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Module:7 Understanding Sensible post birth eating

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wonders for your body, and can help you build muscle mass, tone problem areas, and increase flexibility,

stamina, and control. However, to truly see the kinds of results you are looking for, you need to pair

these exercises with a good diet. This can be difficult coming from indulging in your craziest pregnancy

craving just a month ago, but it is a change that will yield great results. In this module, we will discuss

some of the basics of postnatal dieting, including when to start your diet, how to avoid slipping back into

old habits, and how to use supplements effectively. Get yourself started on a smart diet and back to your

healthy, beautiful, pre-pregnancy self.

What you’ll learn in this module:

7.1 When should I start?

7.2 Helpful regimen tips

7.3 Pitfalls to avoid

7.4 Helpful supplements

7.1 When should I start?

So, here is the big question: You have had the baby and you want to get back into shape as soon as

possible, but when is it all right to start thinking about a diet? You want to get to work, but you don’t

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want to cause any issues with your already fragile postnatal body. There are a few things that you

need to take into consideration before you decide to go ahead with your diet.

Consult your doctor

As we discussed when we went over exercising, your body has gone through such a drastic change

over the last year that is much more susceptible to injuries, aches, and pains. The same idea is true

for diet-related problems. You do not want to jump into your diet too quickly because you could be

depriving your body of nutrients that it desperately needs to regain its vitality. Then again, you don’t

want to wait too long because you may lose motivation, and it may be harder to turn things around

and diet. In order to make the best decision, you need to speak with an expert and understand the

signals that your body is giving you. Then, you and your doctor can come up with a plan of attack

that will yield the best results without putting your body in danger.

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Your body needs a lot of rest

The worst thing that you can do after going through childbirth is rush right back into your old life.

Your circumstances may force you to go back to work sooner than you would like, but you need to

make sure that your body gets the rest that it needs when you do have the time and ability. Your

body needs to seriously recover; you need fluids, you need to eat well, you need vitamins. Give

yourself the time to not worry about dieting right away so that your body has the opportunity to

rebuild and get back to some semblance of normalcy. Once you feel like you are getting back to your

normal self, that is when you should go see your doctor to discuss whether it is the right time to start

dieting or not.

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Get your house in order

This does not necessarily have to be something that you do. Ideally, you will have a partner, friends, and

family members who can help you with this. In this time before you are able to start dieting or

exercising, get your baby’s room perfect, and clean (or have others clean) the house so that when you

are ready to make a change, your diet and exercise can get he focus that they need. This is an important

part of the nesting process, so do not skip it thinking that you need to get back to work or start planning

your diet right away.

It is up to you and your doctor to make the decision about when your body is ready for dieting, but most

doctors will tell you that you shouldn’t even think about dieting until the baby is 6 weeks old. This will

give your body some time to recover, and give you time to build a routine and settle in with your new

child. You should also take into account whether or not you have decided to breastfeed. If you are

nursing your new baby, your body is going to need extra calories and extra nutrients, so it may be smart

to wait on dieting until the baby is at least 2 months old.

Once you have gotten approval from your doctor, though, it is important that the dietary changes that

you make are healthy ones. Fad diets and crash diets are not good for you even when you have not just

given birth, and we are going to try to help you get an idea of your to diet in a healthy way, so that the

results are lasting.

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7.2 Helpful regimen tips

We will go into a lot of detail about your diet in the next module, so in this section we will focus on

helpful tips that will aid you in planning your diet and avoiding relapses. As we have discussed

earlier, your body is in a very fragile state right now, and it is important that you design a smart diet

that does not deprive your body of the nutrients that it needs. As always, consult your doctor about

what is going to work best for you, but here are some helpful tips that you should follow when

designing your new diet plan:

Drink plenty of water: This is something that we have discussed, and are going to discuss a lot, in this

course. Your body needs fluid to help you get your metabolism back in order, to give your skin its

beautiful, soft finish, to rejuvenate your hair, and to revitalize your nails. Make sure that you drink

plenty of water at all times, even years from now when your body has fully recovered from this

pregnancy.

Protein, protein, protein: Proteins are extremely important in any diet, and exponentially important in

the diet of a woman who has just given birth. Our body uses proteins to help grow cells, regulate the

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production of hormones and enzymes, balance out the fluids in our cells, and create energy. All of these

functions are especially important to a new mother, who is trying to recover from a major shift in her

body. You need protein to help you regain strength and normal cell growth in your body, and you

definitely need it to help create energy. Your new child is going to need a lot out of you, so it is important

that you have the energy to keep up.

Carbohydrates: Carbs have gotten a bad rap in the last 20 years, but they are essential to your health.

The important distinction that you have to make is whether you are taking in good carbs or bad carbs.

Carbohydrates play an important role, along with protein, in the production of energy. They also are

important to your immune system, blood clotting, fertilization, and many other functions that your body

needs. So, what is the difference between good carbs and bad carbs, and how do you make the right

choice?

Good carbs: Good carbs provide your body with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals (which

are not technically nutrients, but have a lot of positive qualities). Fiber is one of the most important

nutrients in good carbs because they can lower blood cholesterol, reduce the risk of diabetes, and

help you feel “full” after eating. The full feeling that comes from fiber helps to prevent you from

overeating. Some examples of good carbs include:

Vegetables

Whole grains

Beans

Fruit

Bad carbs: Bad carbs are carbohydrates that do not pack much nutritional value, and instead add

extra empty calories into your diet. The most prevalent bad carbs that we eat are sugars, added

sugars, and refined white grains. These types of carbs may help to give you boosts of energy, but

the energy is not lasting, at least not as lasting as the calories you are left with. Avoid bad carbs to

avoid packing on weight without much nutritional value.

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Eat healthy fats: We are trained to think that fatty food is bad, and to some extent that is true. However,

your body needs fats for energy and to promote cell growth, and ignoring them completely is unhealthy.

Fats can also aid your body in absorbing the nutrients that you take in and can help your body develop

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important hormones. There are four different types of fats that we eat, all with differing levels of

importance to our overall health. The four types of fats are:

Healthy fats

Monosaturated fats:Monosaturated fats can be healthy for you. If eaten in the right portion, they can

reduce bad cholesterol, and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. They also provide necessary

nutrients for your body, as well as vitamin E and other antioxidants. Foods that are high in

monosaturated fats include:

Olive oil

Canola oil

Sesame oil

Peanut oil

Avocado

Peanut butter

Polyunsaturated fats: Polyunsaturated fats can be healthy for you. They have the same benefits as

monosaturated fats, and are found in many of the same foods. Foods that are high in polyunsaturated

fats include:

Soybean oil

Corn oil

Sunflower oil

Fatty types of fish (i.e. herring, mackerel, and salmon)

Unhealthy fats

Saturated fats: Saturated fats are not healthy fats. They generally do not serve any nutritional

purpose, but instead raise your cholesterol and usually come in foods that are high in calories.

Foods that are high in saturated fats include:

Fatty cuts of beef, lamb, pork, and poultry

Lard

Cream

Butter

Cheese

Trans fats: Trans fats are not healthy fats. You will find these in many foods, especially from fast

food restaurants because they add desirable taste and texture to the food. However, trans fats raise

bad cholesterol levels and lower good cholesterol levels, increase your risk of heart disease and

stroke, and also increase your risk of diabetes. Try to stay away from trans fats as much as you can.

Foods that are high in trans fats include:

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Fried foods

Cakes

Pie crusts

Biscuits

Frozen pizzas

Cookies

Crackers

Stick Margarine

Try to eat as many super foods as you can: Super foods are amazing foods for health-conscience

eaters. Super foods are foods that are packed with nutrients that help your body, with very little

unhealthy trade off. This means that these foods are usually low in fat, calories, and cholesterol. If you

are able to pack your diet with these foods, you will see great results. We will discuss these in depth in

the next module, but some examples of super foods include:

o Blueberries

o Kiwi

o Beans

o Whole grains

o Nuts

o Seeds

o Kale

o Sweet potato

o Squash

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Avoid salty foods whenever possible: Salty foods can wreak havoc on your diet. While your body does

need some sodium to function effectively, foods with excess salt can affect different parts of your body

negatively. Salt can affect your kidneys by hindering their ability to remove unwanted fluid from your

blood. This raises your blood pressure and puts extra strain on your other organs. When your blood is

not filtered as well, your arteries have to compensate, and so they become thicker, leading to high blood

pressure and increasing you risk of clogged arteries. This can also reduce the amount of blood that gets

to your heart, which can lead to heart disease over time. It can also mean that less blood gets to your

brain, which can cause a number of different problems, such as dementia. Too much salt in your diet is

extremely dangerous, and if you want to see real results, you should avoid salty foods as much as you

can.

Avoid foods that are packed with preservatives: Preservatives are often added to food to make it last

longer, make it look a specific color, and/or prevent bacteria, yeast, and mold growth. They are not

meant to have any health benefits for the consumer, but rather are added to help preserve the food they

are put into. Synthetic preservatives have been linked to lots of health problems, including asthma,

allergies, and even cancer. Here are some of the main preservatives you should try to avoid:

o Sulfites

o Sodium benzoate

o Nitrite

o BHA/BHT

If you are able to follow some of these helpful tips when you are planning your new diet, you will see

amazing results. Remember, proper dieting is not just about eating less; it is about eating right.

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7.3 Pitfalls to avoid

Even with these helpful tips, dieting is hard, and it is always going to be. As a new mother, you will

often find your times in situations where you can easily make a bad diet choice. You will be stressed,

you will be busy, you will be tired, you will be pressed for time, but you still need to make the right

choices if you want to be truly healthy. If your own health is not enough of a motivator, think about

how much of influence you have on your child’s life. Regardless of what you feed your child, he or

she is going to learn eating habits from watching you, and the habits that he or she pick up can

either promote healthy or unhealthy living. For the sake of your own health or for the sake of your

child’s health, try to avoid these diet pitfalls.

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1. Fast food: There is a reason why there are so many fast food restaurant companies that post

billions of dollars in profits every year. Fast food tastes god, costs very little, and is quick. The health

trade off, though, is something that you, especially as a new mother, need to stop ignoring. Not only

are fast food menu items steeped in trans fats from the frying process, they are loaded with

preservatives. Fast food can cause so many different types of health problems, it is hard to even

make a comprehensive list for you. The main idea you need to get from this, though, is that you

should avoid fast food at all costs. If you get in the habit of getting fast food often, your child will get

into the habit of getting fast food often, and his or her life may end up being a life of obesity, high

cholesterol, heart disease, and diabetes. Try your best to set a good example for your child very

early on, and reap the benefits of keeping these unhealthy foods out of your diet.

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2. Stress or emotional eating: Many women who have just had a baby indulge in stress or emotional

eating, which refers to eating because you are stressed out or have had a bad day rather than

because you are hungry. This is a difficult habit to break because food offers a lot of comfort for

stressed or emotionally distraught people. However, the foods we find comfort in are not often the

same foods that are good for us. Not many people are having a bad day, and reach for a reasonable

amount of blueberries. We reach for chips, ice cream, cake, and other snacks that are bad for us,

and we over indulge. The best way to get away from this problem is to find something else that is

healthy and can comfort you like food does. This can be any activity that gets you away from food

and away from your problems. The most beneficial option is to make exercise your comfort food.

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3. Social or mindless eating and drinking: You are at a barbecue and you are talking to your friends,

and there happens to be a plate of cookies near you. You are not hungry, but they are right there, so

maybe you’ll have one, or two, or twelve. Mindless eating is similar to emotional eating in that it helps

fill a void. Many people feel more comfortable in social situations when they are eating or drinking,

which can lead to indulgences in unhealthy foods. Be aware of this problem by planning for it. If you are

bringing a dish to the party, bring something healthy and stand near that. Many of us snack like this

subconsciously, so just being aware of it could be enough to curb this habit. Try your best to only eat

when you are hungry, and not to fill the silences in a conversation.

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4. Eating with the baby: A newborn baby will need to eat about once every 2-3 hours. While studies

have shown that eating 5 times a day is a healthy habit for adults, those meals should be small and

balanced. Many new mothers get into the habit of snacking when their baby eats because who has time

to make themselves a well-balanced meal every 3 hours? Your best bet is to stick to the tradition 3-meal-

a-day plan, and to avoid snacking every time you feed the baby.

5. Eating when the baby wakes you up: It’s the middle of the night, and the baby is crying. You get up

to help him or her calm down and get back to sleep, and decide to take a look through the fridge. This is

a nasty habit because you are eating during a time when you would normally be sleeping. Much like

stress and emotional eating, also, most women do not grab a sensible snack when they are rummaging

through the pantry at 3 in the morning. Try to resist the temptation to grab a snack just because you are

awake. It will make it more difficult for you to get back to sleep and you will just be eating empty

calories.

6. Skipping breakfast: Just as it is important to avoid snacking all the time, it is important to avoid

skipping meals. Breakfast is the easiest meal to skip. You are probably very concerned about your child

getting breakfast because you know how important it is, but it is easy to forget that it is also important

for you. If you skip breakfast, you are more likely to eat a large lunch, which is not healthy. That, in turn,

will mean you eat a later dinner, which is not great for digestion. Skipping a meal does not mean that

you are eating less and losing weight, it means you are likely binge eating at a different time and not

giving your body the time it needs to properly digest your food in the most healthy way possible.

7. Not getting enough sleep: Your sleeping habits can have a large effect on your diet. You don’t

have a lot of control over your sleeping habits as a new mother because your baby will be likely

waking you up at all hours of the morning, but you need to try to get proper sleep when you can. If

you have a partner, trade off with him or her so that it is not always you who is waking up for the

baby. As we mentioned earlier, avoid night snacking so you can return to sleep easier after tending

to the baby. If you do not get enough sleep, you are more likely to stress or emotionally eat, and you

are more likely to make unhealthy choices.

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If you are able to successfully avoid these pitfalls, you will be on your way to not only regaining that

beautiful pre-pregnancy body, but also to a long life of health and happiness.

7.4 Helpful supplements

Supplements can be a great addition to your healthy diet to ensure that your body is getting enough of

the vitamins and nutrients that it needs to perform at its best. There are bad supplements out there,

however, especially for mothers who are breastfeeding, so it is important for you to know exactly what

you are taking and what it does.

Good supplements:

Calcium: Calcium is a vitamin that is necessary for your bones to grow and heal properly. Good amounts

of calcium can prevent injury, and also prevent bone deficiencies like arthritis and osteoporosis.

Folic acid: You probably took folic acid while you were pregnant to help reduce the risk of miscarriage

and birth defects, and it is important to keep taking this vitamin now that you have given birth. Folic

acid can help you maintain high blood levels or improve low ones, which helps to prevent anemia and

promote proper bowel function. Folic acid supplements can also help you avoid things like liver disease,

alcoholism, kidney dialysis, and ulcerative colitis. There are a number of other benefits of folic acid,

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including prevention of heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s, and more, but there are too many to list here

in full.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, which in turn helps your body build and

maintain strong bones. There is also recent evidence that suggests that this vitamin can also help you

prevent heart attacks, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. Vitamin D has also been

linked to the prevention of high blood pressure.

Omega 3 fatty acids: This supplement has been known to promote good blood pressure, and prevent

things like rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, ADHD, Alzheimer’s, and even depression.

Iron: Iron is an extremely important mineral that your body needs to function. Iron is a major ingredient

in hemoglobin, which is found in red blood cells. As you know, red blood cells carry oxygen from the

lungs to the rest of your body. Without a proper amount of iron, your blood is thinner, does not clot as

easily (which can cause excessive bleeding), and does not effectively carry oxygen to the parts of your

body that need it, like the brain.

Vitamin B12: B12 is a great vitamin that not only helps enrich your blood, but it has also been found to

affect mood, energy, concentration, and your immune system. Additionally, B12 can help strengthen

your memory and prevent amnesia and Alzheimer’s.

Supplements to avoid:

Creatine

Magnesium oxide

Vitamin D3

Ephedrine

Carb blockers

If you learn how to use supplements properly, they can be a helpful addition to your regimen of diet and

exercise, and can help you get the essential nutrients you need to healthy and vibrant.

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