recipe and others for acne found here.

Food | The Hungry for Change Film

Watch this film for free until March 31st: 

Hungry for Change

Friends, I just watched this and thought it was simply fabulous. I can't wait to start working on improving my diet. Hope you'll take time to watch the free online premiere!

Pregnant | "Baby needs protein!"

I had my 2nd prenatal appointment on Tuesday and I talked with the midwife about my weight and nutrition concerns. It is so amazing to be able to sit down with someone and talk about how to gain only the healthy and necessary weight, and also what I should pay closer attention to in my diet.

We went through the list of things that I ate and drank the day before, and she noticed that I probably didn't have enough protein in my diet. We don't eat much meat, so this wasn't surprising to me, but did you know that you need 3 servings the size of a deck of cards of protein each day? She suggested that I try introducing more beans and nuts. I love trail mix, so honey, I'm there. I also plan to be more dilligent about making hard boiled eggs. I love eating them plain, and it's such a good, quick snack that's packed with protein. We're going to be traveling early Friday morning, so in an effort to get some protein-filled snacks for the road, I bought a nut and cranberry trail mix and some summer sausage. Okay, probs not the lowest calorie way to get protein, but hey! It's for the road, and road snacks are rarely that healthy. I don't actually plan on getting my daily protein from a brick of sausage.

So my new mantra is "Baby needs protein!" Cody just laughs.

I also confided in her that I have a serious problem saying no to sweet things, especially hot chocolate these days. This was her brilliant no-calorie replacement idea:

Favorite Herbal Tea

+

Stevia

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Fat-free half and half

It gives you a warm, sweet, creamy drink without the calories! I can't wait to try it. Since I didn't have the Stevia or half and half, I got home and made a cup of black tea with a little milk. Definitely the next best thing.

Do you have any low-to-no calorie snack ideas?

P.S. I also found out that if you're a back sleeper, you can keep sleeping on your back so long as it's not uncomfortable, and then when it becomes uncomfortable, all you need to do is prop a pillow under your left hip to put you at a tilt. Praise the Lord! I am going to sleep so much better this time around.

Cloth vs. Disposable Diapers

photo credit

If I weren't already convinced that I should be using cloth diapers, these posts would change my mind in a jiffy. I'm so thankful for all of the research so many moms do, and the resources they provide to help new moms and dads cloth diaper with ease.

Are Disposable Diapers Really That Bad?
Why Choose Cloth Diapers: Health Reasons

I hope you take the time to read these, and that you find them to be helpful and inspiring, as I did! If you are curious about cloth diapering, I'd love to help answer any questions you may have. I'm new to it, but have really enjoyed it, and love talking with other moms/moms-to-be about this alternative to disposables.

P.S. Watch for a post coming soon about wool diaper covers/soakers. I'm so excited to share this alternative to plastic covers with you!

Drastic measures

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So, I kind of feel like doing something challenging in the diet department. Like, raw foods only. Or for me, that probs would mean, raw foods plus a few basics like milk, bread, salmon, frozen veggies, homemade (non-cream) soups, and my favorite breakfast treat: muesli. I honestly don't want to do something that is going to take a lot of brain power to figure out if I'm getting all the nutrients that I need or something that will incur a lot of food expense.

Basically, the idea would be to cut out as many processed, preservative-infused items, and see how I feel in a month. Have you ever tried something like this? My dad has been avoiding anything with processed sugars in it for several months now and has been feeling great, and losing a lot of weight. And beside the obvious health benefits, I think it's so good to try things like this because it makes you so much more aware of what you put into your body, and aware of how dependent we can be mentally and emotionally on food.