Staying Hydrated During Pregnancy

Luna Moms Club Tip of the Week:
During pregnancy, more fluids are necessary for a multitude of functions including providing for the expanding blood volume that helps to carry nutrients to mom & baby. Nursing moms need the extra fluid to maintain a healthy flow of breast milk for your baby. Drink about eight to ten 8 ounce glasses of non-caffeinated, non-caloric fluids per day. Caffeine in excess can be dehydrating and high caloric drinks such as soda and juice can add up extra calories. Plus the added bonus is that drinking a lot of water is the best way for your skin to get that healthy glow!

Warm fuzzies... and I'm not talking about the humidity!

We always do a warm-up get-to-know-you question in Stroller Strides class. Today’s question was, “What positive change have you seen in yourself or your child since you started coming to class?” And the responses were so uplifting and encouraging I just had to share!

I always go first to give everyone an extra second to think about their answer and mine was this- my son has started to imitate some of our exercises at home which makes me feel like a super role model for an active healthy lifestyle. Next, one mom reported that her daughter had become more interactive and social with other children and adults through class and Luna Moms Club playgroup activities. Another said she has more energy and her arms were sore from class last Friday- what a compliment! The next mom reported that coming to class had helped her son to get on a schedule! Yet another mom proudly declared that she had lost a few pounds- keep it up girl! And it went on and on like that all around our warm-up circle and put a smile on everyone’s face! What a great way to start the week! (Please excuse the obscene amount of exclamation points- I’m just that excited!!!)

Fitness for mom, fun for baby (and more) is what we’re about at Stroller Strides! Come join us anytime for a free class and see what positive healthy life changes await you and your little ones!

Black & Blueberry week!

How do you get your little ones to eat blueberries? It turns out that Monty doesn’t really care for blueberries. Well that’s not entirely true. He likes to roll them around in his fingers and then squeeze really hard until they pop and their guts squish out between his fingers. But eating them? No thanks. Maybe he’d eat them frozen… we’ll have to try it and get back to you.
Fortunately he will eat them in something, which gives me the perfect excuse to bake! He likes blueberry muffins (though those ones I blogged about the other day were kind of dry), blueberry pancakes, blueberry yogurt, and blueberry cobbler!
On our Luna Moms Club field trip to the Farmers Market yesterday for Blueberry Day I picked up some blackberries too so I think tonight I’ll surprise the men in my life with a black and blue cobbler (that is blackberries & blueberries). I’ll let you know how it goes!

Blueberry week!

This week our Luna Moms Playgroup is taking a field trip to the North Carolina Farmers Market for Blueberry Day! Monty and I cruised Strawberry Day back in April and had a blast- hopefully Blueberry Day can live up to that experience!


Our group is meeting at the Farmers Market at 11am on Thursday to taste blueberries from all over the state and hopefully bring home the tastiest ones we can find. So I’m dedicating this week’s blog posts to all things blueberry! (If you want to join us you can find our more info on our meetup.com site.)

This afternoon I decided to use up all of the blueberries in my fridge by making blueberry muffins from scratch! I used this basic recipe and sprinkled them with a little turbinado (raw) sugar.

They were quick and easy and done in time for a home-baked post nap snack for Monty (and me)! I just find baking quick breads so satisfying. I need to try a recipe for zucchini bread- can anyone suggest a good one?

Doesn’t it feel good to be validated in your parenting decisions?

A few weeks ago the educators from a local pediatric dental office were out at North Hills during the Open Play and Creative Exercise time doing dental education for parents. They cheerfully gave out toothbrushes and answered questions all the while encouraging parents to bring their toddlers to the office for a free preliminary checkup. Great marketing- so smart. And I learned something- or rather I learned that I was right all along and it feels so good!
Monty’s grandmothers love him to death and really want to give him healthy stuff. They really want to give him juice though- and in my book it doesn’t qualify as healthy stuff for toddlers. Why juice, which has loads of sugar, when he loves milk and water? But secretly I wondered if the grandmothers were right… is juice supposed to be on the menu for toddlers?
Well, the pediatric dental educators emphatically said, “No! Please don’t give your child a sippy cup full of sweet sugary juice to carry around all day- think of the sugar and acid sitting on their teeth just eroding away the finish.” Score one for mom! “And brush his teeth for him every night with plain water before he goes to bed”, they said. So- we have that to work on next.
But is juice inherently evil? No. It can be on the menu for a toddler but should be diluted to ½ strength and limited to kids over 1 yr old, and to just 4-6 oz per day. Your child is better off getting his or her nutrition from the actual fruit itself but when that’s not possible juice is a viable alternative. Gatorade, lemonade, sweet tea, and soda? No! We shouldn’t even be drinking them like we do as adults.
Disclaimer: This post was written while sipping a Diet Coke. I’m a work in progress too!

Get a flat belly- Fast!

Just got back from the Harris Teeter and had to share. I pushed my stroller up to Cameron Village to get some exercise and run a few errands (multitasking!). Every time I passed a storefront I snuck a peak at my reflection in the glass and stood up a little straighter and pulled my abs in a little tighter. Then later, as I was standing in the checkout line at the grocery store, I spied the latest “Health” magazine cover. “Get a flat belly- Fast”, it yelled to me from the cover and I almost bought it just to see what miracle ab-work and diets they were recommending.

But… then I thought- I know how to get a flat tummy fast- just lay on your back!

Seriously though- it takes time for our tummies to tighten back up and even longer to get them to look flat if there is some extra padding on top of the muscle. Don’t get discouraged if it is taking some time to get your abs back into their pre-baby shape. Keep doing your core work, your cardio, and eating healthy foods and remember to stand up tall with your shoulders back!

Here are some abdominal exercises you can do with your baby (or without) from our Stroller Strides National Fitness Director, Farel Hruska, to get you jump-started!

Feeding the Family: Banana Oatmeal Bread

Today I think I'll make some Banana Oatmeal Bread. I found this recipe a few months ago on allrecipes.com and tweaked it to suit my family and my pantry- who uses shortening anymore anyway?

Its easy 
to 
throw 
together
 and
 pop
 in
 the
 oven
 while 
your
 little
 on
e naps ­
then
 it’s
 ready 
for
 snack
 time 
when
 they’re 
up!

 Baking 
makes 
me
 feel
 so 
accomplished­
 and
 even
 better
 when 
I
 pull
 something
 out
 of 
the 
oven
 that
 is 
healthy 
and 
that 
my
 whole 
family
 will
 eat!

Here is my recipe in case you want to bake along with me this afternoon...

Ingredients:

1/3
 c. 
unsweetened
 applesauce

½
 
c.
 white 
sugar

2
 eggs

½
 teaspoon 
vanilla 
extract

1
 c.
 all‐purpose
 flour

1 
c. 
quick
 cooking/instant
 oats

1
 teaspoon
 baking
 soda

½
 teaspoon
 salt

½
 (or 
more)
 teaspoon 
ground 
cinnamon

¼
 (or
 more)
 teaspoon
 allspice

2
 c. 
mashed 
ripe 
bananas 
(~
4 
bananas)

¼
 c.
 milk



Directions:

1. Preheat
 oven 
to 
350 
degrees 
F. 

Grease 
one 
9X5 
inch 
loaf
 pan 
and 
set 
aside.

2. Cream 
together 
the 
applesauce, 
sugar,
 eggs,
 and 
vanilla 
and 
beat 
until 
fluffy.

3. Add 
the 
flour, 
oatmeal, 
baking 
soda,
 salt, 
cinnamon, 
allspice, 
bananas, 
and

milk
 and
 mix
 until
 blended.

4. Pour 
in to 
prepared 
pan 
and 
bake 
for 
50‐60 
minutes: 
remove 
from 
oven 
and

cover
 for
 5 
minutes.

5. Enjoy!