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MCLV Pregnancy | My Morning Sickness Tricks & Tips

August 27, 2020 in Lifestyle

Let me go ahead and preface this with – There is no cure for morning sickness. It’s just one of those things that you just have to muddle through. That being said, I found a few ways to minimize my morning sickness, that proved helpful.

My morning sickness kicked in around week five and a half, and initially I was kind of glad. I wasn’t feeling particularly pregnant, so it was the first real sign to me that there was actually something going on. The novelty and elation faded rather quickly though. It’s just a miserable period that you have to get through. You basically feel hungover for a few weeks to months.

Note: There are some people who have HORRIBLE morning sickness. Living on the bathroom floor, needing to be hospitalized for fluids, takes over their lives level of morning sickness. If you feel like what you’re experiencing isn’t normal or manageable, please reach out to your doctor!

Here are a few tips & tricks that helped me survive this lovely period of pregnancy:

Small Meals:

As soon as I started to feel super hungry, the nausea kicked in. And once it kicked in, it was nearly impossible to get rid of. So I spent weeks 5.5 through 11 or 12 trying to eat lots of small meals throughout the day to avoid getting hangry, which seemed to snowball directly into morning sickness.

Hydration:

I needed to be very careful about how I hydrated during this period. I’ve been in the habit for years of drinking a full water bottle each morning when I wake up, and that became a hard no. I had to slowly sip water during this period, or risk the nausea coming on strong. I also ate lots of juicy fruits and water-packed veggies like cucumber and celery to help with the hydration since I was drinking less water throughout the day.

Sleep:

This may have been unique to me, but I found that I had worse morning sickness on days after a poor night of sleep. So I worked on my nighttime routine and really focused on getting the necessary rest to give me a fighting chance the following day. Luckily I was so exhausted that it wasn’t too challenging for me.

All the Ginger:

Ginger candy. Ginger chews. Ginger tea. I kept them in my purse, the car, my desk, and on my bedside table. All total lifesavers.

Peppermint:

I’ve always loved peppermint and in my first trimester it saved me yet again. I used peppermint essential oil in my diffuser. I kept a little roller of peppermint oil in my purse to sniff like smelling salts when I was in the car. And I carried peppermint lip balm, mints & gum in my purse for a minty boost when I was out and about and starting to feel unwell.

What about you – If you’ve gone through this, what’s your favorite morning sickness hack?

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MCLV Pregnancy | Pregnancy Safe Skin Care

June 23, 2020 in Lifestyle

When you get pregnant there’s a lot to worry about. There’s a lot to learn. There’s a lot to do. There’s a lot not to do. It can be overwhelming.

Luckily, I have been interested in skin care for years and had already started to transition over to clean brands and products that are better for both myself and the environment.

A few of the no no’s that I read about that pregnant women shouldn’t use are: Benzoyl Peroxide, Fragrances, BPA, Hydroquinone, Formaldehyde, Parabens, Phthalates, Retinoids, Salicylic Acid, Thioglycolic Acid, Chemical Sunscreens, and Botulinum Toxin.

Some of those I expected – Botox & Retinol – Others were more of a surprise, like Benzoyl Perioxide. Others I don’t think should be in any products and you should throw away bottles if you see them on a label (Formaldehyde, BPA).

Luckily, my core skin care routine, minus the retinol, was in the clear. Below are the pregnancy safe skin care products that I used, and loved, throughout my pregnancy:

Eyes:

Serums:

Moisturizers:

Sunscreen:

Cleansers:

Masks:

I was pretty happy with what I found and I’m sure that I’ll keep using these brands and products for years to come!

What’s on YOUR beauty shelf?

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MCLV Pregnancy | What I Eat In A Day [1st Trimester]

June 13, 2020 in Lifestyle

What better way to kick off the MCLV Pregnancy series than with a What I Eat In A Day post? So, please consider this my pregnancy announcement. 馃檪

I’d like to preference this by saying, everyone’s needs are different {both in pregnancy and outside of pregnancy}, this is just an example of what I personally ate during a day in my first trimester. You should always talk to a doctor about your nutritional needs and you should talk to them before making any dramatic changes to your diet.

A few things to know about me and my particular pregnancy during the 1st trimester. I had morning sickness off and on between weeks 5 and almost 12. When I got it, how poorly I felt, and what helped or made things worse ALL changed daily. There was no cure or quick fix, but in general I did find that lots of small meals and making sure that I never got super hungry was helpful.

Also, I was plant-based prior to the pregnancy and planned to remain so during, which meant that I did a lot of research, read a number of books, and talked to my doctor about ensuring that I met my micro and macro-nutrient needs on a daily basis. That meant variety, variety, variety. I ate a large variety of whole foods each day, and tried to mix things up as much as I could.

First Breakfast: Apple or banana w/ almond butter sprinkled with cinnamon & hemp hearts

Second Breakfast: Smoothie – Mixed berries, vanilla protein, ginger, ground flax seed, chia seeds + Psyllium husk

Lunch: Kale Salad – Kale, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, sunflower seeds, avocado, and turmeric ginger dressing

Afternoon Snack: 2 brown rice cakes with hummus or avocado & Everything But the Bagel Seasoning

Dinner: Veggie Stirfry – Zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower & tofu cooked with olive oil and topped with coconut aminos and sesame seeds, served over a mixed rice & quinoa combo

Dessert: Homemade raw trail mix – Cashews, almonds, walnuts & pecans with no-sugar added apricots, banana chips, and raisins. And sometimes a salty snacklike popcorn.

Morning Sickness Snacks: If I started to feel nausea coming on, I kept ginger chews, dried fruit, and stock drops in my purse.

Looking back at this, as I’m finishing my second trimester, I’m a bit impressed by my restraint. Treats became a larger part of my life during the second trimester/quarantine.

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Self Care in the Age of Quarantine

May 2, 2020 in Lifestyle

It’s easy to dismiss self care as Instagram models applying face masks, but in reality it’s something that everyone could use a little of right now. For some, self care just means doing nothing. Letting their brain turn off an enjoying a movie or video games or a book. For other, they need to turn inward and think a bit about how they’re feeling, what is impacting their moods, and how they can improve things for themselves.

Below are some of my favorite ways to give myself a little boost:

Working Out: I wouldn’t feel like myself without a chance to move my body every day. It’s an ingrained part of my life and while it’s changed and may not look the same, I am able to move each day. While treadmills and weight machines aren’t part of my daily life any longer, I’m able to stream workouts online and go for walks in the sunshine. Not sure about workouts? Check out this post – Home Workouts & Apps.

Journaling & Gratitude: I’ve been doing daily affirmations and maintaining a gratitude journal for years. It’s a great way to check in with yourself and start the day on a positive night. I also like to draft little to do lists before bed so that I’m not kept awake thinking about what needs to get done the next day.

Meditation: Apps like Calm can be lifesavers right now if you’re someone who benefits from daily meditations. It’s a great way to clear away the crazy in your head and release some stress. Sometimes I’ll just type 10 minute guided meditation into YouTube and try a new one before bed.

Create a Routine: One thing that I’ve heard a lot the past few months is people feeling listless or unsure what they’re supposed to be doing. Getting thrown off your routine can cause a lot of stress so try reestablishing a home routine. And stick to it! That means getting up at the same time, scheduling your workout or walk for the same time, eating at the same time, and most importantly, trying to go to bed at the same time each day.

Find Enjoyment: You may feel as though nothing can help right now, but put some time and effort into finding alternatives to things that make you happy. Miss restaurants? Try a cooking Masterclass or ordering a do-it-yourself kit from a local restaurant. Miss socializing or your family? Trying setting up Zoom dinners or Houseparty cocktail events. Not exactly the same, but you can feel connected. Miss group workout classes? Join a live class at an online studio.

If you’re facing abuse or violence please reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. You can go to their website, chat online, or call them – 1 800 799 7233

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Lemon Ginger Tonic

April 28, 2020 in Lifestyle

Since my work-from-home setup is on the island in our kitchen – The perfect standing desk height – I discovered that I was drinking cup after cup of tea throughout the day. Herbal teas so not the end of the world, but I wanted to make a conscious effort to drink more water as well.

Enter the lemon ginger tonic!

Great for digestion and a lovely way to start the day, you can drink it three different ways.

I’ve been drinking it with warm water, you could also take it as a shot, or put it over ice on a lovely sunny day.

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup of grated or minced ginger root
  • 2 cups of water
  • 3 lemons juiced

Directions:

  • Peel and grate or mince your ginger root. Add to a pan with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 45 minutes.
  • Juice the lemons
  • Once the ginger has boiled, drain and retain the liquid (run through a sieve to get out pieces of ginger) and add the lemon juice
  • Save in a mason jar or sealed Tupperware for a week

You can add some honey if you’d like to sweeten it, but it’s a great way to start the day.

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