Some people have been asking about what I do to workout still and how it is going.  Here are a few of the things that have been working for me. If you are pregnant or going to get pregnant in the near future, please talk to your doctor about your fitness routine.

1. Working out 5-6 days a week. Even though I am close to being ready to pop, I still make time to get myself moving most everyday.  The reason I can do this is because I did it before the baby was born and I never stopped.  My advice would be to keep doing what you were doing before and so you don’t lose all of your endurance or strength that you have worked so hard on.

2.  Choose activities I like and make me feel good. I ran for a while into my pregnancy, completing a half marathon at 4months, but then running stopped feeling good when it got really cold and my bladder would be pressed on by the baby.  At one point in November and December I would run 5-5.5 miles and make three bathroom stops.  I had my running routes planned out around different restrooms.  While this worked for a little while, it quickly got old and uncomfortable.  At this point I switched to doing spinning 2-3 times a week and some other cardio (step mill, elliptical or hill walking on the treadmill) 3-4 times a week with weights about 2-3 days a week.  I kept my workouts under an hour because I would usually be tired/bored by then.  As far as weights go, I would do some free weights for my arms and walking lunges and squats for my legs.  I never followed a weight program – I just did it to keep myself from turning into mush. A lot of people really like swimming when they are pregnant, but I never got into it- I might in the next few weeks.

3. Embrace days off to recover On the days I didn’t workout, I would usually stretch or do a 15-20 min relaxing prenatal yoga from yogadownload.com to stretch out.  Throughout the 9 months your body changes so much that sometimes it get more sore doing one thing then a month later it isn’t sore at all from doing the same thing.  It is important to listen to your body and just do what feels good at the time.  These recovery days were good for my muscles but also recharged me for the next day’s workout.

4. Drink, drink, drink I usually try to drink at least 3-4 liters of water a day.  I have a little schedule of how much I should drink and when in my mind.  If I workout in the morning (most everyday because and I am tired and hungry after school and tutoring) then I drink 1 liter while working out and driving home.  Then I try to drink another liter before lunch, which usually happens because I am still thirsty from my workout.  I try and drink a third liter in the afternoon before I go home from school.  This is hard because it is not easy to use the restroom when you are a teacher (and at this point, I have to go alllllllll the time!).  The finally in the evening I try to drink the 4th liter.  My body is used this this water so I get really thirsty when I don’t drink enough.  Staying hydrated is so important, especially when working out and later in pregnancy, because otherwise you will wake up in the night with cramps or charley horses in your legs.  This has only happened to me a few times, but it hurts!

5. Remind myself how good I feel after. On days when I don’t really feel like going, I just tell myself to think about how much better I will feel when I am done.  This always works because I do feel that much better when I am done.  For someone who loves being active it is hard to feel yourself expanding everyday.    When I workout I feel like my belly is growing (just like I want!!) but the rest of me feels more normal.  If I don’t go, my body gets all antsy like it just needs to move!  I am not sure if this will work for everyone, but there is no doubt that exercise makes you feel better overall and have more energy!

*Nursery update coming soon!

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Sushi or other Raw Meat: Raw meats can contain bacteria that is harmful to you and the baby

Deli Meat: Deli meats can contain harmful bacterias and harmful preservatives.  If you chose to eat deli meats, heat them up to kill possible bacteria.

Certain types of Fish with Mercury: Some specific fish that contain more mercury than others are: shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish, and albacore tuna.

Raw Eggs: Try to avoid eating cookie dough with raw eggs or certain salad dressings.  Raw eggs can contain salmonella which is harmful to you and the baby.

Soft Cheeses: Avoid these specifically:  Brie, Camembert, Roquefort, Feta, Gorgonzola and Mexican style cheeses that include queso blanco and queso fresco, unless they clearly state that they are made from pasteurized milk. All soft non-imported cheeses made with pasteurized milk are ok to eat.

Alcohol: There is not set amount of alcohol that is shown to cause fetal alcohol syndrome so all alcohol should be avoided.

Caffeine: It is important to limit your caffeine intake to make sure your baby develops properly.  Drinking less than 2 cups of coffee has been shown to be safe.

Hopefully my posts will be up by tomorrow!

  Have a great day!

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I didn’t do much to decorate. I was really just happy all of our Christmas gifts were put away and our house was freshly dusted and vacuumed!

I used some zebra napkins I had.

Jen brought edamame for an appetizer. It was amazing! I always forget how easy and good it is. Too bad it was gone before we could even take a picture!

For the main course we had soy ginger turkey tenderloin. It was purchased in marinade and made for a quick dinner. Brady threw it on the grill for a little and it was good to go!

For a side dish I made brown rice (not pictured because it is so plain and boring) and spicy veggie stir fry.

And our salad of the evening was Napa cabbage salad with homemade tahini dressing.

**This meal is perfect for having last minute company. It’s easy and healthy!

• The meat is already marinated and just needs to be grilled. It is low fat and white meat.
• The veggies are frozen and canned and can be easily stir fried with your favorite sauce.
• The salad requires three ingredients – napa cabbage, ramen noodles, and cashew pieces. Plus you can make a sesame dressing or just buy one!
• Brown rice boil in a bag is the best invention. It takes no measuring, no time and no effort to get an healthy, whole grain side dish.
• Heat up some edamame for an easy healthy appetizer and you are set!

Jamie brought a delicious dessert from her Hungry Girl Cookbook! Remember when I interviewed Hungry Girl herself! She is great!

These little strawberry shortcakes were made with:

• vanilla wafer crust
• strawberry preserves
• coolwhip
• sugar free pudding mix

They were so tasty! Our company was just as cute as these little desserts!

Jen and Hadley (sorry Duke, you missed the picture!)

And Josh and Jamie

Can’t wait until we do it again!

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By Kathy Hester

I love the holidays and all the dinners I host around them. The only problem is the leftovers. I know my family complains far in advance about not wanting too many leftovers. Me, I love leftovers. It’s like an artists palate of food that you get to make other things out of.

As I clean up, I go ahead and start a soup for dinner. It always consists of leftovers and changes each time. Typically I will dice or shred some turkey, and add some turkey stock or filtered water. If I have any leftover rice I add it too. Of course, you could use any protein that you served up instead.

Last year I diced up a sweet potato, added some roasted chili peppers, a few tablespoons of leftover gravy, and a can of black beans to make a southwestern turkey soup. I topped it with a few leftover cheese cubes from the appetizer tray, fresh cilantro, and a dollop of fat free Greek yogurt. I assure you no one complained that night!

You can do the same thing with leftover vegetables. Just make sure to limit the combos to only one casserole unless you’re sure they go well together. Green bean casserole and corn surprise just seem like an accident waiting to happen. However green bean casserole can be turned into a creamy Italian vegetable soup with low fat milk, oregano, and a sprig of rosemary. You may need to add a little flour to thicken it up, depending on how you made your casserole to begin with.

Mashed potatoes are the most versatile leftover. Mashed potato soup, Shepard’s pie, or even add to other soups as a thickener. Don’t forget about the croquette possibilities! Mashed potato mixed with shredded turkey and a little cranberry sauce is great dredged in some bread crumbs and fried. It’s great with leftover gravy poured all over it. If you have any beans and grains mix them together for even more crunchy patties of possibility. I make black bean sweet potato patties all year long.

The most overlooked redo is dessert. Sweet potatoes can be recycled in a pie, muffins, cookies or cake. Try adding sweet potato for part of the oil in your muffin recipes. It will add vitamins and taste great too. You can do this with other veggies like winter squash, carrots, even zucchini.

I like to make a few different dishes out of the leftovers and freeze them. This way my family forgets that they are eating leftovers. I make sure to serve up my leftover creations on my best Noritake dishes. The beautiful plates will dress up my leftovers so they look fresh every time.

And, of course, you can always freeze your original leftovers in clearly labeled containers if you are too tired to bother with them the day of. You’ll find that using them over the next couple of weeks will help your grocery budget too.

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1. Polar Heart Rate Monitor. This simple gadget is great for working out and making sure you make your workouts worth it. It usually costs about $100 and can be found at any major sports store or possibly at your gym.

2. Subscription to a Health magazine. Giving the gift of fitness/nutrition knowledge is great because it keeps giving all year. I love getting magazines and look forward to everything they have to offer each month. A few of my favorite choices are: Health, Fitness, Women’s Health, Clean Eating, Cooking Light and Martha Stewart’s Living. I also make sure Brady gets Men’s Health.

3. Simple exercise equipment. Give a friend who has been trying to get in shape a simple piece of equipment to add to her collection. A kettle ball, a set of light dumbells, a yoga mat or an exercise band are all good and inexpensive choices.

4. A healthy cookbook. I have a HUGE obsession with cookbooks and have a few on my list this year. Think about the type of person you are buying for and get them a book that fits their style – quick healthy meals, vegan recipes, feeding the family on a budget, or crockpot favorites. What ever their style, make it personal. Some of my favorites are Moosewood Low-fat Vegetarian Cookbook, Tosca Reno’s Clean Eating, Ellie Krieger, Eat Drink and Be Vegan and Cooking Light’s Annual recipes.

5. A personal training session. If you know someone who is trying to get in better shape get them a session with a personal trainer. By giving them an hour or a few half hour sessions you could help them to get motivated and on the right track with fitness. If you can, join them during the session! Usually it is cheaper to train with more than one person and it will be more fun! Plus, you can keep working out together when you are done with the training sessions.

I will be back with more Christmas ideas coming your way! Do you have any ideas for me to add to the list? Let me know, I would love to hear from you!

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1. Do something active. Get up in the morning and get some exercise. Whether it is a walk around the neighborhood while catching up with relatives, a Turkey Trot run, or a morning workout class – just do something. This will make you feel better all day and will get your mind in a healthy place from the beginning of the day.
2. Eat breakfast. Eat a normal breakfast. Make sure you have a good combination of carbs, protein, fiber and healthy fat that will give you a good start. Skipping breakfast will leave you ravenous and often leads to overeating later. It can also be an excuse to eat more junk later.
3. Choose special foods. When you are filling up your plate, pick foods that are special for Thanksgiving. Stay away from foods you can eat everyday like rolls and cheese and crackers. This will help to keep you from getting stuffed.
4. Skip or skimp on the extras. Try to stay away from adding things to your food. This is hard for me when it comes to salt – I salt everything, even before I taste it. Eat your banana/pumpkin/zucchini/apple bread without added butter. It has such great flavor it doesn’t need extra butter. The same is true for mashed potatoes and squash.
5. Slow Down! Take your time when enjoying your meal. It is not going to go anywhere. It’s easy to get excited about all of the traditional and delicious foods at Thanksgiving, but slow down and enjoy them or before you know it, your plate will cleaned!

Remember to have fun! There can be a lot of stress that comes along with the holidays. Relax, enjoy your family and remember what the holiday is all about!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Here are a few tips on eating healthy at a Mexican restaurant:

1. Order a water (which is all I had because of Baby H, but I love margs!) with your drink and try to refrain from the super-size drink. Margaritas are packed with sugar and calories, the best option is a light beer. If you can’t go without the margarita (which is hard to do) get a small one and sip it in between sips of water. The salt in the chips and salsa can make you chug your drink without realizing it.
2. Eat a snack before you go to dinner. Have something like an apple before you go to a Mexican restaurant so you don’t go crazy with the unlimited chips and salsa. It’s easy to over do it when they are right in front of you and you are starving.
3. Choose a dish that isn’t fried. There are usually a lot of options when it comes to this tip. Burritos and fajitas are usually good choices.
4. Skip the cheese, or ask for just a little if you really want it. Many of the dishes have so many flavors and textures that you don’t even notice the cheese you are eating. Try skipping it and asking for your burrito to be covered in salsa instead of cheese. This will save you lots of calories and fat.
5. Go easy on the extras. When it comes to sour cream, guacamole, Mexican rice and beans covered with cheese – try using just a little. Some healthier extra choices would be pico de gallo, lettuce, and salsa.

I followed these tips last night, and for the first time since I can remember, I left the restaurant totally satisfied but not stuffed!

I ordered a vegetarian burrito that was filled with spinach, rice and beans. It was topped with salsa instead of cheese and came with a side of lettuce and tomatoes. I didn’t eat the sour cream or all of the flour tortilla, but I didn’t finish all of the middle!

Those are Brady’s onions on the side of my plate. I am excited to go back! Here is our company from last night, plus a picture of baby H.

Baby H at 20 weeks:

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