Creamy Chocolate Mousse Pie for our Happy 3-Year Blog-aversay!

It's our blog's 3rd year anniversary today! And what better way than to celebrate this day with some luscious creamy chocolate mousse!

I'm a huge advocate of real whole food - the less processed crap, the better. In the same time, I try to avoid meats and dairy as much as I can, more like what a flexitarian would do. So you see, it's kind of hard not to fall in love with plant-powered cook books. Therefore, I recently got a new book by Dreena Burton called "Let them eat Vegan!". Now you might say how creative one can be with recipes based on plant food sources only, something my colleagues consistently nag about, but long story short, it is one of the most delicious cookbooks I have ever added to my library! Dreena has some surprisingly good gluten-free /meat-free/ dairy-free/ refined sugar-free deliciousness in this cook book and boy can't I wait to try her recipes one after the other! You don't really have to be a 100% vegan to actually enjoy the her recipes; you just have to have a sense of adventure, be open to uncommon food combinations and to let go of all the meats, dairy and refined sugar one meal at a time.

Anyhoo, given that I am a chocolate fan, I picked the Raw Chocolate Dream Mousse Pie (page 245) to celebrate my 3rd year blog-aversay. It was good a choice. A really good one.

Ingredients

For the nutty crunchy crust

• Almonds, raw - 1 cup
• Walnuts, raw - 3/4 cup
• Dates, pitted - 3/4 cup
• Cocoa powder, raw and unsweetened - 2 tbsp
• Salt - 1/4 tsp
• Nutmeg, freshly ground - 1/4 tsp
• Vanilla, pure extract - 1/2 tsp

For the smooth yum creamy filling

• Avocados, ripe - 1 cup (equivalent to 1.5-2 medium avocados, they're in season now so go for it)
• Cashew, raw and soaked one day ahead - 1/2 cup
• Nut/ Rice milk - 1/2 cup
• Dates, pitted - 1/2 cup
• Honey/agave syrup - 1/4 cup
• Cocoa powder, raw and unsweetened - 1/3 cup
• Vanilla, pure extract - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1/8 tsp

Method of preparation

For the crust, it all depends on your food processor. My mom's processor is huge and heavy duty so I pulsed all the ingredients together. However, if your food processor is a small cuty pie, start with pulsing the almonds into a fine crumbly texture and then add the rest of the ingredients. Keep on pulsing till you get a sticky mixture. You might need to stop once in a while to scrape the ingredients down and if the mixture does not hold together when pressed with your fingers, you might want to add in a date or two.
After getting the crumbly texture you desire, you can transfer the crust to a pie plate or small cups (you know, for portion control and because I'm messy when cutting pie). You gotta press them lightly with your fingers to get them to stick together, exactly like what you'd do to any kind of crust. Don't worry, they'll stick together just fine!

For the creamy mousse, place all the ingredients in the food processor and puree on a medium-high speed until you get a creamy texture. I had to stop, scrape down the puree and mix it up several times before I got the creamy texture I wanted.

After all was pulsed, I just poured the filling into my cups (or your pie plate) over the crusts. This recipe yielded 8 cups (servings) of creamy chocolate mousse pie, so I placed half in the fridge and half in the freezer for couple of hours, just to know which gave a tastier texture. My sister loved the fridge version while I adored the icy texture from the freezer, so turns out, both are just as good! I topped mine with pomegranates but you can add some fresh strawberries, kiwi, orange zest, cinnamon, cocoa powder, chili, mint, coconut flakes... whatever taste you crave for with chocolate!

So, it turned out to be a happy delicious creamy [of course chocolatey]
3-year Blog-aversary! 

Why I Hike and Why You Should Come With Me!

It's green, breezy,
sometimes tough but always amazing
- Kfar Qatra

It's been a year and two months since I started hiking. Last April 2012, I joined a group that hiked every single Sunday, all year round, in the Chouf of Lebanon (sometimes Maten), and I have been hooked since then. Many of my friends and family get frustrated given that Sundays are mine especially that I try not to skip hiking days (maybe for a marathon or if I'm getting married). Of course, I first went to increase my physical activity, but actually hiking is more than 'more exercise' to me. It's a day off, a day of fresh clean air, all nature, no stress, no computers, no phones, no etiquette, no cars, no pollution, no noise. Just stress-free people in to enjoy a free, fun day.

Why hiking outdoors is now essential in my life

• First and foremost, I detach from my everyday life. As fun as it is, being stuck in traffic for at least 2 hours a day can become a bit tiresome. Not to mention the extensive computer/phone usage and work pressure. So going outdoors, where you can actually breathe fresh air and see the sun, clouds, sky, trees and flowers - where you can actually run, jump, more like play, is very different than exercising indoors, in a gym or at home.
• I increases an automatic 4 fun hours of my physical activity, with an average burning rate of 320 calories per one hour of cross-country hiking. Of course, the trail changes every time, which makes things 'interesting'. You'll never get bored, lots of people to socialize with and lots of plants and tees to learn about (and taste) - 4 hours feel like entertainment and pass like a charmer!
• It improves my cardio-pulmonary health from my blood circulation to my breathing and sweating capacity. More oxygen and nutrients are reaching my cells and more toxins are being cleared out, one of the many perks of physical activity!
• I have lost 17 kilograms of weight (around 38 pounds) so now I'm no longer overweight, my percentage body fat is within healthy ranges and I increased my muscle mass! Of course, my diet was as important as my exercise for these 2 work hand in hand. You can't hike or exercise in general and lose weight, unless you fix the quality as well as the quantity of your food intake! Healthy habits go with a healthy overall lifestyle.
• It improved my mental health, relieves my stress and I have excellent sleep quality, like a baby! I don't make these things up, I feel them and yea of course, science has my back!
• I get lots of my vitamin D needed! However, during scortching summer days, we try to avoid the sun as much as possible, walking by rivers, in the shades of trees.
• Hiking, or exercise in general, has lots of health benefits. It decreases your risk of blood pressure and diabetes type 2. It also puts lots of [good] pressure on your bones, increasing your bone density and reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Of course, I did not measure that, but it's a well known fact for weight-bearing exercises.
• And to be honest, I became a lighter, happier and more positive person since I started hiking. Hiking gave me a chance to experience getting lost in the woods, getting my shoes jammed between rocks, having to swim through a river to get to the other side of the valley and having to trust people I meet for the first time. All which improved my well being and outlook to life! These may seem simple and easy, but they actually reflect how I now deal with obstacles in my every day life - it's all just huge hike! 

It is quite important to walk, hike, jog, run, swim, bicycle, row, jump ropes [you name the cardio exercise you love, so find one] at least 3 hours per week, so I actually hike for 4 to 5 hours on Sundays, but I also go for strength exercises weekdays such as lunges, squats, sit-ups, push-ups... These help me gain control over the range of my motion as well as increase my muscle mass - all which are great to become a better hiker!

So come on a journey with me and discover my last year of hiking - Mrusti reserve

How it all began. My 2nd hiking trip
back in April 2012, Barouk el Chouf still had lots of snow

And this is the Chouf Reserve during Spring, I'm the one in pink!

Batloun during May - Mona letting her heart out!

We are always colorful!
After hiking, we sit, eat and talk - Deir El Qamar

Jahliye River, one of the most amazing places I have been introduced to in Chouf!
And it's just near my hometown, Deir Dourit, who knew!

Freeing your mind always helps!
Moi near Mazraat El Chouf

Najwa crossing the river.
She made it the whole way without giving up those flowers she picked!

I learned to cross the river too! I gotta mention that the water is always icy, so we never cross rivers during fall/winter seasons

And you know, whether it's rainy or sunny, we never skip a hike!
Chouf during fall is breath taking!

We even start our hiking as early as 6.30 am during sunny summer days - Bmohray!

This way we can finish early, before the scorching summer sun,
to chillax with Rodrigue in the greenery

Green green (and clean) wherever we go! Omar and some Roman ruins in Marj Besri

And just this past Sunday, we went to Mrusti where we had berries, we had cherries and walked them off too! And by the way, we always eat whatever is in season so I've had fresh loquats, grapes, cherries, peaches, strawberries, apricots, fava beans, fresh almonds, fresh walnuts, plums, cucumbers, tomatoes, artichoke, just to name a few!

Oh we all hike for free, you can get the food you want to have afterwards during our picnic/talk, we all get some and share a huge and yes, healthy mostly vegetarian, buffet!
Meet the adorable Daad, Ghandi, me, Adrianna and Maan nom-noming good food after a Marj Besri seriously long hike!

So if I ever hear someone saying they don't have the money or time to exercise, or that Lebanon's nature is mediocre, you're on my hiking list!! (I'm sure you'll love it!)

PS: I never take my camera with me, so I have Ghandi Tarabay, Carlos Bou Nafeh, Mona Merhi, Nisrine Dairy, Bassam Zeineddine, Omar Malaeb, Hani Hamdan, Fayrousa Nasr, Nidal Rachid, Iyad Zydan and Mira Breish (not sure if I missed any!) to thank for those amazing, breath-taking, heart-wrenching photos! 

Eating Healthy When You're On the Road

Whether you are on vacation or you are traveling for business, you know how hard it can be to eat well. One of the ways in which we take care of ourselves is to eat well, and though we think about staying safe and securing our belongings when we are on the road, we seldom think about what we are putting in our bodies. The food that you can get on the road is often full of fat, salt and sugar, leaving your body tired and weary and getting in the way of planned activities. Therefore, you need to be conscious in making right healthy decisions.

Be Wary of the Airports

Not only is airport food overpriced, but it is also terribly unhealthy for you. Airports rely

Pre-packed fast food at airports
Photo credit: Gabbyandlaird.com

on people being hungry, tired, in a rush and uninterested in worrying too much about the food choices in front of them. Most food choices are from fast food restaurants: packed, ready-to-eat, with large amounts of additives and preservatives. Make sure that you eat a healthy balanced meal before you head to the airport. Eat a full meal; just make sure that it is relatively light. A meal with a lot of vegetables and fruit will keep you in good shape while you are trying to make your flight! During connection flights, keep your intake of airport food moderate, ditch all greasy croissants, high cheese sandwiches, sugar-loaded coffees, creamy dips and deep-fried foods.

Choose Your Restaurant Carefully

When you are the road, make it a point to avoid places that serve a wide variety of fried food. Fried food is high in grease, and a single meal can run you up to a thousand calories if you are not careful. Look for menus that offer green salads/tossed greens with grilled white meats and meat alternatives. Fish restaurants, especially those offering steamed fish are a good choice. One strategy to use when you are looking at a menu is to look into appetizers, as they are portion controlled. Middle Eastern restaurants can be a good choice, especially if you are looking at hummus with pita and vegetables. In addition, sharing meals can be a good strategy to taste local cuisines while sparing the extra pounds. Try to have filling meals to decrease uncontrolled snacking during the day and when snacking, try new local fruits instead of high sugar/fat snacks.

A balanced meal: Hummus, pita and vegetables
Photo credit: Exclusivelyfood.com.au

Finding healthy hotels and restaurants can often be a difficult task, especially when you are in unfamiliar areas. I have found that reading reviews online from other experienced travelers is the best way to gain knowledge and find the right places for you. I most recently found a great site that listed reviews for Las Vegas hotels that not only had great reviews regarding the amenities and services offered, but also provided an abundance of reviews regarding the restaurants in the surrounding area. This made it so much easier to not only pick the right hotel for me, but to also plan out which restaurants that I could visit to eat both nutritiously and deliciously while in the buffet ridden Sin City.

Skip the Alcohol

When you are on vacation, it is easy to have a few extra drinks because you are having a great time. If you are on business, you may feel that you need to unwind at the end of a busy day. The problem is that alcohol, in cocktail or dry form, is full of empty calories and it adds up so quick! Alcohol also spares fat burning and leaves your body dehydrated, draining all your energy! Make sure that you refuse the key to the minibar in the room and that you skip the hotel bar. When you go out with people, stick with ginger ale or an intriguing exotic fresh fruit juice.

Cooking

If it is in your budget, think about choosing a hotel room that has a kitchen in it. If you are willing to cook while you are on the road, make sure that you take the time to shop at the supermarkets for healthy ingredients and snacks. Fruit, vegetables and low calorie snacks are best, such as cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, apples, bananas, soaked almonds or walnuts. Not only will this save you money, you will find that this can keep your calorie count low as you will feel full between meals. If you decide not to get a room with a kitchen, instead bring along a crock-pot or a toaster oven. This allows you to prepare hot food, which mitigates the need to go out and get restaurant food.

Take a moment to consider how you can stay healthy when you are traveling. It will sure pay off when you are full of energy during your trip and it only takes a little bit of consideration and conscious preparations.

This post is by the guest blogger, Cole Millen>> Blog: Colemill.blogspot.com

Cole Millen is an avid traveler and foodie who never forgets that life's best memories are made through real life apprehension of legitimate "experiences." Some people plan a trip to "get away," while others realize benefit of adding something greater to their current repertoire of knowledge, thought and emotion. Through his writings, Cole hopes to influence the earlier, and connect with the latter.

Emotional vs. Physical Hunger

We all know that angry moment when all you want to do is stuff your face with that bucket of chocolate chip ice cream. Ice cream ranks first on the comfort food list, chocolate and cookies come next for women while pizzas and steaks are second for men. Nevertheless, we all agree that food does more than just fill the stomach; it’s highly influenced by our emotions and feelings.

Photo credit:
NCCU International Association

Emotional hunger can feel identical to physical hunger – unless, of course, you have learned to distinguish each type’s characteristics.

• Emotional hunger is triggered/ paired with an upsetting emotion – whether you picked a fight with your partner or failed at school. Physical hunger on the other side is triggered out of physical need.
• Emotional hunger is sudden and urgent - one minute you’re not hungry and the next you crave everything! You would want to eat right away to ease emotional pain with comfort food.
• Emotional hunger is all in your head and mouth – you crave the sweet taste of chocolate in your mouth or how cheesy that pizza would be rather than just filling the rumbling feeling you have when physically hungry.
•  Emotional hunger is selective – you crave specific foods, such as sweets, chocolate, pasta or fast foods like pizzas, burgers or fries and you wouldn't feel satisfied unless you consume that particular food. However, while your physical hunger is affected by your preferences, it is actually highly flexible to alternative options and ends when you feel full.
• Emotional hunger is quick, absent-minded and automatic with you nibbling on a whole bag of biscuits without even noticing or stopping when full! Whereas when you are physically hungry, you would be aware of how you are eating, what you've eaten and if you are still hungry.
• Last but not least, because emotional hunger involves bingeing on lots of empty calories, unhealthy sugars, salts and fats, it usually ends with a huge sense of guilt while if you are eating to fulfill hunger, you know it’s a necessity to provide your body with the right amount of fuel it needs.

Therefore, next time you’re upset or angry and you feel sudden hunger, stop for a split of a second and assess your hunger –
Am I PHYSICALLY hungry or am I just feeding my EMOTIONS?

Fight Sugar, Know the Facts

Everyone is fighting sugar this summer, and it's about time!

More campaigns are targeting both parents and children to decrease their intake of sugar, especially those added sugars from sweetened beverages, cokes, candies, chocolate, ice tea, cookies, biscuits, jelly beans, cereals, pastries, doughnuts, croissants, cakes, flavored yogurts, milk shakes, ice creams, cereals, coffee drinks, canned foods, and we both know the list goes on!  Sugar is even found in condiments such as ketchup and salad dressings!

Two of the beautiful, smart campaigns again excess sugar intake are:

Cereal FACTS - Debunking all types of sweetened and unhealthy cereal and cereal products, especially those advertised for children. You can find top and bottom 10 lists of cereals by brands. Their information target both consumers and researchers with reports stating what is most advertised to children and which brands contain the most sugar content so let's hope they're not being lobbied by any side! You can heck their website here.



Photo from: Cerealfacts.org



Soda Free Summer  - Urges people to 'Rethink their drink' by fighting added sugars whether in carbonated beverages or other sweetened juices and drinks! Most people don't realize that they tend to gulp their calories in. In fact, half on the American population over the age of 2 consume sugary drinks everyday! Soda Free Summer explains how much calories and sugar various contain nowadays, how much exercise you need to burn them off, the unhealthy toxic effects of excess sugar intake as well as beneficial school tools. You can check their website, their twitter and their facebook page.

  

So why do we really care about added sugars?

• Sugar increases tooth decay
• Promotes weight gain
• Acidifies your blood, such that your body will need to extract some minerals from your bones to buffer that acidity!
• Increases triglycerides and therefore, increasing the risk of heart diseases and inflammation [Source]
• Decreases your immune system by acting as a substrate for bacteria in your body
• Increases the risk of skin aging, a much less famous crime
• Increases the risk of cognitive impairment 
• Some sugars like HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) have been linked to increased risk of abdominal fat, increased insulin resistance and diabetes type 2, increased metabolic syndrome, fatty liver and increased LDL cholesterol.
• More research is finding association with increased risk of cancer and more cancer! well. For instance, pancreatic cancer's risk increase by 2 times with increased sugar intake!
• People who consume large amounts of added sugars tend to eat less nutritious food, resulting in poor nutrition as well as vitamin/mineral deficiencies.
• Last but not least, very recent research links high sugar (mainly high fructose corn syrup - HFCS) intake to stupidity! High HFCS intake may highly affect the mind's long term ability to learn and remember! 

But why do they even add sugar to food?

Sugar tend to preserve foods, increase fermentation, give pastries and baked goods texture, add a unique flavor to foods [especially that we tend to prefer sweet tastes innately], and yea, because it's addictive so you'll definitely come back for more!

So the whole point out of this article is for you to Cut Down on your Sugar Intake.

1- Know the different names of sugar!Sugar can be simply called sugar/brown sugar, or its gazillion alternative tricky names from dextran, fructose, glucose, lactose, galactose, molasses, invert sugar, sucrose, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, beet sugar, barley malt, maltose, maltodextrin, honey, agave nectar, cane, cane juice crystals, caramel, maple syrup, sorghum syrup, turbinado, treacle, muscovado, panocha - some of which I can't even recognize!

Photo from: RefreshKansas.org

2- Check what ONE serving is! What manufacturers tend to do is mention how much calories, nutrients, sugars, vitamins, etc. there are per serving. But what consumers tend to think is that a whole package is one serving - and it's almost always NOT.
So let's take a look at the photo on the right. First, check what one serving is, in green. 1 serving is referred to as 'Serving Size'. This serving has 26 g grams of sugar, as shown in pink. Now the actual package has 2.5 servings, not just one, so do the math!

3- Know the linguistics

• Sugar-free: there must be less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving.
• No added sugars/ Without added sugar is used if no sugar was added during processing
• Reduced/less sugar is used when there is at least 25% less than a similar reference food so it doesn't mean it is low in sugar!

Photo from: Thearrowsoftruth.com

4- Know the ingredients' order

So when you check your label, which I'm hoping you will from now on, know that ingredients are listed in descending order of weight. On the right, you can find a coke's label where you can see that the 2nd ingredient is HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup)!

  

Sugar can definitely harm you, just like tobacco and alcohol so it must be regulated! Why isn't it regulated, you ask? Well, because the industry is making huge profits from their 'suga-baby' and taxing it would lead to less profit! In fact, in a report by the USDA (pdf file), taxing sweetened beverages could end up in decreasing total caloric intake and an estimate of 2 kilograms of adult and child weight per year, aiding in decreasing the worldwide epidemic obesity.

And no, don't go saying that sugar will give you the energy you need! Excess sugar intake will definitely increase your blood sugar steeply, only to cause a quick drastic decrease causing hypoglycemia - characterized by fatigue, nervousness, sweating, hunger and trembling! So pledge to start decreasing your intake gradually - you will benefit greatly!

More Exercise Benefits!

Exercise has been long known to help in weight loss by increasing your metabolic syndrome, aiding your cells to burn more! Exercise also decreases fat mass while increasing muscle mass, all which help you to burn even at rest. There are countless ways exercise can benefit your psyche, heart and body!

> It can maintain stronger bones
> Boost your mood, self esteem as well as overall satisfaction with life
> Help you sleep better
> Enhance your memory
> Improve clear thinking
> Reorganizes the brain to be more resilient to stress
> Control blood pressure
> Slow progress of Alzheimer's
> Aid in boosting the good kinda cholesterol
> Promote glucose uptake into cells thus aiding diabetes
> In the treatment and prevention of depression
> To aid in anxiety disorder
> Boost your immune system against future cancers
> Affects fat storage on the genetic level
> Oddly enough, it helps in preventing losing your sense of smell
> Decrease constipation by promoting intestinal peristalsis

> All while promoting better breathing techniques and pumping blood to all your tissues!
> Oh and affecting your genetic composition  

More exercise benefits were recently discovered this year! Exercise may increase the secretion of a new 'exercise hormone', Irisin!

Irisin can help in transforming white fat cells into brown ones. So what? The point is that brown fat cells are typically found in small amounts in adults while they're common in babies and children. The role of brown fat tissues is to promote energy burning while fat cells promote fat storage! So when you exercise, your body secretes Irisin hormone, transforms white fat into metabolically active brown fat, consequently, increasing fat burning for longer!

On another note, just a little bit of exercise may push your liver to produce hormones that boost HDL (the good kind of cholesterol) production, hence, benefiting your cardiovascular system!

So have an active lifestyle, ditch the laziness, TVs, computers & video games and commit to an exercise you love at least 3 times a week for a whole hour!

References:

Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Harvard Health Publications

Photo source: Exercise

Benefits of Healthy Eating After a Cancer Diagnosis

Every healthy adult is recommended to eat nutritious foods throughout every stage of life to promote a longer life and to reduce the risk of developing diseases such as heart disease and osteoporosis. But eating healthy isn't only for healthy individuals; healthy eating is especially important for people who have been diagnosed with cancer. Eating healthy while fighting this disease not only improves your quality of life, but it also boosts your mood and improves digestion and heart health.

Brown rice is an integral
part of a healthy diet!

Regulate Digestion
Certain medications used to treat symptoms of mesothelioma, uterine cancer as well as other forms of cancer can disrupt your digestive system, resulting in constipation or having bowel movements too frequently. Regulate your digestion by eating foods that are high in dietary fiber. Dietary fiber helps to create bulk in your intestines, making for an easier passage for waste from the body. It also helps to prevent hemorrhoids, constipation and reduces the risk of developing colon cancer. If your doctor has asked that you reduce your weight, eating high-fiber foods such as wheat bread, brown rice and oats helps you to feel fuller longer, resulting in you eating less.

Mood-Boost
Certain medications used to treat symptoms of mesothelioma, uterine cancer as well as other forms of cancer can disrupt your digestive system, resulting in constipation or having bowel movements too frequently. Regulate your digestion by eating foods that are high in dietary fiber. Dietary fiber helps to create bulk in your intestines, making for an easier passage for waste from the body. It also helps to prevent hemorrhoids, constipation and reduces the risk of developing colon cancer. If your doctor has asked that you reduce your weight, eating high-fiber foods such as wheat bread, brown rice and oats helps you to feel fuller longer, resulting in you eating less.

Heart Health
The American Heart Association recommends all healthy adults to consume no more than 7 percent of their caloric intake in saturated fat and no more than 1 percent of their caloric intake in trans-fat. Cutting your sat-fat and trans-fat intake reduces your risk of developing high cholesterol and heart disease. In addition, consuming polyunsaturated and monounsaturated food sources such as olives, almonds and avocados increases your good cholesterol levels and helps prevent cholesterol build-up in your heart. Your doctor may recommend that you cut your saturated fat and trans-fat consumption even more than this if you’re recuperating from surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Foods that are high in saturated and trans-fats are: full-fat dairy, egg yolks, processed meats, candy and fatty red meat.

Whether you’re receiving treatment for cancer, recovering from treatment or in remission, eating healthy foods can improve your overall well-being and improve your mood. It’s natural for your stress levels to increase after receiving a cancer diagnosis and eating certain foods can make this worse.

Foods and beverages loaded with caffeine or sugar can give you a false sense of euphoria, only to bring your mood down within a few hours after consuming them. Instead go for mood boosting foods such as seaweed, mushrooms and brown rice. Seaweed contains iodine, which can boost your mood if you’re deficient in it. Mushrooms contain the mineral selenium, which fights against depression if you’re deficient in it. Whole grains such as brown rice and wheat products keep your blood sugar steady, resulting in a constant release of energy.

Guest post by Jillian McKee. Jillian (@jillianmckee) has worked as the Complementary Medicine Advocate at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance since June of 2009 (http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/). Jillian spends most her time on outreach efforts and spreading information about the integration of complementary and alternative medicine when used in conjunction with traditional cancer treatment.

Exercising for Two!

Exercising for Two
is a must (photo source)

Exercise is a very crucial part of a healthy and active lifestyle. However, when it comes to exercising for two, the benefits are double! So, if you know someone who is pregnant, encourage them to exercise - they need all the support they can get!

Benefits of Exercising

• Exercise is a mood booster. Because exercise increases the secretion of endorphins, brain chemicals that make one feel good; it is therefore very relaxing and calming to exercise. Studies have shown that exercise during pregnancy is correlated with a lower risk of anxiety as well as depression

• Exercise during pregnancy may also play a role in decreasing the risk of gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes in which blood sugar is not regulated properly and is experienced for the first time during pregnancy. It usually goes away when mothers give birth, but if not managed well by proper eating and exercise supervised by your doctor, it may have serious complications!

• Exercise improves your blood and oxygen flow and thus provides better circulation between you and your baby. The blood is purified from carbon dioxide more properly, more oxygen reaches your baby, nutrients are better transported through the placenta and toxins are more excreted!

• Exercise also provides you with energy! Because it improves blood circulation as well as strengthens both muscles and bones, it will decrease any heavy load or sluggishness you are feeling and will keep you energized and active all throughout your pregnancy.

• Exercise helps regulate your blood pressure. This way, it can aid in decreasing the risk of preeclampsia – high blood pressure experienced with pregnancy. It is important to discuss everything with your doctor, of course.

• With pregnancy, there is a lot going in your life! Exercise can thus help in relieving stress and anxiety at all times. It is the time you have for your own!

• Studies have also correlated easier and smoother labor with how active your lifestyle is. Therefore, exercise may prepare you for labor, decrease the risk of preterm delivery and may assist in faster recovery from childbirth!

• Exercise helps in toning up the peristalsis movement of you bowl thus decreasing the chances of constipation.

• When you exercise, yes, you are definitely exercising for two! With an active lifestyle during pregnancy, this increases your baby’s chance to start his or her life with a healthy body that pumps with energy, with proper circulation and with a healthier body weight!

So what are some exercises that are pregnancy-friendly?

• Swimming is by far the best exercise I recommend during pregnancy. Without putting pressure on your knees and swollen joints, swimming properly can help in keeping you active, decreasing joint and back pain as it will make you feel lighter while exercising!

• Stretching is also a must during pregnancy. As smoothly as possible, try to stretch all your body from hips to thighs, ankles, waist, back, hips, calves and knees! These will help keep your motion flexible during pregnancy, help your edema, circulation and will help in decreasing any back pain.

• You may also want to try some low impact aerobics that will increase your lung capacity and pump your blood properly. Just make sure to take it easy throughout your exercise.

• Walking is also a very common exercise many pregnant mothers choose to go for in Lebanon. If you don’t usually walk, start smoothly 3 times per week and increase your speed and walking time a bit every week. Remember, no need to intensify your exercise regimen all at once! If you also jog or run, you can enjoy a bit of running but if you are new to this, talk with your doctor ahead of time.

• Yoga is one more exercise that is gaining some popularity. Yoga can help you relax, breathe better and stretch more. However, it is very important not to go to extremes, check with your fitness trainer what moves are ok to perform and what to avoid and if any move doesn’t feel comfortable, avoid it!

• Kegel exercises are as well a very important type of exercise all pregnant mothers can benefit from. The whole point behind them is to strengthen your muscles that hold up your uterus, bladder and bowls, thus helping you in labor and delivery. These exercises may also help in preventing hemorrhoids and support your muscles for baby growth. Fun part is that they can be done anywhere and at anytime! You just work on squeezing your pelvic muscles for five seconds then relaxing them, as if you are trying to stop urination or passing gas! Just repeat these exercises 10 times for 5 separate or consecutive times each day!

Walking is an easy exercise,
just make sure to hydrate well
(photo source)

Safety Tips

• It is very important to keep in mind that you should take things easy! Exercise is supposed to be fun, so if you think 30 minutes is too much, try breaking them into 2 separate 15 minute-exercise. Try your best to find your favorite exercise; after all, you want to enjoy it!

• Keep in mind never to overdo it! You don’t want to over burden your heart and lungs and therefore, if you are new to exercise, start off slowly and if you are used to exercising, listen to your body and don’t exercise to a point where you are heavily perspiring and out of breath!

• The position you choose during exercising is as important. Don’t lie on your back after the first trimester of pregnancy because this might restrict blood flow. Shift to your left side if you feel uncomfortable. Moreover, don’t perform exercises that decrease your ling space such as bending forward with your head down or eve curl-ups!

• Don’t use exercise to lose weight while pregnant. Gaining enough weight if very crucial for you and especially your baby’s health. This is why it is crucial to always monitor your weight and discuss any weight loss with your doctor.

• Keep yourself properly hydrated at all times. Hydrate before exercise, during (a whole glass of water every 10 to 15 minutes is necessary to replenish any fluids lost) as well as after exercise – meaning: hydrate well at all times!

• Do not exercise in very humid, high temperature or high altitude areas.

• Don’t go nuts over extreme exercising and don’t overburden yourself. Some sports such as basketball, football and volleyball may increase your risk of bumping into others and outdoor bicycling, skiing and horseback riding for example can all increase your risk of falling!Make sure to wear non-slippery shoes and choose stationery machines such as fixed bicycles instead of bicycling outdoors – this will decrease any chance of you tripping or falling down.

• It is preferable not to exercise if you are anemic, if you have a history of miscarriages, if you have heart, lung, joint or muscles problems, if you have diabetes or preeclampsia or if you are expecting twins. This is why it is always crucial to consult with your doctor at all times.

• Last but not least, listen to your body! If you feel dizzy, out of breathe, nauseated or if you feel some muscle weakness, chest pain or contractions, stopping and discussing it with your doctor is definitely best!

The benefits of exercising during pregnancy outweigh being a couch potato mama-to-be! You will be benefiting your body, your mood, your health as well as your baby’s! So find what exercise you like best and squeeze it in to exercise for two!

*This post is dedicated to my childhood bestie, Rita, who will be giving us Zoya in 3 weeks to come!

Information source:

ADA's Complete Food and Nutrition Guide book

Krause's Food and Nutrition Therapy 

Baby center.com 

WebMD