We're pregnant!

 OMG....it's burning my eyes! Oh, wait that's sunshine! I didn't know what it was for a minute.

Goodmorning, rise and shine! And yes while I'm writing this it's only 7am in the morning. And I've got allready coffee with my hubby and when he left for work I had my oatmeal and kiwi for breaky and now I'm waiting till I can do my second glucose test. So I thought let's write a blog about: We're pregnant!

The sun is shining and I feel good. Oh well while it lasts.

We're pregnant!! Yeah, I know, you know that allready.

But where does this phrase come from?

Well I gain a little bit of weight during pregnancy. Not that much I've lost a lot's of kilos and I gained a little. I'm still at my weight before pregnancy. But my hubby was also gaining a little bit of weight.

You just do not see it and it's nothing bad. But he sees it and feels it.

But I did not worry about it because I just can't see where he must gained weight :s.

But then I read an article about man gaining weight during pregnancy because of an hormone.

I told that to my hubby and he respond wisely: "I know how that hormone is called!, white chocolate and cookies!"

I really must laugh because a little bit of that is true. Man eat more because of the pregnant woman who eats more during pregnancy. A man gain like 6 till 10 kilo's during the pregnancy of a woman.

But there is really an hormone and it's called: prolactin. This hormone will cause that fats and sugars are stored instead of burnt. 

This is what studies shows.

The study followed 34 couples during their pregnancy gymnastics in a hospital in St. John's to take off their blood.

In the men's prolactin level increased by a third between the middle and the end of pregnancy.While the prolactin level remains much lower by woman, Storey says that the increase in prolactin and two other types of hormones cortisol and estradiol responsible for ensuring that men respond better to their babies. But, she emphasizes, these hormonal synchronization occurs only in couples who live together.

According to the study men who live with a pregnant partner see a reduction in the production of the aggression stimulating hormone testosterone and an increase in another hormone prolactin which is linked to the production of milk.

Since high testosterone levels to ensure that men are macho and territorial, Storey says that the decrease of the hormone during pregnancy causes men to spend more time with their partner and their baby.

Storey's research also found out that increasing the level of the "female" hormones in men when the birth is approaching.

So for the man: there is nothing to worry about, it's all part of it.

And that's why it called: We're pregnant!

Enjoy your pregnancy!!!

strawberries, rhubarb cobbler

In an earlier blog I've told you that a friend of mine came by for a little lunch so I've made a strawberries, rhubarb cobbler.

A cobbler is a pastry which consists of a layer of fruit, wich has a layer of dough on it.

Rhubarb May not be the most popular vegetable on the produce stand, but it still makes a pretty tasty jam.

Rhubarb is an excellent source of Vitamin C, Which is important to help support a healthy immune system. It is high in dietary fiber All which helps to maintain regularity within the digestive system.

Rhubarb is low in sodium and saturated fat All which makes it a very good food to help preventable heart related diseases. It is usefull high in Vitamin K, Which is thought to help preventable diabetes.

Rhubarb is an unusual vegetable and Often thought of as a fruit. It is an excellent and healthy food to add to your diet as it can be prepared and served in many different fashions. Although rhubarb can be tart, it has a sweetness that comes alive when cooked.

Here is the recipe:

2 tbsp cornstarch 

500 grams rhubarb 

300 grams of strawberries (halved) 

1 tbsp water 

15 grams of butter 

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

1 beaten egg 

stevia to taste 

puff pastry

Preheat the oven on 200 degrees. 

In a saucepan: Add the rhubarb, strawberries and water, let it boil for one minute. Add the cornstarch and optionally some stevia. Scoop it into a greased baking dish. Spread the lumps of butter and cinnamon over it.

Normally you make the dough on your own. But I did not have time for that so I've used puff pastry.

Spread the pastry over it. Add the beaten egg over the pastry.

Put it in the oven for 20 minutes  until the top is golden brown and crispy.

my love for BIMI

Let me tell you about my favourite veggie the BIMI!

I was scrolling to my instagram page and bounced into this veggie on Beau Hesling (international playmate)page. I asked her what it was because I've never saw this and I really like to try new vegitables. She told me that this is called Bimi and you can buy it in the grocery store.

Ofcourse I went down shopping and bought it and immidiatly fel in love with it.

Before I tell you how I ate my Bimi, first I tell you what the health benefits are.

The bimi is not well known, however many famous have already discovered the benefits and they have done an indispensable part of their diets. Gwyneth Paltrow, Katie Holmes and Jennifer Garner among many others have integrated this vegetable to their lives and become fans due to its great benefits.

The bimi is a hybrid between the broccoli and cabbage is a food quite unknown but increasingly is becoming easier to find in supermarkets and verdulerías.

Benefits of the bimi


Together with all the vegetables, the bimi is a very healthy food and that should include it in her diete daily. It provides many nutrients, even more than most of other vegetables.

The bimi is very rich in vitamins and minerals. It has 10 nutrients essential for good health, which include zinc, folic acid, antioxidants and vitamin C. It also owns glucosinalatos, important agent which prevents cancer and other diseases.

It has a flavor very smooth and delicious, similar to the asparagus. It is a very complete in nutrients but at the same time very low in calories, so it is ideal for people who want to lose weight.

To eat it, the bimi also offers several advantages. This vegetable can be cooked such as broccoli, raw in salad, grilled, broiled, baked, etc. You can eat 100% of the bimi including stem and leaves, so you can use it completely.

And now I will tell you how I eat my Bimi. I love to eat this for lunch or snack.

I'll bake the Bimi in coconut oil with some garlic and pine nuts.

And well that was it... Easy as it is. 

Goji Berries

Goji Berries are the most nutritionally dense fruit on Earth. They are a member of the nightshade family, which contains many other common vegetables such as potato, sweet potato, tomato, eggplant, and pepper, as well as some poisonous plants like belladonna and deadly nightshade. 
Although they have only been introduced in Western countries in recent years, gojis have been used for thousands of years in Tibet and China, both as a culinary ingredient and medicinally.

Goji Berries have the highest concentration of protein of any fruit. They are also loaded with vitamin C, contain more carotenoids than any other food, have twenty-one trace minerals, and are high in fiber. Boasting 15 times the amount of iron found in spinach, as well as calcium, zinc, selenium and many other important trace minerals. So you can say that these berries are a natural superfood!

In traditional Chinese medicine, the goji is said to act on the Kidney and Liver meridians to help with lower back pain, dizziness and eyesight. They are most often consumed raw, made into a tea or extract, or as an ingredient in soups.

But can you eat goji berries during pregnancy? The fact is that there is too little research on goji berries in relation to pregnancy ​​to say that using it is 100% safe.
Science said that these berries are very healthy but my advise call you docter first before you eat this during your pregnancy!

Lycium Barbarum bark and goji berries are used as an alternative medicine to prevent morning sickness during pregnancy.

The use of goji berries can help to lower the high blood pressure and to reduce, in the case of diabetes the glucose level in the blood.
So it's important to ask and specialist if there is already a very low blood pressure or low glucose levels in the blood.

According to the organization MedlinePlus, a highly respected research institution in the United States, the substance betaine can cause miscarriage. Premature contractions also would be awaken.


Normally I made a tea of these berries. Just add 2 spoons of those berries in a cup, add some hot water and let them soak.
Here is your easy made goji tea.



I talked to the midwife, who advises them not to use it during pregnancy. Even  though there are rumors avout them that they are not a superfood but it's a way to make a lot of money of it! 

Be healthy first before you got pregnant

Women who live unhealthy in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, bring their children much damage. Who are more likely to be overweight and got the change to get a high blood pressure. Later in life they are at greater risk for heart disease.
Researchers from the Generation R of the Erasmus MC. Come to that conclusion Generation R is a large-scale population screening for growth, development and health of 10,000 children in Rotterdam.
It is now finally clear that there are physical consequences for children who grow poorly by the unhealthy lifestyle of their mothers.
"The growth of the fetus in the first stage of pregnancy appears to be higher than we have assumed so far and it's much more important for the development of the child after birth," says lead researcher and pediatrician Vincent Jaddoe Generation R.

According to him, it is good if women who want to become pregnant before they stop taking the pill have a conversation with a midwife. In such a conversation, they can receive advice what they can do to live healthy or how to change their behavior.
From the study group of Generation R, smokes about 20 percent of pregnant women and more than 30 percent overweight.
"It is good that we consider as pediatricians, gynecologists and obstetricians about what we can do to make mothers aware of how important it is that they are healthy living, especially in the first stages of pregnancy," says Jaddoe.

Source: ad

So stop smoking, stop drinking alcohol and stop doing drugs!Take folic acid (and watch out for vitamin A) Taking a folic acid supplement is Crucial. By taking 400 mcg of folic acid a day for at least one month before you conceive and during your first trimester, you can cut your chances of having a baby with neural tube defects zoals spina bifida by 50 to 70 percent, accordion thing to the centers for Disease Control (CDC). Taking folic acid helps someother preventable birth defects as well.

Stock your fridge with healthy foods
You're not eating for two yet, but you should start making nutritious food choices now so thatyour body will be stocked up with the nutrients you need for a healthy pregnancy.
Try to get at least 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables every day, as well as plenty of whole grains and foods high in calcium That Are - like milk, calcium-fortified orange juice, and yogurt. Eat a variety of protein sources, zoals beans, nuts, seeds, soy products, poultry, and meats.

May you have an easier time conceiving if you're at a healthy weight. Having a low or high body mass index (BMI) makes it harder for some women to become pregnant. (In one study, having a BMI below 20 or over 24 affectedness fertility negatively.)

So go and excersize, eat healthy, don't drink to much coffee or caffeine. This is all more important than we think. It's not only for your health but also for your baby. Just remember that!!!

White gold is back!!!

I love white gold (asparagus)

And it's the time of the year again to make them! Normally I ate them with potatoes but now I want to try to something different.

The health benefits of asparagus

The reason asparagus are so healthy is because they are one of the most well-balanced vegetables available for consumption. Asparagus are not only low in calories and high in folic acid, they are also a good source of potassium, fiber, thiamin, and vitamins A, B6, and C. In fact, a 5-ounce serving provides 60 percent of the RDA for folic acid, an important nutrient especially for pregnant woman or those looking to start families.

My recipe:

lasagne sheets 

asparagus (cooked) 

asparagus sauce 

diced ham 

grated cheese

Preheat the oven 180degrees

Make the asparagus sauce like on the pakkage. Put the diced ham into the sauce. Cooke the asparagus.

grab a lasagna dish and make it layer on layer.

Layer lasagna sheets, layer sauce and some asparagus.

And again lasagna sheets, sauce and asparagus.

Last layer sheets, sauce and top it of with grated cheese.

Put it for 25minutes in the oven.

Enjoy your white gold dinner!

Superfoods Chiaseed + recipe

I love superfoods. Superfoods are foods(mostly plants) and they are very good for your health. superfoods are nutrient powerhouses that pack large doses of antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals. Eating them may reduce the risk of chronic disease, and prolong life, and people who eat more of them are healthier and thinner than those who don't. 

I have some superfood in stock like: chiaseeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds.  I thought that everybody could eat them. 
So I've made a chiapudding and after that (stupid me) I've read some stuff about chiaseeds during pregnancy.

There is a warning label if you are pregnant and eat chiaseeds on a daily basis.


Let me set some things straight about chiaseeds....

CHIASEEDS:

Chia seeds (Salvia hispanica) are derived from a plant in the mint family. Although a relative newcomer to the American diet, chia was a staple food in the ancient Aztec diet. Chia seed contains omega 3 fatty acids. The seeds are full of antioxidants and minerals, including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, iron, niacin. They also contain fiber. 
So Chiaseeds are a healthy product you can use daily. BUT:
Always pay attention to your body, there are people with hypersensitivity to chia seeds and symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting. People have mainly suffered from in the morning on an empty stomach. If you have this, I would not eat it. Chia seed does thin the blood and blood pressure lowering. Here you should keep in mind when you're pregnant.






RECIPE:

I've got a recipe for the sweet cravings with chiaseeds !

Chiaseeds pudding:
mix some almondmilk, chiaseeds, vanilla extract and maple syrup. put it in the fridge for 1 night.
(chia seeds take to 9x their own moisture. If you mix it with a liquid, there will be is a jelly like substance.)

Chocolate pudding:
Greek yogurt, pure cocoa powder, maple syrup. Mix it together.

Top it with slices banana and sprinkle it with hemp seeds.

Breakfast!!!

First of all before you ask why that in some pictures I have copyright on it and on others I don't.

Well it's simple. The pictures I have taken is copyrighted. Other pictures are from the internet ;). Simple as that.

Yesterday I posted a blog about a healthy pregnancy diet.

I've told you that Breakfast is important. It will stop the bad cravings. 

Some people think it is hard to eat some breakfast. Well I thought that also. But I started small with some fruit, smoothie, and now my body get used to eat in the morning I eat oatmeal porridge, whole wheat crackers or muesli (and not cruesli).

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And that is true! Let me tell you why.

Breakfast can make or break your diet, because breakfast helps set the tone for the rest of the day.

Do you even know what breakfast means? Your body responds to not eating for hours and hours by slowing down it's metabolic rate. By eating breakfast, you wake up your metabolism and get your engine humming, burning those calories you need to burn to lose  weight. Studies also shows that people who are eating breakfast are more alert and do better tests than people who skip breakfast.

People who eat breakfast have better moods than people who don't. If I'm hungry you better get out of my way! Cancel the sugared cereal as first in the morning and don't eat dessert for breakfast. They cause a blood sugar dip a couple of hours later. You'll be despert to eat some unhealthy sugared thing for a quick sugar rush. And if you're thinking a cereal bar with 30grams of sugar is a heathy breakfast item, think again. Some cereal bars contain nearly as much sugar and fat as a regular chocolate bar.

So eat clean and start you're day good.

I will eat my breakfast now oatmeal and some manderine. Have a great Saterday!!!

healthy pregnant living

A healthy diet is an important part of a healthy lifestyle at any time, but is especially vital if you're pregnant or planning a pregnancy. Eating healthily during pregnancy will help your baby to develop and grow, and will keep you fit and well. You don’t need to go on a special diet, but it's important to eat a variety of different foods every day to get the right balance of nutrients that you and your baby need. 

It is best to get vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat, but when you're pregnant you need to take some supplements as well to make sure you get everything you need. You will probably find that you are more hungry than usual, but you don't need to 'eat for two' – even if you are expecting twins or triplets.Have a healthy breakfast every day because this can help you to avoid snacking on foods that are high in fat and sugar.

Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables because these provide vitamins and minerals, as well as fibre, which helps digestion and prevents constipation.

Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day – these can be fresh, frozen, canned, dried or juiced. Always wash them carefully.

Starchy food are an important source of vitamins and fibre, and are satisfying without containing too many calories. They include bread, potatoes, breakfast cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, maize, millet, oats, sweet potatoes, yams, and cornmeal.

These foods should be the main part of every meal. Eat wholemeal instead of processed (white) varieties when you can.

Eat some protein every day.

Choose lean meat, remove the skin from poultry, and cook it using only a little fat.Make sure eggs, poultry, burgers, sausages and whole cuts of meat such as lamb, beef and pork are cooked all the way through. Check that there is no pink meat, and that juices have no pink or red in them.

Try to eat two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily fish such as salmon, sardines or mackerel.

Dairy foods such as milk, cheese, fromage frais and yoghurt are important in pregnancy because they contain calcium and other nutrients that your baby needs.

Choose low-fat varieties wherever possible. For example, semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, low-fat yoghurt and half-fat hard cheese. Aim for two to three portions a day.