Being a mama brings a whole new perspective on self care...
I've always been such a fan of self care. I knew that mothers had a tougher time with it then those of us without children, but figured there had to be ways to get that in!
After birthing my little one I still do agree with this, but have an entirely new appreciation for even just the mindset around it! The only thing I really care about is making sure my baby is doing awesome, how can I care about myself? But then I take a moment and think, wait if I don't care for myself, I literally cannot care for him either!
Getting exercise in and moving my body is something I truly enjoy doing, but it looks a little different now with a baby. I workout before the munchkin wakes up which is for about 20 minutes, but I'll take it! It’s important to remember that something is better nothing and to do what feels good to you! Each mom’s postpartum journey is different.
I want you to be getting movement in because it feels good for you and is serving your body. Not because you are trying to "lose the baby weight" or "bounce back." It's so important that your mindset be in a place of love and respect for your body and what it just did.
Being a breastfeeding mom, it’s important for you and I to take extra steps to nourish our body. Exercise and breastfeeding both require more of your body, so it’s necessary we nourish our body! The goal is to nourish your body with good foods, stay hydrated and move in a way that brings you joy.
Interested in learning more? Click here to grab my FREE guide that is packed full of information and tips for breastfeeding moms!
So many products on the market today are just chemically filled garbage. Unfortunately, companies can throw so many different ingredients into a product and we don't even know what it is. They don't even have to disclose it all and can mark it under "fragrance" and claim it's a "trade secret." The worst part is that this is perfectly legal and is a loophole for companies to not have to disclose what is in their product.
As a mom, it's my job to be the gatekeeper and protect what comes into our home. It has taken me time to learn about products and what I will no longer be purchasing. Not only that, but then it’s important to determine what good quality products are actually out there! I want my family to be in a safe environment that isn't detrimental to our health. Since I am also breastfeeding, everything that goes into my body can be transmitted to my son; no thank you!
Let’s break it down!
❌ Bleach is an absolutely horrible product and I won’t be using it again. I know it can be used for cleaning, but did you ever notice that your throat or eyes burn after being around this product for too long? Breathing it in over an extended period of time can even increase your risk of cancer.
❌ Candles are another no go in our home. Candles are full of “fragrance” and contain ingredients that release chemicals into the air that you breathe. Essentially what you’re doing when you light a candle is pumping your home full of chemicals.
❌ Dawn dish soap contains harmful ingredients that can lead to severe health conditions. Believe it or not, it’s even harmful to wildlife too!
Our laundry room essentials are full of secret ingredients that are so bad for us. My #1 recommendation is to start swapping out these products first; your laundry detergent and dryer sheets! Tide laundry detergent contains harmful ingredients that absorb into your skin and same with dryer sheets.
When you are ready to make a switch, there’s nothing wrong with doing it slowly. We transitioned our home one product at a time! Don’t forget to avoid the word fragrance in the ingredients list!
“Natural” things can mean so many different things to different people. But for me, it’s a collection of foods, essential oils, mindset work, movement, sleep and hydration.
I have been told many times throughout my life that there was only a drug or a procedure for whatever issue I had been dealing with, and that there was nothing I could do.
The wrongness of this is just beyond words but basically I encourage everyone I talk to about health, to ask questions of their healthcare provider and if they don’t like the answers-find another one!
Top three questions you can ask your practitioner:
What are the alternatives?
-this can be helpful to ask as the western medical model doesn’t always encourage any alternatives and just goes with what has always been done or what makes the most money.
What are some things that I can do to help my body?
-If they have no answers for this, it’s a big time 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩. There is ALWAYS something that you can do for your health!
Why are we running these particular tests and what do they do?
-Even if you don’t understand the exact answers right then, take notes and do your research after your appointment.
Normally I share a lot on here about foods, oils, movement and mindset but for whatever reason I feel as if people need to know some questions to ask to ensure that you’re getting better care!
Have you ever asked these types of questions before?
Earth Day.
Growing up I'm sure we celebrated Earth day in a lot of cute ways-drawing pictures or making an Earth out of clay but how do we do this as adults?
For many years I really didn't care. I lived in the concrete jungle known as NYC. Don't get me wrong, Central Park is beautiful, but it is not the same as the nature that I've found since then (to be fair I had no desire to go finding that during those years). But I've been reconnecting with the Earth more and more as I've gotten to live in more places with more access to it.
Bottom line, nature is healing and a beautiful place to spend time.🍃
I often don't go diving into how humans might not always be so kind to mother nature-between the different toxins floating around, the food choices made everyday and even the clothing we wear, sometimes it's a lot to handle. But.......
There are little ways within our daily behavior that can make a big difference and I often encourage these. To not just take a day to celebrate but to do something everyday that can help support mother nature.
3 things you can do everyday:
🌲Eat locally. I know not everyone is able to do this, especially depending upon your location and sometimes cost. However, this one is multifaceted with the positives including supporting your local community, farmers are not limited to growing varieties of food that are bred specifically for long distance and long shelf life and reducing the CO2 emissions that happen with the thousands of miles that food is transported. oh, let's not forget YOUR HEALTH. Local food is often (not always but often) healthier for you as it's fresher and can retain the vitamins and minerals present.
🌲Recycle. Okay I got issues with this one as it's not the save all that we've been taught to believe. In fact it is pretty bad. 91% of plastic doesn't actually get recycled (so even if you do throw it in that recycling bin, if you can find one-which is a whole other issue) and even if the recycling does happen almost all of that plastic gets downcycled which means that it is less useful each time until it becomes so flimsy that it can no longer be used (we won't get started on the toxins present, that's for another post). But real quick the 91% left in landfills breaks down into microplastic particles which can collect polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other chemicals that have been connected to many health concerns, including cancer, reproductive issues, a weaker immune system, and more. The US was sending the recycling to China until recently when they determined they would no longer accept it. (the environmental cost on this is insane). But these numbers are the worst for plastic- so things like glass, metal and paper are easier to be recycled so I still say go for it!
🌲Reduce plastic use. As discussed above, this is a huge issue that I often cannot dive into for mental sanity but in short if you use less plastic there might be a chance that we reduce the amount in those landfills. Focus on buying glass and reusing it, don't buy plastic water bottles (for health on this one too) and pay attention to the deeper aspects like what are your sponges made of? Hint-most of them are made from polyurethane which is petroleum based and triclosan (another dangerous on in a lot of personal care products!) which end up releasing dioxins and formaldehyde into the soil and even the atmosphere.
Tell me below👇🏽, what is one thing that you do that can help mother nature out? Or something you've been wanting to try! I'm so down for upping my game!
Comfort food
Comfort food is defined as a food that provides a feeling of consolation or a feeling of happiness and they often contain high sugar, processed ingredients or they're simply incredibly decadent in large amounts.
Do you have different types of food that bring you that delicious feeling of calm? Or items that bring you right back to when you used to eat them regularly, whether as a kid or simply your junk food fix you used to have? The other night I was feeling nostalgic (I feel a lot these days as working through grief) and I thought, how can I bring myself back to a beautiful memory that helps me feel all warm inside? I went for some cinnamon toast. This brings me right back to sitting at the kitchen table when we would eat with breakfast with the family. We would toast that whole wheat bread with butter, cinnamon and a little bit of sugar sprinkled on top.
These days, I edited this to bring that comfort (emotional eating is a whole other topic for a different day) back with gluten free bread, non-dairy organic Miyoko's butter (one of the best non-dairy butters ingredient wise), organic cinnamon and a small amount of vanilla sugar from the Savannah Salt table (their salts are amazing too!). I don't really advocate for eating any actual sugar but every once and awhile I let that happen.
Do you have a comfort food that you go to? or one that you make healthier too?
