Solutions for Postpartum Depression

What is Postpartum Depression?

Postpartum Depression is much more than feeling a little sad or tired.

Postpartum Depression can effect woman usually for the first several months after giving birth, and can even last up to a year. Some of the symptoms include sadness, anxiety, irritability, fatigue,  changes in eating and/or sleeping patterns, and uncontrollable crying.

Of course, talking about the symptoms is much easier said than actually going through it yourself. Many woman who have gone through Postpartum Depression have the guilt of feeling like they just aren’t happy being a mom. For many woman, that’s only the beginning.

Causes of Postpartum Depression

Many Doctors believe that Postpartum Depression is caused from a lack of vitamins and minerals in your diet, hormonal changes, lack of sleep, and sometimes a combination of all three.

Solutions for Postpartum Depression

•Sleep, Sleep, and more Sleep. Anyone who is facing Postpartum Depression is likely sleep deprived and desperately needs some shut-eye. Many new moms probably wonder how this is even possible. This is the time to ask for help (or maybe before you reach this point). Ask your spouse, parent, or a trusted friend to watch your baby for a couple of hours so you can get some much needed sleep.

•Nutrients is vital. Your brain needs docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is an Omega 3 fatty acid. When woman are in their last trimester, many of her DHA is used up for her baby’s brain and nervous system development. Having low DHA levels have been linked to depression, suicide, and violence. It is important to have appropriate amounts of DHA while woman are pregnant and even afterwards (since breast milk naturally has DHA). Be sure to eat foods rich in Omega 3′s such as fish, eggs (yolk), flaxseed oil – just to name a few.

It’s would also be a good idea to keep taking Prenatal Vitamins after giving birth. The folic acid also has an important role in brain function and has been shown to help reduce the chances of getting Postpartum Depression.

Continue to eat healthy and drink lots of water! You should stay away from sugary, fried, and processed foods.

•Exercise. Once your Doctor clears you for exercise, its time to exercise! I know that you probably don’t feel like exercising, and that’s exactly why you need to start exercising again. It’s not always about losing the weight – it’s more about doing something healthy for your body and feeling good afterwards. Exercise gives you endorphins, which is a natural way to feel happy!

•Talk with someone. Call someone you trust and talk about it. I don’t believe in dwelling on the negative in life, but I do feel that sometimes it’s good to just get it off your chest and hear that you aren’t the only one who has been through this! Once you have talked it through, you and your friend might want to go watch a funny movie and get ready to laugh again.

Now it’s time to go and enjoy your beautiful baby!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Tags: anxiety, crying, depressed, Depression, DHA, eggs, exercise, fatigue, fish, flaxseed oil, Folic acid, irritability, Nutrition, Omega 3, omega 3 fatty acids, Postpartum depression, prenatal vitamins, rest, sad, sleep, water

10 Reasons why you’re STILL overweight…

1) You think “Fat Free” or “Sugar Free” means that it is “Healthy”

Marketing campaigns know that we are all trying to be healthier, and they are doing everything they can to sell you their product in an angle that makes you think their product makes the cut. They aren’t trying to make their products healthier. What does this all boil down to? The companies just want to make money, and the only way to make money is if you buy their product –whether it’s good for you or not.

Read the labels and ingredients and start learning how to understand what they really mean. It’s almost guaranteed that if something it marketed as “Fat Free” or “Sugar Free”, they are using dangerous replacements which usually end up being worse for you than the actual fat or sugar.

Most people still buy into this marketing scam – don’t let it be you.

2) You don’t get enough sleep

Sleep is underrated – by far. You should get the recommended 8 hours each night, and you will notice some very positive effects from this. Your body will feel rested and better through out the day. You will be more likely to exercise (you have the energy to make it happen), and you have a better chance of overcoming any junk food cravings you may have during the day. When you are more tired, you are more likely to “give in” to temptations. A lack of sleep negatively effects your immune system, which can make you sick. When you are sick, the chances of you keeping up (or wanting to) your work out routine is unlikely. You should consider sleep as being mandatory.

3) You like to try new “Diets”

I have already said in previous posts why I don’t like to “Diet”, but I will briefly say it again here. “Diets” tend to be short term! Make your healthy eating habits a Life style change, and you will see lasting results, which is what you want anyways? No one wants to just gain it all back again and again…so don’t! Lose it and keep it off for good.

4) You think having the occasional treat doesn’t really add up

This one almost makes me laugh, but it’s a reality check for most of us. Just one Oreo cookie is about 60 calories.

And let’s be honest…who only has one Oreo cookie? In my not-so-healthy days, I remember easily eating 10 Oreo cookies (or more), which is half of my daily calorie count. What’s worst is that I find myself still craving more cookies, and I am still hungry!

Check the calories. If your little treat is high in calories and you won’t be able to stop at just one, move on. Find something that will satisfy your hunger. A great alternative is finding a Fruit or veggie that you love and won’t resent when it becomes snack time.

5) You think you are “Naturally this Big” or “Big Boned”

That’s what happened to me too. I thought I was naturally a size 10 or 12. According to all the “medical” and “scientific” charts out there that tell you what your healthy weight range is for your age and height, I was supposed to be around 170 pounds. I don’t know who made up that bull, but if I were 170 pounds, I would not be close to healthy unless I was some body builder. As we all know, most of us aren’t body builders, so I consider those little “healthy weight charts” a piece of trash.

Once I started to get my act together and start taking my health more seriously, and listening to my body’s needs, I got down to 130 pounds and fit nicely into my size 2 jeans. Find your true healthy weight.

6) You think Skinny people don’t need to exercise

This one gets me every time. I hate how I will mention that I went to the gym and someone has to make the statement “You’re skinny, you don’t need to go to the gym”. Yes, someone really did say that to me, and No, I did not listen to them!

Just because you are Skinny, doesn’t mean you are privileged and somehow don’t need to exercise. I don’t care what size you are – Skinny or Overweight, you can benefit from exercising on a regular basis, and quite frankly, your body needs it.

For those who think Skinny people don’t need to exercise: How do you think thin people got to be thin in the first place? The answer is that the thin people exercise and eat healthy regularly. I didn’t become a size 2 by accident and neither did they.

7) You are (still!) skipping Breakfast

Ok, so this one I still don’t get. We have all been told how Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, and people are still skipping it! It may be for many reasons. You are “too busy”. Not a good enough excuse people! I wake up at 4:00 AM to go work out, make a healthy breakfast and lunch, work for 8 hours or more, make dinner, clean up, work some more, etc.

We all live a crazy and busy schedule. That’s life, and I get that. But there just isn’t an excuse anymore for skipping breakfast.

Be sure to eat something healthy – anything with processed sugar should be completely avoided.

8) You think you will reach your Goal Weight in 30 days or less

Guess what? You didn’t gain your weight overnight, and you won’t lose it all overnight either! Just because you aren’t seeing huge results your first month, doesn’t mean you should give up and say exercising and eating healthy doesn’t work. Just like you were consistently unhealthy and gained weight, you now need to work on consistently being healthy and exercising.

You will eventually lose the weight, and before you know it, you will be able to fit back into those skinny jeans!

9) You drink Energy Drinks and Sodas that are “0 Calorie” and think it’s a Healthy choice

Zero calories do not mean that the drink is Healthy. Energy Drinks and Sodas with Zero calories are another marketing tool to make these drinks seem “healthier” or “not as bad” for you. Reality is this: Energy Drinks and Sodas have zero nutrition, and there is absolutely nothing good in there for you. Nothing! Doesn’t matter if it has 300 or no calories, it’s just not good for you, regardless of the number of calories it says on the back. Your best bet is to just drink water.

10) You keep saying you are “Fat”

The way you feel about yourself plays a huge role in whether or not you will succeed with your weight loss and overall health goals. Ever heard of the popular Movie “The Secret”? Well, the Law of Attraction is real. Your mind is very advanced and sophisticated, and if you keep telling yourself that you are “fat” and “overweight”, then your brain keeps telling you to do things that will keep you in that state of being.

Start thinking “healthy” and “thin”, and your brain will start programming your thoughts and actions to lead you to a lifestyle that will help you become healthier.

It’s not all about wishful thinking, because action is involved. You need to do your part. Bottom line: Believe you will succeed and continue to exercise and eat healthy. Know that you will get there!

Good luck with your Health goals!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Tags: Artificial, Artificial Sweeteners, big, big boned, Breakfast, cravings, diet, energy drinks, exercise, fat, fat free, goal weight, health goals, Healthy, healthy breakfast, healthy choice, high calories, junk food, Law of Attraction, Lose Weight, marketing scams, muscle, Nutrition, oreo, oreo cookies, over weight, rest, size 2, Skinny, sleep, soda, sugar free, The Secret, thin, treat, Twinkie, work out, zero calories

Benefits of getting enough sleep

Getting enough shut eye is more important than you may think.

Lack of Sleep?

Research has shown that those who are sleep deprived don’t live as long as those who get more rest on a regular basis. Not only that, but studies have also shown that when you are sleep deprived, you are at greater risk of hallucinations and even mental problems.

Sleeping Beauty

Ever heard of people saying that they need their Beauty sleep? If you are like many people who do not want dark circles on their eyes, you may want to rethink your sleeping schedule.

Health Benefits

Getting enough Zzz’s will help your body’s immune system, which is why when you were sick as a kid, your Mom always told you to take a nap and get plenty of rest. Your body needs sleep to recover, and even prevent sickness in the first place. Sometimes if  you are getting sick, it might just be that your body is telling you to slow down. When you get enough rest, it can help you with reducing stress (which I believe goes hand in hand with letting your body heal).

Weight Loss benefits

Want to lose weight? Make sure you are getting enough sleep! First of all, you won’t be eating during all the time you are sleeping (obviously). While you are sleeping, you have these hormones created that regulate your appetite. This is a good thing, and it affects how you will be eating the next day. What I mean by this is, with less sleep, you have less of these hormones created. With that, your body unfortunately craves things that are sugary, fatty, high in carbs and calories.

Be sure to get your sleep tonight (…and every night for that matter)!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Tags: Beauty, better appetite, happier, heal, prevent sickness, recover, reduce stress, rest, sleep, Weight Loss