Saturday 23 May 2015

Healthy Tips for a New Mom or Busy People

Being on maternity leave has been a blessing and such a crazy learning experience.

I have thought about writing so many things since giving birth to our son, Willy, but between becoming a new mother and doing freelance graphic design work I haven't had as much time.

The hardest thing in the beginning for me was not being able to eat as healthy as I would have liked. I had so many antibiotics during my labour and delivery and then drugs afterwards for my high blood pressure that I had a lot of cleansing to do. We were blessed with a baby who liked to sleep from 10 weeks on so I was getting sleep, sort of, but it also took me six months to feel like myself again. I'm sure my adrenals still need a lot of work though.

So tips on having healthy meals in the fridge for new moms, or just busy women in general? Here is my list that keeps me grounded, and healthy, even through the busiest of times:

1 - Always have 2 types of fresh greens in the fridge : then you have a base for a smoothie, a juice, a salad, a sandwich, a pasta dish or any side dish
ie: spinach, hummus, tomato sandwich
ie: smoothie - spinach, banana, blueberries, chia seeds
ie: quinoa penne with tomato sauce on a bed of sauteed kale!

2 - Make meals the night before, no matter how tired you are : even if it's cutting up carrots that you can snack on during the day it will help, especially if you're a new mom or need a healthy snack just before an office meeting!

3 - Carbs are not the devil, so sweet potatoes solve every craving - salty and sweet, and can be so many parts of meals that they will never go to waste!

4 - Bananas and avocados are ALWAYS in our kitchen : for my husband, for myself and for the baby especially if I need a quick snack on the go or just to make a yummy smoothie for the 3 of us for breakfast :)

5 - Having frozen homemade soups will always help : spend one day a week making a soup and a dish for the week and make enough to freeze, which also doubles as baby food!


I could go on with many more tips but these are the ones I live by right now - let me know if you have any suggestions too :)

xoxo