Nutrition is such a hot topic when you are expecting, there is so much information out there about vitamin needs during pregnancy that it can be overwhelming!
Let’s break down some of the vitamins that are important for pregnant mamas.
One of the B vitamins that is really important for pregnancy (and let's be real a ton of other ones do too) is Folate or Vitamin B9.
This vitamin helps prevent birth defects and healthy cell division.
HOWEVER.... do not confuse this with folic acid, the synthetic form of folate that is present in many prenatal vitamins.
Many people have what’s known as the MTHFR gene variation (that we talked about earlier this month) which means that up to 60% of the population is unable to use the synthetic form of folate.
During pregnancy, it is generally recommended that women consume an adequate amount of Folate through their diet or supplements to support the health and development of both the mother and baby. Folate needs can vary among individuals, so it's important for pregnant women to discuss their specific dietary and nutritional requirements with their healthcare team to ensure a healthy pregnancy.
It's worth noting that folate is primarily found in foods, such as beef liver, lentils, asparagus, eggs, and raw spinach.
I'm in the process of creating a guide all around nutrition and support for pregnant women to help you during your journey so comment below if you want to be added to the list! 🫶
I don't think there's anything more perfect on a chilly day than a warm cup of yummy cider! In honor of Halloween, I had to showcase this fun "potion" from the Young Living blog!
Ingredients:
- 2 quarts fresh apple cider
- 1 orange, unpeeled and cut into slices
- 3 drops Lemon Vitality essential oil
- 1 drop Cinnamon Bark Vitality essential oil (start with a toothpick swirl, it's strong!)
- 1 drop Clove Vitality essential oil (start with a toothpick swirl, it's strong!)
- 1 drop Nutmeg Vitality essential oil (start with a toothpick swirl, it's strong!)
Directions:
- Combine apple cider, orange slices, and essential oils in a large pot and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or more.
- Discard orange slices.
- Serve warm.
There are so many things I thought I'd need for after birth that really ended up not mattering very much at all, and then there have been some things that have been absolute game changers.
I could go on and on about this but thought I’d share just a few that I have found so helpful!
First of all, get yourself a good set of hair clips, and thank me later. Yup, that’s a thing, and it's pretty critical believe it or not. When it comes to bed-sharing or a handsy infant, having something to hold your hair up (without the constant slipping down and the need to redo) is really important!
I have A LOT of hair and I have continually struggled to find clips that hold it up well, but not anymore! These ones from @mykitsch are amazing and hold alllllll my hair.
Second is this sweatshirt My friend @katieospina shared in her Instagram stories. I knew right away I had to have it! With the AC on, I am someone who always needs to be covered with long sleeves to keep warm, especially at night.
I thought throughout my breastfeeding journey I was going to be confined to sweatshirts with an open chest and then I’d be freezing, but nope! This sweatshirt came to my rescue!
I’m not saying it’s the best, most perfectly organic material, but I needed it and have been so thankful for this soft, warm top making it so convenient to feed my little munchkin.
While creating my registry I had every plan to not put my munchkin in a lot of confined baby chairs or bouncy things etc. but I thought I’d get at least one in case we needed it from time to time. On someone else’s registry, I found this one and decided to put it on my registry as well.
I am so so so beyond glad I did because the times I can count where has come in handy, wow!!!! I mostly wear my baby, but while I’m cooking or sometimes while we’re out to eat this little chair has been an absolute game-changer!
I created a guide for Breastfeeding moms to support you along your journey to educate you and remove the overwhelm and the 2AM google search! It's packed with recipes, links to my favorite products (like these) and more to encourage and support you. Grab it here!
I had heard of leaky gut, but didn’t really know what it meant in detail. The funny part about that, is I had heard about it while in school for nutrition and dietetics - now don’t get confused though, I didn’t hear about it from my program, but from outside sources.
So what is it, your gut leaks? Basically yes. (There are a million thoughts around this but one thing at a time) so when you are massively inflamed (think eating crappy, not sleeping enough, drinking, applying/living around a ton of toxins and living in a constant state of stress) what can sometimes happen is the lining of your gut can have large holes which allows partially digested food, toxins and more to release into your blood stream (very short version). This can trigger further inflammation and changes in the gut bacteria.
When you are massively inflamed (think eating crappy, not sleeping enough, drinking, applying/living around a ton of toxins and living in a constant state of stress) what can sometimes happen is the lining of your gut can have large holes which allows partially digested food, toxins and more to release into your blood stream (very short version).
This can trigger further inflammation and changes in the gut bacteria. This can also show up outside the gut in a variety of ways, for me it was through several things but the biggest, craziest one was eczema.
Eczema is definitely annoying, but this was so bad I couldn’t open my hands because of all the little cuts at each wrinkle of my hand. I had to wear Michael Jackson style white gloves to protect the cuts while putting on a mix of Shea butter and essential oils to get it to calm down.
The thing is, it’s wasn’t coming from the outside, so while those things helped, it was my leaky gut that was causing this. So knowing what causes leaky gut I had to make some changes.
Because the fact of the matter is, even if you change what you’re eating there is more to it than that. And leaky gut is known by some as a gateway into other autoimmune conditions.
I have some great resources around the gut, that can be helpful if you're unsure what to do!
This smoothie may look simple, but it is packed with ingredients to help balance hormones and support PMS type symptoms naturally. Enjoy this smoothie anytime of the month, but especially during the days or week you feel you need it most!
Ingredients:
- 1 frozen organic banana
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1 Tbsp cacao nibs
- Juice from one orange
- 3 drops Orange Vitality Essential Oil
- 2 drops EndoFlex Vitality Essential Oil Blend
- 1-3 tsp organic coconut oil (optional)
- 1 cup organic spinach
- 1/4 cup dry, unsalted and unroasted almonds (bonus for soaked overnight/sprouted)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened yogurt of choice
- 2/3 cup unsweetened plant milk of choice OR water (as I discussed last week, I use my little milk maker and coconut shreds!)
- 5-7 Ice cubes (optional)
Directions:
Add ingredients to a blender in the order listed and blend well. Top with a sprinkle of dried coconut, chia seeds or sliced almonds. Enjoy!
