Back in the Fitness Game Again

In the past few months, I've been slowly ramping up my fitness program. Having a young child, mixed with work travel and working full-time pretty much wiped out my old 4-5 day a week exercise routine. I started working out at lunches at my company's gym and then the weather started warming up so walking outside was much more appealing. In March, I started to gently wean Ava from nursing in a respectful way. It was a slow process that just wrapped up a few weeks ago. I need to blog about her weaning story in the future. It's still very fresh and emotional for me. By not breastfeeding as much, I started to see my metabolism slow down and now my body is transitioning to a new state again. Back in the old days of exclusive nursing (before solids), I was likely burning 500-800 calories that brought me back to pre-pregnancy weight pretty quickly. But I wasn't getting enough physical exercise that's healthy for my heart and body.

In May, my work travel started to slow down and with the prospect of having a more predictable work schedule I started stepping up my fitness routine. I added more frequent workouts during the week and I started run-walk intervals. I noticed my hip was sore after running, but that has gone away now.

Then about a month ago, I joined the YMCA. I've heard great things about it from my friends in town. I was so excited to get back to cycle class again. I was really into cycle back in Chicago. Check out my interview with my cycle instructor, which is awesome even 4 years later. I bought a new heart monitor because for the life of me, I couldn't find my old one. I love training with my heart monitor. Back when I was doing conditioning, my asthma symptoms were much more mild.

I look at my calendar week-by-week and look at when I carve out some time for me to workout. Now that Ava is older, leaving her at home with Aaron is easier. In the early months, I napped on the weekends with her to catch up because of the night wakings during the work week. I've talked to many of my working mom friends to ask them how they get their workouts in to their schedule to get some ideas. Some work it out with their partners to workout at night, others do the early morning, and also after their children are sleeping at night. I couldn't justify leaving Ava after a long work day separation since the evenings were our only time together. Since Ava goes to sleep later than many kids, I'm pretty much worthless after she's asleep. I've found that it works best for us if I get up at the crack of dawn to do a cycle class at 5:15am or at lunch. So I look at my week ahead and literally try to fit exercise into the mix.

Next week will be tough. I have a big work week, traveling on a day trip to Chicago on Thursday, and then we're off to a family reunion Friday - Sunday. So I worked out at the gym before lunch and came home to Aaron and Ava napping. And then I'll go to two 5:15am cycle classes at the gym. And no doubt the following week will be different.

So while I'm really careful about the foods that we eat at home, I know that fitness was a big gap. I'm feeling better and I know that in time, the results will be seen. I'm motivated by how my body is less sore and my heart rate isn't so high from jogging or intense parts of the cycle class.

Since this is my first time adjusting back to a post-nursing body, I'm really curious how my body will change over the next few months. I've heard from other moms that after they weaned their babies, they shed some more weight that held on or they gained more energy.

I've also gone back to tracking my calories using an iPhone app. So little by little, I'm hoping that it will all make a difference. I'm motivated and ready to make it happen!

Garden Week 2

Garden Week 2

Can you see the deer?

On Mother's Day, we planted our garden, a new tradition that we started last year. Except this year's garden is a much better attempt than ever before! We've come a long way from the small container garden we had on our Chicago condo balcony! Aaron built a raised bed and we filled it with rich top soil earlier in the month. We grew many plants from seed and then last weekend picked up some starter plants too. Last weekend, we put the seedlings and starters in the new bed. I have big plans for our garden yields including salsa, pepper sauces, homemade stocks with amazing herbs, and lots of salads!

What's Growing in the Berkey Garden? 

From seed: a variety of 12 kitchen herbs, spinach, zucchini, cucumber, carrots, and romaine lettuce. Our cucumber plants was damaged by the recent storms so I started another two more to be safe. The romaine lettuce was obliterated from the heavy rain storms too. I started more seeds today, but we may need to get some starter plants. Our beets haven't even sprouted. The carrots are tiny, but are doing really well in the garden. Aaron shielded them with a bit of straw. My basil sprouted, but it's not looking good so we'll see what happens. The sage looks great.

From starter plants: strawberries, mint, rosemary, several varieties of peppers (Jalapeno, Poblano, and Bell), 2 varieties of tomatoes (early girl and roma), butternut squash, green beans, and cauliflower. The green beans are already climbing on the trellis.

We have deer that live in our woods. They walk right up to our front porch or anywhere that we have succulent plants. Here's a picture of one that I scared off from the front porch when it was getting close to the lilies. Aaron put netting around the entire raised bed so it's about 5 feet high. The deer are supposed to be held off because they don't like the netting on their face. I hope it works! Last year, they ate our garden like a big salad bowl! On top of last year's drought, we had barely any yield. But this year, I'm excited for food we'll be able to grow.

Compost is piling up!

We're composting now too. We have a large compost bin with yard clippings, coffee grounds, used tea leaves, droopy fresh cut flowers, rinsed and crushed egg shells, and all the cuttings leftover from cooking. The bugs are going to town! We have a compost container under the kitchen sink and I take it out to the compost bin about every 4-5 days. It's covered so it doesn't smell. We're using biodegradable compost bags for our container under the sink, but they are for commercial composting so I'm not throwing those in our bin.

This weekend, I'm going to do some weeding. I'll keep you all updated!

May Freezer Meal: Italian Beef, Giardiniera, Oven Fries, and Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Pies

Flash freeze the mini pies in 2 muffin tins

Our freezer meal exchange in May was awesome as usual! I hosted this time and we had a Friday night pitch-in instead of our normal Saturday afternoon meet-up because we were leaving to visit our family in Illinois that weekend. We usually meet on the 1st weekend of the month so that helps keep us on track for planning purposes.

The way it works is that each participating family makes 5 meals for the swap and then we bring them in coolers to exchange, packed and already frozen. We give a brief overview of the meal and how to tweak it if needed and prepare it. We share our recipes and cooking instructions in our private Facebook group. The meals we prepare are healthy and if it contains meat, it is locally sourced and natural. Most of us make 6 meals and so we can keep one for our own family. That leaves you with 6 prepared meals from the freezer for an entire month, which is awesome!

May Freezer Meal Exchange Menus:

• Erin - Frozen Breakfast Burritos (microwave from freezer), Guacamole, and banana bread
• Sarah - Broccoli and Chicken casserole, bread slices, and Chocolate Chip Bars
• Katie - Vegetarian Cheese Pasta, Baked Peas with Water Chesnuts, and Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp
• Ann - Marinated Chicken for Grilling, Peas and Corn with Thyme Butter, and Smores Bars
• Rachel - Mini Meatloaves, Herb Roasted Carrot and Potatoes, and Strawberry muffins
• Amanda - Italian Beef Sandwiches, Homemade Giardiniera, Oven Fries, and Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Pies

We had 6 families participate so that means everyone goes home with 5 different meals, plus the one that they made at home. The day after the swap, we had that long drive to Megan and Todd's house so I heated the breakfast burritos and they were delicious.

Amazing Meals for May

Italian Beef stores well inside the tins and a gallon Zip Loc to protect.

If you're going to make my meal, here's the additional details.

• Italian Beef (from Cooking Light) - I bought 6 pounds of rump roast and cooked them in 2 large slow cookers. It made enough for 7 meals. I shredded the beef with and placed them in the tins with reserved cooking liquid to store in the tins. I bought loaves of bread from Costco and wrapped them for the freezer.
• Homemade Giardiniera - was easy and so good! After living in Chicago, I love this spicy veggie condiment. You can store it for 2-3 weeks in the fridge in a glass mason jar. I saved small glass pimento jars from another meal and used that to share with the families for the exchange. It makes enough for a quart jar.
• Oven Fries: These came out a bit crispy, which Aaron loved. But you may want to cut back on the cooking time when you're reheating.
• Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Pies (from the Pioneer Woman): I used the Trader Joe's cookies instead of Oreos and their House Whip instead of Cool Whip to avoid the hydrogenated oils in both. This recipe makes 24 muffin tin sized pies. See picture above. To make into minis, spray muffin tins and bake the crust. Then spread the filling in each muffin. Flash freeze for 1-2 hours. Use a knife to gently pop out and freeze flat in a quart ziploc bag. To defrost, place in a ramekin because they will be messy.

Reheating instructions:

•  Heat oven to 450 degrees. You can reheat the beef from the freezer directly or set it in the fridge overnight. Place the oven fries in the oven for 25-30 (cut back from 30-35) minutes at 450 degrees and place beef tin along side it. Place frozen bread in the last 10 minutes.
• Slice bread to make sandwiches and serve with giardiniera.

Mama On the Road

Boston's North End. Thought of my Parmenter family!

The last two weeks have been a blur! I've had two 48-hour trips with two stops each! Last week, I went to Boston and Washington D.C. in 48-hours to charter two new ExactTarget user communities. I was traveling with my coworker, Rachel, and we grabbed a fun Italian dinner in Boston's North End less than a week before the mayhem unfolded with the Marathon.

Then this week, I headed back to D.C. to meet with a client who wants to start up a private user community for their company. I spent a brief night there before heading to Toronto for their user community meeting. I was in Toronto for only a day trip and then was home that evening. I barely made my flight home that night because of bad storms stunting travel in Detroit and Chicago. Thank goodness the sweet Delta agent booked me for the direct Air Canada flight back to Indy about an hour before it took off. But that meant I had to sprint the long haul between different terminals at the Toronto airport and then hurry through customs and security again. That was my closest call for sure. If I hadn't made that fight, I wouldn't have been home until the following day which was another day of tricky travel around storms. When I asked for help getting out of the first terminal, one agent asked me when my departure time was and then told me that I'd never make it so I should just give up. I'm so glad that I didn't. Ava was so happy that mama was home when she woke up!

Before I left this week, Ava told "mama, I'll be so sad when you're gone." I hugged her and reassured her that I'd be home the next night after she went to sleep. I replayed that moment in my mind when I ran to the flight to get home!

Beautiful view crossing the Columbia River

Dinner with Daddy while I was traveling

Ever since becoming a mother, traveling for work has taken a different flavor. It involved intense longing for my own bed and my family at home. But while I'm gone, I enjoy small moments of peace usually from the back seat of a cab or the seat of a train. It's strange in that moment not to on duty for making dinner, helping change into dress-up clothes, or get my preschooler a healthy snack. Traveling requires much more preparation than ever before! Before I leave, I make sure to do bath night, laundry, and prep lunches before I head to the airport. Aaron is a dedicated father, as you can imagine, who arranges his schedule to take Ava to school and back again in the evening. They have dinner dates too! While I was at a happy hour in D.C. with our clients after the charter meeting, I got a text from Aaron that he took her to the mall for dinner at their renovated food court. Those moments that connect me with home are bittersweet.

Cherry Blossoms in D.C.

I book my travel for the minimal time away from my family. It's too hard for me to be away for an extended time for all of us, even if it means waking at 3am for an early 6am departure. My company is empathetic, especially because we're balancing two travel schedules! Aaron and I both work for ExactTarget, our jobs requiring travel for customer meetings. But if I have to take Ava to a doctor appointment at 8:30am on a week day, it's not a big deal since I'm usually on the road. Time balances out.

I spend lots of time in route - the airport, taxis, trains, walking, and in all that time away my heart is always tied so closely to my family back home. Before we had Ava, I missed Aaron of course, but it wasn't a big deal to stay over night or extend time in a city. Now, I soak in as much as I can before rushing back to the airport.

Cozy spot to moderate #ETcafe Twitter chat

I find ways of making it work. Organization and planning ahead really help me stay sane. And on the nights and weekends we're home all together we take more time for laughs and family hugs. I'm about to enjoy some weeks at home before my next trip to Atlanta in May!

Sunny view from Toronto office

Sleep: My New Mothering Challenge

Last night, I went to my La Leche League monthly meeting and our topic was working and breastfeeding. We talked about our ideal work schedules, daycare, pumping, and maternity leave. I shared that as a working mom, I get very little sleep. I think it's about 5-6 hours per night when I work in the office and on the days that I work from home, I hopefully get an extra hour. I know lots of moms and parents, for that matter, remember their days before children of sleeping 7-8 hours per night...or more! If I'm lucky, I take an afternoon nap on the weekend with Ava. But, I'm not getting enough sleep.

I'm curious how other moms do it! So please share your advice and tips. I'd love to hear how other families balance their time.

When I work in the office, I pick the baby up from daycare and we nurse there. Then we get home and she nurses for another hour to reconnect. We have about an hour to play together and eat dinner before we start her bedtime routine. Then I get to shower, make lunches for all of us, clean bottles/pump parts for the next day. After she goes to bed, that's when I have to finish work and respond to emails or if I'm lucky, I can blog about the stuff we're up to or share recipes. There's always laundry to fold or chores around the house that need attention. Sometimes, I want to just sit and relax with Aaron - what a novel thought!

Sleep is ultra important to restore energy, build immunity, and help keep my brain focused for work and family.

My sweet and practical friend, Jill, last night reminded me that I can say no to things. She's right! My goal is push back on extra things. I'm going to swap my book club for my La Leche League leadership application process. I can't read two sets of books in a month. And that might mean less blog posts or fewer activities. But I know I need it! It's my new challenge in mothering.

The Berkey's are Going Vegetarian

Aaron read an article in the October issue of Mens Journal about the advantages of going vegan and it inspired him. Read the excerpt from the article here (featuring Twitter Biz Stone). He suggested that we go vegetarian for a health experiment to see how our bodies react. I was surprised at first because Aaron doesn't like too many vegetables! I told him that if we're going vegetarian, we're going to do it right and eat high quality grains, proteins like tofu, tempeh, and eat frequently to keep our energy stable. He told me that he was willing to try things and experiment. We agreed to do it together, which will be great since we're supporting each other.

We're committing to vegetarianism for a long period (at least 6-months) to see the effects on our bodies. Our plan is to eliminate meat (beef, pork, poultry), but still eat dairy to help with protein and possibly fish on occasion. I can't imagine giving up cheese, milk, or eggs so I was onboard with that. I suspect that in the end after our experiment is over, we may balance out to add meat back in to our diets, but not the focus or even every day.

I'm not going to lie. I'm going to miss bacon and pork because I love the salty, smoky flavor that it adds to a soup, sandwich, or heck, just eating it alone. But I do without. I went without wine for my entire pregnancy so I think I can go without meat for 6-12 months.

We broke the news to Aaron's parents at Thanksgiving. They gave us the "Are you an alien?" look afterwards. We told them our reasons and they told us not to worry because there's always peanut butter in the pantry! Almost every meal features some form of beef or pork so it's going to be tough. I think we'll stock some veggie burgers at their house and plan to cook alternatives for us to eat.

As we're planning to go vegetarian, we're doing two things.

• Experimenting/Researching: I really like vegetarian meals and have recipes already in mind. I've been eyeing the bulk bins at Whole Foods for the dried beans, quinoa, barley, and oat groats. We get a produce box of seasonal, organic produce already so we'll experiment and find our favorite vegetarian meals. We already have several that we love: Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese and Veggie Pasta Ragu (made with veggie burger in the sauce). I liked a coconut peanut curry with tofu, cabbage, green beans and rice noodles meal that I made recently. At restaurants, we're ordering vegetarian options. For the past month, we've been eating less meat overall to make the transition smoothly.
  
• Eating our meat from the freezer: We had a drawer in our freezer filled with varieties of hormone-free meats and grass-fed beef. We cooked ground elk for chili and made beef hamburgers in November, even though we'd prefer to eat burgers in the summer! We cooked a pork tenderloin this week and we ate it in smaller servings to ease back our meat intake.
  

Our official start will be Jan 1. Practically speaking, it's best to wait until after the Christmas holiday. Aaron's mom would have been slightly heart broken if we skipped her ground beef lasagna and the traditional egg, sausage and cheese casserole for Christmas morning. But for the upcoming year, when we visit, I'll make food for us.

Just in the last couple weeks, I've lost 3 lbs! I'm wondering if it has to do with the vegetarian tendencies we're having in the last month. To be fair, I'm breastfeeding, which uses tons of calories and my weight loss has been slow and steady. One ounce of breastmilk is about 20 calories, which is taken from my body to produce. I pump about 28-30oz when I go to the office all day and feed Ava before work, in the evening, and overnight. No wondering I'm always hungry! It seems my weight is dropping off all the sudden. This week, I reached my pre-pregnancy weight and fit really easily in my old jeans that I hadn't worn comfortably since I was 12-weeks pregnant. My goal is to keep trimming down while my metabolism has the added boost from breastfeeding.

I'm having fun pulling out my cookbooks like Nourishing Traditions and Feeding the Whole Family is especially useful with the great alternative, wholesome foods. As I write this post, I'm soaking dried mung beans for a stew tomorrow. I'm chopped butternut squash and it's ready to go for the stew tomorrow.

Follow our experiment on the blog. I'll post our progress and share our recipes. Please share your favorite veggie entrees and dishes, too!

My New Favorite Bread: Soft 10 Grain

A few weeks ago, I was looking for a new bread to try during my weekly trip to Trader Joe's and picked up the Soft 10 Grain Bread. They key word is "soft." Most of the healthy bread that we've tried is just too hard and dry. Aaron is a big fan of a regional bread maker called Aunt Millie's that's made here in Indiana, but I wasn't sure how healthy it actually is for you.

So the verdict is that I LOVE it! It's a natural and preservative free product. That means you'll need to eat it quickly since it will tend to mold fairly quickly without the preservatives. The bread is hearty with seeds that you can bite into like sesame and sunflower.

Each slice is 90 calories and 2 grams of fiber. Ingredients include: wheat flour, brown sugar, brown rice, corn grits (weird), barley rye, white wheat, rolled oats, wheat bran. It has an earthy flavor.

I like to eat with cottage cheese on top for breakfast or almond butter with a bit of unsweetened homemade apple butter.

Fall Day Trip to Brown County

Yesterday, we took a family day trip to Brown County State Park to celebrate our 5 year anniversary next week. Aaron surprised me on a trip to Brown County our first Fall that we were together in '04 to check out the trees and the hills. It was a relaxing getaway for us since we were living the city life in Chicago! We took a picture there together against the beautiful foliage and used it as our save-the-date cards for our wedding. And now that we live so close in Indy it's less than a 90 minute drive.

We took a hike on a 1-mile trail and it was beautiful! It was a crisp day of about 50 degrees so we bundled Ava up in the stroller and took the dog and realized that the trail was not paved. We went back to the car and used the sling pouch to carry Ava. She was getting tired and started rooting on me to nurse so we decided to have Aaron carry her since there wasn't a place to stop and nurse. Then she fell asleep really happily in the sling. Good thing the sling is reversible and the gender-neutral brown side isn't so bad for Aaron to use...Haha! My job was to take Bena and she was loving every minute. Vizsla's are bird pointing dogs and she loved to stop and point at the birds. We had a nice hike and it was a good workout too! Carrying your baby and walking a strong dog helps maximize the workout!

After the hike at the State Park, we went into the small town of Nashville, which is a couple miles outside of the park, for a late lunch. I carried Ava in the sling around the town and we had a relaxing lunch on the main strip. Nashville is a touristy, artist colony and in the Fall season so it was really busy. Since we were eating later, we didn't have to wait too long. Ava was in a great mood and very playful. I had been nursing her frequently throughout the day so she was really content. We had a booth and she sat between us playing. She reached toward a water glass for a drink. She likes to drink it from a glass like mom! The women in the table next to me were commenting on how much they liked my sling. Ava and I love it too! She feels close, secure, and can even sleep. I'm planning to get a ring sling next so I can have enough give in the fabric for nursing on the go.

After the lunch, we headed to the Outlet mall since it was on the drive home. We haven't been shopping in ages since we've been busy with Ava. We stocked up on essentials for all of us. I needed some 12-month size sleepers for Ava and Aaron picked up a few new clothes, too. I got to spend my birthday money for some new clothes to freshen my Fall/Winter wardrobe.

Packed Snacks for the Day Trip: The trip was easy because we had snacks with us for the drive so we couldn't be starved or settling for junk food.

• Before we left for the trip, I made a quick Breakfast Burrito to eat in the car since we were running late.
• I packed two squash pecan muffins for a snack because they're nutritious and filling.
• I threw together homemade trail mix from what I had in the pantry: peanuts, raisins, a few chocolate chips, dried cranberries and whole wheat honey pretzels. We left the shops at 6pm and since we were going to cook a quick dinner, I need something to hold us over. I picked up a pint of milk from the gas station where we filled up before the drive home and we snacked on the homemade trail mix. Not only is it economical, but it's way healthier to pack healthy snacks for the family.

You might like this post about individual serving packets of nut butter for a healthy snack. Yum!

I saw a family arrive at the State Park and eat their lunch at the car. They pulled out white bread sandwiches! I couldn't believe it. I haven't seen a bag of Wonder Bread in my house since I was a kid. We're a whole wheat bread family in our house. It amazes me that people would eat that for lunch.

When we first got to the Park, I was nursing Ava in the car in the backseat. She coughed on the milk, chocked and then grew up over both of us! In the moment we were wondering if we should have come with the baby, but a quick clean up in the bathroom helped us feel ready to enjoy the day. I know lots of parents that take their children out and about everywhere. We're still learning the best things to do and bring with us so we won't have too much to pack. We're learning the balance act along the way! All of these experiences help us with our confidence as parents and help enrich Ava's early development. A little baby puke never hurt anyone right? :)

One Whole Chicken, Three Dinners

Last Thursday, I stayed home from work sick with a fever and a terrible cold. I dropped the baby off at daycare for a few hours so I could sleep and went to Costco to pick up a few essentials. I picked up a whole Rotisserie chicken for $5 which is a great price because not only is it already cooked, but it's also growth hormone free chicken.

Meal 1: Veggie, Chicken and Brown Rice Soup - 6 servings
That night because I wasn't feeling good, I used the chicken thigh and drumstick meat to put in soup.

I started with chopping and sauteing veggies that I had on-hand in produce box: onions, celery, carrots, garlic, zucchini, and kale (here's my easy tip on cleaning leafy greens and lettuce). I added a quart of chicken broth, fresh water, seasoning, and a cup of brown rice. I brought it up to a simmer. After it was simmering for about 45 minutes, I added the chicken pieces at the end since it was already cooked. I kept the pieces of chicken fairly large, but still bite sized. I just pulled the chicken off the bone and added it to the pot.

This soup was very nourishing all weekend for me and it was so easy that it wasn't hard even being sick and by myself with the baby since Aaron was out of town.

Meal 2: Chicken Broccoli Casserole - 6 servings
On Sundays, I make a big batch of food so this casserole was great. I ate it for dinner by myself and then Monday night it was easy to reheat for us after a day at the office. I used fresh broccoli and a few other veggies since I felt I didn't have enough broccoli (only 1 pound). I used the chicken breasts and chopped them in large bit-sized pieces and combined the chicken and veggies. The recipe called for a white sauce (flour, butter, and milk with cheese and seasonings added). Then it said to soak bread pieces in a 1/2 cup of milk. It baked in the oven for about a half hour.

Make your favorite chicken casserole and serve with rice. I served mine with slices of fresh Roma tomato.

Time-saving tip: reserve the small leftover pieces from the chicken in a container and store in the refrigerator for green salads or my meal #3....

Meal 3: Chicken, Veggie, and Cheese Potato - 3 servings
Last night's dinner was really easy. We made an easy favorite meal that takes just minutes - Chicken, Broccoli, and Cheese Potato (here's the recipe). Except last night, I didn't have any more broccoli, so I used fresh steamed cauliflower. Green beans work, too. It's a baked potato with cooked chicken, broccoli/cauliflower, cheese and a dab of sour cream. I like to add sliced green onion on the top of mine.

So there you go. I used a $5 Rotisserie whole chicken and made 3 meals all week and they were all tasty and healthy. Add your favorite easy meals with using Rotisserie Chicken in the comments if you want to share!

Tasty, Sweet Summer Treat

This summer Trader Joe's (you know it's my favorite store!) came out with a new product that I love! It's Pomegranate Blueberry Sherbet and it comes in a small container, which is perfect for small servings just to have a taste of something sweet. The sherbet has a perfect blend and very flavorful. Sometimes I mix a scoop of this sherbet with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, too.

One serving is a 1/2 cup for 140 calories. You can see by the little scoop in this bowl, it's something that I savor!

If you don't have a Trader Joe's by you, I don't mean to rub it in! :) Ava likes to shop there and she's been there since she was just 3 weeks old.

Breast Pumps for Working Moms...Come On Insurance Companies!

I've been very fortunate to have generous friend (thank you, Jill!) who has lent me her hospital grade breast pump that she used when she first had her daughter. When I was pregnant, Jill, offered to lend me her pump and I took it with me to the hospital when I gave birth so that the lactation consultants could show me how to use it. Hospital-grade pumps are multi-user pumps and are designed for long-term and frequent use. It's especially helpful to have a strong, reliable pump for establishing supply in the beginning. While they are larger than the smaller sizes built into a easy carrying back, they are a workhorse. I compare it to having a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer that you can use for decades or having a small hand held electric mixer. In the past few months I've been spoiled by this trusty pump. As a working mom, it's recommended to pump every 3 hrs to maintain your supply while you are separated from your baby.

I've decided that it's time to buy my own pump for nursing Ava and for the future. I've heard from lactation consultants that smaller pumps like the Medela Pump in Style are great for nursing 1 child, but then they are not as effective for future kids simply because of the wear and tear on the pump. Since this pump is already over $300, I've decided to spend more and get the big mama pump, the Lactina, which is about $1,000. My reason is that it's so reliable and great for heavy-duty use long-term. Because it's a hospital-grade, it's built to last. I plan on nursing Ava until she's at least 18 months, which means that I'll go longer if she wants. The main reason is that I just learned that babies don't produce their own antibodies until their about 18 months old and breast milk over time with the baby nursing less because they're also eating table foods, becomes richer in antibodies. It's nature's way of protecting the young baby from illness. Amazing!

I did some research with my medical insurance provider to find out about my benefits for breast pumps. I was appalled to learn that they only cover a MANUAL breast pump, which is a mere $30! I was completely blown away! A manual pump is for occasional use (think stay-at-home mom), NOT a working mom. If I were to use a manual pump while at work, it would take me hours! Manual pumps are operated by hand and you can only pump one breast at a time. Electric are pumped at the same time, using a motor and you can get bras to make it even hands-free for working while pumping!

To me, this is completely inexcusable! It's another MAJOR hole in our system that fail to give mothers and babies a strong foundation to establish and maintain breastfeeding. Remember, my post on current stats that I shared about the dismal number of exclusively breastfed babies in the US (only 33% by age 3-months). By that time, the mother is likely to return to work and without support systems in place (employer-supported lactation policies/facilities, benefits for breast pumps, etc), women who don't want to wean their babies, start falling off. Insurance providers would have fewer claims because breastfed babies are generally sick less than formula babies. Sadly, at Ava's daycare, the babies there are starting to have more formula. When she started at 8 weeks old, 1 out of 7 were on formula and now, Ava is one of 2 babies getting exclusive breastmilk. She has a cold now from daycare, but she's doing ok. We took her to the doctor and she doesn't have an ear infection and her cough is getting better and she isn't as sick as the other babies in the nursery. The antibodies from my milk are helping her for sure.

So why would the insurance companies only provide manual pumps to working or any mom that is breastfeeding, because our culture is formula company lobbied. The are setting moms back from the advice from the World Health Organization, Le Leche League, and the American Academy of Pediatrics that babies should be exclusively breastfed for a minimum (key word) of 1 year. I'm planning on writing to my medical insurance provider and alerting my HR admin. I wonder if our HR team even knows about this major gap? It's unbelievable to me. What are lower income working moms doing? My hope is that they are investing the $300 in a good pump, which is far less than buying formula.

The saddest part for me is that babies are not only missing out on the ultimate nutrition, but the physical comfort and bonding that happens when a mother and baby are back together. I can tell the difference on days when I'm in the office all day. Ava and I are separated for 10 hours. When I'm working at home she's at daycare for 4 1/2 hours. But the day full days apart, she and are rarely apart at night. I can barely cook a meal because she wants to be with me and nurse all night. Yesterday, for example, Ava ate 6oz in 10 hrs and when I arrived at daycare she nursed longer than normal. Babies miss their mommies and nursing is an amazing way to reconnect for working moms, especially! I just love it.

I encourage you to find out what your benefits are and be assertive. Make our voices heard to help bring change.

Cooking with a Newborn. Is it Possible? YES!

Since Ava was born (almost 11 weeks ago), we've had a lot of friends and family visit. We both love to host, which is why we bought our house because it's really easy to entertain here. I've been able to do lots of cooking since she was born and our visitors always ask me "how do you cook with a newborn?" So here is the post for those parents out there that can't figure it out. Cooking at home is a priority to me because we like to eat nutritious meals and it's nice to have healthy leftovers in the fridge ready for lunches to grab and go.

Yes, I've even cut green beans with Ava in this sling carrier in the picture. It really works!

• Give yourself more time: Before Ava was born, I cooked quickly because I have my tools (sharp knives, access to equipment, etc), but now I leave myself more time. Truth be told, we eat later now, typically around 8pm if I'm cooking a meal. The baby needs care and when she's hungry, you can't ignore a baby with a growling tummy so I stop what I'm doing to feed her. I've learned to make a dish when she's sleeping or playing happily and then stop and then go back to cooking. I put the baby in the swing in the kitchen or even on the floor on her Baby Einstein and talk to her about what I'm doing. It can be a 2-hr process sometimes. It depends on how it goes that night. This leads to me to my next tip...
  
• Strategically plan your cooking nights: The first 4 weeks back to work, I work in the office on Monday's so I cook a larger meal (like my Enchilada Casserole) on Sunday for about 4-6 servings of leftovers for the week. Then, Mon night comes around and we'll have leftovers or a sandwich and fruit for dinner. On the days I work from home, I will cook something simple like a quick pasta and veggie or prep the slow cooker in the morning so it cooks throughout the day. I recently made Lentil Stew in the crockpot. A great option!
  
• Weekly shopping and meal planning: I do meal planning and shop once a week on Saturdays. I hit the stores efficiently when Aaron is home with Ava or sometimes even take her with me. The baby loves the lights in the stores. Shopping once a week helps stay on budget because you're not running to the store randomly or even getting takeout.
  
• Keep it easy when entertaining: One night I made Beef and Noodles (homemade semolina flour) and that was more extravagant, but most times I made really easy meals when we're hosting people for dinner. I might make steaks, steamed veggies or salad, roasted potatoes or even frozen french fries. Panini sandwiches are really easy to make because it's super easy and people can customize how they want their sandwich. You can serve with a salad and fruit. For dessert, we usually buy something or if our guests offer to bring something, I suggest dessert.
  
• Kitchen organization: Check out my post on kitchen work zones. When we moved into the house, I organized the kitchen into functional work zones so that I would be efficient. Now, I can whip together muffins or even Banana Chocolate Chip Snack Cake really quickly because everything is in reach.
  
• Stocking the pantry: My success with cooking with a small baby is that I keep essentials that I use all the time handy in the pantry. I get an organic produce delivery every week and always have seasonal produce on-hand and stock basics like cans of beans, rice, chicken stock, cheese, eggs, bread, milk, etc. I can always whip together something healthy even if it's a turkey sandwich with avocado. Easy sides work. Check out my post on the snap peas that steam in the bag in the microwave!
  
• Get a helping hand: Aaron is really good about helping me when I have to stop cooking to feed Ava. He will finish something for me so I can stop and take care of her or just hold her while I'm getting food on the table. Our friends that have come over are always willing to do the same! After all, they're getting a nice meal!
  

Many nights Aaron and I eat dinner later than we like or staggered because as the food is ready Ava is ready to eat, too! But we make it work and we're still living healthfully!

Even if you don't have a newborn and you have a toddler, or you're a busy person without kids, these tips can apply to you! In real life, we're all busy, but taking care of our bodies (our ONLY body), is a great priority to ensure a higher quality of life and hopefully a longer one, too!

Send me your tips or comment below to share your secrets.

Breastfeeding Does a Body Good, But Why is it So Hard?!

Babies are BORN to breastfeed. And mothers finish the cycle of childbirth by lactating. There is no question in my mind or even the American Academy of Pediatrics, that baby's optimal nutrition source is human milk, ramping up starting in the middle of the baby's first year to solid foods. Breastfed babies are sick less than formula babies (from Le Leche League). Breastfed babies are shown to have fewer allergies, lower risk for obesity, better jaw development, better absorption of nutrition since human milk is easily digestible. And mom's uterus contracts after childbirth by breastfeeding, which helps her uterus return to normal size easily.

When I thought about being a mom, exclusive breastfeeding my baby without formula was always THE priority. I never questioned it. I thought that I'll deliver my baby and breastfeed the baby because that's the most natural and best way to feed and bond. I heard from other moms that it would be hard, but who knew HOW hard! When I was pregnant, I read the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding from the Le Leche League, a national breastfeeding support group of nursing moms. But, my friend, Jill reminded me when Ava was 5-days old and I felt I was at wits end trying to breastfeed little Ava that that's why breastfeeding is called an "Art" and not a science. That really comforted me!

My in-laws sent the LLL book when I was pregnant. My mother-in-law, who is an amazing support, was a LLL group leader back in the 80's when she was heavily in nursing. Moms in the group are breastfeeding advocates now, but can you imagine what the climate was like 30 years ago when nearly every baby was formula fed, including yours truly! Michele brought the whole family into it. Aaron and his sibs babysat the babies and my father-in-law talked to the fathers in those days about the benefits of breastfeeding, peer-to-peer. Growing up knowing breastfeeding is best for babies, Aaron was in lock-step with me and my biggest supporter. He told me Ava's position should be adjusted and comforted her when she was raging because she was hungry and couldn't latch so we could try again.

I'm now 8-weeks into breastfeeding and it's still a challenge sometimes. I'm wondering why is it SO HARD?? If it's natural, then why? I've learned that it's dance between babies and mothers that involves the right and left brains! Emotions and biology are wrapped up in one with breastfeeding! The good thing is that I have established a fantastic supply of milk starting with the frequent breastfeeding in those early hours and days. I used a nipple shield in the hospital because I had flat nipples and Ava had trouble latching the second feeding. By about 6-weeks, my nipples were drawn out by frequent nursing for Ava to latch and now by 8-weeks, she's completely weaned from the shield. BUT we're not out of the woods, yet. Now, we're working on her latch, which I suspect is shallow sometimes. I'm reading a great book that I borrowed from the LLL library Breastfeeding Made Simple, which has helpful techniques for getting the baby to latch in the "comfort zone."

Needless to say, I've spent countless hours breastfeeding now all over the place (check out my 6-week post), reading books, learning from lactation consultants and moms at breastfeeding support groups by now. One mom told me that if someone says breastfeeding is easy the first time is LYING! Just look at the numbers. The current stats from the CDC are staggering! By 3-months of age, when mom's are most likely back to work, only 33% of US babies are exclusively breastfed, not to mention only 13% by 6-months! It's so heartbreaking.

Now, I know why it's so hard to get right! Our culture has evolved to enable the $13B formula industry and take power from mothers. (A must read article Huffington Post) Before formula was invented, women had no choice but to breastfeed their babies, unless they were in the elite classes and they had wet nurses, which was obviously a handful of women. We give birth in hospitals that may not support breastfeeding. My disclaimer is that my hospital, OBGYN, pediatrician, and nurses were extremely supportive and pro-breastfeeding. But, women are giving birth in hospitals and coming home with the baby without their mothers, sisters, aunts, and grandmothers there to support her not just after a couple days, but for weeks and months. We lack experiential knowledge, needed for breastfeeding. My mom fed me formula because it was too hard for her. No one jumped in to support her and she didn't seek it. But lets face it, that was 1976 the height of the "formula is more scientific movement."

The negative side of American culture is obsessed with quick fixes and letting corporations cook for you - look at the grocery store aisles. It's a vicious cycle. Moms that don't get the support and work hard at this careful dance, lose their confidence and their milk supply goes with it. There many moms are frustrated, embarrassed, and feeling down-right guilty. It makes me angry. I'm angry enough to fight for me and little Ava to continue as long as she needs it, which yep, folks, that means I may be nursing a toddler. But she'll be getting her nutrition from human milk until at least 1-year. Ava is worth fighting for. And now, I can't imagine not breastfeeding her. It's a constant bonding routine that gives her comfort, security, and mother's love.

I'm returning to work next week and I've already scheduled times in the Mother's Room to pump for daycare and to keep my supply strong. My first 4-weeks are really flexible, working 1 day in the office and 4 days at home. I'll have Ava in 1/2 day daycare so I can be productive and have time with her to continue to establish our nursing relationship. Then in June, I'll go back to the office 3 days a day and 2 days at home with the 1/2 day daycare to support me.

I struggle emotionally with going back to work, although I'm blessed with a flexible and supportive work culture that provides me a good transition schedule to keep me with Ava longer. I believe my emotions as a mother are hard wired. Mothers and babies are not meant to be separated. I'm reminded of that every time it's about 3-4 hours between feedings! Ouch! Working mothers need technology, AKA breastpump, to be apart from the baby. See, it's hardwired in our biology to stay together. Our household, at this point, is a two-income household to accommodate our financial needs and goals like providing shelter and still saving for the future like Ava's college and our retirement. Working mothers do it every day. I've admired many of my friends who have maintained their breastfeeding relationships with their babies by being diligent with their schedules. On Monday, I'll be one of those mothers with her mysterious "bag" who goes into a room to pump. But in my thoughts will be Ava and her smiles and cuddles. This picture above is from her first week of live when breastfeeding was a battle with the flailing arms and legs, but it's the image in my mind all the time. I love her to pieces, my little Ava!

Spring Flower Power Walk

Spring rain is a renewal to the lifeless, still landscapes that we see in the winter. I enjoy a brisk walk in the spring to enjoy the budding trees and blooming wild flowers. It's a great way to get outside after a long winter to enjoy a workout in the fresh air! When I lived in California, the spring rain brings out gorgeous flowers and the hills are bright green. Then summer comes and the rain stops and the hills turns golden because of the mustard grass (brought by the Spaniards). Needless to say, I was always distracted seeing the green hills! In my old house in San Jose, where I grew up, we had a cherry orchard at the end of my street. The mustard blooms are a beautiful sign of springtime in California (great photo here). My friend, Romeo, took photos of me back in high school in that mustard grass in the orchard for his photography class when we were in high school. I wish I had those photos! This picture on the left is the closest thing I have in Indiana to the mustard blooms.

This afternoon I took Ava for a 2-mile hill walk on our street and I saw some gorgeous spring wild flowers. My power walk took me about 1-hour and it put the baby right to sleep! It was 45 degrees outside so I bundled her up in her stroller and she was so cozy (you can see in the photo). I saw daffodils, violets, and these pretty yellow and purple flowers on the bushes and trees outside.

I had a cesarean birth and it took longer to recover than a natural birth, but since I was in shape and healthy prior to the surgery, it helped me recover more quickly. Today, was the first day that I really felt strong to exercise like normal again. The stroller, car seat, and baby weigh about 40 lbs total. Going up and down hills I was working my gluts, abs, and getting a great cardio workout!

Power walking in the spring lets you enjoy the flowers and gets you moving! Here's a couple tips on planning a perfect spring walk:

• Trails and hills: Seek out trails in local parks or a secluded country area. When I lived in Illinois, I walked on the prairie path and in Indiana, many people run/walk/bike on the Monon Trail. Even driving a short distance to an open area and then walking from there gets you to a more into nature. The farther you can get from car traffic, the nicer the walk you can look at the spring landscape and not be distracted by looking for cars all the time.
  
• Use Google Maps to calculate distance: I mapped my street that I live on, which has a dead end at the top of the hill. It's a 1/2 mile each way so I do 4 legs to equal 2 miles. Some trails have mile markers to make it easy to keep track.
  
• Be social: I've done lots of walking with friends and it makes the time pass faster because you're distracted by the conversation. It turns out that I've walked farther because I'm having a good time. My mother-in-law walks with her best friends and it helps keep them motivated.
• Take your heart monitor to track calories and heart rate: I forgot my heart monitor this time, but I'm planning to use it for the next walk. I know I worked hard on the hill walk today, but it would be better if knew my calories burned. Here's a post from the summer on using heart monitors.

It feels good to be back in it again! Spin class was my favorite pre-pregnancy workout, but being home with the baby walking the hills outside is a good workout that I don't have to drive to the gym or get a sitter. It's convenient that she falls asleep in the stroller and I can fit in the workout between feeding and caring for Ava.

Please share your tips for spring power walks!

Traditional English Comfort Food Favorite Gets a Healthy Revamp: Chicken Shepherd's Pie

Last night, I was trying to think of a way to use the fresh produce in my fridge since today we got our new delivery of organic produce. I love my biweekly deliveries of fresh organic produce (from Farm Fresh Delivery), especially as a new mom because it's harder to get out of the house. Aaron is doing most of the grocery shopping so having a produce delivery really helps us save time and money since I'll cook at home instead of eating take out.

For dinner last night, I made Shepherd's Pie, an English comfort pub favorite. This dish traditionally has ground beef and veggies like peas, carrots, and onions on the bottom and it's topped with a "crust" of mashed potatoes. I've never made it before, but I decided to try it. Aaron and I really liked it! I made my version with ground chicken and lots of veggies in the dish and served with a side of steamed cauliflower. It definitely was a comfort meal, but my version was healthier with less butter and saturated fat and more veggies.

Amanda's Chicken Shepherd's Pie (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 tbs olive oil
  
• 1 tbs minced garlic
  
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 cup frozen peas (no need to defrost)
• 1- 14oz can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp curry
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1/4 - to taste salt
  

Mashed Potatoes:

• 1 pound yukon gold potatoes
• 1/2 cup lowfat milk
• 1 tbs butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

• Chop vegetables and peel potatoes and cut potatoes into chunks. In a medium pot, add potatoes and cover with cold water. Bring potatoes in water to a boil. Once the water is boiling turn down to a medium temperature and cook for about 15 minutes until potatoes are fork tender.
  
• While potatoes are cooking, preheat large pot or skillet on medium heat. Add olive oil, then onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add ground chicken and crumble it as you cook it with a spoon. When chicken is almost cooked (white out the edges and pink in the middle) add seasonings: smoked paprika, oregano, curry, and salt and pepper. When chicken is cooked and no longer pink, add can of tomato sauce and frozen peas. Simmer on low on the stove.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat 8 x 8 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  
• While chicken and vegetable mixture is simmering, drain the potatoes. Return the potatoes to the hot pot and immediately add milk and butter. Using a potato masher, smash the potatoes and blend together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Spread meat mixture on the bottom of the casserole dish. Layer mashed potatoes evenly on the top of the meat to form a "crust." Sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese and place in the preheated oven.
• Bake Shepherd's Pie for 20 minutes in the 400 degree oven until bubbly.
• Set aside for about 5 minutes to cool before serving.
  

I served this with steamed cauliflower on the side, but you can also serve it with a simple green salad, too. Please let me know what you think!

Inspired by First Lady & First Mom, Michelle Obama

I've had a whirlwind last 9 months! Aaron and I decided to move to Indianapolis last June and we both landed new jobs (on the same day), and had to find a temporary apartment in Indy in a single weekend! We moved down here to simplify our lives to start a family. Aaron calls it "growing up" to leave the downtown Chicago city life and buy a house (with a yard!) and start a family. We decided on Indy because his parents are 2 1/2 hours north of Indy so we'll have quick access to the lake house and grandparent help. Most of all, living in Indy is SUPER affordable compared to the raising a family in the city of Chicago OR back in my hometown, San Jose, which the cost of living is arguably higher!

We moved to Indy on 4th of July weekend and I went back to Chicago to work my last day at my company, then drove with the dog back to Indy to join Aaron. The next morning, I found out that I was pregnant! It was a complete shock, but in our minds the news that we were going to be parents validated that our move to Indy was "perfect" for the next phase of our lives together. At the end of December, we closed on a house that we'll be able to raise our family in and spend decades in! We're so excited to have found a place to call home and again, the timing was perfect because now, we're expecting our baby girl literally ANY day now! Our due date is March 13. Our lifestyle has been so crazy, but one thing that we don't give up is our healthy lifestyle. Check out my post from Dec for survival tips.

Last night, I was catching up on reading my magazines and was excited to read First Lady Michelle Obama's interview from Glamour's 2009 Woman of the Year awards. Michele Obama has focused her efforts on issues like childhood health, nutrition, and obesity since she became First Lady. In fact, she's leading by example White House organic garden that the chef uses to make meals for the staff and first family. Last February, Michael Pollan was interviewed on the NPR show, Fresh Air, talking about his Open Letter to the President in which he advocated for a White House Garden. I was happy to hear that the Michelle Obama followed through to do this as an example for the rest of the country. When asked why they created the White House garden in the Glamour interview, Michelle Obama responds:

"...When I was a working mother with a busy husband, a very demanding job and two little kids to feed...I had to learn what it means to feed and care for your kids in a country where fast food was abundant, where time is a rarity, where eating out is a trend, because families are so busy...Yes, I'm First Lady, but I know the struggles."

She "gets" it! I loved reading this because it reminds me, while Michelle Obama is now First Lady, she really lived through the struggle to find balance of raising a family with the fast-food culture in America. Nutrition is priority to me because I know that I have one body in this life and I want to keep it healthy so I'm around to enjoy my family many decades to come. But with the outside pressures of a demanding schedule and from the fast-food overloaded culture, we can see how many people give into the "easy way" to put food on the table.

Most importantly, Michelle Obama, is a career-driven mom. She's a woman that came out of her South Side of Chicago working-class roots to go to Ivy League college and law schools, but always kept her down-to-earth perspective when she became a wife and mom. She's the first, First Lady, that I can relate to as I'm about to embark on this new journey of a career-driven mom, myself! She's an executive, mother, and wife, and has never given up her family values. The common thread in her interviews is that she believes that being mentally present for her family is top priority. I'm with you, Michelle!

Michelle Obama is my inspiration as I think about raising my daughter and being a loving wife. I'm going to breastfeed my daughter for at least the first year of her life, giving her the valuable antibodies, perfect nutrition and most importantly, feeling of comfort and security. My nutrition passes onto her in this time and in the future when we sit down for family meals together in the years to come.

Who are your inspirations? Michelle Obama revealed that her inspirations were always her parents. That's rock solid! I hope my girl grows up respecting the moms and power women out there!

I've Got Tricks Up My Sleeve for Packing a Healthy Lunch

I learned early on when Aaron and I first lived together that he would not be the one to pack his lunch in the morning. He'd rather sleep in longer, rather than packing a lunch. Then it's a snowball effect. He'd eat lunch out and it was usually fast food. He didn't like it. Not a good scenario for healthy living! So, I started to pack lunches for both of us to take to work. I prefer to eat my own food to control my nutrition, except for those occasions when we have a lunch at work. A girl has to be social, you know! If you don't have an "enabler-partner" like me making your lunch because you want to sleep, then you can make your lunch the night before. To be honest, I don't mind making lunches because it makes me feel good knowing that both of us are going to work with healthy meals that are good for our bodies. Don't forget, packing your own lunch saves you tons of money, check out my post!

I'm on the Wellness Committee at my company and a couple of months ago, I had an idea for an employee program that I'm excited is moving forward! We're going to give away lunch bags with our company's logo to promote the concept of employees packing their own healthy lunches. Since I'm leaving for maternity leave any day now, I wanted to leave the group with my idea of the insert for the tips to packing healthy lunches. It made me realize that I need to share some of my tricks up my sleeve for packing healthy lunches!

Healthy Lunch Ideas:

• Planned Leftovers: In the picture above you can see that I have a complete meal ready to go for work lunches. The one in the picture is an Enchilada Casserole that I made enough servings to have for dinner and lunches during the week. Planning ahead and storing the complete meal in a packable container makes it easy to pack a lunch quickly.
  
• Fresh Fruit on Hand: Our lunches always include a serving of fresh fruit. I cut up apples, pineapple, grapefruit, mangos, or throw in a whole orange for example. We use a produce delivery service so we always have a variety of seasonal fruit on hand.
  
• Green Salads with Leftover Chicken or Beans: For salads, I always have some sort of protein such as canned beans, leftover chicken, or fish. Salads are great for lunch because eating lots of bread from sandwiches usually makes me more tired in the afternoon. I like to make my own salad dressings. Check out this recipe for fresh Poppy Seed Dressing from my friend, Catherine.
  
• Always Keep an Emergency Frozen Entree Available: There are mornings when you've been out late or wake up late. I buy my frozen entrees from Trader Joe's because they have healthier alternatives. Our favorites are low-fat Chile Relleno and Aaron likes the chicken pot pie.
  
• Easy Sides - Cottage Cheese, Yogurt, and String Cheese: I buy yogurt and cottage cheese by the large container tubs so I can easily throw some in a small container to take for lunches or snacks. This way you get a quick calcium/protein-rich side dish in your lunch. Throw a couple whole wheat crackers and you're done!
• Mix it Up! Aaron and I both don't like to eat the SAME boring thing every day. I try to mix up our foods to get some leftovers, some salads, etc and the benefit is a variety of nutrition. Making your lunch interesting will help avoiding feeling "deprived" when you see your coworkers with their take-out lunches.

In the morning, I run a little assembly line and pack our lunch at the same time. I pack my breakfast for work so I plan for about 15-20 minutes in the morning to this entire process.

What are your favorite lunches? Share them in the comments.

Quick Veggie Side Dish in Minutes: Sugar Snap Peas

Tonight, I worked later than I expected and then Aaron called me and told me that he was going to have drinks with his coworkers and he would be home later. I knew that I had to rush out to get the dog from her daycare before they close (Bena loves it, by the way!), run to Trader Joe's to buy food to host our weekend guests, then get home to cook dinner for myself. All this running around is pretty normal for our lifestyle, which is of course is why I started this blog to share my time-saving times...but you get the picture. I got home after 7pm and I had to make a very quick and healthy meal. I picked up artichoke ravioli and sugar snap peas in a bag for dinner.

When you're in a major hurry and don't have time to wash and cook a vegetable side dish on the stove top, sugar snap peas in a bag are a convenient and healthy option. I bought my bag from Trader Joe's for about $2.30, but I've also seen them at other grocery stores. The best part is that you can cook them right in the bag, without washing or chopping for only 2-3 minutes in the microwave. Check the instructions on your bag to be sure. These little, sweet babies steamed up exactly as directed. I added a tiny bit of butter, salt, and pepper and they were done in no time! Now, that's a winner! Each bag serves a family with about 4-6 servings.

Sugar snap peas are completely edible so there is no shelling involved! You can get 3 grams of fiber per serving and about 35 calories. On top of the fiber, sugar snap peas are a good source of vitamins A, C, and K and folate. Now that's a nutritional bonus since they cook so quickly, even in the microwave!

Happy Valentine's Day: Love Yourself and Stay Healthy

Today is Valentine's Day and the focus on everyone's mind is loving someone else. I think that's great, don't get me wrong, but one of my core values that I share with my husband is loving yourself. I've stated this many times in many different ways, that part of loving yourself is staying healthy and focusing on wellness. Preventing illness is more effective if you have a solid base of health. And in this life, we have ONE body and a tremendous opportunity to make healthy choices today that effect us tomorrow.

Yesterday, my mother-in-law shared her latest health assessment results with me. We talked about her lifestyle changes that she wants to make. She's only 55 yrs old and with three kids, one grandchild, and another one the way (4 wks!). She knows that making health differences will improve her quality of life so she can enjoy her family for decades to come. However, she is looking for resources to help her. I think she represents so many Americans out there. When I made the decision to change my lifestyle for clean living, I went searching for resources and the purpose of this blog is to share my tips, recipes, practical resources to help with clean living.

The results are really clear to me. I prepared my body for the journey of motherhood and it's paid off with a healthy pregnancy, free of complications. Check out my post for details. I know many complications are preventable and there is no question in my mind that my holistic wellness lifestyle has helped me maintain strong and healthy.

Even more proof. Check out this quote and blog post from Mercola.com about "Why People Really Get Sick." Dr. Mercola says in his interview he got into medicine with a mindset to prevent illness, while his colleagues were there to help sick people. To me this is the dramatic difference of approach. Wellness is your most powerful weapon to prevent illness!

"One of the key reasons why many people are getting sick with “modern-day” diseases like heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes is relying on processed food as their primary form of nutrition.

Ninety percent of foods Americans purchase every year are processed foods, and food marketers do a masterful job at making it seem like fast foods and junk foods are the obvious choice.

But these processed foods, are dead and devoid of any natural nutrition. The fact that they taste good is the culmination of a profitable science of artificial flavors and additives, without which most processed food would taste and look like cardboard." - Dr. Joseph Mercola, medical doctor and health researcher based in Chicago.

Eating a clean (unprocessed) foods helps you with higher quality nutrition found in nature, not from a manufacturing plant. That's always my inspiration to cook our meals and pack our snacks and lunches. I feel so much better. In the comments below, tell us your top blogs and health resources that help you.

Paying Attention to Your Body Helps with Healthy Pregnancy

Last weekend, I had some maternity photos taken, which we're planning on using in the baby's nursery and in her baby book. Our friend, Shawn, is a talented photo journalist, who worked for the local news station here in Indianapolis and now he's teaching videography to local high school students. We were his first maternity photo shoot and it was very fun! This first photo was taken at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) at their famous "Love" statue. It was 39 degrees outside, but we tried to take some outdoors photos so you could see my belly.

Our due date is in the middle of March so I'm almost at 33 weeks now, the home stretch! I'm happy to report that pregnancy has treated me very well. If you follow my blog you know that I'm still cooking nutritious foods and indulging some cravings from time to time. At 27 wks pregnant I blogged about the lifestyle changes I made years before to prep my body for pregnancy. Since then, I was cleared of anemia or gestational diabetes from the routine standard tests. A few weeks ago I went to the chiropractor for a routine adjustment and that cleared the hip soreness I had developed from sleeping only my sides. Pregnant women are encouraged to sleep on her side to avoid cutting off circulation and blood flow in the aorta from the weight of the baby. I typically go every 4 weeks for an adjustment, but now that I'm in my 3rd trimester, going every 3 weeks seems to be the right amount.

I passionately believe that by living a healthy lifestyle, I learned to pay close attention to my body's reactions, which have helped me manage my pregnancy changes and maintain overall good health. Pregnancy has been a pleasure and joy. I feel my body pull back at this stage when I'm walking so I have learned to slow down a bit. When I'm tired, I take a nap or go to bed early. Sleeping 8-9 hours is healthy for everyone, not just pregnant women. Eating small meals has helped me because it helps me avoid pregnancy-induced heartburn and keep my energy steady.

Think about this....the last time you ate a sugary food, like a donut or store-bought cookie, what happened after you ate it? What do you feel? I notice that I get really shaky and jittery. Sometimes, I give in to a treat. Yesterday, I was craving a Starbucks scone. I had the jitters from the sugar! But, pregnancy cravings can be VERY powerful!

What I have ultimately learned through pregnancy is that listening to the subtle reactions in my body is the most powerful tool you can use to guide you through a balanced healthy lifestyle.