Drawbacks To Eating Sugar During Pregnancy

(image: Shutterstock)

Ok mom's, who has thought this while you were/are pregnant? "YAY! I'm pregnant, I can finally eat whatever I want!" (raise hand here!) Honestly when I was first married, I started to eat whatever I wanted, and I started gaining weight because of it but my excuse was, "It doesn't matter. I'm just going to get pregnant and then breastfeeding will make me lose all the weight!" WRONG! Not only did it take us 9 years to get a baby, but Breastfeeding did not help me lose ANY WEIGHT! Not 1 single pound.

Being pregnant is the last reason to start gorging on foods, candies and sweets and treats. That is the time you want to buckle down and eat a good whole food diet filled with nutrients that will not only keep you healthy but help support the growth of the new life in your body. Too many times, pregnant mom's give in to cravings while pregnant. I will admit it first, that I did! I gained 55 pounds with Mason, the last 2 months I was drinking a super thick chocolate shake at least 3 times a week. With Collin it was Oreos for the last month. And I gained 20 pounds with him. But I probably could have saved myself 5 pounds if I didn't. This pregnancy I am determined to eat more healthy and not give into my sugar cravings. Thankfully so far the baby is craving VEGGIES! The last thing I thought I would ever crave. So.... Is it safe to eat sugar during pregnancy? 

Here are some drawbacks to eating sugar while pregnant. 

Make your pregnancy symptoms worse. 

Eating too much sugar can actually make your pregnancy symptoms worse. Add more heartburn, more sick to your stomach feel if you are eating too much sugar at once. And of course make you even more moody especially if you aren't getting the sugar that your body is demanding for!

Increases in Exhaustion

It is commonplace among pregnant women to feel lethargic and lack energy at all times. Eating too much sugar can only heighten this feeling. Sugary drinks and foods generally contain sucrose, which causes blood glucose level surge followed by a fall in energy. And it can also make you more susceptible to be diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. 

It Can Make Baby Craving For Sugar:

Research has shown women who crave for sugary foods in pregnancy, have kids who grow up as sugar cravers too. This actually paves way for obesity and related ailments in the long run. And as we can see from all around us, there are too many obese children out there. And as a mother, that is the last thing that I want my children to deal with.

Weight Gain:

Eating sugar during pregnancy causes weight gain.While all women gain some amount of weight during pregnancy, those who intake, excess sugar put on more weight than usual. They also find it harder to shed the excess flab after childbirth. (um, yes!) 

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Addictiveness Of Sugar: Cut Your Cravings!

This week I am all about educating myself, my family and friends about the addictiveness of sugar. Yesterday morning Mason woke me up, not with a "Good morning mom!" or "How are you mom!" No. He said, "I WANT CANDY!" Broke my heart. My oldest who I denied sugar, sweets or anything artificial for his entire first year is already addicted to sugar. He is refusing to eat the food I make, yet he will eat french fries, hot dogs, sweets, crackers, and other crap.

I am seriously kicking myself. Maybe I gave in too quickly to give him sugar? Maybe I bribed him too much to get him to eat something? Maybe I ate too much sugar in front of him and shared?  Heck, I know how great candy and sugars are. I have been addicted for years. It wasn't until I started drinking Shakeology daily that I didn't "have to" have my sugar fix. And I am so thankful for that. Do I still eat sugar? Yes. Because I enjoy it. But no where near what I used to eat. And when I do eat sugar, I do my best to keep it "clean" and avoid treats that have any Artificial Ingredients, Additives, Preservative, etc. There are thousands of additives out there. These are a few of the top, scary ones to watch out for:

- MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) – it is a neurotoxin and used as a flavor enhancer...found in many canned, frozen, processed and fast foods (also in many foods in Asian restaurants – particularly soups…Ask the waiter/waitress). Also be on the lookout for the following additives, which always contain MSG: textured protein, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed protein, plant protein, oat flour and vegetable protein, sodium and calcium caseinate, and yeast extract. Reactions to MSG include weight gain, heart problems, headaches, ADD, asthma, and headaches.

- Food Dyes – derived from coal tar and petroleum, and can be found in many baked goods, beverages, candies, ice cream, cereals, cosmetics, etc. They have been linked to tumors, as well as, hyperactivity and behavioral effects in children. NOTE – natural and safe food colorings include paprika, turmeric, and beet juice.

- Artificial Sweeteners - aspartame (Nutrasweet & Equal) accounts for the most adverse reactions to food and food additives combines. These reactions include headaches, dizziness, rashes, vision problems, slurred speech, and can trigger or worsen chronic illnesses such as MS, fibromyalgia, birth defects, and Parkinson’s disease.

-Sucralose (Splenda) can cause gastrointestinal problems, slurred speech, mood swings, blood sugar increase, and weight gain. Yep, weight gain. Studies show these artificial sweeteners stimulate your appetite, increase (bad) carbohydrate cravings, stimulate fat storage and weight gain

- High Fructose Corn Syrup (Iso-glucose, glucose-fructose syrup, corn syrup, fruit fructose) – made from GMO corn through a chemical brewing process. The consumer is exposed to mercury and side effects include, liver damage, hypertension, elevated “bad” cholesterol levels, weight gain, and risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Products that may contain HFCS include various processed foods, yogurt, applesauce, soft drinks, children’s vitamins, jellies and jams, and even ketchup. HFCS is also found in many fast foods.

In the end, it's best to avoid highly processed sugars, candy, treats, and candy bars as they are filled with any number of preservatives. Stick with the ingredients you know and understand. Make your own sweets from howe. That way you know exactly what you are putting into your body. Your body will thank you for it and you will be closer to reaching your goals!

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

AMAZING 3 Day Refresh Results

CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS!?! My fellow coach and good friend Susan ROCKED her results with the 3 Day Refresh. In just 3 days she lost 7.8 pounds, and 5.5 inches! OH MY GOSH! She is a ROCKSTAR! Way to go Susan! Next up, she is going right into and rocking 21 Day Fix and getting even more leaned and toned! She kickstarted her progress in an amazing way! Want to try 3 Day Refresh? Click here to learn more! 

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

Weight Loss Victories

Do you have a little itty bitty accomplishment? Even the smallest of accomplishments are actually HUGE! How many times have we overlooked the smallest moments of our lives because we haven't made it to the final goal yet? I know it can seem silly, but somedays I celebrate the fact that I got my workout in, because my day was so hectic or crazy. Or a few months ago I celebrated the fact that I could fit in a sports bra I got that ended up originally being too small. Don't lose sight of the little accomplishments that you make in life. In anything. Because before you know it, that time will be past and there will be something else to celebrate!

~New pant size- celebrate it
~New outfit fits-celebrate it
~lost 2 pounds- celebrate it
~been stuck at a plateau and finally moved past it? CELEBRATE IT! 

Losing weight is hard to do. So celebrate your accomplishments. Not with sweets and treats or a big slice of cake. But make it known to your friends. Post about it on Facebook. BRAG ABOUT IT! You deserve to brag about it and don't let anyone bring you down. 

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

Saying Good-bye To A Family Pet

(Archer's last picture before we left to forever say goodbye)

Yesterday was such a hard day for the Allen household. Our dog of over 13 years took a turn for the worse this past weekend. We took him to the vet on Monday to have him checked out and blood work done. We received the results yesterday morning. Archer, our Puggle, was suffering from 3 different very bad diseases, only one of them were were aware of in November, with slightly elevated liver levels. But the other two were very aggressive.  With him fighting 3 diseases out vet advised that he was just too sick to help him out. We knew he was in pain and suffering and less than an hour later we said our final goodbye. The vet said that he is a fighter because of what was wrong with him. He wanted to be with us even though it was really hard and painful for him. 

It was bittersweet to be with him as he passed knowing that he will feel so much better and without pain but also knowing how quiet our house and lives will be without him and how sad we all will be. He was apart of our marriage since the beginning. We will never forget him. The vet gave us a clay paw print to remember him by. Which was a nice gift.

First of all, these pregnancy hormones are HORRIBLE! I cried almost all day long. And any little thing just sent me off. But he was my best bud. He was always my shadow. Hanging around me. He even knew I was pregnant before I did and made sure to protect me more (he became an even bigger shadow when I was pregnant.) He was a sweet dog. Very good with kids (unless Mason pestered him too much, then he would pitch a fit.) He was a snuggle bug, spending most winter as my personal furnace in my bed. He had a long life and I am pretty sure he was happy, always knew he was loved. It is a hard thing to say goodbye to your household pet that is a family member.

We got Archer from a pet shop just 3 months after our marriage. When we had decided on him, he was the runt of the litter and the most submissive, were almost done with the paperwork, I asked what his birthday was. We found out that it was our wedding day. It was fate! Also, we were originally going to name him Porthos, after the Beagle on Enterprise, but it didn't fit him at all. So we went with the Captain of the Enterprise, Archer and his middle name, Malcolm, is from the armory officer on the same ship. Archer Malcolm Allen became part of our family. We had so many years with him.

Here are some tips that we used to help Mason cope with the loss of his dog:

So Mason doesn't quite understand what is happening. But we decided that we need to be upfront with him. The "going to sleep" thing wasn't working and honestly I didn't want Mason to think that when he goes to sleep he won't wake up either. So we have been very up front telling Mason that Archer is very sick and that the doctor can't help him anymore. That we have to help him by letting him to go sleep and dying. Mason is now telling us that Archer died today. He is sad, but he isn't confused. Or at least he understands a little bit about it. He does keep asking when can we go back and get Archer. Which we remind him that Archer died. Then he says that Archer is with Jesus eating, and getting strong. One comment he made that just shattered my heart was, "Can Jesus send him back for a little bit to play with me?" Oh so sad, but it is what it is. So be upfront with your kids. Help them understand as much as they can, and think about how much you want them to know. but the biggest thing for them is to just be upfront.

Coping with loss of dog for adults:

Apparently males and females process this different. I have been crying and sad all day long, and Matt has been more internal. I know he is sad, but he isn't showing it. I suspect to be strong for me. Take time to accept what happened. Take time to be sad. To grieve. It's ok. Don't be quick to get another dog to replace your previous one. Honestly, we have said for many years that we wouldn't get another dog. I don't think we will. But only time will tell. Probably not until the kids are much older is what I am thinking. But be sad. Take time. It is not shameful.

One thing I have been thinking is that I have been blaming myself for not taking him in earlier. But honestly, this is what was meant to happen. He let me know he was ready, even last night. He was just tired last night. He was ready. And I am at peace with that, but for a time I was blaming myself. Don't blame yourself. Things work as they are supposed to.

Dogs are only with us for so long. Take the time to enjoy your 4 legged family member as long as you can. Remember the good memories! To Archer, I miss you already puppy. I hope you are enjoying your time pain-free in puppy heaven, and playing with your best buddy, Bubba. Love you Archer.

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey!