Postpartum Depression: 5 Ways to Beat the Baby Blues–Naturally

                             

It caught me off guard. Coming from out of nowhere. I felt alone. Helpless. Hurt and worst, feeling I had no hope.

These are the emotions that came when I experienced postpartum depression (PPD).

My first three pregnancies were all followed by PPD. I was fearful of ever becoming pregnant again because of this. But, by God’s grace with our fourth child, I was free of depression.

Read how I fought PPD on my guest post over at The Humbled Homemaker here. 

Smoothie Goodness

According to some reports, 41% of us eat no fruit at all and 82% do not eat cruciferous vegetables in a day. Only around 9-14% of people eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables per day. Those percentages are a picture of what the American diet has sadly become. But the good news is, each of us can make changes today to turn that around in our homes.

In my opinion, the best way to get our recommended fruits and veggies in a day is by drinking smoothies. You know those times you want to reach for something sweet or salty (I prefer salty) that has an outrageous amount of calories per serving... stop... get your blender out... and make a smoothie.

It's going to be more work than just ripping open a bag of chips, but the overall satisfaction and nutritional content is by far the best choice. I know people like "quick and easy" meals and snacks... well, sometimes, healthy isn't always quick and easy and will require a little bit more work. I usually keep my blender in the clean side of my sink... ready for the next round.

Just a little heads up... you will run to the grocery more often when you increase your fruits/veggies intake. There's really no way around it. You want them to be fresh and you will go through them quickly when you make smoothies especially if you have children. But that is a good thing ~ making healthy choices for your family should make you feel proud. When looking over the produce at your grocery store, check the prices of organic over regular items. Sometimes there is not much of a difference. Go for organic is possible.

My favorite smoothie ingredients are frozen strawberries, berries, mangoes and peaches, and fresh pineapple and definitely bananas. My husband loves watermelon and shredded coconut together. Go with your favorites and what is in season first and then experiment as you go.

To amp things up, I also add some greens to our smoothies... I know the thought may sound little gross, but you will really be surprised at how good it will taste... my children never complain and even ask for seconds. Among the healthiest vegetables in the world, spinach comes out on top for the most nutrient dense vegetable... full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. If you want to experiment with your greens, try some kale which is a great sourse of omega-3's your body needs and does not create on its own ~ only through diet. Your liver will thank you for those added detoxifiers. Try a green smoothie for breakfast for 3-4 days and see if you feel a difference in your energy and mood levels.

Here's a basic recipe for one, but there is no right or wrong way to make one...

1 frozen banana or ripe pear(s)

2 c. frozen fruits of your choice (tropical blend, strawberries, mangos, blueberries... mix or just use one kind)

1 -2 T of coconut oil

handful of fresh baby spinach or kale

filtered water... about 1 1/2 cups

1 t. agave nectar or stevia to taste (if your banana is very ripe, you may not need to add any sweetener at all)

Blend for at least 2-3 minutes

WB Meal Plan - Super Charged

I think the meal plan for last week was (in my opinion) great. I mentioned how last Saturday we ate really bad and that evening my heart was racing and felt very heavy... it was a terrible feeling. Its amazing how quickly our bodies react to the garbage we put in it. Now after a week of going vegetarian (minus the turkey sausage), I really can't get over how great I feel. My skin looks good, no racing/heavy heart, good energy and overall, I feel great. I'm not perfect... but I am motivated especially when I don't feel well.

I think living in America we tend to reward ourselves for getting through another week, finishing a big project or successfully making it through the day with our little ones still happy and breathing. That reward is usually centered around some type of food or meal and for us, sometimes those food choices are extremely unhealthy*. I am all for rewards, but if they aren't super healthy ones, then hopefully they are balanced in between a generally healthy lifestyle. For me, its all about balance.

So this week's meal plan seems to be (unknowingly) focused on some powerful ingredients that will charge you and your family up for health. Full of flavor too, I promise. After doing a little research here are just some of the higher nutrients found in this week's meals... fiber, iron, carotene, manganese, antioxidants, amino acids, omega-3's, vitamin D, choline and more. Some things will be new for my family like the quinoa and the beet salad.

Monday

Black Bean soup ~ changes: using canned instead of dried beans and taking out the bacon (sorry) and the jalapenos (for the baby).

Sourdough Bread

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Tuesday

Wild Salmon** (baked with lemon, EVOO, salt and pepper) ~ from Trader Joe's

Sugar Snap Peas

Dorothy Lane Market Southwest Quinoa

Wednesday

Vegetable Frittata

Rosemary Hash Browns

Peaches

Thursday

BBQ Chicken Pizza ~ your favorite BBQ sauce, gouda or mozzarella cheese, fresh cilantro and red onion. (with whole wheat crust!)

Banana & almond butter smoothies

Friday:

We have plans so I don't have to cook for two days... hmm, maybe I'll reward myself :)

* Next time you want to look up the calorie content for something you're about to eat or just ate, check out www.myfitnesspal.com ~ sometimes you'll think twice before grabbing that second donut.

** Wild salmon is much better for you than "farmed" salmon... it is worth the extra money you will spend (although it is in not much when compared). Here is an excerpt from Natural News about the two kinds...

Farm-raised salmon are littered with these poisonous PCB's because the fish oils and other feed farmers are giving to their salmon for sustenance is contaminated. The salmon then absorb these chemicals when they eat, which is transferred to you when you get them at your local fish market. Wild salmon doesn't have this problem because, as the term "wild" indicates, they get their sustenance from a variety of sources in the ocean, many of which aren't nearly as contaminated.

All recipes not linked are available, just message me.