Let me give you a heads up incase you didn't know.... nearing the end of your pregnancy be prepared for a v swab to test for this strain of bacteria, knowing as GBS (Group B streptococcus). This bacteria can cause health issues for baby if it is present when mom delivers.
There are a lot of different reasons that it is important to care for your gut while you're pregnant. One that was at the forefront of my mind when I was carrying my little guy was maternal Group B streptococcus (GBS) specifically in the v💮ginal canal.
If you test positive for GBS in certain settings you will be prescribed an antibiotic during labor (and sometimes before) and I wanted to avoid that as much as possible, which I knew was possible.
Enter the gut health focus.
I had been taking a probiotic before pregnancy and continued to do so during, especially containing two strains, both of which have over 25 years of clinical data supporting their supplementation during pregnancy. lactobacillus rhamnosus, GR-1 and lactobacillus reuteria, RC-14.
The other idea with this is to help your baby be seeded with healthy bacteria during birth, which can absolutely impact your baby's gut health too.
These two strains were used in a well designed, randomized trial of 99 pregnant women who tested positive for GBS at 35-37 weeks. Half of the women received probiotic treatment (containing 10 billion CFU of each strain), while the other half received a placebo.
The women were tested again for GBS when they were admitted to the hospital for delivery and among the women who received probiotics 43% tested negative for GBS compared to only 18% in the placebo group.
Besides a probiotic you can get these strains in sweet potatoes, or yams, artichokes, and beans, some yogurts, Fermented milk/kefir, Sauerkraut, Miso, Kombucha.
Whether enjoyed as a morning indulgence with a steaming cup of coffee/tea or as a sweet afternoon pick-me-up, lemon poppy seed muffins are a timeless classic that you can never go wrong with!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Coconut Flour
- 1/3 cup Maple Syrup
- 6 Egg
- 1/3 cup Coconut Oil (melted)
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 Lemon (zested and juiced)
- 1 tbsp Poppy Seeds
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and line a muffin tray with liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine coconut flour, maple syrup, eggs, coconut oil and salt. Stir well to combine. Add in lemon zest, lemon juice and poppy seeds. Mix well.
- Use a ¼ measuring cup to ladle the batter into the muffin tray. Place in oven and bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool. Enjoy!
Breakfast seems to always be the meal that we struggle with! Whether it's finding something quick, nutritious, delicious or all of the above. I'm happy to inform that this recipe checks all those boxes!
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup Vanilla Protein Powder
- 1/2 cup Almond Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 cup All Natural Peanut Butter (Remember organic peanut butter without added sugar or palm oil is key!)
- 3 Banana (mashed)
- 2 tbsps Maple Syrup
- 3/4 cup Dark Chocolate Chips
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin tray with liners or use a silicone muffin tray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the protein powder, almond flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the peanut butter, banana, and maple syrup and stir with a spatula until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter evenly between muffin cups. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before removing and transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
You can't go wrong with a yummy ice cream treat as the weather warms up! If you don’t have an ice cream maker these can definitely work as popsicles in a mold like this!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups organic coconut cream
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 c maple syrup or raw honey
- 2 drops lavender vitality
- 2 drops spearmint vitality
- 1 drop lemon vitality
Instructions:
- Place ingredients in a blender and puree for for about 10-15 seconds.
- Use preferred ice cream maker or pour into a popsicle mold and let chill. Enjoy!
Have you ever eaten too much sugar and had your face breakout more than normal? I bet you never put a lot of thought into it, but it actually all stems from your gut health! My gut inflammation led to horrible, painful rashes all over my hands, but it can be different for all of us.
Just like your gut can affect your skin, what you put on your skin can affect your health as well. Many products on the market today are full of ingredients that we don't want going into/on our bodies. One ingredient I always tell people to avoid in their products is “fragrance.” So if your face moisturizer has “fragrance” in the ingredients list, it’s time to ditch it and make this instead!
Daily Face Moisturizer Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup - of organic coconut oil
- 1/2 cup - Shea butter
- 7 drops of frankincense oil
- 5 drops of Royal Hawaiian essential oil
- 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
Directions
- Take a double boiler and melt shea butter and coconut oil.
- Once completely melted, remove it from the heat and let it cool for 20-30 minutes.
- Add the frankincense and royal Hawaiian oil to this mixture.
- Add Vitamin E oil to the mixture and stir well.
- Refrigerate this mixture for 10 minutes till it is partially solidified.
- Now whip this mixture for a few minutes till a butter-like consistency is achieved.
- Store this mixture in a container and place it in a cool and dark place.
- Your homemade moisturizer is ready for use.
- This is one of the best homemade natural moisturizers that you can store for 6 to 12 months.
Sometimes I'll add in Carrot Seed essential oil for some extra spf and tea tree essential oil if I'm feeling like my skin is a little oily or if I'm worried about a breakout.
Benefits of oils:
~ Frankincense: improves immune function, mental calmness, and reduces inflammation
~ Sometimes I'll add in Carrot Seed essential oil for some extra spf and tea tree essential oil if I'm feeling like my skin is a little oily or if I'm worried about a breakout
Give this a try and let me know how much you love it!
