Finding Balance

Being healthy is so much more than the number on the scale, or how many push ups you can do. Diet and physical activity are important- but so is your career, finances, relationships, social life, education, and home environment to name a few.  We all need to work on creating balance and joy in our lives.  We tend to get jealous (or at least I do) when we see someone leaving the gym with a great body and healthy protein shake in hand, but they could go home to an empty house or abusive relationship.  Or we see our neighbor with a great paying job and new car, but they have no time to see their kids grow up or have a date with their husband.  Health to me is creating balance in all areas of our lives.  This is much harder than it sounds, but with practice it is possible.  For me having a new baby at home,  I am only able to go to the gym early in the morning before my husband goes to work.  I eat pretty healthy and have great friends and a loving family. I attend a great church each Sunday and practice yoga as often as I can.  Career has always been where I felt the least confidence in.  I graduated with a degree in Biotechnology in 2006, and since have worked in hospitality, fitness, and teaching.  I have never had a real career though, and at times feel envious of "successful" independent women I meet.  A big paycheck with their name on it, benefits, vacation pay, 401K- things I have never experienced. But I have traveled the world,  lived in San Francisco and Hawaii, went back to school for holistic health, and got to enjoy the slow life for a while. Now that I have my sweet baby girl- I am officially a stay at home mama and proud of my new title. This is the title I have always wanted.  Here are some simple steps to balance out your hectic life!

Nutrition/ Physical activity

* Try to eat a well balanced diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds

* Work out at least 30 minutes a day alternating cardio, weight training, and yoga

* Cook at home as often as possible instead of eating out

* Drink lots of water

Career/ Finances/ Education

* Never stop learning

* Since you spend more hours at work than home, try to find something you love to do

* Invite a coworker to go for a walk during lunch break

* Put away a percentage of your money for vacation, date night, something fun      

Relationships/Social Life

* Say I love you to those closest to you daily

* Give your significant other a back rub 

* Make time for friends 

* Call a friend who lives away instead of texting 

* Plan to do something physical with friend instead of getting a drink or food

If you can successfully change one bad habit, you're likely to change another

Breast is Best

There are so many wonderful benefits to breastfeeding your baby. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusively breastfeeding for the first 6 months of the babies life, and continue for as long as possible.  Breastfeeding is great not only for baby, but for the mother as well.  For starters, they call colostrum or early breast milk liquid gold since it gives baby important nutrients and antibodies. The cells, hormones, and antibodies passed through breast milk protect babies from illnesses. Studies show that breast fed babies have less frequent ear infection and diarrhea than formula fed. Formula fed babies also have higher risk of type 2 diabetes, asthma, allergies, and obesity. Mothers also benefit by skin to skin contact with baby which creates a strong bond. Moms who breastfeeding have a lower risk for many illnesses such as postpartum depression, ovarian and breast cancer, and diabetes. Breastfeeding can also save families up to $2000 a year!!!! You can find additional information on breastfeeding by doing a Google search.

Another important thing while breastfeeding is making sure you consume enough calories! Yes I would love to lose the baby weight quickly, but cutting calories is not the safe way to do this. Looking at some of my mama friends who are pigging out and still losing weight is frustrating. For me I have to watch what I eat and forget about the cute belly which held my little one for 10 months- there is plenty of time when baby starts running to lose that pudge! For now, eat healthy and workout when you can. Do I have frustrating days when nothing fits that I want to diet-YES- but at the end of the day I know my body needs healthy calories to continue making the breast milk. They say you should consume at least 1800- 2500 calories a day. Here are some healthy quick meals to make for even the busiest mamas! I will give recipes to some of these dishes so make sure to check back often!


Breakfast

I start every day with 1 Tbsp Chia seeds in large glass of water. Let sit 10 minutes while your preparing instant oatmeal- I like natures best organic hemp and flax seeds

Quick smoothie-
2 cups spinach
1/2 cup mixed berries
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp flax meal
1 banana
1Tbsp spirulina

Blend until smooth

Lunch

portobello mushroom taco

*Tortilla shell stuffed with portobello mushroom, black beans, and/or organic tofu or meat
2 Tbsp organic sour cream, Veggies, 1/2 avocado
*Chia pocket (you can buy at costco) stuffed with roasted veggies, quinoa, avocado
*Amy's pizza
*Low sodium soup

Snack

Apple or celery with almond butter
Kind bar
Cucumber with salt and nutritional yeast
Dark chocolate
Tortilla chips and salsa


Dinner

Quinoa with roasted veggies
Baked tofu with buffalo sauce
Twice baked potato
Amy's frozen burrito
Organic ravioli with spinach and garlic

Let's Get Real!

Being a realistic holistic mama means I try to be as healthy and environmentally conscious as I can, while still keeping my sanity! Having a 5 month old means getting very little sleep, and almost no time to take care of myself like I used to. In a perfect world I would sleep 8 hours a day, have unlimited amounts of money for all organic foods, be full of energy, and love cleaning. I am definitely not complaining since my baby girl is the best thing to ever happen to me- but I did have to change and compromise on many lifestyle decisions. Being realistic in what I can accomplish in a day/ week/ month has helped me to feel better about myself. Here are some topics I am going to be writing about-and how even the busiest mamas can incorporate healthy habits into their daily lives.

Cloth diapers
Quick easy meals
Super foods
Vegan/ vegetarian
Power grains
Healthy fats
Protein
Attachment parenting
Workouts
Healthy frozen meals
Power of friends
Being a stay at home mama
Super smoothies


Any feedback, comments, questions are welcome!

A Little Bit About Me

2nd grade school picture

So where shall I begin?! My name is Erica Ikeda and I am currently living in Hawaii. Growing up in a small town with my mother going to school full time left me the cook of the house at a very young age. I remember eating sugary cereals, waffles, bagels, pop tarts, French fries, and yes those yummy toaster strudels with a sugary filling and more sugar on top on a regular basis. Little Debbie cupcakes, ice cream, chips, and soda were always in the house and I had full range of these foods whenever I liked. I never liked red meat even as a kid, but I loved everything else a little too much. My weight was a problem and I realized this even in kindergarten when my teacher weighed us in front of the class and I was double the weight than most of the other kids! I was conscious of my overweight self- but not too sure how to change it. Luckily I had a good sense of humor and was outgoing so I had friends, but I was insecure and never felt pretty or popular. In 9th grade I lost some weight by walking everywhere by default since my mom worked and I hated being stuck at home. Once I lost a little bit, I was ready to lose more! By college I was in great shape. I worked out hard, but my diet was not the best. I was consuming low fat, fat free, sugar free everything! I looked amazing, but I now know those products are loaded with chemicals and sugar. After I graduated college with my Biotechnology degree, I ended up working as a group fitness instructor at a high end spa in the Pocono mountains. This is when I got into the best shape I have ever been in. I was teaching several classes a day, plus taking guests hiking and biking. After I left the spa I moved to San Francisco where I volunteered at a Bikram yoga studio and continued to stay in shape. There were so many health food stores that sometimes I would just wander in and spend hours looking at all the products that were still somewhat new to me.

March 2011

 A vacation to Hawaii- that ended in me falling in love with my husband and staying- lead me to an even healthier look into food. I researched schools and finally decided on The Institute For Integrative Nutrition. This school changed my life in so many positive ways. It taught me that being healthy is not just what we consume- but a lifestyle. Relationships, spirituality, career, family, diet, and exercise are all just as important and need to be in balance to be your best self. I graduated with a certificate as a Holistic Health Counselor, and my American Association of Drugless Practitioners certificate. I got married right after graduating, and a little over a year later had my sweet baby girl! Life has been crazy and I haven't had any paying clients yet, but I did help my mom lose 100 pounds in a year! So the point of this blog is to create a discussion on holistic living with a realistic approach. By writing this blog, I hope to create a dialogue on a healthier lifestyle.

January 2013 with my baby girl