30 Days to a Healthier Pregnancy

To say this pregnancy has been different would be an understatement! And no, I don't think it is JUST because I'm carrying a boy this time instead of a girl. I think my ACTIONS have a LOT to do with it.
.
I feel so much HEALTHIER. I have MORE energy (ask me again in my 3rd trimester, ha!). I have gained less weight. AND I can still get through a 30 minute workout. smile emoticon 

I'm not perfect by any means. I still have my cravings. I still sneak some Starbucks. But for the MOST part I have treated my body differently.
.
When I was pregnant with Sadie, I ate anything. I NEVER worked out. I used pregnancy as an excuse to let myself go.
.
Not this time. This time, I'm using pregnancy as a REASON to stay healthy. To fuel myself with nutrients, superfoods, and vitamins. I work out at least 3-4 times a week and stay active pretty much EVERY day. The picture speaks for itself. On the left I was around 25 weeks pregnant with Sadie. On the right, I am currently 24+ weeks.  

.
So I decided to start a 30 Days to a Healthier Pregnancy Group! We will go through 4 weeks of taking care of our bodies, minds, and babies! Each week will be divided into a different category including nutrition, exercise, getting body ready for baby, and getting your home ready for baby.
.
So if you are expecting, I encourage you to join me in these 30 days! It is FREE to you! Let's all get together and SUPPORT each other (no matter what Stage in your pregnancy you are at). We are ALL in this beautiful season together and we should be here to support and lift each other up! Won't you join me??
.
Comment with your email or Message me on Facebook if you are interested! Feel free to share this group with any of your Preggo Friends! We start September 21!

Bumpdate: 12 Weeks

Wow, I cannot believe we are already halfway through June. I know time before this baby arrives is going to fly by between summer travels, fall, and holidays. Until then, I'll just try to enjoy each week as it comes, pregnancy symptoms and all!

So here I am with my [first] 12 week bump date. There's a little format flying around blog land, so I figured I'd stick pretty close to that... because, well, it's easy :-) The left picture below is just a few days after we found out I was pregnant. The one on the right was this morning after my workout. Crazy how quickly a body can change!

How far along: 12 weeks

Due Date: January 1st, 2016
Baby is the size of: Lime
Symptoms: The queasiness has subsided. I'm hungry ALL of the time, but I also get full quickly. I am starting to gain some of my energy back. I was taking naps almost daily, but now I'm down to only 1-2 week. I try to hold off on naps so that I can sleep better at night. Some lower back pain and still breaking out like crazy! What happened to that Glow?!
Gender: Unknown. I think Girl, Steve thinks Boy. We are hoping to find out at the end of this month!
Name: We have both names fully picked out. I'm surprised we decided this early!
Movement: There have been a few times I think I have felt flutters, but nothing that I am positive about. 
Nursery: It's a BIG messes of everything we haven't unpacked yet. haha.
Maternity Clothes: I can still wear some of my clothes, but they are getting uncomfortable. I have a few maternity clothes from Sadie that I've worn. Otherwise I've mostly been wearing dresses. Maxi's are my favorite. I'm trying to hold off on shopping until we visit the States. 
Sleep: Finally sleeping good. I get up once a night to pee. I LOVE my giant pregnancy pillow. 
Best Moment This Week: It's still all about Sadie at this point. 
Missing Anything: A Beer. Or a glass of wine would be nice. Especially now that we have a grill to cook out on the weekends. 
Cravings/Aversions: No Aversions yet. Craving EVERYTHING. Seriously. Food is my friend. 
Health/Exercise: I'm working hard to stay on track with healthy eating 80% of the time. I've also been working out 3-4 times a week. I try to get in an upper body workout, lower body workout, yoga, and walking. 
Mood: Hormones are still going a little crazy at times. I feel like I'm happy most of the time, but I have my moments. Sorry honey! 
Husband: Speak of the... He has been great! He is always supportive. He's only had to drive to get me something to eat that I'm craving a few times. 
Looking Forward To: Our trip back to the States in 3 weeks! 

Shakeology while Pregnant

After I announced that we are expecting, one of the questions I've heard most often is if I am still drinking Shakeology while pregnant.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

First off, if you are pregnant, who should always consult a Doctor to determine what is best for you.

Good, I got that out of the way.

I knew, even when we decided we wanted to expand our family, that I would continue to drink Shakeology once I was pregnant. It is the healthiest thing I put in my body daily. It is so healthy, that I actually make Sadie her own mini Shakeology daily. Why wouldn't I want to give my baby the best nutrients possible?

Since drinking Shakeology, it has helped me with my energy, mood, and cravings. Since being pregnant, ALL of those things have amplified! If Shakeology helps even a tiny bit in that department, I NEED it.

I actually drink Shakeology as my daily prenatal vitamin. A lot of the vitamins are the same, however, I do still take a few extra that are not found in Shakeology, such as folic acid.

Some Doctors are concerned about Shakeology for the amount of Vitamin A. However, they don't have the time to do the research and only make their decision based upon the information you bring to them. So here is a little research to talk about with your doctor.

Let's talk about Vitamin A for minute.

Consuming excessive amounts of Vitamin A during early pregnancy has been linked to Birth Defects. "The babies of women who consumed more than 10,000 international units of vitamin A daily -- nearly four times the recommended amount -- from supplements or food or both were more likely to be born with malformations of the head, heart, brain and spinal cord." NY TIMES. 

However, there are two different types of Vitamin A. Vitamin A from animal sources/preformed Vitamin A is what the above article is discussing and Vitamin A derived from vegetables and fruits that is not harmful. 

"The researchers pointed out that beta-carotene, which the body can convert into vitamin A, is not associated with an increased risk of birth defects. Dr. Rothman said that women need not be concerned about eating too many vegetables and fruits that are rich in beta-carotene or about taking supplements that contain beta-carotene. The body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A in amounts that do not exceed safe levels."

So how does this compare to Shakeology? 

The whey blends of shakeology (Chocolate, Vanilla, Greenberry and Strawberry) are fortified which makes it easy to list all the vitamin amounts. (Yay consistency!) Chocolate, Greenberry and Strawberry all contain 5,000 IU of vitamin A sourced from beta-carotene and Vanilla has 500 IU.  

What about Vegan Shakeology? I actually drink the Chocolate Vegan because dairy doesn't always sit well with my stomach. According to TeamBeachbody.com "Shakeology is dietary supplement in a food form, and since our vegan formulas are not fortified, the levels of any one nutrient should not be an issue for anyone or for a pregnant woman. Pregnant women need to careful about levels of Vitamin A (10,000 IU is the upper limit), but the amounts we have at unfortified levels are similar to those found in unfortified foods and in fruits and vegetables. Accordingly, pregnant women should consider their intake of vegan Shakeology as part of their normal diet, but should not rely solely on Shakeology to meet the needs of pregnancy for nutrients like, iron, folate, Vitamin A, or calcium."

If you have any questions about drinking Shakeology while pregnant, please feel free to message me! I'd love to discuss it with you! If you want to place your order today, visit www.Shakeology.com/KaciedeLeon

What will you fuel your pregnant body with?