Are sit-ups safe while pregnant?

During your first trimester, you can continue doing ab exercises however you gosh darn well please, be it sitting, lying down, on a ball, standing up, etc. After your first trimester, things get a little trickier and you have to get a bit more creative to work your abs. After your first trimester, you will want to avoid doing anything lying flat on your back. When you are flat on your back during your second and third trimester, your baby is put in a position to literally crush all of your internal organs which doesn't feel very good and isn't safe. If you are comfortable on a stability ball, you can continue to do crunches while lying on the ball. Just make sure to keep your chest higher than your hips throughout the exercise. Another great core exercise is the side plank which uses the muscles of your internal and external obliques (your waist). It is crucial to continue to work the muscles of your core throughout your pregnancy because it is these very muscles that are going to do the job of pushing out your baby!

Could soda be making me infertile?

Could my Diet Coke habit be to blame for the difficulty I am having getting pregnant?

Yes!!! As a Nutritionist, I advise all of my clients who are either already pregnant or who are having difficulty getting pregnant to break their soda addiction.

Most carbonated soft drinks contain both sodium benzoate and ascorbic acid. When sodium benzoate and ascorbic acid come together, they make benzene. Benzene is classified as a class A carcinogen by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). One of the side effects of excessive exposure to benzene is infertility.

If you are trying to get pregnant and are having trouble, ditch the soda. Embrace Perrier or herbal tea! Your body will thank you and so will your dentist. The pH of soda is similar to battery acid. It does wonders to the enamel of your pearly whites! If you’ve spend a small fortune an getting a Hollywood white smile, you are throwing it all away every time you sip on a soda. Soda will not only discolor your teeth, it also eats away at your enamel making you more susceptible to tooth decay and gum disease. So, Hot Mamas, let vanity, your health, and your future baby be your guide and put soda on your “so last season” list.

squeezing exercise in when you have a baby

O.K. Hot mamas so you're ready to get back to your exercise routine, you are motivated, your doctor has cleared you, and wait.... Who is going to take care of the baby while you go to the gym? If you find yourself nanny-less and grandma isn't an option, here are some options:

1. Invest in a quality baby jogger. This really isn't something that you should buy from e-bay or craig's list. You need to try out the baby jogger that you are going to log miles and hours with. It should feel comfortable to you and you shouldn't feel like you have to lean over to reach the stroller's handles. This will only lead to an achy back. Running and or a combination of running and walking with your baby jogger is quite a workout! It is much harder than running or walking on a treadmill, meaning you will torch calories while doing it! Besides, babies love to be pushed. It often helps them fall asleep.

2. Invest in a treadmill or elliptical trainer for home use. In my experience, the only way to avoid having your treadmill become a clothes hangar is to strategicly place it in front of the televsion. Allow yourself to indulge in watching your favorite movie, soap opera, trashy series, mtv, etc. ONLY while on your treadmill. Somehow watching the news doesn't seem to make time pass quite as quickly!

3. Try exercise videos that you can do at home. If you are on a budget, you can go to your public library and rent them. You can also get a new one every few days from Netflix.

Is swine flu vaccine safe for pregnant women?

The Center for Disease Control is recommending that all pregnant women get the swine flu vaccine. Well, Hot Mamas, before you sign up for this vaccine, let me tell you a few things that have me up in arms about this recommendation.

1. Ten years ago, roughly 2% of women aged 18-49 had detectible levels of Mercury in their blood. Today that number has jumped to 30%.

(This was confirmed by a recent study from UCLA.)

2. In roughly the same ten years, the rate of autism has sky rocketed. The probability that a child will be born with autism is now about 1 in 129. Ten years ago the chance of a child being born with autism was 1 in 100,000. The rate of autism continues to climb.

3. While no one knows for sure what the cause of autism is, most scientists agree that it is a combination of genetic and environmental factors. One of those environmental factors is the exposure to mercury. Most holistic health care providers firmly believe that there is a definite link between toxic levels of mercury in a pregnant woman’s body and having an autistic child. (This is the main reason pregnant women are cautioned to stay away from fish with high levels of mercury such as shark, swordfish, tile fish, and king mackerel).

4. This is the scary part…. The swine flu vaccine is going to have thimerosol in it. Thimerosol is a mercury containing preservative still used in some shots!!!!!! Thimerosol used to be the preservative that was used in many of the shots that were given to young children. After controversial research linked mercury exposure from these shots to the onset of autism, the thimerosol was removed from most childhood vaccines.

If a pregnant woman gets the flu, the symptoms are usually more severe and potentially more dangerous. I am not recommending that you get the Swine Flu Vaccine or that you don’t get the Swine Flu Vaccine. Every Hot Mama must decide what she thinks is best for her Hot body! It is my belief that knowledge is power. I am merely passionate about helping all the Hot Mamas across the world claim their power and be able to make informed decisions about their bodies and their health.

Don't Eat for Two while Pregnant

When many women first find out they are pregnant, they think that they now have to eat for two. This is not true!!! During the first trimester of pregnancy, your body only requires an extra 100 calories/per day. That means you can choose between one extra apple or one cup of nonfat plain yogurt or ½ of a small whole grain bagel per day---- that’s it. If you are eating more than an extra 100 calories a day during the first three months of your pregnancy, the extra calories will be stored as fat. This extra fat just means more time between you and your skinny hot mama jeans once your baby is born. During your second and third trimesters, you need about 300 extra calories a day. An extra 300 calories translates into three extra pieces of large fruit a day or a cup of whole grain cereal, a few berries, and ½ a cup of milk. You should gain about one pound a month during your first trimester and then one pound a week during your second and third trimesters. (This does not apply if you are pregnant with twins, however.) Pregnancy is a time to nourish your body with healthy nutrient foods, not an excuse to go hog wild!

Is Brazilian Hair Straightening safe while Pregnant

Is It Safe to do the Brazilian Keratin Treatment while Pregnant?

If you have unruly, curly hair of if you live in a ridiculously humid city like Miami, the Brazilian Keratin Treatment will seem like it has come from heaven itself. Your hair will be silky smooth for up to three months and will cut your styling time in half. How awesome is that?

Well, if you’re pregnant or worried about exposing your head to carcinogenic chemicals, it’s not so awesome after all. Here’s the ugly truth… Formaldehyde is used to open your hair’s cuticle to deposit the Keratin. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen (i.e. it causes cancer). While not enough research has been done to confirm whether formaldehyde crosses the placenta and causes birth defects, I wouldn’t chance it.

What’s a Hot Mama to do if she wants her hair silky straight while pregnant or while breast- feeding? Either have your hairdresser use a version of the Keratin Treatment that is Formaldehyde Free (Yes, it does exist), invest in a really good flat iron, or make peace with your curls while you are pregnant. Pin straight hair is out this season anyhow. Soft waves are in! You can also set your hair using hot rollers for the soft wavy look. This will take out a lot of the frizz and does not take very much time or skill. Remember, straight hair, curly hair, wave hair, being “HOT” comes in all hair textures! If you’ve had straight hair for a while, mix it up while your pregnant. Your man will feel like he is with a new and different woman which might just add a little more sizzle….

Note: If you are using a keratin treatment that is formaldehyde free it should not have a noxious smell and should not make your eyes burn at all. Also, if you are pregnant, it is not advisable to visit a salon that uses the formaldehyde version because you will still be exposed.

Best Breakfast Before, During, and After Pregnancy

Help! I’m pregnant! What do I eat for breakfast that won’t make me nauseous, is quick to make, won’t pack on pounds, and will give me energy to keep going all morning? In my practice as a nutritionist, this is a common question for my Hot Mamas- To Be. My recipe for Protein Oatmeal has always been my answer. It has a balance of fiber, good carbohydrates, brain healthy fat, and quality protein. This makes it the perfect breakfast in my book! The balance of carbs/protein/fat will keep you satisfied all morning long. This recipe makes two servings, but you can double or triple it and keep it in the fridge for those mornings where you are pressed for time.

Protein Oatmeal (Apples and Cinnamon)

2/3 cups slow cooking oatmeal

¾ cups water

2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder

2 medium apples cored and diced

2 tbl. Cinnamon powder

1-cup vanilla soy, coconut, or almond milk

2 tsp. ground flaxseeds

1-tablespoon natural cane sugar or stevia

1tsp. sea salt (optional)

Bring water and soy milk to a boil, add oats, sea salt, and apples and stir. Bring to a boil again, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and add cinnamon, flaxseeds and protein powder, and cane sugar. Stir and divide into two servings. (Approx. 300 cals)