Natural pregnancy: Connecting with nature

Today we have a guest post by Katie of 'Moore from Katie' She is an active blogger and dicusses the topics of motherhood, children,fitness, health and all other things 'mommy'. She enjoys writing,blogging and meeting new people. You can contact her via her blog Moore from Katie or her twitter id @moorekm26.

Katie speaks about a very relavant topic-  How to go through your pregnancy as naturally as possible.
Over to Katie

Natural Pregnancy: Connecting with Nature

 

I have always been an adventurous person, and as newlyweds my husband and I would take weekend trips to the country to hike and explore new state parks and attractions. I loved being outside, and I loved the together time it afforded us. Both of us had hectic work schedules, so this was something we could only do on weekends or holidays. I never ventured out by myself because I always figured I would be bored.

Once I was pregnant with my first child (and home from work on maternity leave), I truly was bored. I took an extended maternity leave so I could focus on having a healthy pregnancy and take time to enjoy carrying my child, but more than often I felt bored, restless, and lonely. I would sit and read pregnancy books, watch television, and wait for my husband to get home. Being pregnant and alone wasn’t what I thought it would be.

One day my husband suggested I go take a walk on one of our favorite trails at the state park while he was at work. At first I dismissed the idea because I thought it would make me further isolated, but I also wanted my baby to get some fresh air! I had been staying active by doing  prenatal exercise video routines, but they felt stuffy and strange.

Once I was on the trail, I felt a peace I hadn’t since I found out I was pregnant. I felt connected with nature, motherhood, and myself. I liked that everything was quiet, and I could hear the sounds of my walking and feel my baby kicking. For the first time, I enjoyed the fact that I was pregnant.

For expecting moms, I would recommend getting outside just once a week. You can use the time to think about how your pregnancy is going, the state of different relationships, what you think being a mom will really be like. There are many decisions that must be made as a new mom; what brand of diapers, deciding on  cord blood banking, when to return to work and so much more.   You can even talk directly to your baby – it wasn’t for me (I tried), but I know it’s helpful for a lot of people.

You don’t have to try anything out of the ordinary. A simple walk through a prairie or park will remind you why you wanted to bring a life into the world in the first place. It definitely was a much more uplifting way for me to stay healthy than watching videos in my living room.

Incorporating natural exercise into your life is also cost-effective. The gym memberships, products, and exercise kits are great for some people, but I moved more when I got out the door. The Centers for Diseases control and Prevention advise that low- to moderate-intensity exercise while pregnant is important for keeping your lungs and heart healthy, so it is important to find something you enjoy doing.

I’m glad I tried more naturalistic exercise during my pregnancy because it helped me prepare emotionally for motherhood, and it helped me enjoy my own company. I still try to go for walks alone, although now that my daughter is born, I’m normally pushing the stroller.

To ride a rainbow- my entry for the get published contest.

          

        

        Story idea

 

      This is the story of Mira, whose life revolves around her obsession to be the ‘perfect wife’. Having lost her mother at a very young age, and being brought up by her disciplinarian father, Mira longs to feel loved and cherished. Her husband of 10 years, Venu, is a chartered accountant who lives in his own world of profits and losses. Does he love Mira? One can only safely come to the conclusion that if he does not love her, he doesn’t hate her either. For Venu, Mira is someone who is there to take care of the minor essentials of everyday living; so that he can continue to exist peacefully in his magical world of numbers . The fact that the couples are childless doesn’t help matters and they continue to live their separate lives under the same roof.

 

        She spends each day in a frenzy of activities to live up to her self constructed image of the ‘prefect wife’. This she hopes will make her worthy of being loved with desperation and frustration mounting and nobody to talk to; Mira begins to sink into a deep depression, which sways dangerously into suicidal tendencies. Then out of the blue, Venu and Mira are invited by a university friend whom they have not seen in 10 years, to spend a weekend at their house in Bangalore. Not able to refuse, the couple ends up taking that trip without the slightest clue that their lives would never be the same again. A series of events which takes place over the two days changes the equation between Mira and Vasu, some thing that 10 years of life together failed to do. Will Venu be able to love Mira the way she so desperately wants him to? Or does life have more surprises in store for her?

 

 

       What makes it real

 

       This story is about a woman who has spent most of her life waiting to be loved. This story has been inspired by the narrator's observations of real life people. It is about how the greatest of love stories can start with the simple act of loving oneself first. Love need not always be a fairy tale romance, it can be that little bit of magic within ourselves that makes us happy.

 

        Excerpt:

 

        Mira let out sigh. This was her favorite part of the day. With her husband at work, and the maid sent out for grocery shopping, she had the whole house to herself. She let herself into the kitchen. Every time she entered her kitchen, she felt a sense of pleasure. It was warm and comforting, designed like a farmhouse kitchen; no cold steel and metal kitchen for her. As if there wasn’t enough coldness in her life already she thought wryly, as she put the kettle on to make herself a big mug of cardamom tea. The olive green pods wrinkled and purged, waiting to be discarded, just like moth scented dreams from a faraway time.

      

 

 

      This is my entry for the HarperCollins-IndiBlogger Get Publishedcontest, which is being run with inputs from Yashodhara Lal and HarperCollinsIndia

       If you like this story idea, please like it at  http://www.indiblogger.in/getpublished/idea/440 by clicking on the red heart
         Each vote makes a difference. 

 

 

Protecting Your Children From Type 2 Diabetes

 When I received a mail from Carolyn Fallon (of http://fullonfit.blogspot.com/) about the alarming rise in type 2 diabetes among children, and the need to spread awareness about it ,I must admit that I was totally ignorant about this condition; but after a few hours of research later, I realized that she was indeed speaking about a very relevant issue, which most of us as parents are unaware of and would be potentially dangerous if left untreated . So today we have a guest post from Carolyn on this issue. 

Protecting Your Children From Type 2 Diabetes

November was American Diabetes Month -- and normally it wouldn’t have affected me in a personal way, but this year was much different. One of my little cousins was recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, which has changed many of our lifestyles drastically. According to the Centers for Disease Control, health care providers are finding more and more children with Type 2 Diabetes, a disease usually diagnosed in adults aged 40 years or older.

 

As if the diagnosis of diabetes alone wasn’t scary enough, the repercussions of what could come later down the road are even worse. According to St. Joseph's Hospital Cardiac Center, if left untreated, diabetes can eventually cause further serious complications later in life, such as eye problems or blindness, heart disease, amputation and more. Due to this scary finding, plus the fact that a healthy diet and regular physical activity are the two biggest factors in preventing Type 2 Diabetes, I got to work right away with all of my cousins, helping lead them to healthier overall lifestyles.

 

Healthy Diet
Proper nutrition is essential in the prevention of Type 2 Diabetes. The best way to ensure that your kids are getting the best nutrition is to make sure that they are getting plenty of fruit and vegetables. Ideally, half of their plate should be vegetables - preferably raw or steamed.

About one fourth of the plate should be lean meats (like turkey, poultry or fish), and the remaining quarter should be high quality whole grains.

 

Fast food consumption should be rare if ever. Sugary snacks, sodas, fried foods and snacks with refined flour as the first or second ingredient should also be avoided. If this type of diet is very different than what your kids are used to, make small changes weekly to ease them into a healthier lifestyle. Big changes all at once will feel like punishment.

 

 Let your kids be a part of meal planning, look through recipe books or search the Internet for healthy ways to serve vegetables and fruit. Kids love to help in the kitchen and will be more likely to try healthy foods if they do not feel forced and if they are allowed to participate. Talk openly with older children about your own struggles with healthy choices and demonstrate a good attitude towards reaching your goals.

 

Getting Active

Increasing exercise and physical activity will  significantly reduce the likelihood of developing Type 2 Diabetes. There are many fun ways to get active. Group sports may be intimidating to some kids, but they may enjoy activities such as yoga, dance, swimming or karate. Don't limit exercise to something that you only do at the gym, but incorporate exercise into all parts of life. Park far away from the store, take the stairs, plan family outings that include lots of walking or get a puppy. Let your kids make suggestions on how to be more active and join them to set a positive example.

Carolyn is a 20-something year old with a passion for life, fitness and overall well-being. She is an avid cycler, golfer and has been known to bust some serious moves on the dance floor. Check out Carolyn’s blog at http://fullonfit.blogspot.com/!