Ask Amber: Can I exercise during Pregnancy?

For today’s post I am going to my “mailbag” and answering a question from one of my readers! The question for today is all about exercising during pregnancy!

Question:
My mother and aunt told me to stop exercising now that I am pregnant because pregnant women are supposed to take it easy and shouldn’t exercise, but my doctor recommended that I keep active. So, is it okay to exercise during pregnancy?
~ Melanie C, Michigan.

Amber’s Answer:
This is a very common question that I get. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, doctors told pregnant women they should walk no more than 1 mile per day and to rest for the duration of the pregnancy. I think I would go crazy being expected to sit around all day for 9 months! Doctors at that time were concerned that exercise caused birth defects and miscarriages but research has since contradicted this. Since the 1960s there has been hundreds of research studies conducted that have shown the many benefits exercise has for the pregnant woman. Thankfully we are no longer expected to lie in bed for 9 months and are able to still engage in many of the activities that we could do pre-pregnancy.

There numerous benefits of exercising during pregnancy include:

• Decrease in pain during contractions
• Decrease in pregnancy discomfort
• 75% less chance of C-Section due to complications
• 35% less need for pain medications during labor
• 55% less need for pitocin
• 75% less chance of maternal exhaustion during labor
• Decrease time in labor
• Decrease mom’s risk of complications
• Improve sleep
• Improve energy level
• Decrease stress
• Decrease risk of postpartum depression
• Increase healthy baby development during pregnancy
• Improve nutrient delivery and removal of toxins to and from baby
• Improve post pregnancy recovery
• And many more! 

I have to issue a word of caution. It is still crucial to get clearance from your doctor or midwife before exercising to make sure your pregnancy is healthy enough for exercise.

When you do get the “all clear” from your doctor or midwife, be sure to exercise in a well ventilated room and to stay hydrated. A good rule of thumb is to drink a cup (8oz) of water for every 15 minutes of exercise. Oh, it might be smart to workout in a gym, your home, or in a park where you are always close to a bathroom.

There are so many great benefits of exercise during pregnancy that you are probably ready to just get out there and get moving! These benefits are great motivating factors; that’s for sure! However, it is very important that you don’t exercise during pregnancy and talk to your doctor or midwife if you have any of the following conditions:

• Ruptured membranes
• Premature labor
• Persisitent bleeding after 12 weeks
• Poor fetal growth
• Multiple-birth pregnancy
• A history of 3 or more miscarriages
• A history of preterm labor
• Dilated cervix
• Pregnancy-induced hypertension

Finally, when you do start exercising while you are pregnant, you must watch for these danger signs and seek your healthcare provider if any of these develop:

• Pain
• Excessive fatigue
• Overheating
• Dehydration
• Contractions
• Dizziness
• Dyspnea
• Headache
• Increase in leg swelling
• Muscle weakness
• Vaginal bleeding/leaking of amniotic fluid
• You can’t feel your baby moving

In summary, you can exercise during pregnancy and there are a ton of benefits to exercising during this special time. However, it is more important than ever to have the permission of your doctor or midwife and that you listen to your body and stop exercising if you experience any discomforts. Enjoy the special time of your pregnancy!

Next Steps:

• Leave me a comment below and let me know what you think about these benefits, if you are going to exercise during pregnancy, and what type of exercising you will be doing during pregnancy.
• Share this post with your girlfriends JGet Clearance from your doctor or midwife to exercise and start working with a personal trainer who is certified in pre/postnatal exercise.
• Enjoy your healthy and fit pregnancy!

How to Get Started with Juicing!

A few weeks ago, I brought you an awesome article from Karen Knowler, the Raw Food Coach, How to Set up Your Own Smoothie Bar. As a follow up to her smoothie article, I am bringing you “How to Start Juicing at Home” so you can learn how easy and tasty juicing can be!

So why JUICING? They are quick and delicious, and deliver an instant blast of sustainable energy. I like to think of it as high-dose nutrition in a glass!

Home-made fresh juice is lacking the yucky preservatives and additives and the nutrients are easily assimilated in your body! This helps your body absorb more of the good stuff which will give you tons of energy!

Fruit and veggie juices are cleansing, have tons of antioxidants, natural sugars, and chlorophyll that will get you on the road to looking and feeling amazing!

What I have noticed the most is that I no longer have the acne breakouts (having those in your late 20s is embarrassing enough!), my complexion looks awesome, and I have more energy! The past few weeks my co-faculty members have all been affected by colds and the nasty flu. The only problem with me being healthy despite their cold/flu is that I have had to be at work every day!

Start juicing and let me know how you feel!

Step 1: Tool Time.
You don’t need a lot of equipment to start juicing. All you need is a juicer. There are a bunch of different juicers out there on the market and can range in price from around $30 to $500 or more! You can get away with spending what you can on a juicer that gets great reviews on Amazon.com.

If you are looking for a solid juicer that can do many different functions besides just juice, minimizes foam on top of your juice, and minimizes nutrients lost, I recommend…

Last spring I bought an Omega 8006 after reading tons of reviews and health information about juicers. I absolutely love it! It maintains all the awesome nutrients and enzymes and does not have as much of that gross pulp left on the top of the glass.

It is pricey, but it is one of the best investments you can make for your health. I have made it part of my healthy living toolbox.

Some more helpful kitchen tools that are not required but are worth investing in, is a good cutting board that you will only use for fresh produce, a quality chef’s knife, and a fun juice glass! J

Step 2: What to Juice?

The main things that you can juice are fruits and vegetables.

I find juicing a combination of various fruits gives you a great burst of energy. Juicing a combination of fruits and vegetables makes you feel more nourished as well as energized. Vegetable Juices are more detoxing and nourishing.

All I can say to this is to experiment with various combinations!

Step 3: Set up your Juicing Station.
Find a place in your kitchen that you can designate as your juicing station. Make it convenient to the refrigerator and kitchen sink to make it easier to grab and wash your produce. The key is to not make it difficult to set up your equipment, gather your ingredients, and juice because you will be less likely to ever juice if it is a pain to even get started! Make life simple: keep supplies close!

Step 4: How to Juice!

1. Set up all your supplies! Pull out your juicer, the fruits/veggies you are going to juice, and your juice glass (fancy & fun to drink your awesome juice in)!
2. Be sure to wash all your fruits and vegetables. I use the fit wash that can be found at most grocery stores.
3. Chop and pit and any other preparation that needs to happen to make the fruits and vegetables easier to put through the juicer.
4. In no particular order, feed your produce into the juicer!
5. Pour into your fancy and fun juice glass!
6. Enjoy! Share with family and friends!

Ready for 3 refreshing and tasty juice recipes to get you started? Check out my juice recipe post by clicking here!

Before I wrote this blog post, I had a few readers ask about what I thought about juicing and what type of juicer I recommend.  So, for those readers who were wondering what type of juicer I recommend…

The Omega 8006 and I highly encourage you to make the investment if you are serious about getting healthy!

So, Get out there and start juicing!

Leave me a comment below because I want to know: Do you have any questions about getting started juicing? If you have started, what benefits have you noticed and what is your favorite recipe for juicing?

The Top 7 Easiest Ways to De-Stress your Home

Our lives are busy. We rush around day in and day out. From full-time jobs to raising kids to all those extra activities going on, it is no wonder we are so stressed out! It seems there are always things that need to get done, bills that need to be paid, and those extra responsibilities at work that must get completed by the deadline.

What else is causing stress in your life?

Did you know stress can negatively impact your health? It can lower your immune system which can set you up for catching more colds and the flu. Chronic stress can even increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, headaches, migraines, high blood pressure, ulcers, alcohol dependency, and depression.

It is so important that we make sure to take time to relax and rejuvenate to maintain an optimal level of health.

I don’t know about you guys but I love HGTV! There are so many great ideas on there about awesome rooms for our homes that promote relaxation and healthy living. But, it wasn’t until recently that I realized how important having a home that allows you to get away from your hectic lives is! So, this post is a little different from my usual health posts but I love talking about homes as much as health so Im combining the best of both worlds today!

Today I was looking around my home and thinking how the home can be just as stressful as a job. So, I decided to put together a short list of a few things that can help you de-stress your home and create a place where you can relax.

The 7 Easy Ways to De-Stress your Home

1. Use calming colors throughout your home. Calming colors such as blue, green, and beige can offer a more calming effect on your life. According to psychologists, when bright and intense colors are present throughout your home, it can change your mood pretty quickly to such a mood as anger and can actually quicken your pulse and raise your blood pressure.
2. De-clutter your home. When you have tons of “stuff” all of the place, even if the room is “clean”, it can actually create more stress in your life. Make your most common living spaces free of extra clutter and save the extra little things for other rooms in your home.
3. Add lots of houseplants to your living space. Houseplants are great ways to bring the outdoors in. By using more of nature colors and by incorporating more of the outdoors, you are creating a naturally calming atmosphere. There is just something about nature that is calming. Don’t you agree?
4. Create your happy and relaxing zone in your house. Whether you designate a chair in the corner, or a lounge outside, make sure you have your place you can go to relax at home. This way when things get hectic you have your escape to rejuvenate!
5. Make your bed every day. I didn’t realize how this can actually make you feel great just by simply spending the extra 3 minutes a day making your bed. When things look put together especially in your bedroom, you don’t have to worry about it and can more effectively deal with everything else going on in your life.
6. Create a “catch all” place in your home. Designate a place in your home, whether in the kitchen, entryway, office, or wherever that you put a cubby or holder that can catch all the mail, your kids homework, or all those extra papers. This will help keep the rest of the house cleaner and allow your family to be more organized and on top of things that need to be taken care of.
7. Clean your sink before you go to bed at night. I know this sounds funny, but it really makes a difference. My husband’s aunt actually told me this one and it really works! As the woman of the house, the kitchen can easily be put on the back burner for all the time we spend in there cooking, cleaning dishes, etc and create a source of stress for us. There are so many other things to worry about that cleaning the sink with Windex at night makes sure the sink is clean and shines. You can then go to bed relaxed and be ready to start the day again in the morning.

By incorporating these 7 Simple Steps into your daily lives, you might be surprised how many little things in your home are creating more stress that YOU DO NOT NEED! All it takes is maybe an extra 5 minutes a day to have a home that can help you relax, rejuvenate, and get AWAY from stress causing agents.

What more can you accomplish in your life without the stress and health conditions that go along with too much stress? Try it out!

Let me know what you think about the above strategies and how you can de-stress your life by leaving a comment for me below! Don’t forget to share the love by sharing this post with your friends!

The No Workout Solution: Get Sporty!

In the longevity hotspots around the world, people stay healthy and fit just through the daily work they must do.
I don’t know about you, but my work puts me behind the desk most of the day.

Since I started doing this, I can definitely see how people can gain weight so easily in our culture if they don’t try to be active when they are not working!

I also have stayed active and fit by getting a little SPORTY!

We all have heard we need to be active on a regular basis at least a thousand times. I am not here to drill you into shape like on the biggest loser, because who likes working out? NOT ME!

The key to getting healthy and fit is to find an activity you enjoy that will get you up and moving!

Growing up in the US, thousands of kids participate in sports. I played basketball and softball through high school. There are a lot of professional sports out there with tons of fans too! So with so much put into sports, how come the obesity rate is steadily climbing each year?

I believe this has a lot to do with so many of us adults, when we get out into the work force, get busy and quit playing those sports of our youth and instead, become mainly fans to our kids and also to professional athletes. Where does this lead us? It leads us to a more sedentary lifestyle and the continual weight gain as we age.

We do get busy in this culture and when we think about losing weight or getting fit, we think we must workout Jillian Michaels style! Don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed a few of her workout videos, but true and lasting exercise comes with activities we actually enjoy.

This does not have to come from slaving away in the gym or running forever when we hate doing these activities.

We need to get back to the sports philosophy to leading an active lifestyle by following the example not just the healthy people from those longevity hotspots, but also from our own kids!

Did you participate in any activities that made you exercise when you were younger? What are some activities that you enjoy?

I have come up with 7 different sports that you can participate in at any age! Adults don’t need to give up the FUN EXERCISE! The following are adult tested and the kid in you approved!

1. Tennis: this is a great full body workout that incorporates aerobic exercise with strength building movements for legs, arms, and abs!

2. Hiking: recently my hubby and I started hiking up some of the “mountains” here in the desert that are really rocky and is hard going. We have yet to make it to the top, but we will get there! Nothing motivates more than having a goal! All I can say about hiking is the next day my legs, abs, and glutes hurt!

3. Rock Climbing: this is a great arm and leg strengthening sport!

4. Dancing: there is a reason dancers have nice toned bodies! Dancing is a great aerobic exercise that works the entire body!

5. Swimming: this sport also works both arms and legs and is great for people who have painful joints because it isn’t weight-bearing!

6. Kayaking: my new favorite activity! You will definitely feel the ‘burn’ if you are new to using these muscles. Your arms and abs will get toned in no time!

7. Bowling: bowling? Yes! Bowling is great full body workout if you are not messing around the whole time. Stay focused but enjoy yourself and you will notice some soreness in your arms, shoulders, glutes and abs!


Question of the day:
Do you have a favorite activity that you used to participate in that you truly enjoyed? Out of the list above, what do you think you would enjoy doing to keep you active and fit? Leave your answer below as a comment…

How to De-Stress from your Crazy Busy Life in 7 Simple Steps!

I recently had a client come to me in tears about how stressed out she was. Her husband recently got transferred across country so they moved with their 3 kids.

They bought a house, she started a new job, the kids started in their new schools this fall, and they were still paying the mortgage on their home back east. She was extremely stressed out between helping her family adjust to the move, all the boxes to unpack, meals to cook, having to meet new friends, and starting in on her full-time job.

She was truly exhausted and didn’t know who to turn to in order to get the support and encouragement to get things done that needed to be done. She was ready to give up and fall back into her quiet shell just going through the motions.

Not all of us have recently moved or understand the stress this woman faced at this season in her life, but we all have the on-going stresses of life. We may have a family, work, school, etc that seem to pull us in all different directions.

Our kids could have tons of extra-curricular activities that seem to never end and pull us from one to another without time to take a breath. Some may even have the stress of starting a home-based business in addition all the other stress that life brings for us.

What has helped you deal with the different stresses in life effectively? What could you have helped this woman with in order to help her de-stress?

Today I have for all of us crazy people who think we can do it all for everyone on a daily basis, a list of the top 7 tips I have learned that help people de-stress and gain control of their hectic lives.

1. Be positive. Your life is stressful, but learn to think on the bright side of things. It will help give you the motivation and little extra push to get things done that need to be accomplished in your life. You can do it!
2. Get organized. How in the world will you feel like you are actually getting anything done when you don’t know what needs to be done? Get a calendar, a mail organizer, bill organizer, and keep track of your life! No more running around like a chicken without the head! Know what needs to get done and get it done!
3. Prioritize. So you have a list that could stretch from California to Texas; go through and prioritize the list so you can focus on what is most important to complete right now. This will allow you not to waste precious time right now on something that you don’t have to worry about until next week. Work on what needs to be done now.
4. Learn to say no. You aren’t superman or superwoman! You can not do it all. As a wife of a soon-to-be pastor, I should listen to this one the most! What do you need to do, what do you want to do, and what can you say no to?
5. Love your job. Go into work with a clear head and the positive motivation of what you love about your job. You have to have something you love about it even if it is just getting paid and having benefits. If you are truly not satisfied, find something else. I found my passion and success in the home-based business industry. Where is yours?
6. Take time for yourself. You can’t keep go-go-going without time to at least take a break and relax. If you do not take time for yourself, you are not as valuable to others. By taking this break, you will be refreshed and ready to handle those around you.
7. De-clutter your life. When you have tons of clutter both at home and in your calendar, you will feel so “all over the place”. This goes with being clean and organized in all aspects of your life so you can better deal with what is thrown at you! Without clutter, there is less to think and worry about! How simple can you get in your life?

With these 7 steps, we can better take control of our lives and revitalize ourselves so we can be more productive and present for those around us who rely on us.

Take a moment know to really think about what small change you can make in your life right now to help it run more smoothly or less stressful? Is there someone you know who could use a little support and encouragement to take a little time for themselves? Leave me a comment below!

For me it is all about taking a moment to relax, take a deep breath, and picturing how peaceful listening to the ocean is (hence the picture above which is a de-stressor for me)!

Don’t forget to share the love by sharing this post with your friends. Who is struggling right now and could use a few words that can make all t he difference in their lives?

14 Tips for a Healthy and Eco-Friendly Bedroom

In recent years, making sure your family is as healthy and eco-friendly as possible has become very popular. A few years ago I really had no desire to be eco-friendly and really didn’t know of ways to be healthy besides exercising and having healthier eating habits.

The more I have studied up on these subjects, the more I find out how clueless I was! It can get kind of scary when you learn about all the dangers of the environment right in your own home.

Now that my husband and I are in our first home and I have started envisioning how I am going to decorate and furnish this home, I have decided to share with you ways to clean up your environment and maybe become a little eco-friendly starting with the bedroom!

Here are the top 14 tips I have found through my research that will help you create a true bedroom oasis:

1. Refurbish antique furniture or buy furniture that is made with renewable materials. Do not buy furniture that is made of particleboard or composite wood due to the glue and chemicals used. These chemicals include formaldehyde which is a known carcinogen and some studies have linked it to the development of allergies and asthma.  This also applies to upholstered furniture due to the flame retardant that is used that emits formaldehyde vapors.
2. Choose bare floors with rugs made of natural fibers to help decrease the amount of allergens present in your house.
3. When it comes to choosing curtains, choose natural fabrics such as organic cotton, canvas, linen, or hemp to cut down on allergens and harsh chemicals. Curtains are great dust collectors so make sure to buy washable fabrics.
4. When buying blankets to keep warm during the long winters, choose natural linens such as wool, organic cotton, linen, or hemp. Do not dry clean blankets because some of the chemicals that are used have been linked to various cancers. If you do choose to use an electric blanket, warm up your bed before you climb in and then turn the blanket off. Electric blankets create an electromagnetic field as you sleep.
5. Choose fabrics such as organic cotton, wool, buckwheat, or natural latex when you buy pillows. Regular pillows are often made of foam which can contain flame retardants.
6. Sheets should be 100% organic cotton and not contain any dyes. Make sure it isn’t treated with formaldehyde or any other chemicals. Do not buy permanent press sheets because it contains formaldehyde of which vapors you will inhale when you sleep. Remember, your skin is your largest organ in your body and will absorb anything that comes in contact with it. Be careful what dyes and types of fabric you want touching your skin!
7. Did you realize that you should pay attention to what type of mattress you are sleeping on? You should choose a mattress made of organic materials. It is quite common for mattresses to contain flame retardants which are carcinogenic, reproductive toxicants, and endocrine disruptors. It has the flame retardant because of the foam which is made of petroleum-based products which are flammable. Wool is a natural fire retardant that is great for mattresses or even mattresses that are cotton filled. Savvy Rest is a great choice for organic mattresses that are made of latex.
8. Choose organic cotton mattress pads which will cut down on dust mites.
9. Choose air filtering plants. Visit NASA website for more information on best plants to choose.
10. Change your air filter on a regular basis to decrease allergens and purify the air.
11. Keep windows open for better air quality. Cross ventilation is a plus. Outdoor air is typically cleaner due to all the chemicals and dust that are found in furniture, fabrics, and other products in your home. Choose an air purifier or vacuum with a HEPA filter.
12. Choose low/no-VOC paint for walls, furniture, and ceiling to cut down on chemical pollutants in your home.
13. Wash your bedding each week with fragrance free detergent to decrease mold, mildew, and dust mite accumulation.
14. Choose a stylish ceiling fan to help circulate the air in your home which will help with cross ventilation when you have your windows open. Choose one made of renewable natural materials. You will also save on your electricity bill!

Do you have any thoughts or more tips to add? Leave me a comment below!

Today’s question:

What is one way you can improve the health of your bedroom starting today?