source

This morning, as I was reading my daily ADA news articles, one particular blurb from The Sun caught my eye.  Apparently, McDonald’s is launching a brand NEW! fizzy “fruit juice drink” geared toward children as a “healthy” alternative to soda. The said beverage is called Fruitizz and McDonald’s announced “We are thrilled to be unveiling Fruitizz, a refreshing fizzy fruit juice drink that will help parents give children one of their five-a-day.”

Oh joy! Oh Bliss.

Now, before I go bashing McDonald’s, I will admit that they have made strides to improve their menu over the years AND provide adequate nutrition facts for their meals. However, they’re still a fast-food burger joint and the majority of customers come in for their burger and fry fix (or nuggets). Let’s be honest here.

When it comes to children, fast-food burger joints are a touchy subject with me. I just don’t believe that these are places where we can give our developing children substantial nutrition. Even if the Happy Meal OFFERS apple dippers and 2% milk as options, the apples still come with a caramel-y dipping sauce and the milk? Well, is non-organic milk really that healthy for them? Maybe better than the orange drink…?

NOW, as a way to lure unsuspecting parents to the drive-thru, McDonald’s wants to launch ‘Fruitizz.” With just about 49 grams of sugar per 500 mL, ‘Fruitizz’ is sure to put your little one into a sugar coma for hours to come. Oh dear.

“McDonald’s defended the new fizzy drink, stating it contains no added sugars, artificial colours or flavours, and that the sugar content is derived from natural sweeteners in fruit. According to Omninfo the drink contains a mix of 60 percent fruit juice combined with natural sparkling water. The fruit juice is a mixture of raspberry, grape and apple juice. The chain is marketing the drink as a healthier alternative to Coca-Cola although it contains just 7.5g less sugar.” (source)

Now, I’m not saying that kids are really drinking a full 500 mL of this stuff, but to call this a “nutritious beverage” that can be part of their ’5 A-day,’ is insane. Call it what it is! Might as well be giving them Fruit Punch (or a soda)!

When it comes to children, I typically recommend that the average sugar intake not exceed 3 teaspoons of sugar a day. That’s a hard quota to hover around, especially with all the packaged, processed foods and drinks that our children are consuming these days. It is up to the parent though, to help children reduce their sugar intake, as it can lead to obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, and improper nutrition. A good place to start is looking at the beverages they are consuming. It is NOT necessary for children to drink fruit juice, milk, punch, and soda all throughout the day. ALL children should be drinking water as their primary beverage and eating as many WHOLE foods as possible. Replace ‘Fruitizz’ with a REAL piece of fruit and they will actually be contributing to their 5-9 A Day!

Steer clear parents. ‘Fruitizz’ is NOT healthy.

Question: What are your thoughts on the launch of ‘Fruitizz?’ 

source

Okay. I will stop sounding like a Sesame Street episode.

I bring this up because I want all of us to FEEL beautiful. Too many people, especially women, don’t find themselves beautiful and it breaks my heart. Instead of focusing on our best qualities, we are quick to judge ourselves and others, pointing out the “flaws.” I will be the first one to admit that since becoming pregnant I’m like a ‘negative comment’ broken record and I need it to stop! Why spend one more second focusing on flaws? It’s a waste of time and makes us feel lousy about who we are!

So instead of being negative, let’s try to be positive! I thought I would share with you some of the ways I have been trying to help myself FEEL beautiful! I hope it works for you too!

source

1. Put on your favorite outfit. As superficial as this sounds, dressing up, even in the slightest, is sometimes enough for you to FEEL more beautiful. When we strut our stuff in a new pair of jeans with a sexy heel, we might start carrying ourselves a little differently. If you dress like a frump, well, you’ll FEEL like a frump. I suggest going upstairs today and investing a little time in your clothes. They may just help bring on a whole new attitude toward the day!

2. Walk with a smile.  One of the BEST accessories you can wear to compliment ANY outfit? A SMILE! Turn that frown upside down and you may start to notice others being a little nicer to you or treating you with a little more respect. Walk with confidence into a room and flash your pearly whites! You will not only FEEL more beautiful, but you will hopefully exude a positive attitude as well! I know I gravitate toward positive people! Go ahead, try that smile on for size!

3. Stop talking s***! I know this point may sound a little inappropriate, but hear me out! What’s with all the negativity toward others? Why talk s*** about other people? To make yourself feel better? Highly unlikely that calling someone else “fat” is going to make you feel more beautiful. You know what WILL make you feel and BE more beautiful though? NOT talking s***.  Give someone ELSE a compliment and see how good it feels? This is one thing I always try to do! Brighten someone else’s day and you may find yourself smiling even brighter!

4. Get SOME exercise. I bring up this point because the “high” we get from exercise is enough to make you feel beautiful and fit all day long. One of the reasons I keep exercising through my pregnancy is to keep those endorphin’s going! What a difference it makes to look in the mirror AFTER a workout! You will definitely FEEL more beautiful! Get sweating!

5. Be who you are. Always. Nothing annoys me more than those who try to be something they aren’t. Instead of changing yourself for your friends, lover, or family, just be who you are! I used to spend my time in high school molding myself in to something I thought others wanted me to be. When I finally got “real” with myself in college, that’s when I met some of my BEST friends and husband! Don’t change yourself for anybody and you will FEEL more beautiful in the long run! Others will notice too!

I am off for the day now. I am going to get my sweat on, put on a nice outfit, wear a smile, and be myself! I’m FEELING more beautiful already!

source

NEW FOOD OF THE WEEK: Did you eat some raspberries last week? If so, EXCELLENT! If not, try to include some THIS week along with my NEW food of the week: Jicama! Give yourself an exotic experience with this NEW food! Read a previous post I wrote about Jicama, which includes an easy recipe! Go here!

Well folks! Like I mentioned earlier this week…we are finally in the home stretch! While I am super excited to have made it this far, I’m starting to get nervous. It’s really hitting me that we will have a real live baby with us in just a few short weeks! 

 How I’m Feeling: I would say that I feel good about 70% of the time.  I feel pretty tired most of the day, but I manage to muster through it. I haven’t taken naps in awhile. I think I’m just tired because it’s getting harder and harder to get comfortable at night. I feel like my lungs are being compressed and it’s difficult to get a good breath. THEN, by the time I DO find a comfy position….I have to go to the bathroom. I can’t seem to win.

Eating: I’m still eating about the same. I typically eat about 6 times a day; 3 main meals and then 3 small snacks in between. I have noticed that I get fuller (sometimes) quicker than I once did, but I realize that’s because the baby is getting bigger! I have been trying to watch the sweets, but what can I say? They call my name and I answer most of the time. Brandon doesn’t help; he encourages. Thanks. Ha.

Cravings: Whole Foods Salad Bar! Brandon can’t understand WHY I need their particular salad, but I just do. I love how much variety it packs and I just can’t get enough! I know I can make a salad at HOME, but this week…I need Whole Foods. I’ve gotten it about 3 times already and I will be getting some today after I grocery shop! Other than that, I can’t say that I NEED anything. Even when it comes to sweets, if I just do something else, I will forget about it and move on. I’m boring right?

Aversions: Hmmm. My main aversion is to meat, but I would consider that normal from before pregnancy. I’ve never been a big fan of chicken either and while I’ll eat it here and there, I could live without.

Exercise: I’ve been trying to keep up with my work out routine as best as I can. I generally do SOME form of activity every single day, even if it’s just a 20 minute walk. There are some days where I feel like I have a LOT of energy, so I just do what my body tells me. Overall, I’m pretty pleased with how I’ve been keeping up. I have even been doing about the same strength workouts as pre-pregnancy (unfortunately, without reaping the same physical benefits). Oh well. 

Body Image: This is something I keep addressing because I don’t think it’s something many mom’s-to-be like to talk about. If you say you don’t like your pregnant body…you are a bad mom. But I will be the first one to say (and keep saying) that this is hard for me. Now, I’m not sitting here fishing for compliments, I’m just trying to be honest. I say/think some pretty awful things about myself throughout the day and it’s not healthy. I’ve been making a STRONG effort not to be so focused on weight gain, but no matter what anyone tells me…it’s still there. Now, I still eat healthy and DO NOT deprive myself. My baby is still number one priority. However, the THOUGHTS are still lurking. I’m SURE I’ll struggle even more post-pregnancy, but my HOPE is that looking at my new little one will be enough for me to focus on. So that’s where I’m at with myself at 28 weeks.

Happy Happy Weekend!!!

I’ll be posting a 28 week picture sometime soon, but for now, please enjoy a few shots from our maternity photo session a couple weeks ago, courtesy of Kalyn Mann Photography!

Hope you enjoy the weather today! It’s supposed to be gorgeous for most of the day!!

source

In regards to food however, even though I might eat around the same times every day, I try to change up my meals as much as possible. Did you know I once read that we should be consuming AT LEAST 23 DIFFERENT foods every day? How many of us actually do that? 

I USED to be one of the people who ate about the same thing every day. There was a period where I couldn’t go a day without hummus and it was all I ever wanted for lunch. When I was living in Ann Arbor, I rotated between the same 5-6 dinners every week because I was by myself and it was easy. Things drastically changed when I got married and started The Healthy Apron though. I was challenging myself to be more adventurous and try NEW foods and recipes every week. It was difficult at first, but after a few months, I got down a NEW routine…making a grocery list! What a difference there is in the grocery shopping experience when you have a meal plan and a list to follow!

I started slowly by changing up our week night dinners. I chose 2-3 new foods to incorporate every week and it was fun experimenting. I realize this can be a challenge when you have more than 2 people to cook for, but I say…GO FOR IT! Give your spouse and children something new to eat and they just may surprise you by liking it! If not, at least you can say you tried and maybe you can put that new food in a different dish for next time? Just try to mildly step out of your comfort zone and you may surprise yourself AND your taste buds.

Now what about the rest of the day? Is that SAME bowl of cereal or toast still calling your name? Well it’s time to make a change! The more variety you add to your diet, the more nutrients your body can consume and the healthier you will be!

source

So if you eat a banana or an apple every day for breakfast, try having berries, kiwi, or plums! If you are stuck in a peanut butter and jelly rut, why not make a huge salad and add 3-5 veggies that you rarely consume!? Add some staying power with nuts, seeds, and dried fruits! If you always eat the same granola bar every afternoon, time to change it up! Try fruit and yogurt, veggies and hummus, or cheese and crackers. VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE! Summer is right around the corner and the produce aisles will be loaded with lots of fresh stuff! So I encourage you to start using them!!

This is my challenge. Every week, I will choose ONE new food for each of you readers to try. I will be using the same food in a recipe for either breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack. I want YOU to do the same! Let’s give our bodies a boost of nutrition and start the spring/summer of 2012 off on the right foot! My hope is that this little step will lead you to take MORE steps to add variety to your daily diet!

What’s up for this week? RASPBERRIES!

source

I LOVE adding raspberries to my morning oats! So I want YOU to give it a try!  A serving of raspberries (~3/4 c.) will start your day with a heavy dose of Vitamin C, manganese, fiber, and phytonutrients to help ward off diseases like cancer!!

When was the last time you helped yourself to some raspberries? Although not in season at the moment, plenty of health food stores carry organic raspberries in the freezer section. I believe Trader Joe’s has the cheapest at $2.99/bag. NOT BAD!

Give this concoction a whirl!

RASPBERRY OATS!

source

• 1/2 c. plain oats
• 1 cup milk of choice
• 3/4 c. raspberries
• cinnamon
• liquid stevia (optional)
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Bring milk to boil on your stove top. Stir in oats, raspberries, cinnamon, stevia, vanilla. Let simmer for ~5 minutes until oats reach your desired consistency. Enjoy!

It’s hard to imagine that I’m already having a baby shower when my bridal shower seems like it was just yesterday!

*sigh* Time really flies!

In any case, my cousins hosted the event and the whole afternoon was a huge success. I cannot thank them enough for throwing Brandon and I such a beautiful shower.

Oh and the food? (which I did not get a picture of) was INCREDIBLE! My cousins out-did themselves with lots of veggie and fruit dishes…just my style!

Diaper trees!

Quite possibly the thickest sheet cake I'd ever seen! Strawberries filled the center!

Family!

Great friends!

Cousins!

If you didn't know...my husband is a Bears fan!

Baby Monitor! So thankful to everyone for all the great gifts!

We were trying to feed each other cake...and yes, Brandon stayed the whole time. I just needed him there.

Gender reveal cookies! Is it a BOY or a GIRL!??? Guess you had to be there

Thanks again to everyone who made the day wonderful. I am truly blessed to have such amazing family and friends, who have helped see me through a rough past several months. Lots of love!!

source

Pregnancy. Although I’ve had my ups and downs in regards to how I feel about being pregnant, the overall experience has been a fun, new, and exciting journey. I will admit that I look forward to having my old body back and being able to wear all my old clothes, but I look even MORE forward to meeting our new little baby!

But while the little one cooks a bit longer, I thought I would share some things I’ve learned thus far about pregnancy:

source

1. You can’t plan it. No matter when you think the “perfect” time to get pregnant is, God just doesn’t work that way. When the time for you to get pregnant comes, it just happens (for most of us).

2. It’s NOT easy.  For anyone that thinks they could just breeze through this whole process, they’ve got another thing coming. I don’t think people really realize all the changes we ladies must go through (until it’s been experienced firsthand)! So if we need to lay around more than usual, gain a little more weight than you thought, or get a little moody…lay off!

3. There is no such thing as the “perfect” pregnancy. When I used to envision pregnancy, I pictured myself having only a small little belly, eating 100% healthy, and exercising as I always had up until the day I delivered. Here’s what really happened:

• The first trimester I gained almost 10 lbs because I was hungry/nauseous ALL. THE. TIME. If I didn’t eat at least every hour, I felt horribly sick.  I had to listen to my body but it was no fun AND made me gain more than I ever THOUGHT I would gain in the first trimester.
• Eating healthy? I couldn’t even stomach the thought of vegetables until I was about 4 months pregnant, the only fruit I could muster were clementines, and I gagged when I would try to consume any type of whole grain. Thankfully, that all changed in my 4 month. Now, I really do crave fresh foods like salads, fruit, and whole grains.
• Sugar. Before getting pregnant, I could say no to any dessert, no problem. Of course I would treat myself, but I never felt I NEEDED it. Now? Oh heavens.  It’s much harder to say “no” and the only way to really resist is to keep it out of the house!
•  Even though I have been exercising fairly consistently my entire pregnancy, the energy is NOT the same. It’s a lot more difficult to muster through a 30-45 minute workout with an extra 20 lbs and a baby pushing on your lungs!
• Keeping your figure. I don’t know about you other preggo’s but my legs, butt, boobs, and waist (obviously) have all enlarged as a result of this pregnancy. There was no keeping it away either. It’s just how my body decided to adjust. Bring it on.

source

It doesn’t take a genius to understand the importance of squeezing physical activity in to our daily lives. The majority of people spend most of their day sitting on their bum. This sedentary behavior, day after day, is one of the main reasons why we have such an obesity epidemic in our country! So why not make a solid effort to add more movement in to each and every day?  And how about we start with something as simple as taking the stairs?

With just a few more days until I enter my third trimester, I’m still trying to be as active as I can. Granted, the intensity of my movements have gone down, but I’m still doing everything I can to keep active and healthy. Not only do I try to exercise 4-5 times a week, but I also try to do little things throughout the day to keep moving; cleaning, walking outside, and taking the stairs whenever possible. I want to be a fit mama!

It infuriates me to see how many people don’t think to find the stairs in public places….and these are (seemingly) perfectly, stair-capable, non-pregnant people! Why would you rather be stuffed in to an elevator if you can avoid it?

 That being said, why are the elevators conveniently located at public facilities, but the stairs are practically hidden? Not to mention that in places like office buildings, hotels, malls, and hospitals, the stairs look like a scene from a scary movie; completely deserted and with poor, flickering lighting.

Nevertheless, it’s still extremely important for all of us to make more of an effort to be active throughout the day and the stairs are a great way to start. If you work in a facility where you can take the stairs, take them! If you frequent a building with multiple levels and have never thought to find the stairs…find them! If you work near a park or building with several flights of stairs…use them! A little effort goes a long way!

Need a few more reasons to get climbing?

• Physical activities, like stair climbing, are a healthy way to beat job-related stress!
• If you climb just 2 flights of stairs every day for a year, that could result in almost a 6 lb weight-loss! Take 6 flights of stairs a day and you might be saying “see ya!” to a whopping 18 lbs!!
• Stair climbers have been shown to have lower risk of cardiovascular disease!
• Climb stairs on a daily basis and you will reap the benefits of greater leg strength and aerobic endurance!
• BONUS: Taking the stairs is often FASTER than waiting for an elevator, particularly in peak usage times. Believe me, I usually beat people in the elevator when I take the stairs!
• Taking the stairs burns twice as many calories as walking!
• Care about the environment? Stair climbing is considered a “green activity.”  The only energy you’ll be using is your own!

With the ever expanding waistline....I bought a new top! Longer = BETTER with a growing belly! Love it! Thanks Marshalls: $5.99!!!

Look at that belly! I literally don't recognize myself sometimes haha.

Our neighbor's cat is getting more enjoyment out of our bird feeder than the actual birds

I know dandelions are a pain in the butt...but they scream summer!

Working in the yard! We have a LOT to do ha.

Flowers on the trees!

Happy Tuesday!

Happy Easter!

Morning friends. Just welcoming myself back to the blog-o-sphere. I want to sincerely thank everyone for all the thoughtful comments and emails in regards to my mother’s passing. It has been an extremely stressful time and quite frankly, I have been exhausted and over-whelmed. However, my baby’s health is still priority, so I have been doing little things to keep harmful stress at bay; massage, exercise, naps, deep breathing, and venting.  I’m not ready to say much more about my experience just yet, but my mother’s memorial is April 21st and I will be sure to share highlights.

In happier news, I wanted to pop in quickly to update on my pregnancy progress. This week I am 25 weeks along and my belly is growing and growing!!! As you can see from the picture above, I have definitely popped! I got my FIRST, “are you pregnant” question yesterday at the grocery store. It felt wonderful! I finally look pregnant! Yay!

Let me share some other changes I have been experiencing:

Belly: Like I said, I am growing and I notice it’s getting harder to get up from a lying down position. I also feel dull aches in the lower portion of my belly.

Energy: I have been exhausted the past several weeks. With everything that happened with my mom, it takes its’ toll on a pregnant lady! I have been trying to get ample sleep at night and take a nap in the afternoon (if I have time). Hopefully I can catch myself up soon!

Exercise: I’ve been trying my best to exercise as much as I can and I plan to be one of those mom’s exercising until the day I deliver, BUT there’s a huge difference from week 20 to week 25. I have had to take down my cardio from medium/high impact to low impact and I get out of breath seemingly very quickly.  I’m still keeping up with my strength training exercises as well, and I find I enjoy the strength portions more than the cardio these days. I can muster ~30-40 minutes of exercise about 4-5 times a week, but I need to focus on stretching! My back and hamstrings feel tight!!

Food: I will be honest. I haven’t eaten the healthiest in the past month. With long hours at the hospital, too many emotions, and lots of convenience foods around, I struggled to get in enough fruits and vegetables. I literally had ZERO time for the grocery store (that never happens)! I could tell a huge difference in how I felt. I missed my healthy routine. This week I’ve been focusing on lots of produce! It makes a world of difference and baby is happier too.

Weight gain: At my appointment last month I gained about 4-5 lbs, so I would imagine by my next appointment on Monday I will have gained another 4-5 lbs. If I keep gaining like this, I will be right in between 25-35 lbs by the time I deliver. I’m happy with that!

I’m happy to say that even though I sometimes still panic about how my rear is growing, I feel good about myself. I’m gaining a healthy amount of weight and that means my baby is growing beautifully. I’ve been listening to my body more than I ever have in the past; taking the time to rest when I truly need it and it feels amazing to be so in tune. He/she has been kicking up a storm, I’ve got a little athlete growing in there! Such a bright light in my life right now, as opposed to everything else that has been going on. Truly blessed.