Giving – Less Meat More Veg

Everything You Need To Know About Sex After Giving Birth, From Experts

CX3 — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 15:12:19 +0000

In the days, weeks, months, and (let’s be honest) even years following the birth of a child, it’s important for parents to continually work on maintaining an intimate relationship as partners. And that doesn’t just mean sexual intimacy, though it’s certainly a factor.

Make time for each other, Blaylock-Johnson recommends—for sex but also just to be together and connect. “I often see couples becoming so lost in the new role of parent that they forget to be partners, so it’s important that you prioritize time to connect,” she notes.

Even if it’s just taking a few minutes while your baby is sleeping, sit down and check in with each other, she suggests. “And if you have the luxury of having someone to help with child care,” she adds, “then definitely set up date nights if you can.”

In short, she recommends maximizing your time together, especially away from screens. “If you can just prioritize that time to be partners outside of parents,” she says, “that will help keep the spark alive.”

This article was originally published by mindbodygreen.com. Read the original article here.

Fall Allergies Giving Your Grief? Try This DIY Essential Oil Spray

CX3 — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 12:43:57 +0000

While most essential oils are safe to use around children, McClure always recommends avoiding spraying any blends directly at kids. She also adds that it’s a good idea to use this blend in a room with good ventilation, especially if you have young children and/or pets.

As far as storage, keep your blend in a cool, dry place, ideally in an amber-colored glass bottle, to help keep your oils fresh for longer. (Check out our full guide for essential oil storage for more helpful tips!)

McClure adds that if you’re in a pinch and feeling congested, peppermint essential oil on its own can be a wonderful decongestant. Simply take a whiff of the oil for quick relief.

Lastly, essential oils can only go so far if your home is ridden with allergies, so you’ll want to address the source of your discomfort as well. Here’s how an air quality expert recommends doing so.

This article was originally published by mindbodygreen.com. Read the original article here.

How To Ease Back Into Your Fitness Routine After Giving Birth

CX3 — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 13:21:32 +0000

Every new mommy wants to get back to their old life and fitness routine after giving birth. This is even more important for mommies because they feel like their bodies changed too much after giving birth. Embracing that isn’t a bad thing. It just means you have to ease into this a little more thoughtfully, and that’s what you’re going to learn about here.

Take It Easy

When a mom gives birth, all sorts of things could happen, including diastasis recti. If you’re wondering what is diastasis recti, it’s an injury in your abdominal wall. In essence, your six-pack muscles split during pregnancy. This creates a strange pouch that causes back pain, urinary incontinence, painful sex, or even problems going to the restroom.

You can examine yourself for this if you are dealing with postpartum pain. You can get on your back and bend those knees. Your feet should be flat on the floor while you do this. Place one hand on your belly while making sure your fingers are on your belly button. Gently press on that area while you slightly lift your head. Keep your shoulders firmly on the ground. Feel for the muscles in that area; they shouldn’t be separated by more than two to three fingers. Talk to your health professional if you notice a problem.

Consult With Your Doctor

Even if you don’t feel anything wrong in particular, you should still talk to your doctor or schedule a follow-up appointment. This is especially true if you had a C-section. The doctor will tell you how you’re healing and if it’s okay to start your exercise routine. Sometimes, even a slow start might be too much if you are still recovering.

The first step is to just talk to your doctor and find out how long you need to wait before you start exerting yourself. Of course, you should not do anything too strenuous if you’re still bleeding or experiencing other complications. If you injure yourself trying to do a routine too early, you could set yourself back even further. Remember that it’s okay to stick to simple movements if that’s all you can handle.

No Jerky Movements

The female body does a lot of wonderful and magical things for you when you’re pregnant. One of those things is it produces a hormone called relaxin, which sounds like a hormone that’s going to help you relax. The truth is that your body uses this hormone to help soften many parts of your body, like ligaments and joints. This happens because you are going to be growing during pregnancy and giving birth. Everything in your body needs to be more flexible.

Your body knows this and prepares for it with this hormone. The problem is that this hormone stays in your body up to six months after giving birth. This means your joints could still be loose, along with many other parts of your body. This could make you susceptible to major injury if you put too much pressure on yourself. If you are going to exercise, make sure you avoid any exercise that forces you to jerk your body around in sudden movements.

Stick To Postpartum Exercises

The next thing you want to do is stick to exercises that are safe for you. Walking is a safe thing to do after giving birth. A light walk should be more than enough for you. Depending on your pregnancy, you might not be able to do anything too intense for a while. For example, if the pregnancy caused some pelvic floor issues, you may have a longer recovery period before you are able to perform certain exercises.

Sometimes, the only thing you can do is swim, which is one of the most gentle types of exercise for women who just gave birth. Swimming offers enough resistance to give you a good workout but is also quite gentle on your body, muscles, and joints, which is what you need right now. Exercise is a good thing. It helps to strengthen your body, but it is important to follow the physical cues your body is signaling you.

Rest and sleep are vital at this time. Your body recovers when you are sleeping. If you want to do this right, make sure you add plenty of sleep to your post-birth fitness routine, because it’ll make you feel better in the long run. Hopefully, you can use some of these suggestions to ease back into a fitness routine that’s safe for you.

This article was originally published by artofhealthyliving.com. Read the original article here.

Thinking About Giving Your Dog CBD? Here’s Everything You Need To Know

CX3 — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 01:41:03 +0000

“CBD has many uses,” says Sara Ochoa, DVM, a small animal and exotic veterinarian in Texas and a veterinary consultant for DogLab, a pet product review company. “It is used to decrease inflammation and help with joint pain. It also helps with anxiety, seizures, and skin issues.”

She adds that CBD is generally safe for dogs but pet parents should be careful to choose the right brands and dosage, and monitor their pups for any side effects. They should also consult their dog’s veterinarian before starting them on CBD.

Some people opt to administer CBD to dogs in place of traditional anti-anxiety treatments during storms, fireworks, or other situations that cause their furry best friends stress. Others use CBD to help pets cope with soreness, seizures, and other illnesses.

“Benefits commonly reported include a reduction in anxiety as well as destructive chewing, a calmer demeanor without being sedating, reduction in joint discomfort and other aches and pains, and an overall anti-inflammatory effect,” says Brian Larsen, co-founder and CEO of RestoraPet pet supplements. “Combined, there is a noticeable improvement in quality of life for many pets that use CBD.”

This article was originally published by mindbodygreen.com. Read the original article here.

The Benefits Of Giving Your Pet Supplements – Art of Healthy Living

CX3 — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 04:53:20 +0000

Vitamins are considered an integral portion of a human’s balanced health, and it is not supposed to be different with our pets. When you offer them food alone, it might not meet most of the pet’s health requirements. Pet supplements may adjust for any deficiency in your pet’s diet.

Unluckily, more like humans, dog allergy chews are tailored to meet your pet’s individual needs at each stage of its life. Supplements may come in one size that fits every pet. Allergy chews are soft chews that can support your dog’s irritated skin. It would be best to consider giving your pet dietary supplements because they provide many benefits and make a significant difference in your pet’s life.

It is crucial to note that allergy supplements are essential in building your pets’ health, though they cannot offer total health coverage. However, they may have many health benefits. For this reason, it is crucial that you do more for your pets to make sure they have a happy and long life. Your pet needs exercise, food and water, a routine, grooming and cleaning, as well as playtime.

Benefits of giving your pet supplements include:

1. Improve Their Immune System

A balanced, healthy immune system helps reduce the risk of your pets getting heart disease, cancer, inflammation, diabetes, and osteoarthritis. A pet’s immune system can automatically control its cells to ensure they work efficiently while removing possible harmful pathogens before causing any problems. A minor interruption to this natural process can cause a lot of health problems.

Supplements ensure that the immune system is not compromised and stays alert to any attack. Along with providing your pet with a healthy, balanced diet and exercise, high-quality vitamins are essential and will increase the ability of your pet to fight diseases during its lifetime.

2. Provides Key Nutrients

Despite many claims from pet food brands, your pets might require a boost to offer them the essential vitamins in significant amounts. While carbohydrates and fats are the most common parts of your pet food, specific vitamins, fatty acids, and minerals can be lost in the process of cooking or heating.

Veterinaries recommend consistent supplementing with essential nutrients to improve the effectiveness of your pet’s food and substitute any missing nutrients. Always be careful not to overload your pet with nutrients that are not essential. The best vitamins will support and replenish with maximum effectiveness in small doses.

3. Improves The Coat And Skin

Hair loss and skin irritation can become a very distressing issue for many pets, as various external stimuli can cause them. Pet supplements can help you prevent the spread or the onset of the issue. For instance, dog supplements contain various vital vitamins such as biotin and amino acids that fight common issues like:

Excess shedding
Itchy, dry skin
Hotspots
Fleas and ticks
Bacterial infections

If your pet’s skin shows any signs of inflammation after a bath, medicated pet shampoo is recommended because it helps retain the skin and creates an anti-inflammatory formula.

4. Enhance Cognitive Development

Constantly feeding your pet with proper nutritional supplements can enhance its cognition over time. The best pet supplements always include antioxidants. Antioxidants play a key role in preventing the beginning of cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) in old pets.

The essential supplements that can make a significant difference to a pet’s cognitive development and health include:

Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Coenzyme Q-10
L-Carnitine

Combine the supplements with mental stimulation like training, walks, or playing with other pets. Supplements may slow down the cognitive aging process and keep your pet alert in all life stages.

Supplements have significant value to your pets. They can boost the immune system, maintain healthy digestion and help in aging gracefully. With all these and more benefits, consider getting your pets’ high-quality supplements to maintain their health.

*collaborative post

This article was originally published by artofhealthyliving.com. Read the original article here.

The Common Pelvic Floor Issue Whitney Port Dealt With After Giving Birth

CX3 — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 23:16:26 +0000

“Although pelvic floor muscles stretch over 300% during vaginal delivery, being pregnant increases your risk of pelvic floor dysfunction regardless of how you deliver,” physical therapist Heather Jeffcoat, DPT, explains. “The pregnancy itself causes postural and hormonal changes that increase the risk of bladder leaks.”

Exercise, laughter, coughing, sneezing, bending, lifting, etc. can trigger these leaks—making them essentially unavoidable postpartum. As many as four in 10 women experience urinary incontinence after giving birth, and many of them (including Port) don’t expect to.

“I didn’t really think much about my pelvic floor before becoming a mom,” she tells mbg. “I think the terminology starts sparking when you get pregnant and you’re about to have the baby.” After learning of its importance, Port began taking prenatal Pilates classes, focused on the core and the pelvic floor. And of course, following the birth, those exercises became even more top-of-mind.

This article was originally published by mindbodygreen.com. Read the original article here.