little feet, big sky

I’ve been on a fruit kick lately, and one of my absolute favorites is watermelon. Cold, chilled, crisp, sweet watermelon. I used to be a huge fan of honeydews, but not while pregnant, apparently. The spouse has been good lately in keeping chopped watermelon ready-to-eat in the fridge for me. :-)

Watermelon eases heartburn and reduces swelling; its high water content (92 percent) and fruit sugars alleviate morning sickness and dehydration; and the minerals it contains can help prevent third-trimester muscle cramps. – Watermelon Wonders onFitPregnancy

I’m have one of those days – the kind where nothing seems right, even food. After opening all the cupboard doors and staring for a while, then opening the fridge and staring for a while, I was almost ready to turn to a lonely packet of ramen out of desperation. I didn’t really want something hot, I wanted something cold and creamy, but not sweet like a smoothie.. ah, gazpacho. Here’s what I put in mine…

• 1 clove garlic, peeled & roughly chopped
• 1 slice of Ezekiel sprouted bread, crusts removed and chopped into squares
• 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. flax seed oil
• sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Blend to desired consistency. (Add water to thin; add bread to thicken.)

I would take a picture of the serving I just made, but it’s in my tummy now. Maybe I’ll try making a cold corn chowder later…

I was recently reading an article on how in pregnancy, and it got me started thinking on chocolate. While I have had a bit of a sweet tooth while pregnant, it’s mostly been for fruits and smoothies. I’ve been overjoyed since discovering that Trader Joe’s stocks canned lychees, something I’ve only previously seen at the Chinese supermarkets like Ranch 99. (Seems like a few others were just as excited! , , 3) I keep them in the fridge and when I want some, I open the can, drain out the sickly-sweet syrup water, fill it back up with filtered water and let it sit for a half hour. Then I drain that water out, toss it in a bowl and chow down.

Oh, but this entry was about chocolate, right?

(Hmm.. chocolate-dipped lychees – that might require some experimenting.)

While the spouse likes dark chocolate, I’m a milk chocolate snob. Sometimes, I’m even a white chocolate advocate, but usually only for things like white chocolate macadamia nut cookies or Cadbury’s white chocolate buttons. (Does anyone remember English-made white chocolate mice?) Most of the time it’s milk chocolate and the good stuff, which though I hate to say it, is rarely American-made.

While I’ve been a fan of Scharffen Burger for a time, and even though I once swore that Telluride Truffle was the only chocolate I would consume until I died, I must admit there’s another chocolate maker that beats these two hands down: BonBonBar.

makes handmade candybars, and I tend to think of them as a replacement for crap like Twix or Hershey bars, rather than floofy chocolates you’d bring out only for company. (Though we do bring them out for company (or give them as gifts) and knock the pants off our guests everytime.) They’re locally made here in Los Angeles, as organic and local as possible and never with artificial ingredients, like high-fructose corn syrup.

My favorites are the Caramel Nut Bar ($5) and the Malt Bar ($5) in milk chocolate, though they have it in dark chocolate if you’re into that. available starting at $15 – a great idea to treat the next pregnant lady you’re looking to gift! There’s even hand-delivery available to certain areas of L.A.

And now that I’m done writing this, I’m going to finish off my last milk chocolate Malt Bar. :-) Time to get more!!

Since getting The Breastfeeding Cafe the other day and devouring a third of it already, I’ve been looking up more and more about breastfeeding online. Breastfeeding.com has some GREAT resources, I highly encourage you to check it out. There are video clips to watch while pumping or nursing, humor, pictures and video of proper latch-on and positioning, LC help, etc. And one of my favorites pages (on a slummy, gossipy note!) is their breastfeeding celebs pages of who is and isn’t breastfeeding. I’m rather impressed by all the ones that nursed to a year; I’m sure it was no easier for them than it would be for the rest of us.

Gwyneth Paltrow said “I’m not in my pre-pregnancy state. I’m trying not to rush myself. I want my food to be high quality as I’m feeding Apple. I’m not into dieting. Now I’m able to exercise, I’m shrinking back down a little bit. It’s a very slow process.”

Breastfeeding.com – For Moms Only – Breastfeeding Celebrities

I’ve had an easy time so far with weight gain in terms of eating well and gaining just the right amount. Thought I’d share some tips from various sources & just from my own meandering experience. :-)

• Pick one type of indulgent junk food to keep in the house and toss the rest. Don’t think too hard about it being wasteful, or if you just can’t do that, try giving it to friends or taking it to work to leave in the lunchroom. :-) Chances are good that there are only so many Doritos you can eat repeatedly.
• Stock up on fresh fruits and keep fruit juices to a minimum. Drinking lots of fruit juice may seem healthy at first glance, but fruit sugar is still sugar. Eating your fruit whole increases the time it takes for the sugar to hit. You can only eat a few oranges at a time, whereas one 8 oz. glass of juice probably has the sugar of say 6-8 oranges, without the fiber to slow the sugar rush. Pregnant women are already more insulin-resistant (meaning that you have a higher blood sugar than normal by default) and pushing those blood sugar numbers up can lead to serious complications and interventions later in pregnancy. Plus, fiber is good in helping you feel full.
• Cut the caffeine & sodas. Your baby really doesn’t need extra sugar or caffeine. My rationale is that the effect of caffeine or sugar on a person is similar to stress: the heart races, the adrenaline picks up, etc. It’s been proven that babies exposed to stress in the womb can suffer all sorts of problems, mainly because while we can respond with the fight-or-flight instinct, our pre-birth babies can do neither! I love my crazy caffeine drinks (candy, chocolates, etc ), but I don’t want my baby to be any more stressed or jittery than he/she would be after birth, so it’s a temporary sacrifice on my part.
• Start your morning with whole grains and a huge glass of water. This has been a lifesaver for me in terms of keeping those freak hunger attacks under control until lunch. For something cold and quick, I’ve taken to Kashi’s GoLean Crunch with a mix of almond and regular milk. If I want something hot, I whip up some quinoa, topped with fresh fruit, a bit of yogurt and a drizzle of maple syrup. The water is a must for preventing constipation, another delightful pregnancy experience.
• Drink only water. You really do need those annoying 6-8 glasses of water a day when you’re pregnant, in spite of the hassle of peeing every few hours. If you have trouble with this one (as I do), cut out all other drinks other than water. I’ve taken to drinking my water at home with a mere splash of juice in it for flavor. Treat yourself to the occasional tea once a week, or a soda or coffee once a month.
• Evaluate your meal choices and ask yourself nutritionally, “Would I give this to my two-year-old?” If it’s junk food, overly greasy, has few natural ingredients, has a high sugar content, your answer will most likely be no, and that’s a good sign that you should find something better. Remember that your baby only gets the nutrition that you give yourself.
• Get used to eating half portions. Your stomach (and intestines) are getting squeezed and pushed, so you’re likely to suffer indigestion, heartburn, and bloating. When eating out, I eat about half, or until I just start to feel full, then ask for the rest to go. If this is tough because it’s really tasty, a friend recommended boxing up half to go before even eating. I find I’m usually hungry again within an hour or two and can finish off the other portion then.
• Walk around for at least 30 minutes after eating. Failing that, remain upright (sit, stand) to let gravity help your food digest.

Overall, just make the best choices you can, and feel good about doing right by your child. The better you eat now, the more your taste buds will change and you’ll eat better later. In turn, you’ll pass on healthy eating habits to your children. :-)