Nutrition and Health

Fourth Trimester Wellness Beauty Guide

True that May is the month of Mother’s Day but it is also National Mental Health Awareness Month. We believe that creating a self care routine is truly key to a mother’s health and wellness. Gugu Guru has partnered with new mom and founder of Solly Baby, Elle Rowley, on a fourth trimester wellness beauty guide rounding up some of our favorite products to help a new mother pamper herself in the early stages of motherhood and keep herself feeling well. Read on for Elle’s picks…

She will be engrossed in her newborn but a new mother should never underestimate the emotional impact of putting even the tiniest bit of effort into her appearance and well-being. Feeling even somewhat put-together can make one feel more productive and confident, and those are feelings every new mom needs in the first few weeks following delivery.

ARROW Hydrate Deodorant
Its formulation is both aluminum- and alcohol-free making it safe for breastfeeding mothers and, more importantly, it works. (Birchbox, $9)

goop Discovery Set
Essential to self-care routine; especially ideal for moisturizing and refreshing a mother’s skin when dehydrated from nursing. (goop, $125)

goop The Mother Load
Packed with beneficial ingredients like sardine oil, which is shown in studies to defend against mood disorders including anxiety & depression, and coconut oil for increasing the levels of lauric acid and capric acid in breast milk, creating milk rich in health-promoting nutrients. (goop, $90)

Glossier Moisturizing Moon Mask and Mega Greens Galaxy Pack
Offers cleaning, rejuvenating and moisturizing for slackened skin. (Glossier, $40)

BIRCHROSE+ Co Body Polish Dry Brush and Dry Brushing Oil
Exfoliates, improves lymphatic drainage, increases the release of toxins, promotes softer and lighter skin and generally encourages new cell renewal.All of these benefits are amazing in the 4th trimester when you won’t yet have the clearance to work out and you’re movement is limited. (BIRCHROSE + CO, $28)

Shiva Rose Rose Moon Sea Salt
The best treat for your first bath post baby – so beautiful and smells amazing! (Shiva Rose, $60)

CONTEXT Come Clean Lipstick
A mix between a hydrating chapstick and a lipstick; offers full coverage without the dryness of standard lipsticks. (CONTEXT, $20)

Tubby Todd Mama Bundle
Bundle of three essential, natural products: hand cream, balm and refreshing spray, are essential for nourishing skin during early motherhood. (Tubby Todd, $49)

Moon Juice Spirit Dust
Edible beauty for re-balancing your energy. Great to add to your favorite hearty smoothie recipe in the morning. (Moon Juice, $30)

Function of Beauty Haircare
Developed using custom ingredients for your often fickle and unpredictable postpartum hair. (Function of Beauty, $36)

Elle’s Picks

Feels the best: Glossier feels like a splurge

Use the most: Tubby Todd

Easiest: Arrow Hydrate Deodorant -if you do nothing else

Treat Yourself: goop Discovery set

Getting Raw with Christina Vargas

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Pregnancy is a blessing but sometimes it felt like a curse and I feel so guilty…

Now that my baby is a year old I feel like I can talk about this topic. I always get asked this question from moms who struggle during pregnancy because we as new moms feel so guilty. I am so in love with my daughter but my pregnancy was so horrible. If I were to even think about another baby I would want to wait a few years before I even decide whether to have another one. When I was pregnant I threw up multiple times a day, and during each trimester it increased. I was sick and nauseous all day long but I hated lying around all day and doing nothing more then being sick so I gathered my strength and always made it to the gym.

In my first trimester I went to the gym 5-6 times a week. In my second trimester 4-5 times a week and in my 3rd trimester I still worked out 4-5 times a week but some of my workouts where from home. I stopped working out around 8 ½ months because I was throwing up so much that I broke my tailbone while doing so.

Pregnancy is not always glorious even though we are carrying a blessing inside of us. I was very negative about my pregnancy, and you know what? It is OK. I wanted my baby; I was just unhappy I was so sick – but being so sick actually made me a better mom. I appreciated not feeling sick and when I was able to fully be myself again I seized the moment and strived to reach my goals once again.

Even though my pregnancy was horrible, I would do it all over again for my little mini. She is the best gift I could ever ask for. Moms who are struggling with their pregnancy and start getting depressed I suggest trying to have some healthy shakes full of nutrients and make your way to the gym (unless going to the gym is against your doctor’s advice.) If you’re cleared by your OBGYN to go to the gym, do some light cardio and get your blood flowing, and just leave the house! Being cooped up all day will make you even more depressed. If it is nice out, don’t even go to the gym – go for a walk.

Be active because the benefits of being active while you are pregnant will increase your chances of an easier labor and help your baby grow inside of you healthy and strong.

Don’t forget it is natural to be upset and you are doing great – just try to be positive each day by getting your mind off your thoughts. Also, remember you don’t know how amazing you will feel when you become a mom. If you want me to talk about something else leave your comments below.

xo Christina Vargas

Follow along and get fit with Christina Vargas on her website, Facebook and Instagram.

Mompreneur Spotlight: FAB Mom Jill Simonian

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Affectionately known on-air and online as ‘The FAB Mom,’ Jill Simonian is the Parenting Lifestyle Expert for CBS Los Angeles news and author of The FAB Mom’s Guide: How to Get Over the Bump & Bounce Back Fast After Baby — a personal, practical and motivating guide with celebrity stories and expert lifestyle tips to boost first-time moms’ mind/body/spirit confidence and capability for that ‘bumpy’ year of new motherhood (F-A-B = Focused After Baby). Jill is a contributor for NBC’s TODAY Show’s Parenting Team and Mom.me and has often appeared on TODAY Show, Hallmark Channel, HLN, KTLA Morning News Los Angeles and more.

Connect with Jill on TheFABMom.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Gugu Guru: How and why did you start FAB MOM? Where did you come up with the name?

Jill Simonian: I wish I could say I was so creative to come up with “The FAB Mom” on my own, but it was literally the ONLY URL that was available for purchase when I first started blogging back in 2010! I remember typing in every possible blog name I could think of and “taken” kept coming up. I finally thought of ‘fab’ (because it was such a buzzword back then) and it turned out to be available… so I took it. I initially thought I’d write about fashion and entertaining after becoming a mom — you know ‘fabulous’ things — but soon found that most of what I was writing about had to do with me trying to stay motivated, creative and focused after having a baby. Turns out, the URL that found me was right on — FAB really does mean ‘focused after babies,’ which is what my new book for first-time moms The FAB Mom’s Guide: How to Get Over the Bump & Bounce Back Fast After Baby is all about. Staying focused and committed to bouncing back from bad days, confused parenting moments and the every day chaos of mom-life is something that we all must cope with and conquer.

GG: How do you balance work and family?

JS: Still trying to figure this one out (lol). Here’s one rule that I’ve learned the hard way this last year: Do not try to be a stay-at-home mom and working-mom at the same time! It sounds crazy, but that’s what I tried to do when I first got my job at CBS Los Angeles news in February 2016. I’d been a work-at-home mom (blogger/brand-ambassador) for years, but failed to realize that starting a new job on television and writing a book at the same time added up to full-time working hours. Sure, the time I could do my work was fairly flexible, but the responsibilities took time away from me being able to volunteer at my girls’ schools, cook dinner every night and organize the house like I used to. Whenever your time gets filled with something, you must account for the time you’ve lost in other areas — we cannot do it all at the same time (that’s not sexist, it’s just common sense). I also learned to do one thing at a time — multi-tasking does NOT work.

GG: What’s the best part about being a “Mompreneur” and running your own business?

JS:I do love the flexibility. Being more available for my kids is also very important to me. I’m a big believer in moms continuing to work after having kids (we need goals and accomplishments too!) but I’m also unwavering in my belief that the mom should be the kids’ primary caregiver. Don’t get me wrong — dads and sitters and grandparents are loved and needed and incredible, but no one can do what ‘mom’ can do when it comes to raising kids and giving them the security, guidance and discipline they need to grow into capable adults.

The Real Deal: Breastfeeding and Your Body With Trainer Nancy Anderson

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Nancy Anderson is a certified fitness trainer, nutrition consultant, pre and post natal specialist and one of the most sought after celebrity trainers in Orange County CA. She is a Trainer for the Pear Sports fitness app and a Master Trainer at Barry’s Bootcamp. Nancy was named one of the top 10 Trainers to follow by Self Magazine and recently just published her first ebook on her nutritional plan ‘Nancy’s bible diet’.

Nancy’s extensive education in health and fitness, combined with her passion for working with people to help them live their best and healthiest lives, continues to take her career to new heights. Most recently, after experiencing pregnancy and motherhood firsthand, Nancy has found a deep passion for working with fellow fit moms who also do-it-all. In addition to being a certified pre- and post-natal trainer, Nancy also created a full pregnancy workout program (for all trimesters) that is featured on the Pear Sports App. Nancy is here today to talk about why you’re struggling to lose that extra baby weight while breastfeeding. You can find Nancy on her website, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

You know what’s crazy? Having a baby and everyone under the sun telling you “ohh all the baby will melt right off as long as you breastfeed.” and then it well, it doesn’t at all happen for you. I gained just about 30 lbs with my first baby; nine pounds of which was him, another 10 dropped off that first week and then BAM as soon as my milk came in that weight loss halted and wouldn’t budge. It stayed like this just about the whole time I was breastfeeding (almost a year!) until I made a few very important changes.

3 reasons why you’re not losing weight while Breastfeeding:

Hormones: In general so many people dismiss the role that hormones play in, well everything, including weight loss. When you’re breastfeeding (and not ovulating yet) your estrogen and progesterone are typically low. This causes problems for those who want to lose weight because low estrogen can slow down our metabolism making it harder for us to drop lbs. The combination of low estrogen and progesterone makes us a lot more sensitive to sugar and carbohydrates not only making us crave them more but making our insulin more sensitive when we do eat them. Which of course is going to make it harder for us to lose weight, especially belly fat.
Adrenal Function: Late night, mid-night and early morning feedings are far too familiar for breastfeeding moms during that newborn phase. The lack of sleep paired with the estrogen/progesterone state during a highly stressful time can really jack up or cortisol levels (stress hormone) and send our adrenals into working in overdrive which can cause weight loss resistance.
Not Eating Enough or Nutrition Deficiencies: While you’re breast feeding your body needs fat. Keep in mind that most of your milk is made up of fat. So if your body is not getting enough fuel, or the right fuel from what you’re eating your body will hold on to fat stores. You have to fuel properly to get your body to relax, trust you and starting letting those fat stores go (shrink). In your bodies defense, this is it’s way of protecting you and your baby from starvation.

3 ways to jump start weight loss without losing your milk supply:

Ditch some sugar and carbs out of your diet and replace it with healthy fats: High sugar causes high insulin and high insulin doesn’t help us lose weight or support our adrenals. Of course you want to still have carbs in your diet still, but try to choose healthy carbs like sweet potatoes, fruits, beans, quinoa, brown rice. Start adding in healthy fats into every meal (just a serving or so would be great). Healthy fats will assist with milk supply, energy, insulin control, hunger control, not to mention better brain function and mood while decreasing your risk of depression. Any Mama who has been deep in that newborn phase can appreciate those last few benefits! Good sources of healthy fats would include: nuts, seeds, grassed butter, fatty fish, nut butters and oils such as coconut or flax oil.
Control your stress: This is easier said than done when you’re a new Mom but try to find some time for yourself. If it’s just 30 minutes to workout or go for a walk or get your nails done. It’s amazing what just a few minutes alone can do to help calm your nerves, recharge and rejuvenate. Try to get a family member, babysitter or your spouse to help make this happen for you. People are always willing to help with a newborn- take advantage of it and take a few minutes for you.
Get some rest: Again this can be hard when you have a new baby. As a Mom the biggest suggestion I can give new Mom’s is to get your baby on a routine and schedule as soon as possible. This is hard work at first, but I would do it ten times over because of how much freedom and rest it gave me in the long run. When you get your infant on a set schedule you get a happier baby with more consistent sleep schedule and longer stretches of sleep throughout the night. The sooner you can do this the sooner you’re going to start reducing your stress, relieving your adrenals and losing weight. Not to mention start feeling like a human being again! If the sleep training thing isn’t something that you’re conformable doing then at least try to sleep when the baby sleeps. Forget about cleaning up, checking emails, or laundry, just take the rest while you can.

In closing, be kind to yourself. Being pregnant is hard, having a baby is hard, taking care of an infant is hard. Remember this is temporary. If you’re holding weight because you’re breastfeeding it will eventually drop when you wean. Hang in there Mama!

Mom Stories with Laura Novak Meyer, Founder of Little Nest Portraits

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Today we are so excited to have a guest blogger, Laura Novak Meyer, the founder and CEO of Little Nest Portraits. Laura’s here today to talk about her struggle with infertility and her journey to where she is today. We especially love her message to any women out there who are struggling with infertility this Mother’s Day. Little Nest Portraits is a boutique photography studio that offers stellar imagery in a relaxed atmosphere, where families have the chance to slow down and enjoy the experience.

Becoming a mother was a long journey for my family, as I know it has been for so many people. For years we celebrated with others as pregnancy announcements appeared, waiting patiently for our time to come. As a children’s photographer, the reminder that we were struggling with fertility was daily and stinging.

Today, with our happy-surprise-three-year-old and our angel-baby-four-year-old, struggling with infertility seems like a lifetime ago – something that happened to someone else. Grief and sadness have since been replaced with the the happy challenges of dinnertime chaos, temper tantrums, and toy cleanup. When I am asked about my own struggle, I grieve for the moms-to-be whose hearts are heavy with the hole of yearning to be a mother.

The time is dark and lonely and a rollercoaster of emotions– hope, loss, grief, worry, hope again… After several losses, surgeries, and treatments, my husband and I felt (and still feel) so fortunate for the amazing medical care and caring doctors who have helped us along our journey and supported us through such an emotional process. When we finally entered into the second trimester with our first child (now three and a half!) we felt an overwhelming feeling or relief that I still struggle to describe. It was a milestone we’d hoped and prayed together for many months.

During fertility treatments I worried constantly. I worried if we would ever get pregnant again or if it was just a fluke. I worried about other options for our family and how hard that might be, how long that could take. My mind was a constant swirling bowl of worry.

But then, a friend who went through IVF gave me some amazing advice:

“For us, we worried about getting pregnant. And then during your pregnancy you will worry… when your child is born you will worry, when your child goes to school you will worry. So it’s best to learn how to cope with the worry now because it is the reality of being a mother.”

Now that my two children are off to preschool and without me many days of the week, I deeply understand this amazing lesson. And I also get how hard it is to grasp when you are in pain and dealing with the ups and downs of infertility. I can’t help but wonder why I (and so many others) was given this journey. In a way, I truly believe it was to teach me that some things are completely out of my control. To let life lead me, rather than the other way around.

Mother’s Day can be particularly painful for those who are still longing for a complete family of their own. It’s hard to know how to support someone who is struggling with infertility if you haven’t experienced it yourself. Friends who are most helpful tend to be those who don’t make suggestions, don’t make value statements, and don’t try to offer solutions. They just listen and offer compassion. If you have someone in your life who is struggling with infertility, letting them talk while you listen and say “I’m so sorry you are going through this” is so helpful. Even a simple “what can I do?” means so much.

If this is your journey – I have no great pieces of advice–just a desire to share my own story with you, my compassion and my love to you. And a final hope that anything I have shared here is at all helpful this coming Mother’s Day.

Real Mom Review: Meddy Teddy

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Glowing mama Cristina Meloy has been practicing yoga for over 10 years. Here she shares her thoughts on the addition of Meddy Teddy to her yoga-loving family. Disclaimer: It is important to note that Cristina is not a yoga instructor nor is she a physician. Consult your doctor before trying these poses or before any physical activity before, during or after pregnancy.

When we received our Meddy Teddy it was the first time my Julianita voluntarily did a yoga pose with me. She was so excited about her new teddy so I showed her how he could do some yoga. I was sooo excited about her doing this that I forgot to do the pose myself! This is one overjoyed mama!

Meddy Teddy is a fun way to teach yoga, mindfulness, and meditation. He is a role model and cOMpassionate buddy for young ones, helping them lead healthier, more mindful lives.

Meddy has an internal frame allowing him to bend into lots of yoga positions. He is happy doing yoga with a room full of kids or sitting in lotus on your desk.

Meddy is here to make yoga, meditation, and mindfulness cool and fun. A great teaching tool and supremely soft.

I can’t say enough about this bear. It’s been one of the greatest additions to our yoga family. First off, he’s so so sweet, he just inspires love. Second, the girls absolutely adore sitting on the mat with him and coming up with poses they can all do.

He’s really helped with involving them in my practice and perhaps with the beginning of their own practice. We’re in love!

Bio: Born and raised in Costa Rica, Cristina Meloy has been practicing yoga for over 10 years and has loved her yoga journey during pregnancy and motherhood. Follow her on Instagram at @crismeloy

Ultimate Fitness Registry With Sara Haley Fitness!

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Sara Haley is a pre and postnatal fitness specialist and creator of the award winning prenatal program, Expecting MORE and postnatal program, Expecting More®:The 4th Trimester Workout. Today she rounded up her favorite baby registry picks for a fitness loving family. You can find Sara Haley on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Plus, check out 5 Simple Prenatal Cardio and Strength Moves with Sara, and Get More Fit After Baby

1. A Big Comfy Yoga Mat: I’ll be honest I used to totally cheap out on my yoga mats and then I had a baby . . . 1) Things hurt that hadn’t hurt before and I needed more comfort. 2) Sometimes my baby would be there with me while I was working out and I liked having a space for just the two of us. If a round one is too big for your space my favorite yoga mat is here.

2. Running Stroller: Even if you don’t run (which I don’t) a running stroller will make walks and working out with your stroller so much easier. I’ve tried a bunch but am definitely partial right now to the Bob. It’s definitely not cheap but so worth it, especially if getting outside is a priority. Check out some of my favorite exercises for working out with your stroller: Stroller Workout for the Core, and Lower Body Stroller Workout.

3. Baby Carrier: Another great way to lose the baby weight! I love the Baby K’tan. I found it during my second baby and it’s so breathable, fashionable and compact. It’s t-shirt material so easy to just stuff into a purse or diaper bag. Your baby will be super secure so you can do squats, lunges, and walks with ease

4. Belly Bandit Belly Wrap: Another item I discovered after my 2nd pregnancy that saved me! First of all, it’s great for anyone for helping your belly go down after pregnancy, but more importantly if you develop a diastasis recti, it will be so supportive in your healing process.

5. Expecting More: The 4th Trimester Workout: How could I not recommend these? They are the workouts I developed to help other new moms and moms-to-be to stay in shape and/or get back in shape during pregnancy and postnatal recovery. You can purchase the DVD on Amazon and read the rave reviews or for Digital Downloads visit SaraHaley.com.

Baby Food Cubes With Nikki Dinki

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The wonderful chef, TV star, cookbook author and mama, Nikki Dinki, is back to share some baby food tips with us!

I’m a chef who loves her veggies—you will always find veggies as the entrée portion of my plate. In fact, my cookbook is titled Meat On The Side, and it’s all about vegetable-focused cooking.

However I didn’t always love my veggies. I didn’t even like my veggies. This might sound like an exaggeration, but I actually didn’t even eat a single veggie until I was 20 years old. Fittingly, I spent most of my life infamously known as “Picky Nikki”, a name my sister still teases me with.

So when it came to my daughter, Ivy, I wanted to make her own food as nutritious as possible, and at the same time empower her to hopefully never be called “Picky Ivy.”

In order to do this, I knew making my own baby food would be a step in the right direction. But with time flying faster than ever I didn’t want making my own baby food to be something that took over my life.

So after some thought and experimentation, I devised my Baby Cubes system.

Baby Cubes works like this: I freeze 1 ounce portions of different pureed fruits and veggies, such as broccoli, apples, or carrots. I also freeze 1 ounce portions of other healthy grains and proteins like oats, quinoa, edamame or ground chicken. Then when it’s time for Ivy to eat a nutritious meal, I combine four different cubes to create a perfectly balanced meal.

And because everything is frozen, I can vary the foods that are part of every meal. This means that at the end of the day, Ivy has not just eaten her veggies, but she’s eaten a variety of veggies—which is something I am always preaching as a chef and is key for Baby’s nutrition.

And speaking of Mommy, I have gotten into the habit of “stealing” her cubes to add nutrition and flavor to leftovers or store-bought meals of my own.

They also make for great smoothies! May I recommend combining a cube each of mango, raspberries, spinach and quinoa with a little yogurt? Yum!

Besides providing Ivy with great nutrition I love my Baby Cubes system because it allows you to make baby food only once a month. I do big batches and then freeze it all. Because I’m storing the food in the freezer instead of the fridge I don’t have to worry about the food going bad or the nutritional content slowly depleting as much over time.

Pictured: the BBox Snack Pack

And let’s all take a step back and remember that you don’t have to do it all. Seriously, moms need to give themselves a break. You don’t have to feed your baby homemade food at every meal, serving up some Baby Cubes for even just one meal a day is awesome! Or maybe start small by just freezing cubes of fruit to mix into their yogurt.

Whatever you can do is fantastic and another step in the right direction when it comes to helping your baby grow strong and healthy—and not having the word “Picky” attached to his or her name.

You can follow Nikki’s food adventures on her website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Oilogic: Kids Better Sleep Project

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–Sponsored Post–

What would you do if bedtime wasn’t a long drawn out hassle anymore? Do you have hobbies you’d pursue, or a book you’ve been waiting to read? Maybe spend some time with your partner? Oilogic Essential Oil Care, which creates skin care items with 100% essential oils, is asking parents all over, “what can you accomplish when your kid goes to bed?” in their new Kids Better Sleep Project Sweepstakes. In honor of National Sleep Awareness Month, Oilogic is launching the Kids Better Sleep Project, raising awareness for the importance of using natural solutions to rest well, helping parents recognize all they can accomplish when their kids go to bed. The video below, from Oilogic, gives some very funny examples of activities mom and dad can do when baby goes down 1-2-3!

The therapeutic, solution-based brand uses 100% pure essential oil blends to safely and naturally comfort your child, and with the help of their Slumber & Sleep product line, including the Vapor Bath, Calming Cream and Roll-On, parents can establish a dependable nighttime routine the whole family can rely on. In case you don’t know yet, Essential Oils are all-natural, non-invasive, non-toxic and are very easy for the body to absorb and use for care. And when you blend multiple oils together and dilute them appropriately with a moisturizing carrier oil, you can create powerful mixtures which will help you and your little one.

The Slumber and Sleep product line is the perfect bedtime trio. At bath time, just pour the Essential Oil Vapor Bath solution into warm water so your child can breathe in the natural lavender and chamomile vapors. Then, rub the Essential Oil Calming Cream all over your child’s body to calm the senses, and finish off by applying the Essential Oil Roll-on to the back of the neck, chest and bottom of the feet.

In honor of Oilogic’s Kids Better Sleep campaign, they are kicking off an amazing sweepstakes, which runs through Mother’s Day! You can head to the campaign’s site to enter for a chance to win a gigantic entertainment bundle (seriously, you can win a flat screen TV), plus Netflix subscriptions, money to Barnes and Noble and of course, Oilogic products.

Thank you to Oilogic for sponsoring this post!

Help This Mama To Be – Foodie Edition

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It’s National Nutrition Month and foodie, gorgeous lifestyle blogger Kusum Basavaraju of Sveeteskapes, is expecting her first baby! Let Kusum know which of our foodie product recommendations are a must-have for her baby registry by giving them a thumbs up. Winner gets a Gugu Pick badge! (Did we miss a foodie product? Comment below to let us know what should be on the list!)

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