Protein Smoothies
During pregnancy you need a lot of protein, and I mean A LOT, upwards of 70 grams a day! For some, that is an easy number to hit but for others that number is just daunting. Since my morning sickness is not entirely gone yet, I am relaying heavily on protein smoothies to fill in any gaps that I am missing from my diet, and there are a lot of gaps. Protein smoothies are usually easy to drink and you can pack them full them with protein, seeds, nuts, veggies and a ton of fruit to sweeten them up, because for me the only thing that still sounds good no matter what time of day is something sweet.
Here are 5 smoothies recipes that are yummy and healthy:
1. Ultimate Pregnancy Smoothie
2. The Peanut Butter Power Protein Shake
3. Baby Brain Booster Green Smoothie
Must haves to make your Smoothies
Protein Powder- I always go for this or this whey protein without any added corn or sugar. These both taste great and don't have a chalky consistency.
Hemp Seeds- are great to add to any smoothie to get an extra dose of Omega 3 & 6. I love this brand.
Flax Seeds- I use these on a daily bases in my yogurt, oatmeal or smoothie and it makes my system regular, which during pregnancy is hard to do.
Pre-Natal Yoga Poses
Now that we are all full on our yummy protein shakes, it's time to do some simple and easy yoga poses at home. I did a ton of pre-natal yoga both at home and at a center dedicated to pre-natal yoga during my first pregnancy and I am slowly working on getting back into a routine with this pregnancy [seems a bit harder to find time during this round, something about having a toddler just wipes you out during the day]. I swear that my 2-3 times a week yoga secessions was one of the reasons why I had such a short and easy delivery, don't hate me but it was only 6 hours form start to finish. Not only did yoga get my body ready to deliver my baby it helped me mentally get ready with breathing techniques and visual focus.
Not all cities have centers dedicated to pre-natal yoga classes but here are some places to check out:
- Your local hospital - many hospitals have classes dedicated to pre-natal yoga for a small fee. The setting is usually in the hospital and isn't stellar but you might meet some great new mom friends as you laugh together over not being able to touch your toes anymore.
- Daily Burn - an online workout service that has a great series on pre-natal yoga classes focusing on the three different trimesters. Plus there are great workouts for you after the baby comes. Small monthly fee.
- Yoga Glo - Tons of pre and post natal yoga classes. Small monthly fee.
- Do Yoga With Me - there are some great classes for free!
