My Health at the End of My Unassisted Pregnancy

Posted by January Harshe on May 12, 2009

As I have mentioned before, this pregnancy was an unexpected surprise. Simply put, I was not ready.  That is kind of a funny statement to make, because in this life and on our journey God has given us the opportunity to ride out on Earth, things do not always happen when we want them to!  That is the beauty of it all!

When I became pregnant I was in a selfish mode mentally and physically. I was going back to school to live my dream and be a chiropractor and I was still losing weight from my last pregnancy.  I seem to have an issue embracing what is given to me sometimes, whether it be homeschooling my children or a precious new life growing in my womb.  These are blessings of course, but in my limitations as a human, I can forget this.  Reconnecting with God and MY spirit reminds me that I am incredibly blessed!

This all leads me to the roller coaster I have put myself on the last 9 months or so.  I am now 36 weeks pregnant and not in the pristine health I would want.  I have no one to blame but myself of course, but that does not make things better.  I blame myself too much for things!

Two nights ago I was finally relaxing on the couch and noticed how swollen my ankles were.  I have not had swollen ankles in my last three pregnancies, but I do often this time.   As I was thinking about the puffiness of my feet and ankles, I noticed my feet were splotchy as well.  Then that led me up my legs and the wonderful varicose veins I have popping out as well.  All of this along with how tired, weak and impatient I tend to feel about did me in!

I am not supposed to feel this way!  Do not get me wrong.  This pregnancy has been great physically in a lot of ways and overall I feel great. That does not mean I feel at my optimal health though.  I mentioned this on Facebook the other day and someone teased me by saying I should find a good chiropractor!  Well, that is the one thing I do have right!  There are a few more I want to grasp too.

You can not make others change.  Period.  They have to hit the point where staying the same hurts more than changing.  As I sat with my legs reclined the other night, I realized it is hurting more to keep my bad physical and mental habits than it would be to change them! I have been in a very healthy state before and due to a whirlwind of life circumstances (ask my hubby), I lost the importance of taking care of myself.  No more!

I went to Whole Foods and Sprouts yesterday.  Oh the joy! I restocked on my New Chapter PreNatal vitamins. I also bought a good Magnesium Supplement via the advice of my friend Henny.  It may help with my weakness and mood.  When Brandon and I checked my prenatals, we realized it was very low in Magnesium.  This probably would have helped me months ago! We looked at the probiotics as well and decided to buy a case of  G.T.’s Synergy Kombucha instead because it is full of probiotics among other amazing properties.  The last thing on my list was Cod Liver oil.  We used to take this everyday until it started grossing me out.  It is being added back in.

As far as nutrition goes, that is getting a makeover as well.  I added green smoothies back in this week.  Yesterday we stocked up on fresh, vibrant fruits and vegetables and treats such as raw cheese, organic dressings and organic dark chocolate.  I have to say, I love looking at my fridge right now!

Now, I wish I had made myself more of a priority much sooner, but I have to let the thought go at that.  I can not beat myself up over what I should of done, but instead feel good about what I am doing now!

I recently read Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s Eat to Health (I prefer his book Eat to Live) and have read other articles on this same subject.  He was talking about ’super seniors’ or centenarians in other cultures.  They all have the same things in common:

• They consume the majority of calories from fresh produce.
• They have an optimistic outlook on life.
• They maintain a social circle of friends.
• They stay physically active.

I am already taking steps to change the first one.  A plant based diet is what I am embracing. I plan to eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible, make healthy meals and if I want a treat eating something like organic dark chocolate instead of processed ice cream or chocolate chip cookies (although they are yummy).

An optimistic outlook on life.  I think this is the one I need to work on the most.  I have been: beating myself up over everything,  having a hard time making decisions, not thinking or doing good things for myself and stressing too much.  I am now going to focus on doing things that are good for my physical and mental health by making myself more of a priority instead of last in my family.  I am going to focus on my good qualities.  I am going to have Faith in the Lord that things will work out instead of stressing and worrying too much (I have actually been doing this already and it is awesome!).

I have been making some good friends that are healthy friendships.  Women who love and support me for who I am even if we do not agree on everything.  I used to choose friends who were self destructive and judgmental.  How is that going to be a positive thing in my life?  It’s actually detrimental for me!  Also, the most important person to have a healthy relationship is my husband.  We have been making us a priority and it has been great.

With the other changes I am making, I know I will have the energy to be more active once again.  I used to walk miles a day and now I have been sedentary!  The nutrition and physical activity obviously go hand in hand!

I did not post for almost 2 weeks and now I cannot stop writing! There is a lot to ponder when a mama is pregnant and getting ready to birth a baby, but I think even more so when she is taking all the responsibility by enjoying an unassisted pregnancy and preparing for an unassisted birth. I am enjoying the changes I am already making and looking forward to the better physical and mental well being I will have through these postive changes.

Kombucha

Posted by January Harshe on January 3, 2008

A good friend of mine told me I need to join “KA” or “Kombucha Anonymous”! I love this stuff. I drink G.T.’s Synergy Kombucha because I am too lazy to grow it myself. I like their brand because it is organic, raw and they mix them with a little juice. Some people say it tastes too much like vinegar or wine to them, but I enjoy it very much.

Personally, I have seen some positive effects from drinking it. Before I became pregnant with my daughter, I would have very heavy and crampy menstrual cycles. I would drink 1-2 Synergy Kombuchas and it would lighten them and the pain would subside. It helps me with appetite control and cravings. Also, it has a relaxing effect, which with a 4 and 2 year old and a baby is a miracle. I also drank it during my pregnancy. This was to ensure I was getting enough probiotics and vitamins. (If you are not already drinking it, it can cause detoxing effects, so be cautious when starting while pregnant or nursing). This is also my most mellow baby. Hey, you never know.

Kombucha itself is a microorganism. People mistake it for a mushroom, but it is actually a Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast, also referred to as a SCOBY. It looks like a big pancake. It is usually always prepared with sugar and tea, then fermented. You can get cultures and starter kits to make your own. Then you can continue making it with the mother and baby cultures. There are a ton of sites containing information about where to get starters and how it’s made. As with anything, research it out for yourself and decide what is best for you!

I just want to add some health benefits that people claim they have received from adding Kombucha into their diets. I am not quoting research, but personal experiences.

-relaxation
-clearer mind and sense of wellness
-help heal their cancer
-aids in weight loss
-help with many infections and disease!

Looking on the back of my G.T.’s Synergy Strawberry Komucha, it says it contains 95% organic raw kombucha, 5% strawberry puree, and 100% pure love! It may contain less than 0.5% alcohol due to fermentation. For 1-8 oz serving (2 servings per bottle), it has 25% Folic Acid, 20% Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12. It also has a probiotic content of 1 billion organisms of Lactobatcillus Bacterium and S. Boulardil. Let’s not forget the amino acids and organic acids. 100 mg. L-Theanine, 10 mg. Glucuronic Acid, 25 mg. L(+) Lactic Acid and 30 mg. Usnic Acid.

Here is a great site I found that has more information on the health benefits of Kombucha. OK, all this talk about Kombucha makes me wanna go grab one.

First Day All Raw Foods

Posted by January Harshe on January 2, 2008

I mainly focused on just eating nothing cooked. There are different ways to eat raw. I was recently reading where people eat "mono" meals. Meaning they eat only one food at a time. So they will have a mono meal of bananas. After that’ s digested they may drink water and later have a mono meal of clementines. I think everyone feels different about how to eat their raw food, because everyone reacts differently to the foods they eat. Some combinations of food may make Suzy feel great, but give Harry really bad gas. Poor Harry. So Harry eats mono meals or only fruits together and fats separately.

Right now I just eat what sounds good at the moment. If I get really hungry, I eat a meal with avocados and/or nuts. It is higher in fat and more filling. If I just want a pick me up snack and apple will do. If I want to make a meal with a lot of nutrients, I blend up the green smoothie in my Vitamix. I am a "go with the flow" kind of person. (Just ask my friend Staci, she’ll tell ya!) I just have as much produce available and some raw snack for those cravings. You can check out what a typical grocery list is for me (Totally Raw Grocery List) and even see pictures of what I eat in my kitchen (A Raw Kitchen).

What I Ate:

-A glass of juiced oranges and carrots

-About 1.5 apples cut up

-A bowl of raspberries and blackberries with a little raw agave nectar drizzled on top

-A bowl of sliced in half grape tomatoes and about 1/3 cup sprouted raw pumpkin/sunflower seed mix

-Home made raw guacamole: onion, garlic and tomatoes in Vitamix, then stirred in avocado, lemon juice and sea salt

-Raw Crackers (dipped in guacamole)

-An apple dipped in raw peanut butter

-A green smoothie at the request of my 2 year old: large handful of spinach, banana, orange, lemon, frozen strawberries and distilled water

-G.T.’s Synergy Kombucha

-I drank large glasses of distilled water throughout the day.

I’m not going to lie. I was hungry. I have to find the right balance and combination for me. That’s what the first few days are for. Each time I felt hunger, I just grabbed another snack/small meal. I have read people eating 10 clementines or 10 bananas in one sitting. I have never imagined that possible. I need variety and smaller portions. I can not see myself sitting down to eat 10 of anything! Maybe 2 apples. That’s why smoothies are good for me. I can get a lot of fruit and veggies down at once. Easy, fast and nutritious!

My sweet husband has decided that he is going to eat all raw with me. This was a hard decision for him, just like anyone else. Actually, it’s kind of surprising he found himself in a position where he didn’t want to give up certain foods (cooked). He is usually a damn machine when it comes to eating. He sees food as energy…something we need to survive. He thinks food is like air and water. Do you crave air, do you say, "Man I am craving some sweet air!?" No, you just need it to survive. Same with food. We just need it to survive. Now, me on the other hand, I LOVE food! I don’t care what the man says. Food is pleasurable, enjoyable and lovely. However, it can treat you badly, so you must have your boundaries! I guess eating all raw foods is quite a boundary!

I am looking forward to day 2. So far I have eaten apples! I have a wonderful day ahead of me and it’s filled with delicious live foods. I need it too. The baby had me up ALL night, so I need all the help I can get!