At PregoFIT we are big fans of healthy, delicious food AND energry! So, we are excited to share this recipe we found via FitSugar for homemade, easy-to-make Banana Carob Energy Bars! Ingredients: 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats 1 cup oat flour 1/3 cup protein powder (I used vanilla brown rice protein powder) 1 T chia seeds (optional) 1 t cinnamon pinch of sea salt 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed 3 egg whites 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk 2 T smooth natural peanut butter (or almond butter) 1/2 T honey 5 drops of liquid stevia (or 1 T more of honey) 1 t vanilla 1/4 cup carob chips (or chocolate chips) Directions Preheat oven to 350° F. In a bowl combine all dry ingredients: oats, oat flour, protein powder, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl combine all wet ingredients: bananas, egg (read more…)
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Labor actually consists of three stages. You’ll know you’ve progressed to true labor when your contractions get closer together, longer and don’t slow down when you’re resting. Stage 1: Dilation During this stage, the cervix opens. Your cervix will dilate from zero (closed) to 10 centimeters (fully open). On average, you can expect it to change 1 centimeter an hour. Early labor — before 4 centimeters — feels like ever-increasing cramping, and women sometimes experience diarrhea, spotting, and discharge. Active labor – after 4 centimeters — means contractions are regular and strong and cause cervical change. During active labor, your contractions will be 2-3 minutes apart, lasting about one minute each. Most women say contractions hurt, though some describe them as a feeling of intensity, pressure, or tightening. NOTE: To help manage the pain, PregoFIT recommends patterned breathing — rhythmic, slow and deep — or try a warm shower or (read more…)
Read moreWe at PregoFIT understand the importance of healthy– so we also understand the importance of eating the most important meal of the day…breakfast! We have found a tasty and healthy breakfast parfait that is so good you’ll DEFINITELY make time for it! Ingredients 1/3 cup apricot preserves 3 cups sliced strawberries 2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt 1/2 cup low-fat granola without raisins (such as Kellogg’s) 2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted Preparation Place apricot preserves in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at high for 10 to 15 seconds or until preserves melt. Add strawberries, and toss gently to coat. Spoon 1/4 cup yogurt into each of 4 parfait glasses; top each serving with 1/3 cup strawberry mixture. Repeat the layers with the remaining yogurt and strawberry mixture. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons granola and 1 1/2 teaspoons almonds. You can eat right away (read more…)
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Meet Shakira Oswald!! Our PregoFIT Mom of the Week!! A little introduction… 1.) How many children do you have? How old are they and what are their names? I have 5 children. Brianna (17), Amiah (13), Ezekiel (9), Elijah and Zipporah (7) 2.) Which was easier for you—being pregnant or postpartum? I definitely think postpartum was easier for me. All of my pregnancies were high-risk pregnancies and required bed rest. 3.) Did you experience the “baby blues” or postpartum depression? When I had the twins I went through a very short period of the “blues”. They were delivered via C-section at 33 weeks and had to stay in the NICU for 2 & 10 weeks. It was very hard to go home from the hospital without any babies. I lost all of my baby weight and more by my 6 week check up (45 lbs!!). My OB/GYN was (read more…)
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Craving a yummy slice of pizza, but also wanting to stay healthy? Well, we have the recipe for you! Ingredients Dough: 1 tablespoon honey 1 package active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons) 1 cup warm water (100° to 110°) 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces), divided 1 cup whole wheat flour (about 4 3/4 ounces) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil Cooking spray 2 tablespoons stone-ground yellow cornmeal Remaining ingredients: 2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced (about 1/2 pound) 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fontina cheese 3 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 1 tablespoon pine nuts, coarsely chopped Cracked black pepper (optional) Preparation To prepare dough, dissolve honey and yeast in 1 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon (read more…)
Read moreHappy Foodie Friday, PregoFIT Mamas! Today we tracked down a delicious Linguine With Meat Sauce recipe thanks to Cooking Light Magazine, that will make you AND your kids excited for dinner. 1 (9-ounce) package fresh linguine 1/2 pound extra-lean ground beef 1/2 cup prechopped onion 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves Preparation 1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. 2. While pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion, garlic, oregano, and salt; cook 5 minutes or until beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 3 minutes or until (read more…)
Read moreWatch the Video! We love Moms who go back to work after their pregnancy but we also love Moms who choose to stay home with their little one — both options are extremely difficult, yet rewarding. If you’re a Mom who chose to do the latter, here is a little piece of encouragement. Bless you, Kristen
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Our featured PregoFIT Mom of the Week is Jessica Stubbs. She is very dear to me because she is my older sister. I love her so much and am thankful that she is active in my life! Her heart, wisdom, and perspective blesses me! I consider it a great honor to have her share her life and thoughts with all of you. Enjoy! Love, Kristen 1.) How many children do you have? How old are they and what are their names? Jessica: I have been blessed with two amazing kiddos. My daughter is my oldest and she is 8 and my son just celebrated his 7th birthday. 2.) Which was easier for you—being pregnant or postpartum? Jessica: My first pregnancy was rough so that is an easy answer, definitely postpartum. During my second pregnancy I was able to play with my little girl and we enjoyed the one-on-one time as (read more…)
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Many pregnant women tell me they can’t get a good night’s sleep. Either they can’t fall asleep or else they wake frequently to go to the bathroom and can’t go back to sleep. Maybe you’re one of them—and you’re pretty frustrated! So, let’s break it down into some strategies that might help you. First, check your sleep position. Lying flat on your back isn’t the best way to rest when you’re in your third trimester (by the way, it isn’t the best way to handle labor either!). When you’re on your back, the weight of your pregnant uterus presses down on your inferior vena cava, an important blood vessel that returns blood from your lower body to your heart. When this happens, your baby might receive less blood flow and thus, less oxygen. So side sleeping is probably the best, since it’s pretty tough to sleep on your stomach! If (read more…)
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