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HOW OFTEN AND HOW SHOULD I EAT?
Learn to read the signs your body presents. Your body is a smart tool and will let you know if you’ve consumed the wrong fuel at the wrong times. Take note of how you feel after eating certain foods.
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If you experience any of the following after certain foods then you may need to eliminate that from your diet:
• Tired / lethargic
• Bloated
• Full of energy and high on life
• Hungry again within the hour
• Feel satisfied and at a constant energy for hours following
• Form dark circles around the eyes
Also ensure you:
• Eat five meals per day; breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner
• Eat small portions – a meal doesn’t mean a full plate!
• Only eat when you are hungry - your body may need something else, such as exercise, or even water
• Eat slowly, chewing every mouthful thoroughly and only eat to the point of feeling comfortably full
• Avoid eating late in the evening and if you do, choose fruit or a snack like mixed raw unsalted nuts or seeds.
Is your lifestyle balance or lack of it affecting your health?
It’s very difficult to find a lifestyle balance as new mothers. Our time and focus seems to be solely on our baby/babies. Often this means your partner, family or more importantly your own needs are left behind or neglected. Ensure you make time for yourself, have time away from your baby and try and do the things that make ‘you’ feel good. Utilize family and peer support networks – try and schedule it in, even if it’s only 30mins here or there.
Do not feel guilty for having and needing time to yourself away from you baby, this is normal and healthy!
HOW DOES SLEEP OR LACK OF IT AFFECT ME?
Sleep is something we take for granted before the baby arrives. Without adequate and quality sleep we can’t function to our full potential and its imperative in maintaining good health and vitality.
Loss of sleep comes with a price, it affects our hormones and immune system, makes us unmotivated, moody and irritable, basically affecting our physical, emotional and cognitive state and repair. This all adds to the total exhaustion a mother experiences. Unfortunately, this lack of sleep is a way of life for mums and it’s just not realistic to advise them to take a nap here or there!
Try and steal some quiet moments for yourself when your baby is asleep and get a partner, relative or friend to look after your baby while you catch up on some sleep. Have somewhere in the house that’s your special sanctuary. It could be a corner in the lounge or bedroom. Try meditative breathing exercises to calm and recharge the system. You’ll be surprised at how energized you feel afterwards.
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