How much weight did you put during your pregnancy?
How much weight have you lost since then?
Do your pre-pregnancy trousers fit you again?
…
Why aren’t people asking me:
- What is the healthiest diet for a nursing mom?
- What is the healthiest diet before and during pregnancy?
- How are you keeping your newborn healthy?
- How are you keeping your newborn in the healthiest environment?
- Why should we actually take care of the chemical toxins surrounding our newborn baby?
- How are you keeping yourself balanced? Relaxed, not overwhelmed?
- How are you resting enough, and taking care of yourself?
Society maybe became too focused on the physical appearance. I know many women who were or are afraid of pregnancy just because they are afraid of the consequences on their external appearance.
I have been doing so much research and have been reading so much about how to grow and then raise a healthy baby. It is quite obvious that in the actual world, it is a tough task. Almost 1 of 2 person around us will have cancer at some point. Chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes, auto-immune diseases, sclerosis, arthritis, “cholesterol”, heart disease, high blood pressure…. All those health problems seem “normal” nowadays, because so many people are suffering with them.
Yes it is common, but it is not normal.
And it is easy to see how our nutritional habits have influenced our current state of health.
And yes, it starts before pregnancy. It is mostly important for the future mom to have a well-balanced body, with good nutritional reserves. During pregnancy, it is highly important for the mother-to-be to help her body grow this little baby, and to help her body stay healthy and give all it needs for it and for the baby to thrive. And then, after birth: it is highly important to have a nutritious well-balanced diet to help the new mom with her hormones, to help her lactate efficiently and feel good after this life-changing experience. The quality of her breastmilk also depends on what she is eating, so yes, it is always about the same thing.
You can’t out exercise a bad diet. And unfortunately, you can’t rely on popular beliefs to know what having a balanced diet mean. There are so many confusions out there. So many people still think that it is all about counting calories, about low-fat diets, about overtraining…. Just look around you. If this was really working, there wouldn’t be so many people overweight and sick.
And still today, instead of focusing on what would make them feel good, most people focus on what would make them look good (or so they think).
I have been there, done that. Suffering with eating disorder starting at 16 years old, until almost 30 years old or so. Counting calories almost automatically. I have been disrupting my body for so long, not even realizing the harm I was doing to my body and to my soul. Only when I started focusing on my health and on my well-being rather than on my physical appearance did it make the trick. I started feeling so much better that I didn’t really care anymore whether I had skinny legs or not. By cleaning myself from the inside out, I touched my soul, felt more aligned than ever. I finally understood that I could love myself for who I was, unconditionally. Eating disorder is a complex illness that involves many layers of your being. But by starting with my health and my physical well-being, doors opened to me and I understood where the love I was seeking was. All in me. Which means, with 20 pounds more or less, it didn’t matter. I just loved myself exactly as I am. And once I understood that and really felt it in me, everything changed. The Holistic Lifestyle helped me thrive and live life fully, feeling good with the way my life was unfolding.
And that’s what I would love people to understand as well. Especially new moms who get so much pressure with the way they look. Don’t let yourself down just because others are projecting their own fears onto yourself. When you have the confidence and know your worth, nothing and no one can bring you down. Understand that it is because you love yourself, that you want to make better choices in terms of food, exercise and lifestyle in general. So many people exercise because they hate their bodies. Move and train because you love yourself. This shift can make a big difference.
I truly believe that everyone should be focusing on their health and well-being, instead of focusing on their physical appearance. Meditate, go within, learn things about you, as deep as you can get. And have fun along the way. I truly believe that life is made to have fun. And yes, you can have fun and do some deep research within yourself all at the same time. Yes, every experience has some fun with it, even if the outcome is not always the one that is expected.
Instead of searching about how to get rid of those extra pregnancy pounds, search how you can make a better world for your baby. How can we use less plastics? How can we make sure that their environment is as clean and eco-friendly as possible? How can we make sure that their food is the most nutritious, so that they can grow healthy and strong? How can we make sure that their little body is not overdosed with too many toxins, from medical drugs to the home cleaner detergents? How can we just be better as humans, and lead by example?
If we all spent a bit more time on these topics, we would all feel much happier and healthier. Don’t let the negativity and limiting beliefs of others affect you. Lead by example, for you, your family and anyone else. Too many people speak a lot and don’t do anything. Just do some things and inspire your children, family and anyone around.
And women: let’s help each other out. Let’s stop the competition against each other. Let’s rise up together. I truly believe that we are made to thrive with each other, and that there is no place for competition. If you feel any type of envy or jealousy towards another women, it is within yourself that you should do the work. You are just projecting your own fears and self-critics onto someone else. Being happy for others’ success is the best way to be happy yourself.
I hope this helped some of you, or at least that it will open some doors that you haven't thought about before.
In Love and Happiness,
Stephanie