My Pregnancy Blog: A Healthy Attempt at the First Trimester

If you read my previous First Trimester blog, then I don’t need to tell you again about how “not-so-pleasant” I felt during the first trimester of this first pregnancy. If you haven’t read any of the other blogs in this series, DO IT because I’m not going to re-hash it. That being said, as an Integrative Health Coach and well, a person that just likes to feel as though I’m nurturing my body, I tried to stay mindful of my feet, fork, and fingers. In other words, I still tried to eat as healthy as possible and move as much as I was physically able to. The latter was a heck of a lot easier than the former. Movement tended to make me feel better; most “healthy” food made me want to gouge my eyes out with a spoon. So let’s just say there was A LOT of trial and error involved in figuring out what worked, and what was a complete disaster. Clearly, I already have a picky eater brewing inside me. I read and watched  so many blogs and vlogs about “foods to eat for a healthy first trimester,”  hoping that I would find the magic plan. Silly Christina.

Fork and Fingers

In my panic to try and alleviate my food aversions and nausea so I could return to my pre-preg eating style,  I forgot about  one of the core concepts of my wellness coaching and nutrition practice: bio-individuality. What works well for one person, does not necessarily work well for another person. On TOP of that, what may have worked well during one period of my life, won’t necessarily be the answer during another period. Duh. You mean my body is changing during pregnancy?! Shut. Up.

After this realization, I started applying some of my coaching principles to my own life.  I really started paying attention to my body and recognizing cues. For example, I felt my best earlier in the day, so this is when I’d really focus on making my healthiest choices. Again, this is what worked from me. And coffee. Always coffee. Yes, I still had my fair share of saltines, oyster crackers, and graham crackers (a very odd, but satisfying craving). No, my diet was not “picture perfect.” But that’s ok…I gave myself a free pass, while still working in some healthy staples.

Healthy staples that worked for me:

• Fruit: I actually craved fruit, which honestly, isn’t something I normally incorporate. Pineapple, grapes, apples, melons, berries…all of the above. Funny enough, I used to have a really bad allergy to apples. I tested out a Golden Delicious one day, and no reaction! Not sure if it’s pregnancy, the type of apple, or just a change in body chemistry…but this was a pleasant surprise.
• Whole grain bread: Admittedly, I’m a bread snob. Perhaps it was the five years I spent working at a bread bakery in high school/early college, but I take bread VERY seriously. If you have a farmers market or local bakery in your area, I highly recommend testing out the bread there. I know it can cost a little more, but honestly, it’s totally worth it. We’re lucky enough to have a few farmers market vendors that offer some pretty healthy, whole grain bread options. If you’re local to Baltimore, one of our favorite Farmers Markets is the Fells Point Farmers Market. It’s not huge, but it still has some great options and is less overwhelming than some of it’s larger counterparts.
• Oatmeal: I have an on-again, off-again relationship with oatmeal. I go on a kick where I HAVE to have it every morning. And then I get sick of it. We were back on during the first trimester. Pro-Tip: To get some protein and/or healthy fats in try stirring a scoop of protein powder or a tablespoon of nut butter into the oats.
• Rice Cakes: I usually get the Quaker “Lightly Salted” rice cakes and add some Almond Butter or PB2 for a quick pre-workout snack.
• Water w/ lemon or lime: Duh. Water is ALWAYS important, but it’s even more important whilst growing a human. I aim to get in a gallon a day, give or take, depending on my activity levels. I love my YETI because it keeps my water nice and cold throughout the day. It’s clutch when I’m going on a long walk or I’ll be outside for an extended period of time.
• Veggies I could tolerate: Leafy greens like spinach, kale, butter lettuce/mixed greens, peas (which I actually hated pre-pregnancy), carrots, cukes, and, surprisingly, cauliflower still worked well for me. I made some pretty bangin’ buffalo cauliflower bites using a little bit of Earth Balance vegan butter, Franks (obviously), a little garlic powder and a dash of sea salt. Yum!
• Occasional lean red meat and fish: Chicken was tough. I made a stellar pork loin and could barely eat it. The all-natural chicken sausages that were part of Matt and my weekly menu were anything but appetizing. So, we had to explore a little. One thing I seemed to tolerate pretty well was lean ground beef. Perhaps it was my body asking for more iron? Who knows…for a healthier burger recipe, keep reading!
• RX Bars: In a pinch, these bars are great. You get some carbs, fats, and protein all in one bar and the ingredients are on. Point. I found these especially helpful when I didn’t have time to prepare a breakfast or knew my day would be crazy w/ little time to sit down and eat.

Feet

Then there was the whole “activity” thing. Prior to preggo-status, my workouts consisted of a combination of lifting and cardio workouts. As I progressed through the first trimester, it was more cardio based, mainly because I didn’t have the energy or the time to sustain both. I still incorporated hand weights and body weight exercises a few times a week, but not to the level I was pre-pregnancy. Also, I was sporadic. Instead of following a specific plan, I kind of rolled with whatever felt good that day and it was CLUTCH. I didn’t feel the pressure of HAVING to do a specific workout.

All of my workouts were home-based. I work out in the morning and, despite feeling my best in the morning, I still didn’t have the same…enthusiasm rising from bed as I did pre-pregnancy. So, actually going to the gym just wasn’t going to work. Here are a few things I did:

• Walking: It’s effective, enjoyable, and free. Sign me up!  I did a LOT of walking to keep the blood flowing not only in the morning, but throughout the day. I already have specific routes around the city that I know and I try to mix up the terrain to incorporate hills. If I was feeling extra enthusiastic, I’d incorporate sprints.  Keep in mind, if I’m purposefully walking as part of my exercise routine, I keep a pretty fast pace. I have certain step goals that I track on my bella beat and seek to accomplish those in a certain # of minutes. That works for me. Do what works for you.
• Beachbody on Demand Workouts: I took a hiatus from Beachbody programs for a while because I was spending a lot more time at the gym. However, it’s a lot easier to roll out of bed and turn on the television than haul butt to the gym, especially when motivation levels aren’t quite at a ten. A few of the workout programs I did: 21 Day Fix, Country Heat, and their Prenatal workout series. Side note: I am NOT a Beachbody coach, but if you are interested in trying it out let me know and I can connect you with someone who is. It’s cheaper to sign up through a coach and you get the support of someone that knows the programs inside and out.
• Tone It Up and other YouTube Channels: I dabbled in a few other workout programs outside Beachbody,  just to test them out. If you go on YouTube, there are a wide range of free workouts, some even focusing on prenatal fitness. I really like some of the strength and barre workouts from ToneItUp. They are a nice addition to my cardio workouts. I’m considering exploring more of the TIU workouts, especially since one of their co-founders is also preggers now, so if you’re a TIU gal (or guy), let me know what you think!
• Activity Tracker: I LOVE having an activity tracker. It motivates me when I’m wavering between going for a walk or walking to the couch. There has been some press lately on activity trackers causing people to become “obsessive,” and extreme. Personally, in a world where many of us hold sedentary jobs, I find that more good than bad can come from these babies (no pun intended?); . My activity tracker also tracks my sleep, which is clutch for this part-time insomniac. I really like the Bellabeat leaf. It’s a great, every day activity tracker and it’s super cute…aka, it doesn’t LOOK like an activity tracker. They also email you a weekly report with your stats! I will say, if you’re really into tracking your heart rate, the Bellabeat does not to do that. But for the beginner or the person just looking to utilize an activity tracker to ensure consistent activity levels, I personally recommend the Bellabeat.

Disclaimer: Always check with your doctor or midwife before starting a new exercise routine while pregnant. I was told to maintain, at most, the same level of activity, but not push myself into anything new or ultra-challenging. Also, I listened to my body. If I was feeling exhausted, I didn’t push it. I probably would have had a terrible workout anyway and it was a signal from my body that building a human was enough at the moment. Every person and every pregnancy is different.  Some women really shouldn’t exercise at all, for medical reasons. Other women, like my superwoman sister in law, run marathons. The most important thing is that you’re staying healthy for you and your baby.

Super-Simple, Healthy Hammy

As promised,  below is the burger recipe that Matt and I use. We usually cut up a few potatoes into fry-shape, drizzle with a little EVOO,  and bake them in the oven w/ a little salt and pepper as a healthy rendition of fries.

Ingredients

1 pound of lean ground beef (we use 93/7 or 94/6)

1 large egg (or three egg whites…but I’d recommend just going with the egg)

1/2 cup minced onion

1/4 cup fine dried bread crumbs (you can probably sub in GF Oats for a gluten free option)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (if you don’t know how to say this properly, don’t say it at all.)

1 or 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (I always recommend fresh garlic, but you can also buy pre- minced garlic or sub in some garlic powder)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Optional Add ons:

1/4 Avocado

Fresh Salsa

Stubbs BBQ Sauce (I highly recommend this BBQ sauce. It uses all natural ingredients, and has only 4 grams of sugar/serving which is SUPER low for BBQ sauce).

Sauteed Onions

Directions

In a bowl, mix ground beef, egg, onion, bread crumbs, Worcestershire, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until well blended.

Divide mixture into four equal portions (or for smaller burgers, you can get away with six)  and shape each into a patty about 4 inches wide.

Annnd grill. We use the Foreman because it’s quick, simple, and fast. Plus, we’re sans grill at the moment and probably won’t purchase one until we move into the new digs. You can definitely use your outdoor grill or bake in the oven. The world is your oyster.

Add whatever topping you’d like. For some faves of mine, check out “optional add-ons” above.

Until next time,

– Xtina