FITMOM Durham's Motivated Mondays

It's Monday Mommy Mavens!

Let's start off the week right with another tip to help keep us motivated and on track with our wellness plan!

So many of us are in a rush to lose those extra pounds immediately after birth.  We want to quickly reclaim our bodies after giving so generously to our precious little ones over the course of the 9 months.  Weight loss, when done right, is best achieved through a healthy diet and exercise.  One without the other will likely keep you from reaching your goals.

Sustaining a nutrient dense diet is as important in the post-partum period as it was during your pregnancy.  For those of you who are also breastfeeding, it is even more essential as your body will take what it needs from your storage to make fabulous breast milk for your baby.  Unfortunately, it means that we are often left depleted!

Ideally we are to eat every 3-4 hours, this will help ensure that our glucose levels don't drop dramatically and will keep our metabolism working hard for us.  Whenever possible we should ensure we are reaching for whole foods and avoid pre-packaged meals and snacks (they are often the biggest enemy to achieving a healthy diet!)  A healthy diet insures adequate intake of:

• a quality protein source (meat, poultry, eggs, beans, nuts/seeds etc)
• healthy fats including DHA (fish including salmon, sardines, mackerel etc, cod liver oil, walnuts, Avocado, peanut butter)
• quality carbohydrates (whole grains, cereals, oats, fruits, vegetables, beans etc)

Also remember that we should be eating at least 6 servings/day of fruits and vegetables (including at least 2 leafy green vegetable sources)

Here is a sample of some great examples of meals/snacks that hit the mark for this weeks challenge

Also, here is another great resource to better understand Good Fats vs Bad Fats.

http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_fats.htm   Reading this will help guide you on your next grocery shop excursion.

Enjoy!