Friday 26 September 2014

HOW TO KILL THAT STUBBORN BABY BULGE!

You may have recently just given birth and after the excitement of your newborn has fizzled out you realise a bulge on your once flat tummy, or you had a child long ago and have lost the baby weight but the stubborn baby bulge just won't go. Research says that a baby bulge is caused by a Diastasis, a separation of the Rectus abdominis (the outermost abdominal muscle that occurs during pregnancy). Some women find it easy to get rid of it and some don't. If you're one of the latter, try these below to get your sexy back!

1. Wear a belly band or a stretchy piece of fabric that wraps your abdomen immediately after a natural birth, the more time you delay wearing it the more difficult it will get to get rid of your bulge. For C-section mommies immediately when you heal or your doctor gives you the green light waste no time. This not only flattens your tummy but supports your back too, which is also important since it spent months carrying a lot of extra weight. The tighter the better!

2. Drink water. Water helps to rev up your metabolism and flush toxins which may be harmful to your body and hinder weight loss. Dehydration has been proven to slow down metabolism, so for the exercising mommies be sure to always be hydrated during exercise. Water also makes you feel full, so if you find yourself 'hungry' at odd times of the day grab a glass of water instead of food. If your feelings of hunger go away you've just saved yourself calories by not eating food your body didn't really need, if you are still hungry that glass of water will prohibit you from overeating. So its a win-win!

3. Increase your intake of protein at each meal, even breakfast. Protein improves your body's ability to burn fat, especially around the stomach. High protein foods include eggs, beans, lean meats like chicken and fish, etc.



4. Drink hot lemon water every morning. Lemon has many amazing benefits. I say it has magic properties. It contains Vitamin C and Potassium. The Vitamin C not only boosts your immune system but it also helps your body set off a series of chemical reactions that break down body fat for use as energy. The Potassium helps purify blood and good blood flow helps with the flushing out of toxins which may hinder weight loss. Lemons also contain fibre which helps with digestion and fight hunger cravings.



5. Have snacks in between meals. For best results take high fibre snacks or fruits, for example prunes and apples. Fibre makes you feel full as well, so you're less likely to over eat.

6.Sleep well. Research has found that if you are sleep-deprived, meaning that you are not getting enough minutes of good quality sleep, your body does not function properly, including your metabolism. It is very important that your metabolism functions well because it is a fat burning process. Sleep deprivation is inevitable when you're a new mom, but babies spend more hours asleep than awake, so take advantage of this by catching up on lost sleep when baby naps during the day. Sleep also fights off fatigue and reduces cortisol levels in your body, this stress hormone causes your body to retain more abdominal fat. Meditating also helps bring this stress hormone down, so find your favourite Yoga position and mediate for about 10-15 minutes to de-stress.



7.Jog or take a walk. If you're not a gym fanatic don't worry, jogging and walking is effective too. You can actually feel your baby bulge bounce up and down when you walk or jog. New mommies can take walks pushing a stroller, it actually requires strength to push that thing, so yes it burns some fat!

8. Side plank. This exercise targets your abdominal muscles and spine. It also works your "love handles".
Lie on your left side with your legs together and your torso resting on your left forearm, leg and hip on the ground and everything else supported by your arm. While exhaling tighten your abs and lift your entire body off the ground until just your arm and feet are on the ground and the rest of your body forms a straight line. Pause, then inhale and slowly lower yourself back down to starting position.

9. Sit ups. Everyone knows the good old sit ups. The trick here is to not go all the way up as it tires you up quicker. The aim is to work the stomach, so go half way up and start with at least 30 a day ( 3 sets of 10 reps). Double after each week.

10. And finally sex. We all know sex is a fat burning exercise because it sweats you out. So for new mommies once your Doc gives you the green light don't be shy!

Tuesday 9 September 2014

THE CARE OF YOUR BREASTS AFTER BABY

THE CARE OF "MOM BOOBS"


It breaks my heart every time I see a mother wearing a bra that is ill-fitting. Mainly because of the long term effect it will have on her back, but also because I too struggled to find a good bra after I had my son. My breasts had changed and my cleavage was 'different', I now had what is called "Mom boobs". There is absolutely nothing wrong with "Mom boobs", it is part of the beautiful journey of motherhood. Even if you don't bear a child, at some point your breasts will change because of nature taking its course and also due to gravity. After the birth of a child, the size and shape of a woman's breasts change. Also, after breastfeeding they lose some of their lift, this is due to the stretching of the breast ligaments when baby latches on and pulls the nipple. So smile mommy, its completely normal and part of nature. However, it is paramount to give those fabulous lady humps a good lift and support because it hurts your back in the long run.

Besides the fact that an ill-fitting bra makes you look bigger than you actually are and hinders you from doing a lot of your daily activities, it has more implications health-wise. A non-supportive bra causes poor posture and weakens back muscles, which leads to upper back and shoulder pains. When breasts are not supported, the weight tends to draw the shoulders forward, making your back haunch and causing the upper and mid back to strain.
Statistics say 80% of women wear the wrong bra size and/or fit. Below are just some of the tests to see if you fall within this 80%:

  • when you bend over and one of your breasts pops out of your bra or having to hold them when bending over because you know this will happen
  • research says you shouldn't be able to slide more than one finger under the band of a good bra
  • when you slouch when sitting or standing, your breasts aren't well supported and their weight is pulling you downward
  • when you can't do certain activities because they bounce all over the place
  • when you look bigger than you actually are
  • when you constantly have to 'tuck'and 'fix'
Caring for your "Mom boobs" starts as early as as pregnancy. Get a bigger bra to accommodate your now swelled up breasts.
During breastfeeding, a bra that fits is vital and also sleep with a nursing bra on at night as opposed to being bra-less.
Bra cups must not drown in the bottom or spill out the top.
As mentioned, you shouldn't be able to slide more than one finger under the band. It has to be tight (but comfortable). Forget back fat.
Wear a sports bra when you exercise. Exercising causes your breasts to bounce (which causes ligaments to stretch), if you do it often without a good sports bra they will sag further and hurt your back. For the small busted mommies find a sports bra that presses against your chest and for the big busted mommies find one that is wired.
Bad posture exacerbate saggy breasts. So stand up straight and don't sit hunched over. Your chair at the office and in your car should be adjusted at 90 degrees. It looks "uncool" but your back will thank you one day in your 50's or 60's when all your friends are complaining about back ache;)