Top 5 Nutrition Tips for a Perfect Pregnancy Profile!

Ever wonder how some mums to be have a perfect neat bump without piling on pregnancy poundage anywhere else? You know the ones, you see them from behind in the supermarket and you wouldn’t even know they were pregnant, then they turn around and, hey presto, there’s a perfect neat bump!
Is it to do with their body type? Well in some cases yes. We’ve all got a friend who can eat whatever she likes, never exercise, (apart from on the dance floor), and not put on an ounce, whilst we struggle to maintain our figures on high protein, low GI diets and an exercise regime that would scare the marines, but thankfully these skinny minnies are in the minority. Most of us fall into the category of watch what you eat and exercise regularly and your body will obey. Indulge one too many times and you’ll pay the price in those skinny jeans!
The same applies in pregnancy. It’s amazing just how many women will use pregnancy as an excuse to “take a break” from their healthy lifestyle, just because they know they’re going to get bigger anyway. In fact someone close to me said to me in the early stages of my pregnancy, “this is the only time you get to eat whatever you like and not worry about it!”. I was amazed as she had just had a baby herself and was struggling to lose her pregnancy weight a year on. Didn’t she realise that the more you put on in pregnancy the more you have to lose after?
So here are my top 5 tips to make sure you keep your sexy mama figure through pregnancy and pop back into shape quickly afterwards:
1. Eat small meals little and often – yes I know you’ve heard this one a million times before, but it’s important. For one it’s even more important in pregnancy to keep your blood sugar stable to avoid feeling exhausted, faint or sick. Two; small meals mean you won’t feel bloated and uncomfortable or suffer with indigestion and heartburn. Three; if your blood sugar is stable you won’t go rushing for the chocolate in a desperate bid to get your sugar levels back up quickly. Stable blood sugar = No sugar cravings.
2. Avoid processed food – all those chemicals, preservatives and stabilisers just aren’t any good for you or baby, not to mention all the hidden sugar and salt. Processing denatures food and kills off the nutrients so that the nutritional value of a processed food versus a natural product is virtually nil. What that means to you is that you will have to eat a lot more processed food to provide your baby, and your body, with the nutrients it needs to function properly and feed the growing life inside you. Eat all natural and you won’t feel the need to eat nearly as much food to satisfy your body’s nutritional needs.
3. Eat lots of fibrous fruit and veg – pregnancy brings with it the joys of constipation so make sure it doesn’t become a pain in the proverbial by including a big variety of fruit and vegetables in your diet. Aim to eat fruit and vegetables of all colours in the spectrum to provide you with a balance of vitamins and minerals and try to include more of the high fibre fruit and veg, such as apples, pears, berries, clemetines, broccoli, cauliflower, leafy greens etc.
4. Avoid all sugar – Sugar, dextrose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, beet sugar, it all does the same thing. Creates an aggressive insulin response. Insulin is your fat storing hormone. The higher the insulin response the more fat you’ll store. So eat added sugar = store more fat. All food contains sugar so there’s no need to add it to anything.
5. Eat protein with every meal – protein is essential for the cellular growth and development of your baby. It is also necessary for the placenta, amniotic and maternal tissues and the 50% increase in blood volume that accompanies pregnancy. Not only that but protein also makes you feel fuller for longer, and doesn’t create an aggressive insulin response, meaning that you won’t be craving a sugar fix an hour after eating.
If you follow these simple rules you should find that you only put on what’s necessary during your pregnancy in order to support you and your growing baby. A healthy weight gain is between 24 – 34 lbs over the course of your pregnancy. That’s roughly just over ½ pound / week. You’ll also find it a lot easier to return to your pre-pregnancy size afterwards if you’re already eating a healthy and balanced diet.

Sun, sand and surf! Holiday tips for pregnancy

I've just returned from a very relaxing week on holiday with Carl. During your second trimester it's a good idea to book a holiday. You are safe to fly up until 28 weeks, at which time you'll need a doctor's note. As the second trimester should see you feeling more vibrant, healthy and energetic, it's the perfect time to take a break and really enjoy it without the drag of fatigue or morning sickness. Also you're not too big at this stage so you should still feel quite comfortable in the heat.

I would advise getting to check in as early as possible so you can ask for a seat near the toilet and with extra legroom. If you're peeing often, (who isn't at this stage!), it might be an idea to get an aisle seat so you don't have to disturb anyone if you're getting up frequently.

Carl and I were in Ibiza for a friends wedding which was beautiful. Yours truly was bridesmaid and the ceremony, setting, food and company was amazing. The bride cried and my bottom lip started to tremble but I managed to hold it in!

Now Ibiza is probably the last place you would associate with a quiet relaxing holiday but I booked us into a resort called Santa Eulalia. No clubs, just a gorgeouus marina with million pound yachts moored up, lots of nice restaurants and a beach. We hired a car for the week and made the most of it, visiting a different beach on the island every day. My favourite beach was Ses Aigues Blancos, literal translation, clear waters. It was a local beach with all spanish and a couple of nudists on it, (no that is not why it was my favourite!). The water was amazingly clear and as I love the sea I spent most of the day happily splashing around in the sea while Carl sunbathed.

We also visited the famous hippy market which is one of my favourite places on the island. It was just as good as I remembered it and I bought a beautiful silk dress for the bargain price of 33 Euros.

We spent our last night having tapas at a Spanish street cafe in Ibiza town. We wandered round the shops and night stalls, (the best time to go shopping in Ibiza is around 8pm when everything comes alive), and all too soon it was over. I was particularly sad as I knew this was the last holiday we would have as a couple. Not that I'm not excited to be having my little boy - on the contrary, I can't wait, but still, it was the end of an era of doing exactly as we pleased, without having to put someone elses needs above our own constantly.

We flew back into a grey Bristol on Monday afternoon and spent the evening doing washing ready for Carl to go back to work at 530am on Tuesday morning.

After a wonderful week in the sun and eating ice-creams every day, it's now time to get back on my healthy eating plan and back in the gym! Goodbye indulgence, hello sexy pregnant mama. Luckily I didn't gain a thing on holiday - must've been all the swimming and walking we did. Plus it was so hot I didn't want to eat much anyway. The first day back I was so tired I mostly slept but then it was back to routine. Wednesday night I went for my first swimming lesson, Thursday was legs day at the gym and today, Friday was upper body. Tommorow I'm teaching classes and Sunday I plan to go practise my swimming. My body feels better for it and I know I was feeling a little out of synch on holiday for the lack of structured exercise. So I guess in a way it's good to be back. Just a shame I couldn't bring the beaches and the sunshine with me!

Thai Beef Salad Recipe

I love thai food. I find the flavours and ingredients so fragrant and healthy. I recently went out for dinner with my family to my favourite thai restaurant in Bristol and had Yam Nua, a spicy salad with wonderfully hot, fresh and sour flavours. I'd forgotten about this dish but it's something I lived on when I was in Thailand travelling a few years back and it inspired me to make my own version.

Now traditionally you are supposed to use sugar in it to balance the hot and sour flavours but I wanted to keep mine as healthy as possible.

Salad:

Sirloin / Rib Eye Steak (400g )
2 medium tomatoes diced/ 12 cherry tomatoes quatered
1/2 a large cucumber peeled and diced
4 shallots diced / 4 spring onion
Handful of chopped mint (fresh)
Handful of chopped coriander (fresh)

Dressing:

1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
2 1/2tbspn lime juice
2 bird's eye chillies
1 red chilli
2 cloves garlic
1tsp lemongrass paste (optional)
1tspn agave syrup

To Serve:

Salad leaves

Grill or griddle the steak and remove from pan. Leave to rest for 5 mins then slice thinly.

Pound the garlic with the chillies and mix with the rest of the dressing ingredients.

Mix the salad ingredients in a bowl and toss well with the dressing. Spoon onto plate lined with a bed of salad leaves and serve.

Elimination day 3 and finally a cure for pregnancy acne!

Well this last week has been hectic to say the least. I finally moved home on the weekend and it's great to be back. Although I can't get used to not having to go to work. Think that may take a while!

Now that I'm home I've gone back on Elimination and it's been great. I'm loving it and the fact that I have the kitchen at my dispoal any time I want makes it sooooo easy!

Today is day 3 and it's been an absolute breeze! My body is loving it and my pregnancy acne has practically gone, (although I think that also has loads to do with the fact I'm no longer living in a cupboard, sleeping on a sofabed and completely stressed out all the time!).

The great thing about elimination is that the more often you do it the easier it gets. You know exactly what to eat, you have loads of recipes in mind that are quick and easy and I actually really look forward to my meals. I love that I'm doing the best for my baby and I'm sure tadpole is appreciating it too!

I'm still craving fruit like crazy but I'm sure that probably won't change.

For those of you who are still sceptical about elimination and the restrictive nature of the diet here's what I've eaten over the last 3 days:

Thai beef salad
Chicken Curry
Masala mincemeat and peas
Banana eggs
Muesli
Yogurt
Fruit of all colours!
Fudge walnut bounce balls (protein snack - all natural ingredients)
Loads of veggies done every way!

Tommorow I'm making blackberry muffins, yummy!

The only thing I'm struggling with is finding a raw milk supply near me. There's loads of farms seeing as I'm out in the West Country so I think I'll just get in the car and drive and see what I find!

The one week quitter!

A few weeks ago I had a client quit, after just 6 days. Now it's a rare occurance to have a client quit and especially so early on in the programme. Not because I'm blowing my own trumpet about how great a trainer I am, but because the consultation process usually weeds them out so they don't start in the first place.

Without going into too much detail the consultation process we use here at the studios really gets down to the core of a person's motivation and commitment and if they're not willing to give 100% then we don't accept them as a client.

Anyway, so here was this great client, raring to go and all fired up. I gave her strict advice on the nutrition, training, hydration, sleep cycles and homework that she would have to do for the next 30 days and she was ready to give it her all.

And she did!

For 6 days.

I had a message over the holiday weekend saying she was struggling and when I saw her the following week she told me the programme wasn't working for her and she wanted to quit.

Why?

Well in her mind she had a very good reason. She'd been trying really hard, eating everything she was supposed to, doing her homework and training with me, (we had almost 2 sessions), but she hadn't lost any weight. To add to the distress, she'd put on 1cm.

Now 6 days is no time to be able to assess anything. Detoxing the body can have many different effects and cause varying symptoms in the first 10 days. If you do find you are feeling bloated there are several things that may be causing this.

Possible causes of initial bloating during detox

Bloating due to the initial reaction to toxins being released
Hormonal fluctuations - particularly if there are existing hormonal imbalances or sensitivties
Initial water retention due to release of toxic load into the body's extracellular environment
Hydration levels
Food sensitivity - in particular: raw food, higher fibre foods, new foods
Lack of sleep
Altered glucose sensitivity
Stressor reponse

The list goes on..

So what I'm saying is, with any change in lifestyle you need to give your body time to adjust and settle. The body is a cybernetic organism. That means there are many different systems that work synergistically. If any one, (or all) of these systems undergo a dramatic change it will affect the entire balance of the body. So not only do you need time to clean the body up you also need time for it to rebalance and settle into it's new routine.

This will take a minimum of 10 days to clean up and at least 30 days to adequately assess how the body is responding to different stressors, be they exercise, diet, rest, hydration, hormonal....

So please, don't be too impatient when starting something positive. 6 days of a new lifestyle may seem like an age to you, but think of it in relative terms. If you've been putting rubbish into your body for months/years then even 30 days is a very small comparison.

My birthday, the Queen and a lot of food.....

The mayday weekend is always the first bank holiday of the year in the UK, where we get a long weekend with Monday off of work! It also happens to fall on my birthday almost every year. My Birthday is the 6th May, (today, yippee!), so I always celebrate over the entire 3 day break.

Yes you got it, I love my birthday and make the most of it by claiming from Friday to whatever day it falls on that, "it's my birthday!". This, however, turns into a bit of an excuse to eat and drink whatever I want, because....,"it's my birthday!".

This year was no different, and I probably gave myself even more leeway than normal, "because I'm pregnant". (Don't worry not using that one evey day!).

Friday turned out to be a bit of a disaster as I had planned to have dinner with my dad and boyfriend that evening after doing a favour for a friend. Unfortunately the favour turned into a bit of a nightmare. My friend works for a big name hairdressers and needed a model for a show, so I agreed I would be the model. We arranged that she would cut and colour my hair, early Friday evening before I went out.

What started well and was supposed to takle only a couple of hours turned into a 5 hour nightmare, with me obviously having to cancel my birthday plans with my dad. I'd been at work since 7am, drove straight back from London to the hairdressers and finally left there about 9:45 pm that evening.

I was not best pleased as you can imagine. And starving. And in the bad books with my boyfriend.

Got back to my dad's and it was too late to eat anything so just had half a tin of rice pudding that was in the cupboard and went to bed upset.

Woke up feeling, much better but still upset I hadn't seen my boyfrined yet. Had a good breakfast and then went off to do some birthday shopping in town. Stopped in the supermarket and bought lots of healthy salad stuff and had a good lunch.

I carried on in this vein that evening at my birthday dinner with friends and had a chicken salad and two glasses of wine. So all good!

Then Sunday came and those two glasess of wine hit you when you're pregnant! Woke up feeling tired and queasy but ate my yoghurt and fruit and felt slightly better. Carl and I went to the market and there was the sweetie stall!

During this pregnancy I have turned into sweetie monster! It was always chocolate before but I'm off that now and just love sweets! I picked at a few then we stopped and shared a mincemeat curry, (lush!).

3 hours later I was picking again and had some aubergine pakora that we'd bought earlier from the Indian stall and a chocolate dessert thing.

Then, we were out for dinner that evening with my mum! We went thai and I tried to stay good and had the thai beef salad and a little rice. ALL GOOD SO FAR!

Then the dessert menu came out and I had to have lemon meringue ice cream!

Still stuffed when I got in I managed to eat a piece of cornish fudge.

Monday after a healthy breakfast we went shopping for my new camcorder, (it's really cool!). I had to go into MacDonalds for the toilet and came out with large fries and a chocolate milkshake!

AGGGGGHHHH!

I didn't realise how much all that was till I wrote it down - I'm so glad birthdays are only once a year! I wonder how the queen manages to stay trim..she has two!!

My first scan! (...oh and me, my IBS and my midwife)

Yippee, yippee! I had my first scan and it was sooooo cool!!

I did not know you could see so much! It even had a zoom in feature so I got a close up of my little tadpole, (gotta think of a new name, it's so not a tadpole anymore!)

Anyway, he/she was very active and was waving at the camera and spinning around. It was so exciting and I feel so much closer to my bump now that I've seen it is real!

I'm so excited now about moving home, it's only 4 weeks and I'll be out of this place and back where I belong. The thing I'm looking forward to most, (apart from being free from stress), is the fact that I'll be able to get my nutrition back on track.

Whilst I've been in London I've been working some serious hours. My first client is at 7am and my last is either finished at 8/9pm every day bar Friday. What this means is that when I get home I force myself to eat something but have no time or inclination to prepare food for the next day. Unfortunately we don't have a fridge at work so I end up buying and eating 3 meals plus snacks at work.

I try and stay healthy but often the cost of buying all my meals from local cafes restricts how much I eat. Therefore, I often end up going whole days with just 1 proper meal and then snacking on clementines, raw veg and hoummus. Considering my job as a personal trainer and lifestyle coach this is just not acceptable! I would have serious words with any client of mine who did that.

My IBS has really been flaring up lately, (Kathleen, I hear you on the gassy lady bit!), and I know that when I don't eat regularly my stomach will go haywire. Cramps, bloating and pain are not fun. So roll on the end of May when I'll be back to my normal healthy diet of organic meat, lots of veggies, gluten free and organic muesli and bread and no processed cr*p!

I have started today:

Brekkie: Live yoghurt, gluten free organic muesli, grapes

Lunch: Spinach, watercress and rocket salad with smoked mackerel fillet, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and coleslaw

Was all going well until I had to go to my booking appointment with my midwife and she made me down a bottle of Lucozade. Agh, the sugar! Unfortunately I couldn't argue as she needed to do some tests on my blood sugars.

I am now feeling the consequence, I'm bloated and gassy again. For pete's sake people! Please let me eat normally!