Exercises to do while pregnant

1. Walking-Walking is the easiest form of exercise you can do while pregnant.  It is easy on your knees vs. jogging, it’s safe and takes little time to squeeze into your schedule.
2. Jogging-If you are already a jogger you will still be able to continue during your pregnancy.  Be sure to stay hydrated and wear comfortable clothing and shoes.  If you have not run before consult your doctor before you begin a running program.
3. Dance-Don’t put your dance shoes away just yet!  Dancing is so much fun and an easy workout.  You can dance home in your living room or in a gym class just try to avoid too much spinning and jumping!
4. Swimming-Swimming has been considered one of the safest and effective ways to exercise for pregnant women by healthcare professionals.  Swimming keeps you toned without the weight strain while increasing your heart rate.
5. Yoga-Yoga has been known to relieve stress and pressure on your body and of course with your body going through changes during your pregnancy you experience a lot of this.  Most positions are safe for you and your baby but stay away from the excessively rigorous positions.  A lot of gyms offer special classes for pregnant women.  Here’s a center we came across in NYC:  http://www.prenatalyogacenter.com/cmps_index.php
6. Kegel Exercises-We as women need to practice these exercises in our everyday life not just while pregnant but Kegel exercises are especially important during pregnancy as it is said to make the birth easier.  By strengthening these muscles you are able to control your muscles during labor and delivery.  Doing these exercises will also minimize bladder leaks and hemorrhoids.  Kegel exercises can be done at anytime, anywhere without a sole knowing!!

**If you experience nausea, dizziness, abnormal change in body temperature, heart palpitations, swelling, vaginal bleeding, sharp pains, fluids leaking from your vagina or blurred vision call your healthcare provider immediately!!**

Stuffed Turkey Breast

Prep Time:          45 Minutes

Cook Time:          1 Hour

Ready In:            2 Hours

Original Recipe Yield 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package herb-seasoned bread stuffing mix
• 2 skinless boneless turkey breasts
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 (8 ounce) packages dried, sweetened cranberries
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 lettuce leaves
• 1/2 cup pecan halves

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
2. With a sharp knife, butterfly breasts open to lay flat. Place each breast between two sheets of waxed paper, and flatten with a mallet. Spread the prepared stuffing to within 1/4 inch of the edge of each breast. Sprinkle each one with chopped pecans and dried cranberries, reserving some of the cranberries for garnish. Roll up tightly in a jellyroll style, starting with the long end. Tuck in ends, and tie in sections with string, about 4 sections around the middle and one running the length of the roll to secure the ends.
3. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully brown rolls on all sides.
4. Place skillet in oven, uncovered. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 1 hour, or until the internal temperature is at 170 degrees F (78 degrees C) when taken with a meat thermometer. Do not let these get overly dry.
5. Allow rolls to set for 15 minutes before removing string, and slicing into 1/2 to 3/4 inch circles. Leave one roll whole, and slice the other for presentation. Stuffing will be spiraled into meat. Present on your prettiest platter on a bed of curly lettuce, and garnish by sprinkling with the remaining 1/2 cup pecan halves and the reserved dried cranberries.

Giada De Laurentiis’ Stuffed Turkey Breast

 Prep Time:      1 Hour 15 minutes

Cook Time:      1 Hour

Yields 4-6 Servings

Ingredients

• 8 ounces sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing
• 5 ounces prosciutto, finely diced
• 1 cup chopped boiled chestnuts
• 1/2 cup diced green olives
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (4-pound) boneless turkey breast
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• Special equipment: kitchen twine

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine the sausage, prosciutto, chestnuts, olives and sage. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a small skillet and add a teaspoon of the stuffing. Saute until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust seasoning in the stuffing mix, if necessary.

Place the turkey breast on the cutting board with skin side down. Flatten with your hands, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil to moisten. Spread stuffing on top and roll the turkey around the stuffing. Wrap kitchen twine around breast and tie tightly.

Place turkey in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until internal temperature of the turkey breast is 165 degrees F, about 1 hour or 12 to 15 minutes per pound.

Let rest 10 minutes, then snip off kitchen twine. Slice the turkey and arrange decoratively on serving platter. Pour pan juices over the slices and serve.

*****************************************************************************

Prep Time:      20 minutes

Cook Time:      55 Minutes

Yields 8 Servings

Heads up: you need a couple of bricks covered in foil to press these breasts

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Seasoning by McCormick) 3 palm fulls
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin, a palm full
• 1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika, a palm full
• 1 tablespoon coriander, a palm full
• 4 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, 8 sprigs, stripped off stems
• Cilantro leaves, 2 handfuls or 1/2 cup basil leaves
• 1 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley, 4 handfuls
• 1 cup shelled natural pistachios
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for generous drizzling
• 2 boneless halved turkey breasts, about 3 pounds each
• 1 stick butter, divided
• 1 fresh or dried bay leaf
• 6 ribs celery from the heart, shopped with greens
• 2 to 3 McIntosh apples, seeded and chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped, divided
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 6 pumpkin muffins, crumbled
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
• 6 cups chicken stock, divided
• 2 slightly rounded tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 chipotles in adobo, finely chopped, plus 2 to 3 tablespoonfuls adobo sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Preheat a 14-inch skillet or medium roasting pan over medium heat on your largest burner. Mix grill seasoning, cumin, paprika and coriander together. Place the thyme, cilantro or basil, parsley and pistachios in the food processor and process into a paste. Remove bowl from processor and remove blade from bowl. Have a rubber spatula on hand. Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil generously over the breasts to coat the skin. Loosen skin of the breasts with a small sharp knife. Divide the herb and nut paste between the flesh and skin on each breast. Use your hands to move the paste around under the skin to evenly distribute the mixture. Coat the extra-virgin olive oil coated skin with the spice mixture. Set the coated breasts into the large skillet or roasting pan. Wash hands. Set a second slightly smaller skillet or pan on top of the breasts and weight down with a couple of bricks covered in foil. Crisp the skin 8 to 10 minutes then transfer meat to oven and roast 35 to 40 minutes, until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 to 170 degrees F.

While turkey roasts, heat a second large, deep skillet over medium to medium-high heat with 5 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces. To melted butter, add bay, celery, apple, 1/2 of the onion and zucchini. Season the vegetables liberally with salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes or until softened. Add crumbled muffins and sunflower seeds to the pan and combine with the vegetables. Season the stuffing with poultry seasoning then adjust salt and pepper. Dampen the stuffing with 1 1/2 to 2 cups of stock. Pile the stuffing into a serving dish. Place in oven to just crisp up the top along with turkey or, if the pan does not fit, when the turkey comes out, switch on the broiler and crisp the top of stuffing – it should only take a couple of minutes, tops.

In a sauce pot, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat and add the finely chopped remaining 1/2 of the onion. Sweat the onion out 5 to 6 minutes to make it nice and sweet. Add the flour to the skillet and whisk 1 minute. Add in the chipotles and their sauce then whisk in 4 to 4 1/2 cups chicken stock. Thicken the gravy 2 to 3 minutes then season with salt, to taste.

Let turkey rest to distribute juices then thinly slice and serve with mounds of stuffing and gravy.

Tidbit: An ice cream scoop is an easy way to portion out stuffing on dinner plates

CURRIED TURKEY AND CAULIFLOWER STEW

Serves 4
256 calories per serving

Ingredients

PAM spray
½ head cauliflower, broken into florets, about 3-4 cups
5 cloves chopped garlic
1-1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1 cup low-fat salt-free marinara
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound turkey cutlets, sliced thinly
Nu-Salt
juice of 1 lime
1 bunch watercress
½ cup 0% Fage Greek yogurt

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Spray with PAM and add cauliflower; season with Nu-Salt. Saute until golden brown, about 6 minutes.

2. Add garlic and curry powder to the cauliflower and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

3. Add marinara and broth to the pan and bring to a simmer; turn heat down low.

4. Season turkey with Nu-Salt and add to the broth. Poach until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Stir in lime juice and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

I heard about the abs diet and thought it was simple enough to follow and post. Try it out my fellow FM.com members! I will as my 30th birthday is right around the corner!!!  #30sBlues lol

The Abs Diet revolves around a dozen delicious, convenient foods called the Abs Diet Powerfoods. All you need to do is eat the acronym A.B.S.D.I.E.T.P.O.W.E.R

These are among the best sources of protein, fiber, and all the other ingredients and nutrients that help fight fat. In fact, they’re so good for you that they’ll just about single-handedly exchange your fat for a toned, lean body. You can base entire meals and snacks around them, but you don’t have to. Just be sure to follow these simple rules.

* Incorporate two or three of these foods into each of your meals and at least one of them into each snack.
* Diversify your food at every meal to get a combination of protein, carbohydrates, and fat.
* Sneak a little protein into each snack.

A – Almonds and other nuts (with skins intact)
Superpowers Builds muscle, reduces cravings
Fights Obesity, heart disease, muscle loss, wrinkles, cancer, high blood pressure

B – Beans and legumes
Superpowers Builds muscle, helps burn fat, regulates digestion
Fights Obesity, colon cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure

S – Spinach and other green vegetables
Superpowers Neutralizes free radicals, molecules that accelerate the aging process
Fights Cancer, heart disease, stroke, obesity, osteoporosis

D – Dairy products (fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese)
Superpowers Builds strong bones, fires up weight loss
Fights Osteoporosis, obesity, high blood pressure, cancer

I – Instant oatmeal (unsweetened, unflavored)
Superpowers Boosts energy, reduces cholesterol, maintains blood sugar levels
Fights Heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, obesity

E – Eggs
Superpowers Builds muscle, burns fat
Fights Obesity

T – Turkey and other lean meats
Superpowers Builds muscle, strengthens immune system
Fights Obesity, various diseases

P – Peanut butter
Superpowers Boosts testosterone, builds muscle, burns fat
Fights Obesity, muscle loss, wrinkles, cardiovascular disease

O – Olive oil
Superpowers Lowers cholesterol, boosts immune system
Fights Obesity, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure

W – Whole-grain breads and cereals
Superpowers Prevents body from storing fat
Fights Obesity, cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease

E – Extra-protein (whey) powder
Superpowers Builds muscle, burns fat
Fights Obesity

R – Raspberries and other berries
Superpowers Protects heart; enhances eyesight; improves balance, coordination, and short-term memory; prevents cravings
Fights Heart disease, cancer, obesity

During pregnancy you are always leery as to what food you should and shouldn’t eat, I mean after all you are totally responsible for the nourishment of someone else for nine months and oh let’s not forget the fact that some foods that you used to love now make you queasy.  Aaah the joys of being pregnant!  Below I have composed a list of things that you should have on your list to follow during pregnancy.

1.      Prenatal Vitamins-Let’s state the obvious first.  You need to take your prenatal vitamins and I cannot say this enough.  Prenatal vitamins are packed with nutrients your baby needs such as vitamin B12 and folic acid that help form your baby’s brain and nervous system, Vitamin C to produce collagen, Vitamin D for strong bones and Zinc for their brain development.  I know these vitamins are not the easiest to swallow as they can sometimes cause your stomach to be upset or are hard to get down but try to take them on a full stomach or consult your doctor about possibly changing them to another brand.

2.      Mangoes- They are loaded with vitamins A and C, packed with potassium and are versatile.  Mangoes complement many sweet and savory dishes like smoothies, soups, salsas or relishes or of course you can just peel it and enjoy!

3.      Avocados- a good choice as they are loaded with folic acid, potassium, vitamin C & B6. B6 may also help with morning sickness.  You can substitute avocado for mayo on sandwiches but be careful not to eat too much because they are high in fat and calories.

4.      Peanut Butter-it’s packed with protein that helps build cells and create hormones for your baby.  try it with crackers or celery or just indulge in a old fashion PB & J sandwich (as I did during my pregnancy)

5.      Broccoli- packed with plenty of vitamins A and C, with a calcium bonus to build those baby bones with, as well as folic acid.  You can toss into pasta or casseroles, stir-fry with seafood or chicken, serve steamed or dunk in dip.  Either way broccoli is an excellent choice!

6.      Carrots- When I was a kid my great grandmother used to tell me to eat my carrots they’ll make your eyes pretty and come to find out she was so right!!  Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A and it is so important for the development of your baby’s bones, teeth, and eyes.  They’re perfect for snacks on the go and they are also a good source of vitamins B6 and C, and fiber to keep you regulated.

7.     Nuts- they are full of important minerals (copper, manganese, magnesium, selenium, zinc, potassium, and even calcium) and vitamin E. And even though they’re high in fat, it’s mainly the good fats especially brain-boosting DHA for your baby, which is found in walnuts.

8.      Yogurt- it contains as much calcium as milk and it’s packed with protein and folic acid too.  Blend it with fruit for delicious smoothies, layer with granola in a breakfast parfait, use it as a low-calorie substitute for sour cream or mayo in sandwich fillings, dips, and salad dressings, or simply spoon it out of the carton. As a plus the active cultures in yogurt (also known as good bacteria) can prevent stomach upset, as well as yeast infections.  Who knew?

9.      Spinach- Rich in folic acid, iron, Vitamin A, and calcium.  You can eat it raw, in a salad (especially one with almonds and mandarin oranges), or as a wilted bed for fish or chicken, or layered in lasagna.

10.      Edamame- these are cooked soybeans and they taste pretty good.  Edamame are packed with protein, calcium, folic acid, and vitamins A and B.  Salt them lightly as a snack and you’ll never miss the potato chips!  You can also toss them into just about anything you’re cooking, from soups, to pasta, to casseroles, to stir-fry.

11.      Oatmeal- They’re full of fiber, the B vitamins, and iron and a host of other minerals. Fill your breakfast bowl with them or add them to your pancakes, muffins, cakes and one of my favorites, cookies.   However you choose to eat them you’re helping your baby in the long run!

12.      DHA eggs- are a low-calorie and high-protein tasty snack.  You can scramble, fry, or boil eggs.  They are naturally loaded with DHA, which is a type of omega-3 fatty acid (better known as the good fat) that is a primary component of the brain and retina, and is essential for brain development and eye formation in the fetus.   They taste just like the eggs you’ve always known and loved.

13.      Lentils- Branch into beans for folic acid and protein, vitamin B6, and iron. Lentils are the most intestine friendly legume and readily absorb a variety of flavors from other foods and seasonings

14.      Red pepper- a terrific source of vitamins A and C, with plenty of B6.  Red peppers are one of the sweetest ways to eat your vegetables.  Enjoy them with or without dip they make the perfect take-along snack. Chop them into salsa, slice them into stir-fries and pasta dishes, or roast or grill them with a little olive oil, garlic, and lemon and serve them up in sandwiches, salads, or antipastos.  Red peppers are perfect for your baby’s growth and development.

We all know her from E News, Fashion Police and of course her and her husband, Apprentice winner, Bill Rancic’s reality show where they showcase the struggles they experience with infertility but this you may not know about Giuliana.  She recently found out and announced just one day after we walk in Central Park that she is in the early stages of breast cancer.

This was definitely a shock since on the last episode of “Giuliana & Bill” we see them entering a Denver clinic where she was to get started on her next round of treatments for IVF.  As she went in to get her next round Giuliana’s doctor insisted she get a mammogram but Giuliana didn’t understand why since she was only 36.  Her doctor said, “I don’t care if you’re 26 or 36, but I will not get you pregnant if possibly there’s a small risk that you have cancer because the hormones will accelerate the cancer.”  Of course the passion Giuliana has to become pregnant forced her to give in and get the mammogram and shortly after her world came crashing down, as she stated.

Who would even think that a woman as young as 36 with no family history would be diagnosed with breast cancer?  What’s even more shocking is that Giuliana had never been told before that she needed a mammogram by any other doctor performing IVF on her.  Why is this?  This is a topic that we need to dig deeper on. 

Giuliana mentioned that she has to get surgery and radiation but she will beat this because they found it early enough.  She also mentioned that she hasn’t lost the faith she will continue to try and have a baby she said, “I want that baby…That baby will have saved my life!  I always questioned why God was “punishing me” but I see now he was helping me.”

We wish Giuliana and Bill all the best as they go through this tough time!

Majamas by Breastfeedingmoms.com

After giving birth we don’t always feel sexy and just want to resort to our sweats and big shirts. Breastfeedingmoms.com have designed pajamas that are cute but comfortable for moms. With the criss cross chest breast feeding is made easy!  Check out all the different print and styles available