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Fitness Friday: Do these supplements make me look fat?

rachel_swick
March 9, 2012

Good afternoon droolers! While I have no voice, literally, I am still feeling optimistic as we head into the weekend. This laryngitis took me by surprise - I've never had it before - but I know soon my voice will return and I can catch up on all the talking I missed out on this week...much to my husband's thrill, I am sure!

So, supplements - do you take them, avoid them, have them but often forget to take them?

I used to be militant about taking supplements. I would take my multivitamin every day even if I didn't notice a difference. During pregnancy, I aimed to take both the multivitamin and the fish oil supplement to make sure baby was growing well.

Post-pregnancy, I have been much more lax. I read an article not too long ago about the lack of performance in multivitamins. It seems the vitamin only works if you take it at the right time with the right food or drink. For example, never take a vitamin with milk or orange juice because it messes with the effectiveness.

All those good feelings from properly taking my multivitamins just went down the drain.

We eat a high-vegetable, low-saturated fat diet at my home. Salads and healthy grains are the order of the day. So, recently I have decided it is not as important to take vitamins. If you get most of your daily doses from your food, why do you need to supplement?

Hubby and I now take Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D because when it came down to the research, those were the two areas we felt we didn't get enough.

Should more people change their vitamin routine, or does it start with changing the way we eat? I think the first step is getting healthy. Any mom who asks me about my pregnancy and losing weight since having Droolface knows I am an advocate for healthy body, then healthy life.

Once we get our eating in shape, then we can start to get off those pain medications, get off those diet medications, blood pressure medications, etc. Since adopting a more healthy, family-table type of eating style, both hubby and I have lost weight and gained energy.

We enjoy the final meal of the day when we all sit down together and enjoy a fresh meal, prepared with love by yours truly.

We eat well, and we feel great!

I know some out there likely have big medical problems, and I am not telling you to just stop taking medication today. But, it could be something you work up to with your doctor. I can tell you since working hard to create healthy meals, I am now off my blood pressure medication and have lost 14 pounds. Just something to think about ...

De-stress to success

Stress can be one of the leading causes of illness and over-eating.

One of my favorite ways to get rid of that stress is swimming. There are only a few public pools in our area, but I made a point to join one so that it would be available to me whenever I needed it.

Thirty minutes in the pool is a fantastic escape for mind and body. Plus, swimming is a great exercise for toning the entire body!

If you are not an experienced swimmer, start slow. Breast stroke and overhand stroke or freestyle are two easy ones to start with. They are also the two I do all the time because they exercise a lot of different muscles.

After a swim, I feel like a new person. Try it. It is nearly impossible to jump in the water without a smile.

Swimming is low-impact as well for those with joint problems.

Start with 10 minutes and build yourself up to longer amounts of time in the pool. If your children are older and can swim, they can also benefit from pool time. But, consider going by yourself.

Before becoming a mama, I never knew how important those breaks would be for me. Just taking that 30 minutes for myself refreshes me and makes me a better mama when I get home. Trust me - it will save your sanity.

Have a great weekend droolers - see you Monday!

  • Real Parents. Real Food. Real Fun.

    Welcome to Adventures in Drool! Talking about green living, getting rid of plastics and toxic chemicals in our homes and raising happy kids on a budget. Join the conversation (www.adventuresindrool.com) and don't forget to Like us on Facebook!

    Rachel Swick Mavity, author of the blog, lives with a reformed drooler (Droolface), who at age 3 loves to get muddy, drink homemade smoothies, giggle and flirt with old ladies. Her current drooler (Birdy) enjoys spitting up on work clothes and leaving drool trails as a way of showing her love.

    Mavity previously worked as a journalist for seven years at newspapers from Pennsylvania to Maryland and Delaware. In Sussex County she worked for several newspapers, including the Cape Gazette. She lives in Lewes with her husband, Ryan Mavity, their son, "Droolface," and daughter, "Birdy." 

     

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