Happy Mom Happy Baby
Healthy lifestyle tips for busy mums by the Ballito based Goodness Guru including great lunch box snacks for kids.
By Lisl Bennett (Goodness Guru)5 DEADLY S’s AND 1 GOOD
Happy Mom, Happy Baby. Have you heard that saying? How about “First put on your own oxygen mask before you help the person next to you.”?
As mothers we often put our own needs aside as we tend to the needs of our children. This is natural and necessary when we have to be awake and responsible and ready to deal with all the hurts and just to love and to love and to love some more.
But we shouldn’t confuse love with martyrdom. We will be no good to anyone if we are ill, weak or depressed. So the sayings are true. We must first look after our own needs so that we can better meet the needs of our families.
I know you’re probably saying you mean to but you just can’t find the time so here are some simple truths that should make a big difference. It’s all about good choices.
AVOID THE DEADLY S’s
STRESS
I put this one first because as soon as we allow stress to overcome us we feel less able to cope and end up making poor choices on all the others… I know I should shop organic, or prepare a healthy meal but I’m so stressed I’ll just buy readymade… and then I’ll feel guilty about it, and my digestion will be all over the place and I’ll be more stressed… sound familiar?
So here’s my suggestion. Keep things simple. Develop some good habits that work for you and just take the rest of the journey one step at a time.
Lack of SLEEP
I know right!? It’s not like you have a choice when you have babies. But the body has an amazing ability to cope with little sleep as you are breast feeding. However, many moms experience disturbed sleep patterns long after their little ones are sleeping through. Be kind to yourself, don’t work or watch tv late at night after you’ve finally got the kids to bed… go to sleep.
Sufficient to the day the troubles thereof… I’m probably misquoting someone there but that’s what I say to myself. I do what I can then I have to let things go and just go to sleep!
SUGAR
Often we feel like a reward after a long hard day or a stressful time and we reward ourselves with something sweet. Try to avoid this trap. It might make you feel better in the short term but after the sugar crash, the insulin dip and the guilt was it really worth it? Try find snacks and rewards that don’t have negative after effects. See below I’ve given you lots of good ideas.
SALT
There is so much salt built into food these days and you rarely need to add extra. Try for Desert Salt which is full of great minerals. Herbal Salt or ‘No Salt’ which is Potassium rather than Sodium based.
SATURATED FAT
Yes we love Banting and it has its place but please read the fine print. We love healthy fats not fried trans-fats and not too many animal fats especially if they are not grass-fed hormone free animals. Remember everything that animal ingested through its life, it’s antibiotics and toxins in the feed end up stored in its fat. That is not the fat you want in you. So fat is only good for you if its good fat.
All of these S’s the stress we have over healthy eating the sugar, the salt and the saturated fats can be alleviated by what I call The Art of Snacking
THIS IS THE GOOD S – THE SNACK
The Afrikaans language has the best word for the snack, a ‘peseltjie’. It just gives the perfect image of a little pinch, an innocent bit, a harmless peck…mmm unfortunately all these seemingly small and guiltless snacks can lead to too many calories, sugar highs, unwanted bulges oh dear. CRUMBS DO COUNT!
So do the ‘just one bite’ you have from your husband’s plate when you deny yourself a pudding, the scraps from your kids plate and the tasters you sneak while cooking.
BUT if we can find the right things to snack on, it’s absolutely encouraged. ‘GRAZE DON’T GORGE’ is the battle cry these days as nutritionists advise us to eat numerous small and simple meals throughout the day rather than 3 big meals.
We also know now that skipping meals or starving ourselves and then pigging out is actually counter-productive for health and weight loss. This leads to a lowering of the metabolism, fluctuations in blood sugar and insulin levels, storage of fat, inflammation and can play a role in the development of many chronic illnesses.
So what should we have as our ‘peseltjie’ when we feeling peckish? The simple answer is protein.
• Boil an egg – it comes in the perfect travel packaging
• Cheese – hard cheeses, edam or feta all good
• Cottage cheese on a low GI snack like Ryvita
• Yogurt always an easy standby
• Peanut butter scooped up with celery – you’re thinking weird but they really do go.
• Nuts and seeds – always best together and these are raw and unsalted. Throw a couple of dried cranberries in there if you have a sweet tooth.
• Dates and walnuts are an incredibly nutritious combination for sustained mental energy.
• Biltong – the leaner the better. I always advise ostrich or venison.
• Soy products are brilliant complete proteins – my favourite easy one in winter is a cup of miso soup because it’s fermented soy.
• Any protein leftovers like chicken strips, lentil soup, chickpea salad etc etc. In fact I always cook a little extra on purpose to ensure I have enough for a quick an easy snack or lunch the next day.
• Protein supplements are a great way to up your intake easily – a scoop of spirulina or raw cacoa powder in a smoothie makes them much more satisfying to the body.
• Try a protein shake just check the calorie intake if you’re not planning to build body mass.
Lots of ideas there to make your snack time into a little moment pleasure that leaves you feeling satisfied instead of guilty. Here’s to enjoying a few healthy peseltjies throughout the day that actually add to your nutrition goals whether they be weight loss, anti-inflammatory or healthier, happier kids.