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How To Maintain Your Health While Being A Mom

Mother And Her Son Having Fun On The Beach

As a tribute to Mother’s Day yesterday, I want to wish all the mom’s across the world a beautiful and healthy year filled with love, happiness and success. Being a mother is such a wonderful learning experience and a gift. Being a mom, however, has its challenges and occasionally we may forget about our own health and wellness when caring for our children. Especially for new moms learning to adjust, it can be difficult to create balance and structure to ensure you are healthy and being the best mom you can be.

Through out the years and through much trial and error, I have developed some essential tools I use to maintain a healthy lifestyle while being a mom. These tips I would like to share with you in hopes of assisting you in becoming a healthier and more vibrant mother.

When my girls were young, most of my free time outside of work was spent raising them, worrying about their health and safety, and spending quality time with them. Often times, our kids are the center of our world. Even so, it is still important to find time for yourself. Schedule yourself a period of time each day where you can enjoy the things you love to do whether that’s reading a book, taking a walk, making yourself a hot bath, or going to a quiet place to relax.

As my kids got older, I began to exercise more frequently and it became a very positive outlet for me. There may not always be enough time in the day but try and schedule two or three days a week to exercise, even if it is just for 30 minutes. Do something that you enjoy, that will increase your heart rate and makes you sweat. Incorporating exercise in your weekly routine, will help you maintain your health and overall well-being. If you are also looking for ways to spend more quality time with your family, create a fun exercise routine weekly with them, this will give them something to look forward to and will get them out the door.

It’s easy to loose track of eating healthy when you’re focused on your kids. It’s sometimes easier to grab something less healthy to eat when you’re on the run. However, eating the right foods will increase your overall energy, mood, sleep and can reduce your stress and anxiety. Making a few healthy meals during the week for you and your family can make all the difference. It can be as simple as cutting out excess sugar, focusing on fresh ingredients and getting in more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and even more organic foods.

After incorporating exercise, alone time, and healthy eating into your weekly routine, you will find that you have more energy and are rejuvenated. This will also be a great thing for your kids to witness, if they see their mother happy, active and maintaining their health, they will be more likely to adopt those same patterns in their lives as well.

For more healthcare tips for you and your family, check out my latest offering in dealing with unexpected healthcare: When Life Happens: What to do about unexpected health concerns. This is a bit different than my other books. When Life Happens is a workbook filled with information, tips, and tricks for getting through accidents, difficult diagnoses, rehabilitation, and what to do with the kids through it all. But it also has activities to guide you through your situation. You can find it here for only $10!

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Helpful Healthcare Links for May 5, 2016

Home caramel granola in a white ceramic dish shape of heartThere’s a lot going on in healthcare news this week! I have put together a handful of trending health topics to share with you in hopes that this information will assist you in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Here are a few health articles for this week:

Some people age very well. You would never know they are in their 50s let alone their 60s. A few celebrities come to mind when thinking about aging, I’m talking about you, Cindy Crawford. However, most of us probably won’t be as fortunate to age that gracefully, until now. Dr. Eric Topol and his team at the Scripps Translational Science Institute are delving deep into the study of healthy aging. Their study focuses on the people and populations who seem to be immune to age related disorders such as heart disease, cancer, and dementia. And they are making great strides in identifying genetic factors associated with aging.

Low carb, no carb, high fat, low fat. All of this diet advice can get so confusing! And it seems to change on a weekly basis. This can make it difficult to stick to a healthy eating plan. However, new research has shown one dietary change that seems to hold true. And that is, FIBER! How much fiber do you eat in a day? The recommended dietary allowances (RDA) of fiber is around 35 grams per day for adults. Find out how increasing your fiber intake can help you reach your weight loss goals.

Heart disease is the number one leading cause of death among women. Yet many of us are uneducated as to the signs and symptoms, as well as the preventative measures they could we could be taking. Don’t be another statistic, start combating heart disease today. P.S. Remember how we just talked about fiber? Consuming adequate amounts of dietary fiber significantly reduce your risk for heart disease.

Endless hours on the treadmill? No, thank you. We all know the heart healthy benefits of regular cardiovascular activity, but often times workouts can be grueling. And we only have a short window of time to squeeze in a workout each day. So why not do something quick and effective? High intensity interval training, more commonly known as HIIT, packs a big punch in a small amount of time. HIIT increases excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), known by some as the after burn. This will not only leave you glowing but allow your body to torch calories up to 36 hours post exercise! Stop making excuses, add a HITT routine to your workout regimen once or twice a week and you’ll starting seeing results before you know it.

For more healthcare tips for you and your family, check out my latest offering in dealing with unexpected healthcare: When Life Happens: What to do about unexpected health concerns. This is a bit different than my other books. When Life Happens is a workbook filled with information, tips, and tricks for getting through accidents, difficult diagnoses, rehabilitation, and what to do with the kids through it all. But it also has activities to guide you through your situation. You can find it here.

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Living With Food Allergies & Asthma

Girl is blowing her nose, allergic to flourIn honor of Food Allergy Awareness Month, I wanted to touch on a topic that can be challenging for families. When dealing with food allergies and asthma, often times they’re intertwined, so it is important to know how to handle and prepare for both, whether it affects you or your loved ones.

There are certain signs that will occur if you experience a food allergy, signs that you must pay close attention to. Symptoms may vary from person to person and may include hives, itching, stomach pain, vomiting, swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat, coughing, wheezing, sneezing, shortness of breath, and others. There are also similar indicators when you experience allergy-induced asthma such as nasal congestion, runny nose, itchy eyes or skin reactions.

The most common food allergy triggers in kids and adults include peanuts, tree nuts, cow’s milk, egg, soy, wheat, fish, and shellfish. When introducing new foods to your children, make sure to do so gradually and pay attention to their reactions. If your child does have a food allergy, make sure to consult with a physician. When going to school or out to eat, let people know of your child’s food allergies. Also be aware of cross-contamination (cookies baked on the same tray as peanut butter cookies). If your child needs a medical device (auto-injector) for allergy emergencies, make sure you have this with you at all times.

Knowing your family health history can also help greatly. Children who have one or both parents with allergies are more susceptible to developing the same condition. If you know your family has a history of food allergies or asthma, you may find it beneficial to seek out a specialized dermatologist, allergist or immunologist who will be methodical in their approach and will test your child thoroughly for all allergy triggers. Allergists should be consulted too if you or your child develop a peanut allergy or moderate to severe eczema.

Once you know what triggers food allergies or asthma in you, your child or family member, you can better prepare and learn to limit your exposure to those items. Make sure to create a strong relationship with your family doctor and check in with them on a regular basis. Work with your doctor to find the best treatment to manage your symptoms based on the level of your symptoms.

Food allergies and asthma need constant attention especially for your child. However, make sure they don’t feel left out or different from other kids. Keep your child engaged in social activities such as birthday parties and play dates. Just make sure to plan ahead and always let your child know what to expect and make them part of the planning process. This will make your child feel more comfortable and in control.

 

For more healthcare tips for you and your family, check out my latest offering in dealing with unexpected healthcare: When Life Happens: What to do about unexpected health concerns. This is a bit different than my other books. When Life Happens is a workbook filled with information, tips, and tricks for getting through accidents, difficult diagnoses, rehabilitation, and what to do with the kids through it all. But it also has activities to guide you through your situation. You can find it here for only $10!