Post-partum depression linked to nutrition

A researcher at the University of Calgary is studying a possible link between nutrition and postpartum depression. Having analyzed the diets of pregnant and postpartum women over the years, I completely agree that there must be a link. Of the women I have counseled, several have nutrient deficiencies and then they get pregnant and these deficiencies only get worse based on how the women feel during their pregnancy. In 2005 the USDA reported that many Americans do not get enough vitamin E, calcium, potassium and fiber. Additionally, women of childbearing age may not be getting enough iron in their diets. All together, these deficiencies can cause all kinds of problems including affecting energy and mental well being. To help you get enough of these nutrients:
-- eat a handful of raw nuts a day,
-- include beans in one of your meals
-- and eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day (actually count how many you ate at the end of the day before dinner and make up for the number you are missing at dinner and afterwards). As for getting enough calcium, eat some yogurt -- you will not only benefit from the nutrients but bonus, you will get the healthy bacteria that is good for your digestive system. I personally look for the yogurt that does not have any high fructose corn syrup in the ingredient deck -- the jury is still out on how it affects the storage of fat in your body.

Why this blog? Sorting through the confusion

Hi, I am Monica also a registered dietitian and mother of two. With all the responsibilities that come with Motherhood in addition to my work -- I still have to find the time and energy to stay healthy. I spend a lot of time taking care of my family as well as helping others in my practice to live healthy lives and sometimes (most of the time) I come last. So, to satisfy my needs and everyone else's needs -- I scour the earth, media, friends, patients and everywhere else to find easy ways to stay healthy. After doing this for a decade, I want to share what I have learned and continue to learn with as many people as possible. There is so much confusion as to what and how to eat that we created this blog. Our hope is that this blog will help you sort through what you read in magazines, hear in the news or even from friends and family to find what really works versus what is sensational and overstated information. On an almost daily basis, we will post helpful information and hope that you will share your wisdom or news that you have heard. Together we can help each other stay or become healthy.

Celebrities in a baby boom - and taking off the fat

Recently Hollywood has been in a baby boom. Along with the slew of pregnancies has come all of the postpartum weight loss stories and headlines on who's taken off what and in how long. For real women, seeing celebrities lose their baby fat in what seems almost an instant, it can be a little disparaging when yours doesn't come off as soon as the baby is delivered. But real women take heart, you can take off your baby fat too. It may take a few months or even a year - just focus on eating healthier one day at a time. To help, we'll keep the dietitian-approved, real-mom tips coming.
In the newest celebrity postbaby weight loss story, we hear Tori Spelling is doing NutriSystem to take off her 40 pound pregnancy gain. And her son is 6 weeks old already. See, even for her it's going to take some time.

weight gain during pregnancy too high?

Saw an interesting article today that leads me to question the weight gain recommendations. The Harvard study looked at weight gain in women during pregnancy and the risk of the child becoming overweight. They found that women who gained the recommended amount of weight were four times more likely to have a child who was overweight at age 3, as women who gained less than the advised amount. The women who gained too much weight during pregnancy were also at a higher risk of having an overweight child.

Since really taking off the baby fat begins during pregnancy, I've always told pregnant women to make sure not to gain more than the recommended 25-35 pounds; or if overweight to begin with, 15-25 pounds. But this new study, calls into question whether those amounts should be lower, at least for the sake of keeping your baby at a healthy weight (and it would make taking off the baby fat easier post-delivery). One study is not the be all and end all, but it's worth considering.

The real world of post-baby weight loss

They say that once you become a mom, your life will never be the same. Maybe they should add in "your body will never be the same." But isn't that what we're all after, to get back to our pre-baby bodies? As a dietitian and a mom to two young boys, I know the challenges of losing the baby fat both first hand and second hand. All of my friends with children share the same issues with taking off the weight and keeping it off - no time to cook/shop/eat healthy, too much junk food around, too many parties to go to, being the human garbage disposal, and on and on. By talking to all the moms I know about this, I've managed to gather tips and tidbits that really work! And as a dietitian I've seen these tips in practice actually help women lose weight. These aren't the annoying not-really-doable kind, these are the ones that fit into the realities of a mom's life. For example, one of my friends takes any food brought to her playgroup (usually cookies or cupcakes) and either makes her husband take it to work with him or else she brings it to a neighbors house. Let others get fat!
Monica, the other dietitian who will write in this blog, and I started this in the hopes to get feedback from those of you out there that have golden nuggets to share, things that have worked for you in taking off and keeping off the baby fat.
Getting back to your pre-baby weight or even taking off a few more than that (if necessary) can be done by using small steps. That's how Monica and I did it. Now, as far as the pre-baby body - you know, the one where certain parts of you were perky - that may be gone forever.