If you are currently pregnant or recently postnatal, taking a moment to think about nutrition and how to make sure you are best equipped with as much energy as possible to cope with the delivery, the initial recovery post delivery and then looking after a little new one should be one of your top priorities. Doing this will really help with your recovery, it will help a diastasis recti and c-section recovery and ensure your moods are more levelled when you are sleep deprived.
Here are some ideas to help you make better decisions when out and about, and of course being prepared is the best way to avoid grabbing the first thing that you can to satisfy your sugar craving.
- Plan ahead your week if possible and buy your food online. Firstly this will make it less stressful when taking baby to the shops plus stop you buying unwanted foods that you are trying to avoid that may stare at your from the shelf! If you don’t have them at home you won’t want to snack on them!
- Start your day with a high protein breakfast or smoothie (very easy to do and make the night before if you are time pressured in the mornings) or eggs and smoked salmon on rye bread. If you want to omit the bread you can always add half an avocado and a few oat cakes.
- Swap fruit juices for water or try and mix half fruit juice with half water to reduce the sugar content.
- Dried fruits and nuts are a great protein source that together will reduce your need for a chocolate bar. Very easy to keep a stash in your handbag.
- Try making foods in advance and freeze them such as flapjacks and raw date balls. Then you have a snack to grab and go or keep in your bag when you are out and about.
- Plan a week of meals in advance, snacks desserts and drinks included.
- Indulge every so often – When you do go and meet your mummy friends in a café, try avoid sugar loaded foods but if you are planning it into your week maybe have it as a treat day and indulge yourself. You are allowed to! As long as it’s not every day if your goal is to get your body back to pre-baby state and feel good about yourself!
- Drink herbal teas as often as you can as this does not get an association with having a piece of cake (in general), whereas a coffee and cake go quite nicely together, so changing your drink choice can help to reduce the need and want for unwanted sugar and calories.
- Having snacks prepared for you in your bag when you are out and about can also reduce the quick fix of buying the first chocolate or cake you see and eating it whilst walking. You won’t even remember you ate it when eating on the move.
- Eat regularly – during the early months your body will be using every ounce of energy to help you recover from delivery, create milk, provide for your baby and just survive, eating regularly will help to keep your emotions and mood level, and keep energy levels balanced.
FEEL GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF!!
