Preggy Super Foods and Smoothies

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I know comparing pregnancies is not ideal, as every one is different but I rather enjoy it. So don’t judge.

With Danny I didn’t eat healthy, I quit smoking only during my first trimester and guzzled down litres of gas drinks and my outcome? A perfect healthy baby.

Now with Josh I watched what I ate, I tried our best to avoid unhealthy foods, I exercised, I took my prenatal vitamins religiously, did smoothies / jungle juice, fenugreek, drank water, took primrose oil after 36 weeks (read it somewhere), the whole bang tootie. However my outcome remained the same.

With Josh however even though it was a second c-sec (not a want but a need) I felt that I had MUCH more energy during my pregnancy and following my delivery. I feel like my body healed faster, I produced more milk (TMI), I shed the few kgs baby weight faster. Everything was just so much better.

* Side note: Danny was born just after 9am the morning, I was only mobile after 10pm. Josh however was born after 2pm and after 4pm I was mobile. I’m sure the change of lifestyle also had a great effect on this.

So maybe those Doctors and experts know a little bit about something hey.

I thought I’d share some recipes and healthy eating tips I found useful during my pregnancy.

1.     Banana Peanut Butter Protein   
        Smoothie

       1 large banana, ripe
       2 tablespoons peanut butter
       2 tablespoons rolled or old
          fashioned oats
      3/4 cup to 1 cup unsweetened soy
          milk or almond milk (regular milk
          will also work)
     Ice, optional

Stir together oats and milk, allowing to soak for 10 minutes to soften the oats.

Combine all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into a glass and enjoy

2.     Banana and Strawberry Smoothie

        ½ – 1 Banana sliced
       4 – 6 Strawberries
       1Tbs Honey
       ½ C Orange Juice
       4 Ice Cubes

Put all the ingredients into your smoothie maker / blender and blitz for 2 min

Pour into a glass and enjoy

3.     High Fibre Smoothie (http://
        tracthertrailher.com/smoothie-that-
        help-relieve-constipation-recipe/)

       1 cup of fresh baby leaf spinach or
          frozen spinach
       1 cup of frozen blueberries
       1 cup of frozen mango
       1 cup plain Greek Yoghurt
       1 cup of 100% cranberry juice or
          chilled Green Tea

Put all the ingredients into your smoothie maker / blender and blitz for 2 min

Pour into a glass and enjoy

4.     Chocolate Avocado Smoothie

        ½ Avocado
        2 Tbs Cocoa powder
        1 Banana sliced
        ¼ C Greek Yoghurt
        2 Tbs milk

Blend everything together in a food processor (or a blender if you have a very good one – mine requires too much liquid for a thick smoothie like this) until it’s very creamy. Add more milk until it’s the desired thickness.

Serve immediately or keep covered in the refrigerator for up to one day.

5.     Lactation Smoothie (http://wholetastylove.blogspot.com/2013/04/lactation-smoothie.html)

       1 handful cashews
       1/2 cup frozen blueberries
       2 frozen bananas
       1 tray ice

Blend for 30 sec then add the following

       ½ – 1 Tbs brewers yeast (available
          at health food stores)
       1 Tbs cacao powder
       2 Tbs honey
       1 Tbs coconut oil

Blend for another minute and then serve

6.     Peanut Butter Date Smoothie

        1 frozen banana
        1 cup full cream milk {or milk of
           choice)
       ¼ C raw medjool date
        1 Tbs peanut butter
        big pinch of cinnamon

Blend all ingredients together, serve and enjoy

7.     On a side note I also made Red    
         Raspberry Leaf Tea, apparently the                   benefits include:
(http://www.primallyinspired.com/happy-pregnancy-tea-recipe/)

        Prevents miscarriage and    
        postpartum hemorrhage by helping   
        tone and relax the uterus.
        Eases morning sickness.
        Reduces pain during labor and 
        after birth.
       Tones the muscles used during
       labor and delivery and eliminates
       many of the reasons for a painful
       delivery and prolonged recovery.

     Assists in the production of plentiful
     breast milk.

     Helps make labor faster by
     encouraging the uterus to let go and
     function without tension.

    Studies show that women that
    consume Red Raspberry Leaf have a    
    reduced incidence of artificial rupture   
   of membranes, forceps delivery or
   cesarean.

8.     Eating healthy / snacking healthy

Instead of always defaulting to chocolate, chips and junk food we explored (conservatively) other alternatives. This is just a brief few things that worked for us

·   Bananas and banana chips

·   Almonds and cashew nuts

·   Sunflower seeds, mixed berries and
    yoghurt

·  Apple sliced with peanut butter /
   almond butter

·  Air popped popcorn

·  Boiled egg with cottage cheese

·  Wholewheat / rye toast with avocado

·  Butternut and pumpkin seed pizza   
   with mozzarella cheese

·  TOTAL cheat was peanut butter,
   banana and syrup on brown bread

Feel free to share, try and enjoy. Even though the pregnancy is LONG over I still love most of them.

Till Later

LT