My Future Trim Healthy Mama Pregnancy And More (For a HG Mom)

This morning I woke up with my first menses since about 28-29 months ago. That's being pregnant and nursing our last child. A month ago or so I stopped night time nursing. I needed my sleep back desperately, and I knew once I stopped it would be only a matter of weeks until I started ovulating again. So here I am!

Fertile. Fertile.

What does this mean to an "HG mom"? (Hyperemesis Gravidarum to those who do not know is Extreme pregnancy sickness) It means that it's time to stop slacking in numerous ways and start putting my armor and arsenal on. It all comes down to health, basically. Nutritious foods, good habits, sleep in the bank, etc.

What are some changes that I need to start like, YESTERDAY? Let me map it out for you, but also I'm mapping this our for myself as a reminder.

Diet

Don't do's

• No sugar. I have to be aware of and avoid hidden sugars. 
• No unsprouted wheat, and very little sprouted ones.
• No white rice or white potatoes.
• No caffeine, coffee, and consume very little home made Skinny Chocolate. I just packed away my "Keurig"... sigh*
• No heated oils. Using the good oils as salad dressings etc.
• No processed foods. No junk!

Do do's (ha ha!)

• Increase fermented foods, sauerkraut, pickles, ACV, probiotics, kefir, kombucha tea, etc
• Increase vegetables, especially leafy greens. Last pregnancy I was able to juice vegetables more than I could eat them, and it helped me a lot. 
• Keep hydrated. I know I love me GGMS', but I need to start loving plain old water as well. I've heard that natural spring water makes a bigger difference than filtered water. I gotta check this claim out.
• Eat according to the Trim Healthy Mama plan. You can find more about it HERE
• Supplementation. I am seeing a Naturapathic Dr, getting tested for everything to see where my body is at, and we will be supplementing on what needs addressing. Exciting times, indeed! I've never been so thoroughly checked!
• We will be investing in organic and ethical foods, when possible. $$$!! I know.

Surroundings

• We need to empty our home from like...everything, basically! This is the time to either give away or box-up most of it. Let's put on our "stage the house" mode, and pretend we need to depersonalize the home for selling. There will be no time to do this while (Lord willing I am not!) under the nausea of HG. 
• Simplify homeschool to nearly a complete self-led study. We will be signing the kids up for mathseeds.com and ixl.com, raz-kids.com, brainpop and brainpopjr.com. Hubby will be prepared to take over some of the schooling, especially in the beginning.
• Now or never is the time to focus on "attitude" with the children. They do their chores, but when I am out of action- they need to do these without being asked. Rewards system, ready-set-go! A wall chart will help them keep their progress and goals visual.
• Getting a pair of "walkie-talkies", check! The best purchase EVER. No more struggled whimper yells. "Purple leader calling for red-leader. Over."
• Cooking 20-30 freezer meals for my family. Stocking up the freezer and pantry with portioned healthy snacks and ready P&J, and cheese&deli sandwiches. I need to get my thinking cap on...menu planning, here I come!
• Letting go of commitments. All the "extras" that my family and I can live without.
• For me, a mini fridge next to my bed is a must. 
• Create  "A Family Binder". Gather all the information of everything you or your family -or babysitter, aunt, friend, should have and put it in a binder. Make it accessible, pretty and simple. Telephone numbers, links, chores and menu list, manuals, recipes, instructions etc. Whatever you feel is important for the possible times that you are out of action.
• Stocking up on good quality protein powder and collagen. 

Habits etc

• Start taking daily epsom salt baths.
• Praying as a couple for my womb and for my pregnancy.
• Meditate on scripture and prayer.
• Going to bed on time. If I get into bed by 9 p.m, it gives my thoughts and body time to settle into sleep mode. I can spend my time in bed reading or making love to my husband. Both which affect sleep in a positive way. 
• Habits include diet.
• Taking care of my appearance and more. A healthy well-kept body is a "strength" to any level of nausea. It made a big difference in my last pregnancy. So what does this mean exactly? For me, it is about getting groomed (waxed, haircut, eyebrows plucked, pedicure etc), visiting a pelvic floor physio -getting my core and pelvic floor into where it should be, working on my cardio and muscle strength at home or at the gym, and over all complexion.  
• I will be budgeting for a cleaner weekly, if possible. 
• Same goes for a regular babysitter. Some may think of this as a waste of money, but this is paying for services that I need and will make our lives that little bit manageable/easier. We don't need to go out of the house for a "date" when we hire a babysitter. Doing simply nothing, is bliss. 
• Going over remedies that worked for me in my previous pregnancies and accumulating doTERRA essential oils that will be on my "go to" cupboard. More information on doTERRA HERE
• This one is pricey- but if possible, I will be going to regular high dose vitamin and mineral IV treatments given by my Naturapathic Dr. I can only see this being a positive impact on my future (lord willing) pregnancy. More information HERE

My dear "blogger friend" is pretty much going through what I am as we speak, preparing for a possible future HG pregnancy. She has a wealth of knowledge when it comes down to this all, and it was through her blog that I got most of my knowledge and support through my horrifically sick pregnancies. You can find her blog HERE

So what else can I share? I have my last pregnancy's blog still up there and running. I will most likely continue writing in it, when and if we're blessed with another "peanut". I'm quite excited to find out! You can have a look and read all about how I coped with our previous pregnancy HERE. 

Irish Soda Bread -Crossover (Trim Healthy Mama)

This week I have been teaching the kids about St. Patrick and Ireland. Irish Soda Bread is kind of like a must have, I guess LOL. I probably could have made it into an "S" meal, but I decided not to bother but still make a recipe that was compliant to the plan. 

So here it is! Our very first, GLUTEN FREE Irish Soda Bread -THM Crossover... *drum rolling*...

Ta-daa!!!!

It was so yummy, especially smothered in butter! :)

Ingredients:

• 2C Baking Blend
• 1 1/2t Baking Powder
• 1t Baking Soda
• 1t Salt
• 2t Xantham Gum
• 1 stick/ 1/2C Butter (room temperature)
• 2 Eggs
• 3/4C Almond Milk (unsweetened)
• 1t Lemon juice
• 2T Raw Honey
• 1C Currants or Cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F degrees.
2. Mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately and then combine and beat on medium speed until all ingredients are well combined. Do not over mix.
3. Dump the dough onto a baking stone. Shape it and cut an X across it.
4. Bake for 30-40 Minutes until a knife comes out clean. 

Follow me on Instagram @trimhealthycathy for encouraging and inspiring meal ideas!

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Weight Loss #4 Day 1

I know, I know, baby is only a month old and I've already embarked on weight loss #4. To some of you who do not know my history, I gain a lot of weight during each pregnancy and I have quite a challenge to lose my pregnancy weight afterwards, yet somehow I manage to do it,  even if it's a slow process. More on my previous weight losses, HERE.

So here I am once again. Over weight with a newborn. 

I am nursing, so I have to be extremely careful that I don't hinder milk production or stop it. My baby is my priority. I won't let myself go hungry. I won't limit my vegetable intake either. I'll make sure my calorie intake is sufficient.

During my final weeks of pregnancy, I refused to be weighed at my check ups so I don't actually know exactly how much I weighed before birth, but I'm guessing 250lb ,or even more. Currently I weigh 225lb and that is 2lb less than two days ago. So here I am at 225. What is my goal? Well it's of course my pre pregnancy weight, which is 145lb. Some say I am too hard on myself and should aim for a smaller goal..  Buuut I don't want to.  Call me stubborn. 

My weight day 1 = 225lb

My plan is to prep and precook my lunch and dinners for the next two weeks. If I have the $, I will consider doing it for the next four weeks. This will save me time and protect me from temptations.  

My menu for the next 4 weeks is

2 WEEKS FREEZER MEALS

100-150G MEAT, 100G CARBS, 200G++ VEGG MEAL PLAN

3L WATER, OMEGAS, VITAMINS, OILS

7.30 BREAKFAST OMELET, WW TORTILLA, SPINACH, CHEESE AND SALSA Or oats with cottage cheese and berries

11.00 LUNCH PREPARED MEAL

1.30/2  SNACK GREEK YOGHURT AND BERRIES

4/5 DINNER PREPARED MEAL

*post workout shake

8 ILTAPALA (evening snack) APPLE AND PEANUT BUTTER

4 X CHICKEN, BROCCOLI, QUINOA
4 X MINCE, BEANS, SWEET POTATO
4 X CHICKEN, ASPARAGUS, BROWN RICE
2 X MINCE, QUINOA, BEANS

SHOPPING LIST

·         8 CHICKEN BREASTS

·         1KG MINCE AND TACO SPICE

·         1KG BROCCOLI CROWNS/FROZEN

·         QUINOA (600G COOKED QUINOA)

·         4 SMALL SWEET POTATOES

·         1,2KG GREEN BEANS

·         1KG ASPARAGUS

·         BROWN RICE (400G COOKED BROWN RICE)

·         7 X 0%GREEK YOGHURT

·         PRECUT FROZEN BERRIES

·         2X TRAY EGGS

·         WW TORTILLAS

COTTAGE CHEESE 0% AND 14 X ZIPLOCK BAGS MEDIUM / CONTAINERS WITH LIDS, MICRO AND FREEZER SAFE

  

I will weigh myself weekly on Fridays starting December 19th. I will also post photos of  start and present. I won't be working out until I go to my 6 week check up,  and I will begin with only cardio, kegels and Stott pilates to strengthen my body before I hit the weights. 

So, any suggestions or advice you want to give me?

Until my next weigh in,  

Grace and Peace

There's Always a Reason to Eat

There's always a reason to celebrate eat. You're thinking at 8-10 p.m, as you're biting into the chocolate bar "ah, I/we shouldn't be eating at this time"... and you or your spouse lists one of these reasons below,

• It's Friday night, end of a long week!
• It's our anniversary
• Diet starts tomorrow
• It's Saturday, start of the weekend
• It's our cat's christening.... or another make up celebration
• It's Sunday, back to work tomorrow
• Ah, one bar won't kill us
• It's been a rough day, I/we totally deserve this

I wonder why we're always making up excuses to glutton? And you know, I am not just talking about a chocolate bar. I'm talking about that Starbucks run, left overs, late night munchies, popcorn, etc. It can be healthy stuff too, like nuts and seeds /butter on home made crackers, fruit, and cheese, etc. 

This week we spent 3 days away from home. We ate out everyday. It's quite hard to eat out healthily, unless you have access to a fridge. I tried choosing better restaurants but it dawned on me, even the best and healthiest restaurants, basically serve things like, -sugar, salt, fat and wheat, and all in the bad form. It wasn't til our last day that we found a Mexican fast food joint, which served clean food. Gluten free, freshly milled wheat, organic meats/fish, and produce. Yummy! Next time, we'll know. Those "pearls" are so few and far between, but they're becoming more popular and with a little extra investigation, they're available! Forget, ABC's, IHOP's, Denny's, WhiteSpot and any other common restaurant with "home cooking" -it's all frozen!

So during our trip, while feeling mentally and physically totally robbed nutrition wise, I started menu planning, again. I decided that we would be eating more fish from now on. I love the 'meatless Monday' idea, and I'm still keen on not spending too much time cooking, so instead just throw stuff together, and voila! Dinner is serrrrrved. Also, the only thing that I thought worked out with my crockpot, is Chilli, so I won't be using that too much either. My oven is pretty high tech, so will be utilizing the options on it more. Baked fish, here we come!

Here is what I've been brainstorming to do:

• Monday- vegetarian
• Tuesday-Beef
• Wednesday- Seafood
• Thursday- Vegetarian
• Friday-  Salmon
• Saturday- Chicken
• Sunday- Seafood 

I'm pretty excited about Chinese and Mexican influenced recipes, I like it how everything is fast and simple, and the greens are usually added at the very end of the recipes. 

I went to Costco today and bought, salmon and quinoa. I love quinoa! My kids are getting there, I'm not taking no for an answer. The salmon I get will be enough for two family servings. Some of you already know that we don't eat a lot of meat/fish when we do have them, meaning, we don't have a chicken breast each. I chop up 1-2 chicken breasts into a curry sauce/stir fry/meal and that feed us, a family of 5. That is enough protein for now. Here is a trick, if you thaw a chicken breast just a little before cutting it, it's easier to slice up a lot of thin slices.

What do our kids normally have for breakfast?

• cereal
• omelets
• oats, hemp hearts and yoghurt
• porridge
• toast with cheese and cold cuts
• breakfast burritos
• Chinese pancakes (spring onion) 

+ a smoothie

 Baked Salmon. The kids devoured it, didn't manage to take an after oven pic :)

 Fried Tofu Sticks

(junk food)

 Marinade: 

• shaoshang wine
• dark soy
• light soy
• garlic
• ginger
• chili flakes (optional)

 Gone in seconds, glad I managed to take a picture.

When we lived in Finland, we never had bread or butter in our home. These days, we have both. Even to this day, I feel uncomfortable about it, but I've just let it go. I am not a big fan of yeast, I don't think eating "yeasty" foods daily is a good thing to the body. It's like up keeping an inflammation in the body, to me. However, I make my kids sandwiches for dinner 1-2 a week. I would like to cut back, but we are not allergic to gluten, or sensitive to gluten. The only thing I would like to cut back on is the yeast, therefor the bread, and swap it to whole wheat, stone milled, rich grain and seed tortillas. I don't want to take away the bread, because bread is yummy and nothing beats a fresh baked bread with butter on top, -and my kids know it!

Moving on...

There you have it, a little sneak peak to some of our family foods and also an honest, not so direct, confession on being a snacker and finding excuses for it. I'm still motivated and moving towards healthy eating while at the same time dodging all the food and diet trends... a.k.a paleo etc. Nothing lasts, nothing. Like I've said before, and I will say it again -the Bible has a lot of answers to what we should be eating and how. Really! Start from Genesis 1:29 and 2:9 and go from there... 

(These verses, totally prove that seedless cucumber from Walmart is from the devil! he he!)

Please share with me, what you feed your kids! Leave a comment!

The Busy Mom's Gym Guide

I know as a homeschooling mother of three, soon four, that going to the gym, or doing any kind of exercise can seem impossible or not even a priority. However, I also know that it is extremely important to exercise, for your well being now and for the future.

At times, booking in a session may feel so over whelming, I get it, I've been there. It's also important to take a step back and evaluate the reasons you need to exercise and manage your home schedule so, that it is possible. When working out takes away your energy instead of giving you more, you may need to take it a notch down or adjust what you are doing entirely.

Here are a few steps to make it happen,

• Figure out what your home schedule is. I suggest the Managers of Their Homes scheduling method. In this way, no chores will be forgotten and everyone will have plenty of time to rest, play, and enjoy hobbies and each other. It's a MUST READ!

• Menu Plan. Especially on those days you intend to workout. If you're like me and workout in the evenings, with a gym daycare, you will have to plan and prep their dinner and perhaps an evening snack for the time they are in. If you're kids are old enough, 3+, recruit them with prepping their dinner. This is a great way to train and bond with them. 

 

I give clear "instructions" to when I want the kids to eat, so that we can get the evening snacks out of the way, and get ready for evening preps, teeth brushing, story and bed. Usually my husband will put the kids to sleep so that I can shower after my workout. Not only is it important that your offspring eat, it's also important that you do as well! Making sure that you eat 1-1/2h prior to your workout will give you the sufficient energy for your workout and also giving your body the energy it needs afterwards is important. Pay attention to what you feed yourself. Lots of vegetables, good sources of protein and fiber are good.

• Have a workout plan. Make sure you get energized from working out and not the opposite. As a stay at home mom & homeschooler, it is vital to plug in to an energy source. One, being our Almighty God and two, physical activity. God created our bodies to move, and we benefit highly from physical activity, emotionally and physically.

• Rest. Make sure you get enough sleep each night. Everyone needs different amounts of sleep per night. There is no point in cutting back on the rest your body needs to recuperate, for the sake of owning a "super Mom" title. Going to bed in time is key.

• Workout at home. I workout twice a week at the gym and 2-4 times at home. The workouts I do at home are different from what I do at the gym. At the gym I utilize my time in the machines I don't normally have access to, such as the stair master, leg extensions, curls, squat machine, free weight machines etc.

• Take supplements. Unfortunately our food is so distorted these days, stripped from their goodness that we need to give our bodies a helping hand when it comes to vitamins, minerals and omegas. We just aren't getting the needed amounts. By supplementing with good quality vitamins you will notice a difference in your well being and health. It's important to have homeostasis in you!

Puffed Tofu Stir Fry

 Ingredients:

• Puffed Tofu, quartered. 
• Enoki Mushroom
• Head of broccoli                       
• 2 celery sticks
• one large carrot, sliced in an angle
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2" fresh ginger, grated,
• 3T oil
• 1T shaoshing rice wine 
• 1T dark soy sauce
• pepper
• 1T light soy sauce

 

Start by heating up the wok, pour in oil, once it begins to smoke it's hot enough. Throw in crushed garlic and ginger, followed by carrots, broccoli and celery. Add in sauces and rice wine. Mix in tofu and enoki mushrooms. Give it a good stir, until vegetables are nice and crisp. Serve over rice, or do like me, eat with just hot sauce.

My kids love the enokis, they say they pop in their mouths! I like this dish, it's a lot healthier than take away, since it doesn't have all that sugar and MSG. Authentic Chinese food, cooked by a Canadian-Finn... go figure. Next time I will add sesame seed oil and chili flakes. Can't wait!

Soup For The Soul

 Broth:

• 1-2 litres of water
• 1 T shaoshing rice wine
• 1T dark soy sauce (for colour)
• 1T light soy sauce (for saltiness)
• 1/2 beef broth cube for flavour
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2T fresh ginger, grated
• pepper to taste

 Soup Filling:

• handful of mushrooms, enoki or other, quartered
• head of broccoli sliced
• handful of puffed tofu, quartered
• hotdogs, sliced (for the kids, you know... :))
• Korean fish cake, 1 sheet, sliced
• handful of baby kale
• spring onion, sliced
• Taiwanese Noodles, optional

Bring everything to boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, throw in the greens, and cover for 5 more minutes. Broccoli should be crunchy and the kale wilted.

What's your favourite soup?

More recipes HERE

Green Life Juice

 Ingredients:

• lemon, thick slice
• 1/3 fennel, cored
• 1/2 sour green apple
• 1 head of romaine lettuce
• 3 stalks of celery
• 2/3 cucumber
• 3 handfuls of spinach
• 1" ginger
• 1/4 t vitamin C powder

The taste is amazing and I'm not just saying that! Try it for yourself!!

 such richness!

 Green Delight, super power juice! Oh you'll feel the difference!!!

 enzymes!

Do you have a favourite juice recipe to share with us?

Weight Loss #3 Part 11

-9lb!!! In a week and a half!!!! Woohooo!!!!

Here's what's been going on, hence the silence. I'll share my workout and then my diet. The results are incredible. My thighs are toning up so fast, my strength has increased by a lot and I've rediscovered my posture. I have incredible energy and I feel really good. I've been on a fat burning, muscle toning diet for a week and I've lost 7lb already. I'm on this particular diet for another week or two. Then I'll alter it according to my needs. The weight training is just great, in all ways. I have never seen or gotten faster results before. This is the way.

I lift heavy, my body responds well and I get results fast. My strength has sky rocketed. I love it! I workout 4-5 times a week. So,

My workout

Workout  1

20 minutes of stair master. Each week I rev it up by a level. I started at 3, and I'm nearly at 7.

1.      Squats with weights 10 x 4

2.      Leg Extension single legs 10 x 4 each leg

3.      Cross Step-ups on a Bench (with weights)
10 x 4
4.   Hammy curls 10x 4

stretching!

Workout  2

20 minutes of stair master

1.      Shoulder Press
10 reps per weight for 4 sets

2.      Lateral Raise
10 reps per weight for 4 sets

3.      Rear Deltoids Row: (no drop set on this one)
8-10 reps per weight for 4 sets

4.      Front Shoulder Press
10 reps per weight for 4 sets

5.      Assisted Pull-ups 4 grips: (wide, regular, close, underhand)
15-20 reps per weight each for 4 sets

6.      Bent-Over Row
10 reps per weight for 4 sets

Workout 3

20 minutes of stair master

1.      Lunge with Bicep Curls: (alternate leg-long distance) 15 pounds per hand with dumbbells
30 steps per leg for 4 sets

2.      Biceps Curl
10 reps per weight for 4 sets

3.      Overhead Triceps Extension
10 reps per weight for 4 sets

4.      Dumbbell Triceps Punch Outs: 15 pounds in each hand
20 reps for 4 sets

5.      Hammer Curls:
6 reps per weight 4 sets

workout 4

20 minutes of stairmaster

1.      Push -up Burn Outs: (as many as you can)
4 sets

2.      Circle Chest Flyes: (lying down back on bench)
10 reps for 4 sets

3.      Rest of the Day: Core

The Diet

During this 2 weeks, avoid people,  parties etc. I even have a hard time following the diet when I have people over for coffee or I go out. Too many temptations.

Prep everything. Weigh, bag and freeze. Easy way to pull the exact amount when needed. Especially when hungry!

Keep yourself busy. Stay away from cooking shows. Drink plenty of water.
Eat every 3h. This is key!

Breakfast : 2x omega capsules.

45g quick oats boiled in water,  100g of fat free cottage cheese/or 4 egg whites and 100g frozen berries or

Blend one egg white, water and 45g oats together. Pinch of salt and baking soda. Fry as a large single pancake (using no oil or butter!) and serve with 3 egg whites fried or boiled . Sprinkle with cinnamon, serve with 100g of berries.
You can sweeten with stevia or xylitol.

Lunch: 100g skinless lean chicken, beef or fish. Weigh before you fry.

200g vegetables, mushrooms etc. No peas,  corn, pumpkins or high starchy veggies

5 ml of quality oil either drizzled on top or fry with

25g fat free cottage cheese or 1 egg white

I usually slice my meat very thin when it's thawing. This way,  I get many pieces of meat and it feels like I have a lot... It lasts!

Any spices are fine,  use little salt. Garlic is yummy! And a pinch of taco spice seasoning... Mmmmmmm

Snack:
Either 6 egg whites with 100g frozen berries (I make a berry, stevia and water smoothie)  or

fat free Greek yoghurt 250g with 100g of frozen berries. You can use stevia or xylitol to sweeten. Don't use artificial sweetener because they prevent the fat loss hormone from working. 

Dinner:
same as lunch but add 40g dry/80g cooked of pasta/rice/Quinoa. Or one potato/sweet potato about 150g. Weigh the grains before you cook them. They usually double in weight but either way... 

Evening snack:
10g wheat bran with 250g Greek yoghurt and 100g frozen berries or

6 egg whites and drink the wheat bran with water and berries(make into a smoothie)

+2 omega capsules 

Drink 2 to 3 liters of water a day. You can drink herbal tea too

Don't be tempted to eat a few Fries or popcorn here or there,  because this is chemistry and it will stop the whole burning process  - and it will just be all in vain. Remove every temptation and find an escape in thoughts or activities

I think you will lose quite a bit of fat in these two-4 weeks...depends how long you want to do this,  4 weeks is max. Time passes anyway,  you might as well... 

I weighed and bagged two 100g bags X 14 days of meat (LEAN!) in to the freezer

And two 200g bags X 14 days of mushrooms, veggies into the freezer. I am a big fan of mushrooms, broccoli and runner beans. Or you can eat cucumber and tomato fresh... I like my beans though.. Fresh lettuce weighs little if you are looking for quantity...

What else? I use a lot of cayenne pepper as it also boosts the metabolism... And encourages water consumption hahaha! 

I don't fry with the oil,  I Drizzle it on my food because I need it more than the frying pan does :) 1ts is like 5g

Print out this blog post and stick it onto your fridge!

I did this diet when my second child was born and whatever I lost which was -a lot,  did not come back because I didn't sacrifice my fat burning muscles 

Example day:
8am breakfast
11am lunch
2pm snack
5pm dinner
8pm evening snack