My Thoughts On...

Taking care of myself

After my recovery from my c-section I realized just how vital a mother's role is in the running of a household. We are always so busy doing for our family that we don't really think about it. Until... mommy is out of commission for a while. It took me a good two weeks to get up and get moving again. Terry did an awesome job at running things around here along with working from the house during those two weeks. But, we both realized how much work goes into running a household. We really work as a team and when one of those team players is down it is a real eye opener. This got me to thinking about just how many people depend on me. I really need to take care of myself so I can feel well and be on top of my game so to speak.

So this is what I am going to do

Supplements:

• Ocean Plant Extract- High in minerals, essential sugars and alginates. This contains iodine which is great for thyroid support. Your thyroid takes a "beating" after pregnancy so this will help balance it out a bit. I notice a huge boost in my energy when I take this in the morning. I am up to 3 capsules.

• Cod Liver Oil- High in vit A, vit D, EPA, and DHA. I am a nursing mother so this is not only good for me but also the baby.  I also notice this balances my mood out a bit. . I take two tablespoons. I like the cinnamon flavor. I know,  you are thinking "ewww cinnamon fish!" but it is not that bad. My kids line up to take this, including  Amelia my 2 yr old. They love it. Go figure.
• Multivitamin- I am currently taking a prenatal vitamin. Not much to say about this. Just making sure I am covered.

*****Big disclaimer here- I am not an expert in health and nutrition. I am not suggesting this for anyone, just letting you know what I do for me!****

Nutrition:

"Step away from the carbs!" I need to up my protein anddecrease my carbs. I know when I eat bread or indulge in a sweet in the morning or afternoon I crash afterward. Not good for the energy level. I have not been doing so well with this and I need to get back on track.

 I also need to eat some more fruits and veggies. As a family we don't eat all organic all of the time but we sure do try. I would love to eat more out of our garden (that is another story). Most of the meat that we eat is raised here on our land. The chickens we eat are raised by a neighbor. I like to eat locally raised food and support the local farmers.

 The raw milk is a huge part of our diet as are the raw milk products such as yogurt. I try to get in 2 quarts of milk a day. Our dairy cows are on vacation now ;0) so we don't have an unlimited supply of milk at the moment, but this also makes a huge difference in how I feel.

 And last but not least. Water. I also notice if I don't get enough water during the day I can start dragging in the afternoon.

Sleep:

 I used to be a night owl and could function on very little sleep. I used to work nights as a NICU nurse and my motto was  "sleep, get it when you can." Well not any more. If I am not in bed by 10 pm I can feel it the next morning. I actually need to get the rest of the family on a better sleep schedule. We are all going to bed to late.

Exercise:

 I am not cleared to exercise yet and to tell you the truth I don't know when I am going to fit this in. I would love to start running again. My goal is to fit in some sort of cardiovascular workout every other day. I may start out putting on my Ipod and doing laps in our yard, that way I am close enough to the house and won't have to trail everyone with me. And I can get some quiet time in also. :0) I always feel awesome when I am exercising regularly. So Important.

 And most importantly Prayer and quiet time:

 I have to start getting up before everyone. I love the quiet time in the morning. I love to drink my coffee before the hustle and bustle begins. And I don't know about you but when I get up and shower, do my hair, put on some make up, and get dressed down to my shoes I feel so ready to start my day. Most importantly, I need to spend concentrated time in prayer and thanksgiving to focus my day. A Rosary, morning offering, and time in scripture to coincide with Graced and Gifted and Chosen and Cherished (see side bar). This will no doubt make the biggest difference of all.

 

Sorry if this is not the most exciting post but I am going to use this as a reference for myself to kind of keep myself on track. Am I forgetting anything?

Comments

[marissa]

thanks for sharing this Kirsten. It was a good spark for me to get off my bum and get back in the game! I am goign to look into those supplements too. Thanks for sharing!

[jessica]

i am already exhausted just after reading about getting up early, showering and dressing. right getting up is an accomplishment! :)

[Randi Sue]

Sounds like a good plan!

[am]

Good for you. I'm the same way with carbs. I love them though, but if I stay away I do better. If I miss my morning prayer the day is usually lousy. I just think about my nana and remember her saying the rosary and prayers, first, no matter what. I really have to get my act together on that one.

[Stephanie]

I love this! Thank you so much for sharing.

[julie]

Very inspiring!