fitness. motherhood. life & style.

Eating Disorders and Week 31 Pregnancy Update

If you've read my first blog post from two years ago then you know I struggled with eating/body issues for awhile (first post can be found under my archives). A little over a year ago I finally was able to put a name to some of what I experienced which had been hard since it wasn't a more talked about eating disorder like anorexia/bulimia. I actually felt a sense of relief being able to put a name to this because that meant I wasn't alone! It's called Orthorexia and it's basically an obsession with clean eating that goes to different extremes (obviously I'm not a doctor but super clean eating is what started my struggle years ago). Hopefully, this may help some of you put a name to what you're feeling as well. Since that first post I've also been able to connect with other girls who were just as lost as I was and it's helped me just as much as I hope it's helped them! I wanted to write this post today to update those of you who may be struggling with ANY eating/body disorder and point out that there is light at the end of the tunnel!

I've hit 31 weeks in my pregnancy this week with about 17 pounds of weight gain and I literally haven't tracked any bit of food going into my mouth. It made me realize that I would have been a MESS if I ended up pregnant when I was battling with food and body image. Having days where I didn't feel good enough to work out would have brought me to tears, gaining weight that was out of my control would have made me obsess over everything I ate, and I probably would have ended up binge eating only resulting in more weight gain. I'm so happy that I kept searching for a way out of the awful cycle I was in and I've come so far! Not to say that it doesn't still haunt me from time to time, but I know that I can control it now. Don't give up on getting through whatever you're going through! Search for people to talk to, be kind to yourself and practice self love, see a therapist if you feel like that's what you need but don't give up on helping yourself. I'm also always happily available if you just want someone to relate to because I know how much that helps. Just keep going because there are much better times down the road and more important things than being so hard on yourself.


On a positive note, I have 9 weeks (ish) left until I get to meet baby Mia!! She's healthy so far and our check ups have moved to every other week. I'm also glad that I was able to get my own eating and body issues under control so I know that I'm not affecting Mia's health. I'm a little more tired than I was in the second trimester and I'm DEFINITELY nesting. She moves a lot and that is my favorite part of this trimester so far. Instead of cravings, I'm having food aversions so finding something to eat that actually sounds good has been hard the past couple of weeks (one of the many things that's different for everyone and no one tells you about). Hopefully we'll be done with the nursery soon and then I'll post pictures!

Always feel free to contact me with any feedback or questions!

xo
katie lynn
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Best Moisturizers for Dry Skin

Hey everyone!

Being that I have dry skin, I have tried probably just about every single moisturizer out there. However, my skin is also extremely sensitive and every single one of these moisturizers breaks me out as well (the struggle). I had given up on searching for a moisturizer and just used a cheap one when my face was in dire need (didn't work well). Without the proper moisturizer I noticed that my makeup wouldn't blend correctly and I actually broke out more than I do now.

Finally, a few weeks ago I decided I really needed something more and Sephora helped me to find the best moisturizer for dry skin, ever!! The brand is Fresh and the product is their Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream. I've heard for years that rosewater is good for dry skin and that's the main ingredient in this cream. It's a gel cream but it feels super lightweight on my skin. I just apply it before bed right after I wash my face and let it soak in over night. I also had a rosewater facial spray by Mario Badescu that someone had given me and I rarely use. I now use that some nights when I feel like I don't need my Fresh gel cream. I've barely had a break out, my makeup blends 100 times better, and my face is a lot brighter. For about a year now I have been using the Makeup Forever Hydrating Primer pre-foundation application and that's also helped with my skin. If you have the same dry/sensitive skin struggles as I do, then these products are so worth trying!

xo,
katie lynn
You can find the Fresh cream here.
The Mario Badescu spray here.
The Makeup Forever primer here.


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Lavender Health Benefits and Our Festival Trip

Hi everyone!

This weekend, we made our way to the Lavender Festival in the Village of Los Ranchos located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Lavender is a plant staple in New Mexico so each year we have a festival with several lavender growers from around the state that come together to sell their products. One of the farms (Los Poblanos) is right across the street from where the festival is held! This festival also has live music, awesome views, local food, spirits, and other vendors. #keepitlocal


We picked up a few small items and I also wanted to share some of the benefits of lavender. I use my lavender essential oil almost daily and I intend to use it for baby Mia as well! I would always much rather use something natural than any type of medicine or products with chemicals.

My favorite lavender uses:

Sleep: Using lavender before bed in lotion, a bath, even just a room spray always seems to relax me and help me get a better nights sleep. I'm hoping this works for Mia as well, (more like praying lol). My favorite combo is lavender and cedar wood especially if you like the musky/woody smells.

Calming/Tension: The scent of lavender also usually calms me down (hence why it helps me sleep) and can be used topically for headaches and tension.

Itchy Skin: Whenever I have a bug bite, dry/itchy skin, or any type of skin irritant I always apply lavender to the irritated area. It really helps to calm eczema down and I've used it post leg shaving to avoid any irritated skin. I have really dry skin that gets irritated easily and lavender is one of the first and only things that has helped to calm my skin down.

Hair/Scalp Care: I love adding lavender to my shampoo for the scent and it helps if I have a dry scalp.  It's also said to help with hair growth!

Inflammation: Lavender is also said to help with inflammation and so I use it for unsightly swollen bumps and bruises. It usually decreases any swelling I have pretty quickly.

Mostly, I just use my lavender essential oil and if that's the route you want to take then make sure it's super pure and not just one with a lavender fragrance. Fragrance is usually fake and causes more harm than it helps BY FAR. I also picked up lotion and lavender salve from the Lavender Festival and those were made with lavender oil and only a few other natural products. I also shared more pictures from our Saturday trip below :)

xo,
katie lynn

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Diets for Nutrient Deficiency/Vitamin Tips

Hi all!

I recently found out that I'm anemic (common for a lot of pregnant women, recommended to supplement with iron) after that AWFUL glucose test. I'm sure all you mama's out there can relate, not only does that drink for the test taste awful but it also makes you feel like complete crap!! FYI, if you haven't taken it yet make sure you plan to go home after and not to work, lol, learned that the hard way. I've also been experiencing a lot of leg cramps (again, common in pregnancy) and since hydration isn't an issue my doctor recommended getting plenty of foods with magnesium. On top of all of those fun pregnancy symptoms, it's good to include more fiber in your diet especially with taking an iron supplement.

However, while supplements/vitamins are good and I take various vitamins (and have my entire pregnancy) I still think it's super important to use food as your main source of nutrition. If you're pregnant (and feeling good) it's also important to try and eat so your baby gets those good nutrients as well. No matter what you are lacking, focus on your nutrition first and then follow up with a supplement. If your food intake is full of poor quality foods, then any type of supplement is not going to help you. The best vitamins and the purest come from your foods! Some supplements can have a lot of additives (especially fiber supplements) that cause you more issues than they resolve. Also, make sure you know your supplements (don't just take the pushy salesman's advice) because they can get expensive and some are falsifying information to make more money. For example, your body can only digest so much vitamin C and disposes of the rest. So you may see a supplement that has a ton of vitamin C and wants you take four pills per day even though you're not getting half of what you're taking. Do your research and read your labels!!

First, I'm focusing on getting more iron out of my diet and that comes from foods like red meat, spinach, seafood, beans, raisins and other dried fruits (be careful here, lots of sugar), other leafy green veggies, and peas. Second, I'm focusing on my magnesium intake by including things like leafy green veggies, nuts, pumpkin seeds (without the shell), seafood, beans, whole grains, bananas, dried fruit, and yogurt. Lastly, I'm looking for foods with fiber as well like beans, artichokes, broccoli, brussels sprouts, berries, oatmeal, and peas. I've been combining all of these foods for all of my meals and my snacks. A day of this eating may look like this:

BREAKFAST
Oatmeal with berries and turkey bacon

SNACK
Rasins and pumpkin seeds

LUNCH
Salad with a lot of leafy greens, avocado, beans, and any other toppings you like (nuts, berries, etc.) topped with a lean cut of beef

SNACK
Banana and yogurt (I love greek yogurt)

DINNER
Salmon (well cooked if you're preggo) with peas and brown rice


The serving sizes can all be adjusted based off of your diet but don't force yourself to eat more just to get more nutrition (remember your body disposes of some). Once you get a good nutritious diet going, then see how you feel and add supplements as needed. Be careful with magnesium supplements, they can give you stomach issues ESPECIALLY if you're taking them with fiber. I take my iron with vitamin C to let it absorb and I don't take any of my other supplements until later because things like calcium can sometimes block the iron from digesting correctly. So far, I've been feeling a lot better! I'm not as fatigued from the anemia and my legs haven't cramped in weeks. I also make sure to try and keep up with my hydration because that's what really keeps your body going! Don't stress if your diet isn't perfect daily, as long as you're making the effort to get your nutrients then you're winning! Email me with questions or more posts you'd like to see.

xo
katie lynn
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