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Breakfast Ideas for the Time Challenged
The other day one of my most entertaining friends sent me a photo of her breakfast. Yes, kind of a weird thing to text to someone first thing in the morning but considering my profession it made sense. Here is her masterpiece:
While looking at the above photo, I – in my crabby and unshowered state – stood in the middle of my not-clean house and realized that while Mr. Milk had already had about 2 gallons of breakfast I had broken my own rule of eating something containing protein and/or fat (yes, even if it’s just a piece of cheese or a handful of olives hastily grabbed out of the fridge with one arm while holding a small, drooling human with the other) within an hour of waking to get your metabolism going for the day. Rather than remedy this by eating something healthy immediately, I decided to reply to her text with the following snarkily-composed photo of what I was eating for breakfast .
Don’t ask me why those items were in my house to begin with (and I promise I didn’t actually eat, drink, or smoke them for breakfast), but all joking aside I am sure that at one point in most of our lives we’ve sacrificed a healthy breakfast in the name of not having time. So, here is my quick list of quick breakfast ideas! Please feel free to expand on this list with your favorites by posting them in the comments section. Alternatively, please also feel free to post the most nutritionally devoid breakfast you ever ate because that makes for entertaining reading for me 
Quick ideas that take 5 minutes or less to prepare:
- Hard boiled eggs, peeled the night before
- Smoked salmon and cream cheese (or butter) on a thin slice of bagel or a piece of sprouted or gluten-free toast
- Smoothie made with coconut milk or whole milk organic yogurt, coconut oil, frozen berries, and some banana, mango, pineapple or papaya for added enzymes
- Whole milk organic cottage cheese with fruit that was prepared the night before (see my friend’s photo for artistic placement of fruit)
- Fried egg sandwich on sprouted or gluten-free toast (melt butter in a pan, put toast in toaster, crack eggs into pan, put lid on pan, run around house looking for car keys and by the time you find them the eggs and toast will be done)
- Fried eggs (prepared as above) with sliced tomato (grain-free alternative but not friendly to eat in the car)
- Soaked oatmeal with assorted raw nuts and seeds and a little honey (soak rolled oats overnight in water in the pan you will use for cooking, in the morning drain this water and add new; soaked oats cook as quickly as “quick oats” and are much easier to digest which makes them a better choice if you like to include some grain in your diet)
- Warm soup in a thermos (this was one of my favorite breakfasts on cold winter days in Iowa…haven’t yet tried it here in Hawaii)
- Handful of raw nuts
And my baby’s awake from his nap…so the list stops here! Don’t forget to add your favorites to the comments section so others (including me!) can benefit from what you’ve figured out.
July 19, 2010 9 Comments
Feeding Mr. Milk…nursing tips for new moms
This weekend will be my first mother’s day! As I revel in my new role as a full-time milk cow my thoughts turn to all the other new moms out there who are also learning how to be the provider of love, warmth, shelter, adoration, and of course…milk, to their wee bundles of joy. Here are a few things I have learned that I hope can help you also. Feel free to post more info that you may have learned in the comments section – we milk cows have to help each other out!
- If you find that your milk production is low, make sure you’re eating enough healthy fat (I recommend the Weston Price diet for pregnant and nursing moms) and drinking enough water. Some women have to double their water intake from what they were drinking before nursing just to keep up with milk production!
- If you will be separated from your baby for an extended period of time (going back to work, medical reasons, etc.) use milk producing herbs such as fenugreek to keep milk supply up. I recommend 2-3 cups daily of Traditional Medicinals Mother’s Milk Tea
which can be purchased at most health food stores. If tea doesn’t work for you, you can usually buy some form of herbal tincture that is indicated for breast milk production and use that in water or juice (just follow package instructions for dosing).
- Pumping may be useful also if you really want to get milk production going so you can freeze extra milk for later during those times that you have a sitter or are going to be at work. In my case, I don’t have too much extra to pump since Mr. Milk wants milk on the hour every hour until he finally passes out into a 4-hour milk induced coma by early afternoon. However, it is really nice to know that I have 2 bottles of breastmilk in the freezer that I pumped a couple weeks ago and stored for the occasion when I need a break from being on call for milk duty.
- If you decide to pump, please, for the love of milk, make sure that the nipple flange on your pump is the correct size for you. Most pumps come with a 25 mm flange that works for most people, but those of us with larger milkshakes may need to bump up to the 27 mm flange
size. And no, you don’t have to have National Geographic nipples to need a larger flange size. If you experience any pain or discomfort while pumping that is not alleviated by rubbing a little bit of coconut or jojoba oil on the flange to allow for lubrication, you may need the larger flange size. They’re around $15 and can be purchased at Target or online and are WELL worth the investment if you need them. Your nipples will thank you.
- If you find that your baby has trouble latching on and this is not relieved by working with a lactation consultant, you may want to consider having your baby’s head, neck, and spinal alignment evaluated by a chiropractor or an osteopathic physician. In fact, even if your baby doesn’t have trouble latching on this would be a good idea as the birthing process is pretty intense for you and for baby! For the first couple of months after my son was born I was producing way more milk on my right side than my left. I had heard this was normal and figured it was okay, except for the inconvenient thought of having to wear two different bra sizes if things didn’t normalize. My son’s head was perfectly round after birth due to a relatively easy labor and his small size so I didn’t think his nursing would be at all affected by spinal alignment. However, when I took my son into our chiropractor for his first evaluation at about 8 weeks of age, he had a little bit of misalignment in his neck that may have made it harder for him to nurse on the left side. The doctor gently manipulated it out – no cracks or pops (photo of my ridiculous smiling boy getting his first adjustment below). That evening after nursing a few times during the afternoon, I noticed that I was completely even! And I’ve stayed that way.
- Once your baby is accustomed to latching on, I highly recommend trying the side lying position for nursing. It is great for middle of the night feedings if your baby is near you and can be easily brought into your bed to nurse. This helps make up for the lack of sleep! It’s also nice for mid-day feedings just to give both of you some time to lie down and rest together.
That’s it for now. As I said before, moms everywhere should feel free to post advice in the comments section to keep others from having to learn what they learned the hard way! Also, please include Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding
Happy mooooooooooooooooo-ther’s day!
May 7, 2010 3 Comments
Nutrition for Pregnancy: 27 weeks
I’ve decided to start a new series on my blog having to do with the nutrients needed for pregnancy as a baby develops week by week. If that is a snoozefest for some of you readers, please know that I will continue to post the same random health information you have come to know and love on this blog in addition to the pregnancy series! And I won’t let it go 2 months between posts like I did for the past 2 months (I have so many good excuses though, maybe I can do a blog devoted solely to excuses in the future).
My inspiration for this idea is for one of my good friends who is entering her 27th week of pregnancy this week. It is very special to me that she and I are pregnant at the same time since we’ve been friends since we were teenagers and at one point we were even roommates. Maybe I can somehow work our fond memories into this blog, such as the times that we were both unemployed and would lay on the couch watching such classics as This Is Spinal Tap over and over. I really credit my success in life to what I learned in those days. This may be dedicated to her, but I’m sure she’s not the only woman out there who will ever be 27 weeks pregnant and looking for nutrition info on the internet, so here goes!
At 27 weeks, your baby weighs a little under 2 pounds and is about 14 1/2″ long. Around this time (usually right at week 27) your baby’s eyelids open for the first time! During this time, his retinas – the light sensitive portions of his eyes- mature in preparation for him to be able to see all of the amazing baby Einstein toys that you got for him at your baby shower (okay maybe there are more important things to see than that, but either way his eyes are maturing). Even in the womb, he may be able to see the difference between light and dark if you have light shining right on your belly (which I tend to have since I live in beautiful Hawaii and swim around in a bikini while many of you readers are living in the frozen tundra that is the mainland – ha!). During this week, make it a point to eat foods that will nourish your baby’s eye tissue – namely foods containing DHA and Vitamin A.
DHA stands for Docosahexaenoic Acid and is a fatty acid that makes up 30% of the fatty acids found in the retina (and the brain and in sperm, but we won’t worry about your grandkids right now – we’ll just focus on the bun already in the oven). It can be found in several foods including fatty fish and egg yolks. For vegans or others who can’t eat fish or eggs, blue-green algae is a good source of DHA. Cod liver oil is an incredibly rich source of DHA that can also be incorporated into your diet as a super food. If you can’t handle the taste of cod liver oil on a spoon, try taking it in capsules. A teaspoon or 2-4 capsules of cod liver oil daily is usually what is recommended during pregnancy.
Vitamin A is extremely important for eye health and a deficiency in Vitamin A has been strongly linked to poor eyesight and impaired night vision. Vitamin A is an integral player in the process of seeing, as it is part of the chain of events that happens between light hitting the retina and the brain registering and interpreting that image. Vitamin A can be found in its active form in egg yolks and butter (especially from grassfed cows). It is also present in large amounts in cod liver oil. Vitamin A can be found in another form – Beta Carotene – in orange and yellow vegetables such as pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and carrots. This form requires some conversion by the body before it is active, but it’s still very important. Beta Carotene is a fatty nutrient, so eating healthy fat such as butter or olive oil with vegetables containing Beta Carotene helps to increase absorption. Enjoy!
NOTE: This blog is not meant to replace the advice of a qualified healthcare practitioner.
(c) 2009 Jessica Forbes, MS CCN. All rights reserved.
December 7, 2009 2 Comments
Winning the Epic Battle Against Stretch Marks
Tomorrow is my birthday! I will be 29 years old and on that magical day I will also be exactly 6 months pregnant, which puts me into my third trimester (though I’m still confused as to how 40 weeks splits evenly into 3 trimesters, someone please enlighten me). For my birthday I decided (among several other more thoughtful and less superficial birthday wishes) that I want a pregnancy with no stretch marks. Which of course makes it hard for buying me a gift, but I’ve been doing research that hopefully will help more of you than just the “smug pregnant women” who may be reading this blog.
- Proper stretching and healing of skin is dependent on zinc. This is part of the reason that teens are so prone to stretch marks. Yes, they are growing really fast but they are also in a time of hormonal change, stress, and a tendency to eat more sugar and generally less nutritious food overall (at least when Mom is not looking) – all of which contribute to loss of zinc. Pregnancy is also a time of loss of zinc because that little parasite growing in your womb is taking it! In fact, over 80% of pregnant women worldwide are estimated to have inadequate zinc levels. Modern day low-fat and low-meat diets have greatly contributed to loss of zinc from the general population. To learn more about zinc and see a list of zinc rich foods, visit the Linus Pauling Micronutrient Information Center. If you are too lazy to do that, then I’ll just tell you that to get zinc in your diet, eat oysters, beef, and dark meat poultry. Vegetarians can include milk, almonds and spirulina but may want to think seriously about adding a zinc supplement or at least a multi that is rich in zinc (15 mg or more daily).
- Stretch marks can be prevented and reversed with topical zinc preparations. Most expensive creams and lotions intended for stretch mark and scar reversal usually contain zinc oxide as one of their active ingredients. Here is the beautiful thing I discovered last week at the drug store – Extra Strength Desitin, the diaper rash ointment, contains 40% zinc oxide! And it’s only like $6 for a tube. Needless to say, I bought a tube of it and have started using it on my belly to make sure the skin that is somehow going to stretch to unbelievable lengths will have enough zinc to do so. I haven’t gone super overboard on this, as the cream contains some preservatives that I’m not too excited about (namely BHT, which is also a food preservative so it can’t be TOO horrible) but half a teaspoon or less is plenty to get a good coat on. And the cream smells okay to me, but for my poor husband it just brings back memories of changing his little brothers’ diapers. Maybe not what you want to be associated with when you’re climbing into bed for the evening!
- Hydrated skin stretches more easily than dehydrated skin. I realize I am beginning to sound like Johnny One Note with my desire to make sure people are hydrated so I will just leave this bullet point at that. Hydrated skin stretches and is less likely to tear. So drink water.
- Coconut oil prevents stretch marks and helps fade existing stretch marks. I know – you are in shock and awe that I have worked coconut oil into this blog. But it’s true! I couldn’t find an actual study on coconut oil and stretch marks, but living here in Hawaii I have heard tons of anecdotal evidence from women of all shapes and sizes saying that coconut oil applied daily after showering prevented stretch marks. Also, several women had stretch marks from previous pregnancies and they noticed that these marks faded after using coconut oil. One reason coconut oil works better than other oils is that it is able to penetrate the skin to moisturize deeper layers of skin and prevent scar formation. Jojoba oil also has this property, but I prefer coconut oil personally because it is so heat stable (in other words, it can sit in my hot bathroom for months and I don’t have to wonder if it’s gone rancid) and it is less expensive per ounce than jojoba.
September 23, 2009 6 Comments
3 Ways to Boost Fertility
In a little over a week I will officially be 6 months pregnant with a healthy baby boy. As this pregnancy was a completely happy surprise in the middle of a busy move from Iowa to Hawaii, I sometimes feel like the theme song of this chapter of my life is the Talking Heads song “
September 14, 2009 3 Comments
Have you ever popped champagne on a plane?
Last week my husband and I relocated from Kalona, Iowa to Honolulu, Hawaii. And oh yes, we brought the fetus too – couldn’t leave that little creature behind! We flew first class, which was wonderful, but I unfortunately did not get to enjoy the free champagne on this trip while in my current condition – although I did have the Kanye song stuck in my head for most of the flight.
- Bring along a full water storage container – I like the Sigg Traveler Classic Water Bottle (1.0-Liters)
which is coated aluminum (not ideal, but I like the lid better than the current stainless steel bottles and it should not leach aluminum unless you’re pouring hot liquids into it or storing acidic liquids for long periods of time). However, if you prefer not to have any possible exposure to aluminum, try Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottles
which also come in a nice container for kids sold as the Kolor Klean Kanteen Sippy Cup.
- Drink this entire container on the way to the airport and right up until you enter the security line. Make sure the container is empty when you get into line or you’ll have to go dump it out somewhere and lose your place in line!
- Refill this container at a water fountain by your departing gate. I personally tend to drink filtered water when I have control of the situation (either using a reverse osmosis filter at home or a
Brita 42629 Slim Pitcher
at the office) but I would rather drink tap water at the airport since bottled water is only subject to the same standards as tap water, and in many cases you’re just paying $5 for tap water that has been bottled in plastic which is probably worse than plain old tap water! The only exceptions to this rule are when you are in an airport in a city that has problems with tap water (you can search this out on the internet to see what current recommendations are in your city) or when you are buying bottled water from a brand that you know and trust and you don’t mind paying lots of money to stay hydrated.
- Drink this bottle of water on this leg of your flight. If you don’t like the taste of tap water (like me) bring along a ziplock baggie of lemon or lime wedges or a few sprigs of mint or another herb to mask the flavor. If you are particulary prone to travel dehydration (manifesting as severe headaches, air sickness, or extreme inability to adjust to time changes) bring a little bit of Celtic salt in a baggie and put a pinch or two into each bottle of water to supply electrolytes.
- Repeat the above process for every leg of your flight, including arrival at your destination. Drink that last bottle of water on your way home from the airport.
July 28, 2009 1 Comment