Tag: Health

Baby · Health · Uncategorized

Dental Health – Pregnancy

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From the moment I got pregnant my gums have been bleeding. I have talked about dental health before and I really try my best to do everything I can for my dental health BUT this has been awful. The cause is from the change in hormones in your body which increases the blood flow to the gums. With all the hormones from IVF and pregnancy it came on very quickly for me.

Swollen gums and bleeding – yuck!

So what can be done about it?

  • Brush your teeth at least 2 a day using a soft bristle tooth brush
  • Floss – recommended once a day but I just try to do it as often as I can
  • Warm salt rinse – 1 tbls salt to 1 cup of water
  • Keep up your dental visits (recommended every 6 months)
  • Good nutrition will also help

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It may not seem like a big deal but gingivitis can turn into periodontal infections which can cause preterm labor. This is a serious thing to pay attention to.

 

Baby · Fitness · Health

Pregnancy Activity

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I know there is so much judgement in pregnancy, motherhood and just being a women in general. BUT guess what I don’t care. I am sharing my journey and part of that is staying active and working out while pregnant. I want to share what I have been doing to stay active.

**Everything I do is approved by my doctor, every pregnancy and person is different so always speak directly to your doctor**

I do a lot of walks, I try to do at least 4 a week about 1.5 miles each. It has been very hot in Texas lately so the walks can be a little more difficult to complete outside. The heat has really effected me, it slows me down and causes me to need to stop faster than normal. That is totally ok. I listen to my body and always have water with me.

I have done 28 days of Barre3. Barre is a combination of dance, pilates, yoga and muscle isolation that is a great low impact workout that everyone should try. It offers a lot of modifications for every level including pregnancy.

I am currently doing a 30 day push up challenge and focusing on weight training. Mixing it up and keeping it challenging on my body is helping me to stay active and motivated through this journey.

My focus is keeping my breathing strong and my body in the best shape I can so my delivery and postpartum go smoothly.

Fitness · Health · Review · Texas Life

Barre 3

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July 1 I started a 28 day #barre3anywhere challenge put on by Barre3. This is a nation wide Barre studio that offers online classes as well so you can do them anywhere even if a location isn’t convenient for you. ThisĀ  28 day challenge involved 6 videos a week and one rest day. The videos ranged in length from 10 minutes to 30 minutes but don’t let that 10 minute number fool you, some of those were the hardest and left me really feeling the shake.

You can really do them anywhere. I did most of the videos on my lunch break in our living room. It was a great break from the computer and re-energized me for the rest of the day.

There are so many variations that no matter what your level or injury status is so you can do these workouts. I did have to do variations since I am pregnant and as the bump grew through the month some of the positions did get a little tricky. It was great to really work on my lower back and leg strength. You can add weights for added strength training for your arms as well.

Check out their website to see if there is a location near you and if not you can sign up for a free online trial and you can do these workouts anywhere. There is no excuse to not give it a try and see the transformation you can make in a short period of time.

https://barre3.com/

Fitness · Health

Push Up Challenge

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I am on day 6 of the Push Up Challenge with Shape! I am loving the exercises and it is so easy to do them on their own or add them into any workout routine you already have. I can already feel soreness in my arms which means my strength is increasing. It’s not too late for you to join in on day 6 or start your own calendar with day 1!

If you have any questions about the exercises let me know!

Products · Review · Texas Life

FabFitFun – Summer 2019

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Summer is here and so is my new FabFitFun Box! It’s so fun to open the box never knowing what fun new products are inside. I am going to share my favorite products form the box.

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Generation Clay Brightening Purple Clay Mask. This mask is filled with Davidson plum, a gentle, natural version of skin-exfoliating alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA). Making it a great option to rejuvenate your skin and dull those dark circles under your eyes. Additional benefits include witch hazel to extract excess oil, vitamin E, an antioxidant that protects against free radicals, and desert lime, an Australian citrus fruit that boosts hydration, assists with the absorption of antioxidants and increases collagen production. I could see a difference after one use and absolutely recommend giving it a try.

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I have talked about the Coola brand before. This is a great product to use after putting on your make up for the day. It sets the makeup and has SPF in the spray. It is refreshing and really helped my make up stay on all day.

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You guys, these SOL Janeiro products are amazing! The smell alone is unmatched, even my husband has commented. The shower gel lathers great and leaves no residue on your skin. The Bum Cream is great for tightening skin, smoothing bumps and moisturizing after a great shower scrub. Being pregnant I love to also slather this body cream on my growing bump to help with stretch marks. On their website you get 10% off your first order so don’t hesitate!

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The Grace & Stella All Day Rose spray is so refreshing and hydrating. In this Texas heat a spray to start off the day is perfect. I use it on my face, neck and chest to refresh and hydrate my skin in the morning or after washing my face. It’s gentle the subtle rose scent is calming.

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Invisi Bobble hair rings are so versatile and comfortable. They allow me, someone with long hair, to pull my hair up without leaving a “dent” or line in my hair that has to be re styled. They also do not pull at all so the comfort is great to last all day or through that tough workout.

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I could go on about all of the products but these are the stand outs to me. I love being introduced to new products and see how they work. Try these and let me know what you think.

Fitness · Health · McKinney · Places to go · Review · Texas Life

Town Lake Recreation Area

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I don’t know why it took us so long to go check out Town Lake Recreation Area, it’s just down the road and we have driven by so many times saying we need to check it out. So finally, we made it. It is just across from the high school and easily accessible off of 75.

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The lake is large with fountains, fishing pier, countless ducks, pavilions, restrooms, water fountains, grills, lighted trails, 18 hole frisbee golf course, volley ball courts, horse shoe pitching courts and playgrounds. I mean what more could you want! Its a great family park with something to do for everyone.

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We walked over 3 miles enjoying all of the scenery and wildlife. I definitely recommend planning a trip to check it out. The pavilions can be reserved ahead of time for parties.

I will absolutely be adding this to my list of places to walk and recommend to others! Check it out.

Fertility · Health · McKinney · Texas Life

Transfer

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So to go back to the beginning of this baby’s journey….I shared with you in January I was having surgery to remove my Fallopian tubes after they were too damaged from Endometriosis. My RE (Reproductive Endocrinologist) was confident this would make the change we needed to carry our child. I was terrified because to conceive naturally you must have these tubes, this would take away any slim chance I had to conceive on our own. With my husbands support everything with the surgery went well and as of January 25 I was diagnosed sterile.

After recovering from surgery we were able to start the medication to prepare for an embryo transfer on February 14. Valentine’s day is my favorite holiday so I thought this was a great sign. We transferred our embryo on March 7 and this is a day I will never forget. It was very different then the last transfer we did (that was not successful). We were both much calmer, we were laughing in the room waiting for our procedure and the staff made us stay calm and were so excited. During the procedure I squeezed my husbands hand so hard and he was telling jokes (if you know him this is all he does) I was laughing and the doctor was also.

We could see our embryo before it was placed in the needle and could see it was already hatching out of the shell which was an amazing sign. During the first transfer I shook uncontrollably the entire time from nerves and this time I didn’t. Which made me feel so much better. It is so amazing to be able to have your partner in the room with you and we were able to see the embryo being placed into my uterus.

The next 10 days are the hardest! We didn’t take any tests at all during this time, some people do, but we wanted to wait for the definitive blood test done at the RE’s office. After the blood test I did do an at home test and it was the first time I had ever seen a positive result. I was elated and immediately called my husband at work!

 

Food · Health · Products · Texas Life

Serving Size

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I want to talk about serving size and nutrition labels on food. Do you read the label before you eat the food? Do you look on the front for labels or “low this”, “no that” wording?

Serving Size is defined as a standard amount of food. So in reality all of us have a different serving size for different foods. BUT when we are shopping these packages are providing nutrition information for a specific serving size for that food. Don’t just skip to the numbers or percentages because you are missing the most important part of the label.

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One of the big tricks you will see is that the front of the package will say 50% less fat, or 50% less sodium and so on. Well guess what they did, they simply changed the serving size. They cut it in half and bam 50% less whatever it says! Don’t fall for this. Look at the serving size and think to yourself when I eat this am I going to eat a cup, 10 pieces or more? This will help you understand really how much sugar, protein, sodium, calcium etc you are getting in that food.

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(Not saying this product did that just an example of the attraction on the front)

Next I always go from serving size to ingredients list. Are the ingredients real food or chemicals, dyes or things I just don’t know what they are. This lets me decide if I want to purchase it or not. I am not perfect in anyway and I purchase processed foods but I try to limit them and I choose the option that works best for me based on the ingredients. You will also learn a lot about companies and which brands you feel more comfortable putting in your body.

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Image result for ingredients list food label

After looking through the ingredients list I then go back up to the top and focus on sugar and sodium first, then the other nutrients from the item. I want foods that are low in synthetic sugar and safe amounts of sodium. I want foods high in vitamins and minerals.

Next time you areĀ  in the grocery store read the labels before you buy and you make just make some different choices. Compare the front claims to the nutrition label and ingredients to see if that clever marketing is fooling you.

 

Fitness · Food · Health

Fun Facts

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I love reading magazines and I like to take pictures of the fun facts I see inside so I can remember and research more later. So I thought I would share some of them with you.

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This may not be right for me, I feel like this seems cold lol I mean maybe while I am sleep and I do think I am happy when I sleep so maybe it is true.

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My mom always told me to eat the peel.

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I really think this is true! I always feel great when I start working out, give yourself the gift of happiness.

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So I missed one the ages already. As I think back 23 was hard, I was out of college and figuring out paying bills and real life. I may not say it was the happiest but I will let you know at 69 how it goes.

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I 100% think this is accurate. I mean everyone I talk to is taking time to themselves for self reflection or meditation. There are so many apps now to guide you. Do you meditate?

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As a former dancer I love this, I love to dance and the memory skills involved are a great way to exercise the mind. So go do a little dance!

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Ok, be honest, who knew this? I am going to try doing it and see if I notice a difference.

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I am not a big drinker at all but I find this fact to be very disheartening. I think it is something all women need to be aware of.

What fun facts do you have to share?

Fitness · Health · McKinney · Places to go · Review · Texas Life

R&G Fitness

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I love to try new workouts and gyms well, R&G Fitness was really outside of my comfort zone. It is group fitness that focuses on weights and dynamic movements with cardio mixed it. The focus of form and pushing your limits is amazing. I enjoy what the coach’s give me form critiques or edits because I can’t always see what I am doing and form only enhances the benefits of working out.

I don’t always push myself on my own as hard as I should with the amount of weight I use but R&G sure does and I love it. It gave me that boost of confidence that I can lift that 25lb weight. Maybe not for many reps but I can do it.

The class has a warm up and then breaks into groups to rotate though different stations and then you come back together at the end for a stretch. I love that it is different every time focusing on all muscle groups and pushing you forward. Every person I met was welcoming, kind and supportive of each other weather it was a first time or a seasoned vet at the gym. Everyone cheers for each other and really helps to motivate you to do more.

You can download their app and get a free trial but trust me you are going to want to stay a member! I can’t wait to go back for more, even if I can’t feel my arms! šŸ™‚

http://rngfitness.com/Ā