Thoughts

I promised photos... so here they are.

Today I saw a very informative/scary video about the effects of sugar and fructose on our bodies and the obesity epidemic... which is now (by the way) even effecting small infants (ie 6 month olds). I posted a link to the video on my personal training blog, if you are interested in watching it. I will warn you it's an hour and a half long, but I think it's worth sticking out to the end.

I've been learning a lot about nutrition and how incredibly badly we eat in America. As the owner of Ambrosia (a local raw/vegan/vegetarian restaurant) put it, we are not eating the American diet, but the Corperate diet of America. We eat what people who are trying to make lots of money want us to eat. There is a science behind why we crave certain foods, usually it's due to addictive ingredients. There is a reason we have a population of obese 6 month old babies. It's not because they aren't getting enough exercise. I really want you guys to watch that video on my other blog. Real bad.

In other news I have also been learning a lot about how to help my future babies. I recently read a study about how a baby that breast feeds, rather than bottle feeds, is a lot more likely to NOT need braces when they are older, because the jaw is formed properly when feeding on a breast rather than a man-made bottle nipple. I also learned that a pre-disposition to obesity can be determined in-utero if you eat high amounts of sugar or fats. The earlier you expose your baby to sugar, the more likely they will be addicted to it and crave it well into adulthood. I now have a really good plan of action for when I have a baby of my own.

Do not mistake this for me judging mothers who don't do what I plan on doing, I think everyone has their own ideas, their own thoeries, and I don't have any right to tell another woman how to be a mother, especially considering I am not one myself. I just wanted to write down my plan, and figured my blog would be a good place to do it.

Caitlin's Motherhood Plan:

1.) Stop drinking Green Tea while trying to conceive and until baby is finished breast feeding (it's known to drain folate stores and can lead to folate deficiency which causes Nueral Tube defects).

2.) Limit sugar intake (now and while pregnant) to fruit, or high fiber foods, and avoid high fructose corn syrup at all costs.

3.) Also avoid foods with MSG, artificial sweeteners (except Stevia and Xylitol), and most processed foods.

4.) Make nutritionally well-planned meals while pregnant to ensure optimum nutrition to baby. I don't want to overeat nor undereat while pregnant.

5.) Breast Feed Only, no bottles - this may come back to bite me... I know it's a difficult thing to do when you're busy and you may need to leave your baby with someone... but if I can do this at least 90% of the time I will be happy.

6.) Teach Babies about Nutrition EARLY so that they don't have to go through withdrawals and addiction-like cravings like I have had to do. I want to give them all the tools to be healthy, productive adults.

7.) New Chapter Pre-Natal Vitamins - I take them now, I plan on taking them a little more religiously when I am actively seeking pregnancy... right now it's more precautionary.

8.) Maintain fitness level before, during, and after pregnancy because a fit pregnancy, is usually a healthy pregnancy, and it's a lot easier to give birth and then recover from birth if you are physically fit.

9.) No Milk unless it's Organic, Hormone-Free Milk... and even then... calcium comes in many forms other than milk.

OK... so far that is all I've got. Now it's saved in my blog so I can look back and see my old plans and expand or detract from this list when the time comes.

Hope all is well for everyone else. As for me, things are good. Work is getting busier, and life is getting happier. I'm loving my new furniture a lot, and I had a great halloween.

Akira is doing better. She hasn't peed in 5 days now. Yes!!! If she can keep this up we won't have to medicate her :).

Our Thanksgiving plans are shady right now. With my sister, April, having her baby on the 22nd, and my Mom moving, we will probably stay in Austin and have Thanksgiving either with some friends or perhaps not at all. Even Christmas isn't looking too hopeful as far as seeing my family, however Jeff and I will probably be hosting Christmas at our house for any family willing to come. I inherited some great christmas decor from my Mom, and will be decorating soon probably. Maybe even tomorrow cause I am such a Christmas Geek! Luckily we have a lot of friends who are like family to us, and we won't be lacking in love or enjoyment of this holiday season.

I will try to blog more often. Until then, Blog Out.