pregnancyandbeyond_az

Blood sugar balance is a topic of ever-increasing importance in our world today, due to the nutritionally depleted, high sugar and processed Standard American Diet and lack of exercise/movement. I’m pregnancy, it is even more important (AND even more difficult 😩) to keep blood sugar levels in check. Take a look at the tips to balance your blood sugar in pregnancy!

Reminder: I’ve designed an online exercise program specifically for pregnancy, with tips, reminders and activities scheduled strategically along the way. DM me to get started now for 25% off!!

It’s almost June and here in the valley that means it’s almost time to move indoors (more or less) for the summer. Join us for one of our final postpartum mom workout in the park before the heat takes us inside. Pregnant moms also welcome!

Tomorrow (May 23rd) at 9:30am at Desert Breeze park, bring your babies! Message me for meeting location. First class is free!

Happy 1st anniversary to my best friend, Jordan. It’s been an eventful and memorable year…that’s for sure! We are not just a couple but a family now — and that’s something I cherish deeply. Thank you for being my biggest fan, my safe place to be seen, and for working hard everyday to keep our family strong. I love you!

The final macro in our May mini series on prenatal nutrition: carbs 🍠🍌🥦🥖🍕

We live in a culture that’s currently very anti-carb, especially for women. In my professional opinion, this is not ideal because carbs are vital for proper brain functioning and the fuel our body needs.

If you want to be firing well on all cylinders, you need some carbohydrates every day. If you’re pregnant, please do your baby and yourself a favor and do NOT eat a low carb or keto diet.

It’s all about the quantity and quality of the carbs you eat. DM me if you want help doing your macros!

Many fruits and vegetables contain carbohydrates. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and whole grains like rice and quinoa are great options for most people. It’s the carbs like processed and refined breads, pasta, pizza, sweets, etc. — these are the ones we should be avoidant of.

Jaxson went to tumbling class for the first time today — basically a place to explore the gymnastics gym and crawl on mats and play, etc. It brings back major memories for me from all my years in gymnastics. Boy did I love that sport. I wish I’d never quit.

But maybe Jaxson will love gymnastics too! No matter what he loves (or doesn’t) I want to encourage him always to stick with things so he can learn to overcome obstacles and not give up.

Want to know what medicine and natural remedies to keep around for your baby? 🤷🏽‍♀️ I’ve complied a list of important items to have in your baby medicine kit!

Check out my blog here: https://www.essenceministry.com/clean-living/2022/2/12/a-cleaner-baby-medicine-kit

🥑🥓🧀 Fats — the most nutritionally dense macro, seen as the biggest enemy for a long until more recent years, is actually a crucial part of health. Especially for females, fat is important because having adequate fat is vital for proper hormone function. For the fetus, the fats you consume help your baby grow and develop and even impact his/her overall health after birth (including metabolism and body structure).

The quality of food and fats matters greatly. Take a look at the lists in the post on fats to eat and fats to avoid.

⭐️ The people I’ve known who are midwives are very special people. It takes guts, it takes resilience, it takes sacrifice — and much, much more — to do what you do. Thank you! I know for a fact I couldn’t do your job.

Special thanks to delivering my baby and supporting us each step of the way!

🥩🍳🥦 Protein is something we all know about, but for pregnant women it’s incredibly important to make sure you’re getting adequate daily protein. I’m recent years, we’ve learned that higher intake of at least 75grams per day is optimal. The is a high protein pregnancy specific nutritional guide that reduces preeclampsia, swelling, hypertension, etc. Another key factor is salt intake. While it may seem counterintuitive, salt is actually very important to maintain proper hydration levels and balance in the body.

Support yourself and your health during pregnancy (and postpartum and beyond) by upping your daily protein intake. And support your baby’s developing organs and beautiful little brain 🧠 by consuming plenty of protein!

⭐️The first 10 people to sign up will receive 40% OFF The Natural Mom’s Pregnancy Workout Guide Plus, in exchange for a short feedback survey! ($48/month compared to $80/month)

Pick up wherever you are in your pregnancy up to 28 weeks.

Money back guarantee if cancel in the first 10 days!

DM if interested 👏🤰

⭐️ Pregnancy, birth and taking care of a baby might seem daunting and oftentimes comes with numerous fears that we have to work through, but take heart in this: you were made to do it! Your body, your being, your heart and soul are designed to reproduce, to birth and carry on life.

For years we have been talking about climate change, carbon emissions, “reduce, reuse, recycle”, etc., but it’s not enough. The predictions for how much longer we can go on like this are not only real and scientific, but also very scary and concerning. If you’re under 70 and have children or grandchildren…you and your family will probably be impacted, possibly very much so, by the downfall of our planet.

I am, however, seeing a great deal of people rising up to truly change things, but we have to recognize the importance and urgency of this problem and we ALL have to choose to be part of the solution.

One thing I recently learned about is the . How many of you garden? You’ve seen the difference between healthy soil and dry, dull dirt — I’m sure. Well, so very much of our top soul has become dirt. Just like a gut microbiome, the soil has a microbiome and just like so many of our gut microbiome that have been destroyed by countless antibiotics, toxic chemicals and pesticides sprayed on food, etc., on the soil’s microbiome has been destroyed by the same things, as well as over-farming and tilling.

The health of the soil (which should be teeming with billions of species of life) determines the nutritional value of our foods and plants, and even the tastiness that results. Furthermore, healthy soil actually pulls carbon emissions from the air and is able to store it (and utilize it) within. This is a huge piece of the puzzle for saving our planet. Also, even just a 1% 1% increase in soil organic matter increases water storage potential on an acre by more than 20,000 gallons. This can change our climate, our droughts, our world!

Check out Kiss the Ground documentary to learn more. You can support regenerative farming and gardening practices by going to https://lnkd.in/df3q8sW8 and following and . Start if you can.

Sincerely,
Cassandra

⭐️ Are you waiting and longing for your baby, wondering how long before she finally arrives? I know it can feel like such a long journey at times (and it is), but you will soon be on the other side. The beauty of pregnancy is it is long enough for both mother and child to prepare for new life. Enjoy and cherish this time 💕

☠️ Aspartame is NOT OK for you to ingest, especially if you are pregnant!

Act now and stop drinking anything sweetened with aspartame, such as Crystal Light. Also avoid canned, jarred, bottled or pouched fruits and vegetables. Opt for fresh squeezed fruit juices, and fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables.

It can be scary and overwhelming to learn that the foods and companies we’ve trusted are poisoning us with their products. Thankfully, there is a growing body of research accessible to us, as well as more and more communities of people choosing/supporting/pacing a better way.

You can always DM me if you have questions. I’m here to help!

⭐️ Tuesday mornings I’ll be doing a simple postpartum workout in the park for moms with baby in tow! DM me for more info.

Using resistance bands and body weight exercises, we’re focusing on slow strengthening of the core, legs, and upper body. I like to focus on functional training and for new moms a lot of that will mean gentle training, posture correction, and glutes/core engagement.

After our park workout, a couple of us headed to for our first baby swim class!

⭐️Whether you are making the transition to clean products because of pregnancy or not, it’s a very important transition to make. is an amazing company that is upfront with all their ingredients and where they come from, and everything is made in-house. They have products for just about everything - from cleaning to bath to mom and baby and more! Check them out at www.Earthley.com

When it comes to pregnancy, fertility and keeping our children and our families safe, the products we use, the foods we eat and the things we do matter. Educate yourself, pay attention to what goes in your mouth and on your skin, don’t neglect to care about these things. Companies like Earthley make it easy to start switching your products AND they have so many educational resources that are often free or at most, a couple of dollars!

⭐️ Bone broth is a superstar for so many reasons…it is an excellent choice for not only first trimester but all throughout pregnancy, postpartum and in general daily health. The densely packed nutrition in bone broth is easy to digest in it’s liquid form and the benefits are abundant. If you don’t like to sip it plain, use it as your base for soups and stews!

One of my favorite soups EVER is a bone broth base with shredded chicken, ginger, carrots, and other spices and veggies. DM me for the free recipe!

⭐️Planning your baby shower and overwhelmed with what to register for and what to skip? Copy this link to see my take on what you really need — and what you don’t!

https://www.essenceministry.com/motherhood-2/2022/2/10/the-things-we-really-needed-on-our-baby-registry

⭐️Happy Monday ladies! We’d love to talk with you more about our week by week pregnancy fitness program designed for the naturally-minded mamas.

With our strategic, educational program calendar, you will know exactly what to do at each stage of pregnancy. You’ll also receive week-appropriate reminders, tips, resources and more.

Our unique, one of a kind program is waiting for you!

DM for more info and check out our link in bio for prices 👏 Program by Be Fed Up: Healthy Lifestyle Coaching

Group 3:

⭐️Squats…they really are a star movement. Some people even say if you could only do one exercise, choose squats. A squat works so many different muscle groups, there’s dozens of variations, you can add weight or resistance bands, and they’ll increase your heart rate. While, of course, we want to do more than just one movement, this one does win as the best pregnancy exercise in our opinion!

Each trimester may look a little different, depending on the person and their abilities, but in general body weight squats with or without a resistance band, goblet squats with or without added weight, wall or box squats and squats holds/pulses are some of the variations we like to see throughout pregnancy.

In The Natural Mom’s Pregnancy Workout Guide Plus, you’ll be doing some type of squat in the majority of your workouts!🏋🏽‍♀️

How do you feel about squats?

⭐️ We hear a lot about the benefits of breastfeeding, but what if we look at it from a perspective of the RISKS of NOT breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding is beneficial for both infant and mother, but not breastfeeding can pose risks to both as well.

⭐️ Good morning and happy Sunday! Let’s remember our own self care today which leads to caring well for our babies. Not only that, but when we care for our bodies, we feel better, function better, and think better too! Often, these effects can trickle to the rest of our family, friends and social circles. Self care may be something we do for ourselves, but recognize that it is also something that benefits the world outside of us too! 🌎
☀️

⭐️ The days are perfect here in for outdoor activities. Yesterday we went to the for the first time and loved it! Some sun, walking, nature and friend time is a great recipe for a rejuvenated body and spirit.

⭐️ Maybe you need to see this today; maybe you just needed a reminder…exercising during your pregnancy has so many benefits — and not just for you! We’ll cover the benefits it has for your baby next week, so stay tuned for that!