Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Momma Athletes: How to drop the baby weight for good


As a mom of two awesome children, I understand the desire to get rid of the "baby weight" post-birth. I work with many young moms who often don't realize these 4 key things they should be doing to help them achieve this goal.

1. Plan
Do you plan your meals on a weekly basis? If not, pick one night each week that you will sit down and write out at least the dinner plan for each night. Use this to then build your grocery list. Focus on easy prep foods such as crockpot cooking. Meal planning sounds labor intensive, but it doesn't have to be. This simple step to plan will save you time and stress during the week. Less stress means better weight loss response. Planned out meals probably means better food will be eaten overall, which is also good for your waistline.

2. Hydrate
Nursing moms especially get dehydrated fast. However, any mom knows that in the craziness of responding to a newborn, running after a toddler or driving around young children, water often isn't on the mind. To change this, carry around a water bottle at all times. Your efforts to stay better hydrated not only will help the body flush out toxins, but also contribute to muscle building and fat loss.

3. Keep it real
Just because you have children doesn't mean you have a license to bring in child-marketed food into the house (think fruit snacks, animal crackers, juice boxes, etc.). You don't need that food and neither do your kids. Teach your kids that snacks consist of real food like vegetables and fruits. This helps start good habits in them and keeps the junk food out of your reach as well.

4. Be forgiving
Keep in mind that it took 9 months for the weight to go on - it isn't going to all fall off in 3 months. Try to keep your focus off the scale and just enjoy the beautiful blessing you have been given. This is especially important if you are a nursing mom, as extreme dieting can cause your milk production to dry up. Be forgiving with yourself and take it slowly to assure that you are dropping the weight for good. Expect around 1 pound of weight loss per week to truly drop body fat. Weight loss much more than 2 pounds per week often means you are losing either water or muscle.

Your Nutrition Coach,

RDKate


Picture source: http://gofitmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Mom-Exercising.jpg

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Which supplements should I take for concussion protection or treatment?



Concussions are hot news, and athletes are looking to do whatever they can to not only protect themselves from concussion but also treat a concussion that may have already happened. One area of growing interest is supplementation for concussions. But what does the research up to now show to actually be effective? Lets find out by briefly exploring 5 potential supplements for those at risk of or post-concussion.

1. Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Numerous animal studies have shown supplementation with omega 3 fatty acids to not only protect the brain before a concussion happens, but also heal after a concussion occurs. However, as of now, no human studies have been completed to show the same. Except for one case study, there is nothing in the research to indicate that supplementation in HUMANS is effective. The good news is that there are currently two double-blinded randomized control trials in place to evaluate DHA supplementation and concussions in humans (one at East Carolina University and one at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center). So, stay tuned...