Beautiful After the Belly

Diastasis Recti, Hernias, C-section and Ab Scarring, Belly Button, Pelvic Floor

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March 14, 2009

Regrowing hair after losing post-baby hair

So my sister and I have been discussing this topic at length. We both experience more hair loss about 6 to 7 months PP, than we did the prior babies. Did you lose more hair after a subsequent baby? Did your hair grow back quickly or is it different in terms of texture or thickness? My sister and I were annoyed at just letting nature take its course, as is evident by the amount of hair in our hairbrushed. So, naturally (pun intented) we were looking to find ways to promote hair growth after the hair loss.

Here is what we found:

A normal healthy hair growth cycle will last between 2-6 years. On average, a healthy person’s hair will grow at a rate of 1cm each month. As we grow older or suffer serious illness it will grow at a relatively slower rate. The hair on our head does not all grow at the same time. Only around 80 percent of hair follicles are growing in unison. During this growth period, the remaining 20 percent is resting. After a couple of months the resting hair falls out and new hair will grow in its place. We all lose hair every day; an average of 50-100 hairs is lost. Excessive hair loss can have a number of causes including stress, hormone imbalances, illness or major surgery, childbirth and some medications. In these cases hair loss is usually temporary and using herbs and/or vitamin supplements can reduce hair loss and promote healthy hair growth.

How to Use Herbs for Hair Loss
Step 1 Use horsetail to promote hair growth and strengthen hair. Horsetail is a good source of silica which keeps hair strong and shiny looking. Horsetail also promotes blood circulation to the scalp and help nutrients get to the hair follicle more easily. Horsetail should not be taken directly as it can be toxic if taken in ground or tablet form. You can obtain horsetail in an aqueous solution to be used as a shampoo or conditioner from many health stores.

Step 2 Apply herbal tinctures such as birch and nettle directly to your scalp. They are gentle and will not harm your skin. Massaging these herbs regularly into your hair will keep your hair clean and shiny, prevent scaly skin and dandruff and promote healthy hair growth.
Step3Use shampoos containing rosemary and sage as theses stimulate scalp circulation and hair growth. You can also make a rinse using 15 drops of essential oil of either or both combined in a pint of water.

Step 4 Pygeum bark is derived from an African evergreen; it inhibits the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase- which reduces DHT-, and is used widely throughout Europe to treat male-pattern baldness.

Step 5 Take vitamin C supplements. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which is vital for healthy hair, and a deficiency can lead to or increase hair loss. A daily dose of 5,000IU will promote healthy hair growth. Food sources include citrus fruits, strawberries, pineapple, green peppers and cruciferous vegetables.

Step
6 Biotin is a member of the vitamin B family. It stimulates the production of keratin and may help reduce hair loss and premature greying. The daily recommended dose is 150-300 mcg. Food sources include Brewer’s yeast, egg yolk, milk and liver.

Tips & Warnings
Drink plenty of water. Each strand of your hair is made up of almost one fourth water. Drinking water regularly will keep your hair rehydrated, supple and flexible. Don’t be tempted to wait until you are feeling thirsty, by then you are already beginning to dehydrate. Drink between 8-10 glasses of water each day.

Iron helps to transport oxygen to your hair. Oxygen starved hair will be weak at the root as well as along the length of the strand. You can increase your iron intake by eating lean red meat and dark green vegetables. You may also take iron supplements.

If you are losing your hair:
Don’t shampoo more than once each day.

Don’t use strong chemicals on your hair such as dyes.

Use a very mild shampoo.

Don’t rub your hair too vigorously with a towel.

March 11, 2009

Acupressure for the entire face – Can’t WAIT to try it!

I LOVED , Absolutely LOVED, the other acupressure techniques I included several posts back on helping the eye area. They have really helped I feel with dark circles, and that furrow I get in my brow. I noticed that I have little knots in my brow muscles right about where the arch is. I have been working on getting those knots out and the acupressure has been helping. So I am continously sore right there as well as sore on the inner bridge of my nose on both sides. This has been eye opening to me realized those places are NOT supposed to be sore. LET GIVE THESE NEXT ONES A TRY!! I would love to know what YOU NOTICE!!!

Big Washing Face Exercise

We credit this technique to Yen Wei Choog, an acupuncturist in Northern California. This facial acupressure technique will tone, stimulate your face, and clear your complexion while also preventing wrinkles.

First make sure you wash and dry your hands so they are clean. Then charge your palms by placing them together and briskly rub them back and forth. An optimal number of times to charge your palms is thirty-six back and forth movements. You will feel warmth in your palms as Chi energy forms.

Now place both of your energized hands on your face with your little fingers along side your nose. Move your hands in a circular motion by moving upward. As you move your hands upward your finger tips will cross your forehead and then move downward and your thumbs actually pass over your ears. Again, begin at chin and move along side the nose, over the eyes to forehead, along hairline, over ear, and then back to the chin again. Do this sweeping motion lightly across your face thirty-six times.

As you incorporate this technique into your daily skin care procedure the Chi energy will harmonize in your face protecting your skin from the effects of aging. Any form of natural anti-aging skin care when combined with these Chinese acupressure techniques for the face will really get a boost in its effectiveness.

Full Pressure Point Facial Exercise
You may also want to consider twice a week adding a full pressure point acupressure facial to your routine. You can easily follow this map of acupressure points at the left noting the points on the face. This is an optimal exercise for creating a natural facelift alternative. Again, use the balls of the fingertips and apply bi-lateral pressure. There are only two points, on the forehead and one at the crease of the skin that are single points.

Everyone has a unique facial signature of muscle development, formed by the way that the features are animated and interact to produce facial expressions. Your facial signature plays a large part in how your face looks and the way it ages. Maintaining and developing your facial signature is the secret to staying sensual, sexy and young looking, but there are many factors in life that erode the stay-young potential in your facial signature, and these can take their toll by dulling your natural attractiveness and making you look older.

Acupressure is More than Just a Natural Facelift
We all know that cosmetic surgery costs is expensive and also has some risks. The use of Electro stimulation devices do not invite Chi into the face nor do they address the muscle’s needs to actually revitalize and bring back your youthful facial signature. The benefits of these acupressure facelift techniques keep your facial skin from growing a little older each day. You will gradually see a difference as your skin becomes smoother and more radiant. If you are interested in reversing facial aging practice this routine for a month, and notice the difference. You will be pleasantly surprised and most likely will incorporate these exercises into your daily skin care routine

March 9, 2009

Tricky Marketing – WHEAT

I think it is very important to recognize that there are some BRILLIANT people in the label and marketing industry that are SO good at what they do, they confuse consumers into thinking they are healthy. Most people who THINK they are buying WHOLE GRAIN are really buying something with just the tiniest, if any, smidgeon of whole grain. Its NUTS.

The following are REFINED GRAINS (which causes WEIGHT GAIN!!) You will see these in ingredient labels:

Durum Semolina Flour
-Semolina Flour
-Unbleached Durum Semolina Flour
-Enriched Flour
-Unbleached Wheat Flour
-Wheat Flour
-Unbleached Flour
-Corn Flour
-Rice Flour
– Made with whole grain
(usually means a very small amount)

Some of those may be surprising -but STAY away if you are trying to trim down your WAISTLINE!!!!!

Have any of these false claims been frustrating to you? Do any seem like false advertising to you? Do you get frustrated by labeling tactics?

March 6, 2009

Mariah Carey’s workout

This video illustrates some FABULOUS ARM SLENDERING exercises. I really like that approach to training.

The exercise with the broomhandle would only be recommended if you either DON’T HAVE a diastises (split in the rectus abdominus) or if you have CLOSED your diastises.

Postpartum women BE CAREFUL with that one.

But overall a very impressive approach with some great ideas for simple exercises. (just watch the first minute) Do you like the techniques and approaches?

March 5, 2009

What’s a MUFA? Why does it help with belly fat?

Is this for real? Can certain foods REALLY decrease belly fat? Is Guacamole a crime? What about Chocolate? All depends on what KIND for that one. But hey, if my 85% Lindt chocolate bars decrease my belly fat, I am ALL for it. And the nuts – make sure they are RAW vs. ROASTED (they lose their properties upon being roasted). Here it is:

A Diet Rich in MUFA’s (Mono Unsaturated Fatty Acid) Can Reduce Belly Fat:

Fat that accumulates around the abdomen increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Doctors recommend that people who are heavier in the midsection, reduce this area with diet and exercise.

According to a study that appeared in Diabetes Care, a journal published by the American Diabetes Association, a diet rich in monounsaturated fats (MUFA) may help reduce abdominal fat better than a carbohydrate rich diet.

When test subjects ate a carbohydrate enriched diet, they tended to accumulate fat in the abdomen. When they ate a diet that had more MUFA, abdominal fat concentration decreased, even without exercise.

What are some foods that are MUFA rich?

  • Dark Chocolate
  • Olives and Olive Oil
  • Flaxseed
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Almonds
  • Nuts and nut oils (peanut, walnut)
  • Seeds and seed oils (sesame, flaxseed)
  • Grape seed oil
  • Soybean oil
  • Avocados
  • Natural Peanut Butter
  • Macadamia Nuts
  • Pistachios
  • Walnuts

Which MUFAs are your favorite? Which will you eat to shrink the belly fat???

March 3, 2009

2 Weeks Without Sugar

So – its been 2 weeks without Sugar. (With of course the exception of 85% cocoa Lindt Chocolate)

So I go through about 2 to 3 Lindt choc. bars a week, and fruit. But I have to say the cravings have now pretty much subsided. And this coming from a MAJOR sweet tooth addict. I think for some people to give up sugar it is on par with quitting smoking or something like that. It is TRULY addictive to have sugar.

It is amazing though how the cravings DO go away. And I feel so much better. May seems like a long ways away, in a way, but then its only just 9 weeks or so. So if you haven’t joined – whats the worst you will experience??

Delayed Self Gratification – can be hard. No cake or sweets (Yes, Book club might be hard tonite) – But you will feel SO good after that first 1 1/2 weeks.

So please chime in if you are IN!!

February 27, 2009

THE CURSE OF CRUNCHES

I want to shout it from the rooftops – Crunches are the mother of horrible things a postpartum women (even if its been decades) can do to her body. Crunches can actually CREATE a separation of the rectus abdominus (the 6 pack muscle).

If anyone indulged two Sunday’s back when Desparate Housewives was on, then you would have seen the exercise BOOTCAMP that the women joined to get looking sleek and fit into model size dresses. Well, let me tell you, ain’t no slimming of the waistline going to happen with the crunches that I saw.

I saw women after women, who granted, are the extras – but still – bulging out their bellies. AAAAHHHHHHH! Its a DISASTER! Watch these crunches carefully and you will see through all their layers of clothing – the entire section of their abdominals were bulging out forward FORCEFULLY. (A couple swear words in the video FYI)

If those women did not HAVE a diastasis (split in their rectus abdominus a.k.a. “mummy tummy”) then they WILL after shooting that scene and doing crunches like that!

It is SOOOOOOO painful to watch. When you do abdominals, do HEADLIFTS instead (shoulders stay GLUED to the floor) and save your abdomals from a most certain fate!

February 26, 2009

Sprouts? What?

So many of us have the wintertime blues in February. I know I do – especially during CHICAGO winters. This is when many of us who do gardens start getting ready, if you haven’t already, to start your seeds inside in those peat pots or in little squares of soil.

Well, what if you want something really healthy without waiting until May for REAL results?

SPROUTING!!! It really us SUCH a nice way to get MAX nutrition in about 2 to 5 days. Now that is MY kind of harvest time!

So everyone has heard of Alfalfa Sprouts – and you might not LIKE alfalfa sprouts. What else IS there?
Broccoli Sprouts have 50 TIMES more potency in antixidants than real broccoli. And all you need are broccoli seeds, a jar, a square of old pantyhose and a rubberband to secure it. And then you rinse the seeds everyday with water and dump out the water. WHALA!!

KIDS think these are SO cool and they will have fun eating them – and they are WAY more healthy than actually eating fruit and veggies. I have DISTINCT memories of growing sprouts when I was a kid and rinsing them out and watching how much they grew each day. It is a great gardening experiment for kids. You can sprout onions, beans, sunflowers, radishes (very high in vit B,C, E, K and a couple others), clover, mustard, etc. and put them in salads, on sandwiches or eat them like I do – straight out of the jar with a fork (I know it sounds weird, but it tastes so DANG fresh!)

Here is a website that has a list of all the different stuff you can sprout:
http://www.isga-sprouts.org/nutritio.htm
and here is where I order my sprouting seeds – they include a TON in these packets:
http://www.parkseed.com/

GARDENING and escaping the winter blues IN FEBRUARY IS POSSIBLE!!! It will help you in your quest to make you and your family eat healthier!

February 24, 2009

PET PEEVE ABOUT YOGURT CLAIMS

As we were watching the Oscars, I must have seen about 5 commercials talking about how yogurt of the flavors of “key lime” “cherry pie” “lemon sorbet” etc. help you to lose weight.

Well, any 6 oz. yogurt with those flavors has AT LEAST 35 grams of sugar per pop!! So how many teaspoons is that of sugar? 1 teaspoon is equal to 4 grams of sguar. So …math…that is almost NINE teaspoons of SUGAR in an innocent small 6 oz. container of yogurt!!

How much does a can of pop have? Pepsi has 27 GRAMS (LESS THAN THE YOGURT!) and Sprite has SLIGHTLY more sugar at 38 grams.

Sugar causes an insulin response in our bodies. Insulin is the FAT STORING HORMONE.

So what will the body do when it has all this sugar – DUH – it will store the fat in the body. BUT ITS FAT FREE!! Who cares – they add SUGAR to take the place of the fat! There is no chance in HADES it will help you lose weight.

So while PLAIN YOGURT can be fantastic for the body, especially if it has live cultures (much more reliable if SELF cultivated with KEFIR), the SUGAR PACKED YOGURTS do NOT nor WILL they help anyone to LOST WEIGHT.

What a Marketing Hoax that just angers me because it sends a totally false message to women!!

February 23, 2009

SUGAR FREE AFTER 1 WEEK

So – I made it – PHEW! The first week, which is the hardest for me to go sugar free, is behind me. Of course I had plenty of help from my one legal “dessert” which is 85% chocolate. That means, of course, it is pretty bitter, but it gives you a sense of chocolate while being a MUFA (mono unsaturated fat) which is high in antioxidants, low on the glycemic index, and supposedly good for the waistline when its that dark.

SO I can’t weigh myself since there is not scale, but my clothes feel decidely better now.

I don’t feel so repulsed by my own lack of self control.

My cravings have diminished from last week. They are not gone. I made my daughter’s Pony Birthday cake and celebrated her birthday. When I was cutting the cake the whiff was divine. But -I wasn’t sorry I didn’t eat it.

My husband calls it “law of diminishing returns.” The first bite would have been pretty good. The middle part – non memorable – and the last bite would have been too sweet. So I fast forwarded though that process mentally and was done.

Also I passed up the Annual CHOCOLATE FEST here in Homewood. Chocolates of all shapes and sizes. I look forward to it every year – even though I usually forget to go.

But since my son can’t have ANY sugar (except fruit) since he has yeast issues, IBS, and Asthma – all of which are adversly and very obviously effected by sugar – it was a little easier because I felt like I was on his side as well.

If any of you haven’t started NO SUGAR TIL MAY – start today. Your body will REALLY thank you and it will be fun to do it cyberly. The other girl-fitness blog I go to is doing the same thing – www.fitmepink.com

So you won’t be alone. JOIN THE RANKS!