Caffeine - Black or White in pregnancy?

A question from Sian, whose 12 weeks pregnant:

"I wanted to know more about what is and isn’t safe to drink pre and during and post pregnancy and why it is advised to avoid caffeine?

I also wanted to know whether decaffeinated products are safe to drink as substitutes and how the caffeine is removed from tea/coffee?"

I wanted to know more about what is and isn’t safe to drink pre and during and post pregnancy and why it is advised to avoid caffeine?

Great question as caffeine seems to cause much confusion in pregnancy due to the fact that there have been loads of studies and research about the effects of drinking caffeine and it’s risks to the growing baby during pregnancy. There doesn’t not seem to be a conclusive evidence although results from one particular research in Denmark seemed to show an increased risk of foetal death from increased coffee consumption in pregnancy. These women were drinking eight or more cups of coffee a day and had more than twice the risk of stillbirth compared with women who did not drink coffee during pregnancy. However the women who were involved in the study were more likely to also smoke and drink higher levels of alcohol - both factors which are suspected to increase miscarriage risk.

For health reasons there are some considerations for the Mum as well as the growing baby. Caffeine is a stimulant, as it increases adrenaline levels (the wake-up hormone), so it can effect mum to be’s sleep at a time when you really need it.

It can also dehydrate you.

For a mum to be sleep and re-hydration are key to preserve energy and to aid digestion respectively. Half of the caffeine content in a coffee stays in your body’s system for 5 to 6 hours, so drinking it after say 3pm could affect your ability to ‘wind down’ in the evening and thus be able to sleep.

Staying rehydrated whilst you are pregnant is important – during pregnancy your blood volume expands by nearly 50%, so you need to keep your fluid intake up. Choose: Herbal Teas, Water, Fresh Juice. Decaffeinated does still contain some caffeine so you may want to consider avoiding too much of this too.

With regards to your growing baby, one particular study concluded that pregnant women who drank. I’d consider eight cups of coffee a lot in one day and in my opinion what’s important is moderation!

If you want to err on the side of caution, but would still like to drink some coffee - limit it to a few cups a week. Remember caffeine is also found in carbonated drinks and chocolate so keep these in moderation too.

Which Teas to drink in pregnancy

This is a great question, which I received via Teapigs, the Tea company I do consultancy for and as there can be a lot of confusion over which to eat or drink when you're pregnant, I thought I'd share it with you.

"Was just wondering if you could recommend to me which of your teas are safe for pregnancy? I'm a big tea fan, but there are so many herbs you aren't allowed during pregnancy! I'm drinking super fruits at the moment, but any other ideas would be much appreciated!"

Herbal remedies are usually considered to be natural alternatives to medicines and drugs - but there are some which are unsafe for pregnancy so this is a very good question. Some herbs contain chemicals as such which can get into the placenta and thus into your baby, which may cause complications.

Your safest Teapigs or Herbal Tea options are;

• Camomile - this will help you sleep too. (dried or fresh herb is safe in moderation but avoid camomile oil)

• Chai Tea (contains cinnamon but quite safe as a culinary herb; avoid the essential oil completely.)
• Spiced Winter Red Tea - will help boost your immune system
• Summer Flowers
• Super Fruit
• Pure Lemongrass
• Peppermint (low doses of the dried herb can be used but avoid the oil).

With the black teas, limit to two cups a day, as excess can lead to palpitations and increased heart rate.

If you are using herbs to treat an ailment or symptoms, I'd recommend you
see a herbalist.

Top Tips: How to stay in shape when I'm pregnant

Watch this space on 7th May, I'll be posting a few copies of my e-book 'How to stay in shape when I'm pregnant' and 'what do I eat when I'm pregnant: clearing the confusion.

I'm just adding a few 'secret' tips to both books.

If you'd like to secure a FREE copy, email info@beez-kneez.co.uk and put the words 'FREE E-book' in the subject heading.

Otherwise watch this blog closely on the 7th May when you'll be able to download a copy instantly. But you'll have to be quick as there are only a few copies available for FREE. After that there will be a cost for the e-book of 6.99 pounds ($14.99).

Vicky Warr

Womb Workout

Sometimes when your pregnancy you do just want to flop on the sofa!
Then it becomes tempting to stay on that sofa for most of the time.

An article on CBS news kicked me off the sofa today - A new study conducted by Kansas University of Medicine and Biosciences showed that exercising during pregnancy may not only benefit the mum but can also get the baby off to a fit start!

"This study suggests that a mother who exercises may not only be imparting health benefits to her own heart, but to her developing baby's heart as well," researcher Linda May of the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (KCUMB) in Kansas City, Mo., says in a news release.

So women who exercise for 30 minutes, three times a week had fetuses with lower heart rates during the last few weeks of their development.

If you want some help, join our 'Fit Mums to be' group fitness or online training for pregnancy.

Click here for more details of the study

Mums to be shape up their bumps in West London

Fit Mums to be has finally arrived!

Last night saw the launch of my first 'Fit Mums to be' class, an antenatal fitness class in West London. And they proved to be a popular hit with pregnant ladies and their bumps!

I'm so excited and passionate about starting these classes; coaching a group and meeting other mums to be. My mission is to be a 'source' of fitness to pregnant ladies - prenatal fitness expertise, coaching and information. This is to help show Mums to be that they don't have to resort to the sofa in pregnancy! My classes and instruction provide an antenatal opportunity to keep those pregnant bodies in shape whilst participants enjoy their beautiful, expanding bumps.

My antenatal group fitness sessions have so many benefits, I'd run out of blog space to list them all - but I've picked my top ones!

These apply to most group fitness classes, so if you're finding you need a new 'fitness' outlet read on...

THE TOP BENEFITS OF ATTENDING AN ANTENATAL FITNESS CLASS.

1. It's 'me time'. Classes provide an 'escape' from the stresses of work and life. My aim is to create an atmosphere of 'happy mums to be' with fit bumps.
2. Beats exercise boredom. Motivation to do exercise when you have an expanding bump can wane. By joining in a class you have not only the instructor but the other class participants to motivate you.
3. Make new friends. By going to a class you meet other pregnant ladies and become part of a 'club'.
4. Gets your butt off the sofa. By going out to an antenatal class you get out, meet your friends and it turns fitness into a social event.
5. Distracts you from food cravings. You're out of the house and away from the chocolate stash!
6. Reassuring environment. The class is instructed by a qualified, prenatal instructor. Plus they are often pregnant themselves, so they have empathy with the life changing experience of pregnancy.
7. An opportunity for 'Music therapy'. Instructors usually play funky music to energises you and add interest. Your bump loves it too!
8. Gets you started. You may be unsure whether fitness is the right thing to do when you're pregnant, yet with the right instruction and expertise it benefit's you, your bump and may even help with labour.
9. Something to look forward to. As sessions are at the same time every week it's like your special 'fitness and health' appointment, one that is fun, social and provides health benefits.
10. Pay as you go. Look out for a class that is in a 'drop in' dance studio. That means you don't pay gym membership fees!
11. Builds confidence. Classes are usually for all levels of fitness and pregnancy so you should never have a fear of thinking it wouldn't be for your level - the instructor provides adaptations for every exercise to suit all participants.

For more information click here: 'Fit Mum to be'

The Beez Kneez (my business) have launched these classes in Ealing and plan to expand them to other areas of London by the end of the year and classes nationwide by next year. If you'd like to see one of my antenatal classes, come to your area, simply post a reply and I'll see what I can conjure up!

PS. "Its great that you are doing fitness training for pregnant mums......it makes so much sense to keep fit while you are pregnant and not just veg out!!" Georgina Bouzova, Causalty Actress, BBC Strictly Come Dancing contestant.

Pregnant ladies alert - Georgina has a beautiful range of eco-friendly, bamboo pregnancy yoga and workout gear. Click on www.barefootblondie.com.

Top Food Tip for Trimester Three

Hello,

Apologies for the rather long abscence! I've been setting up 'Virtual online fitness for mums to be' plus group classes so I got behind with the blogging. Good news is I'm back and going to be blogging Bump tips 3 times a week - so stay tuned.

Food top tip for a fit Mum to Be!

I have a great pregnancy food tip if you're in your third trimester or around 27 weeks of pregnancy heading that way! I was reminded today by my acupuncturist that the baby is going through a fast and furious phase of brain development.

The best possible diet for the baby inside you (and me) will help your bump develop a sharp mind and boost it's brain. So, mum to be needs to feed up on essential fatty acids the vital nutrient for brain power, mental and emotional strength.

Here are your five essential brain foods:

1. Avocados - slice 1/2 and pop it into a salad. Alternatively scoop out the flesh, add a bit of egg-free mayonnaise and mash it up. Spread on an oatcake.
2. Nuts and Seeds - especially pumpkin, hemp, flaxseed, sunflower seeds. Add to cereals and porridge or add to salads.
3. Olive oil drizzled over veggies or salad (add lemon juice to freshen it up!)
4. Opt for omega 3 eggs (free range is best) - boiled or poached
5. Oily fish - kippers, mackerel, herring, salmon steaks (canned fish isn't oily fish!)
Important for pregnancy: bigger fish such as swordfish, shark and tuna accumulate more mercury than smaller fish. A lot of fish now do contain high levels of mercury so in pregnancy Keep this to 2 portions a week maximum. Grill your fish so that the juices drip out and allows pesticide residues and other chemicals to escape as you cook the fish.

Did you know????

The British Medical Journal, The Lancet, conducted some research back in the 1970's. It took two groups of babies. It fed one group a very nutritious supplement up until the babies were three years old. The other group were the placebo group, so they weren't fed a nutritious supplement. Three decades later, the researchers went back to the same babies, who were now adults. The babies who had had the nutritious supplement were earning nearly half as much more per hour than the group that were not given a nutritious supplement. The results showed that there was some evidence of a clear link between early-life nutrition and adult wages!

So brainy bump here you come! And your son/daughter with healthy finances to help you out when you retire (think cruises and luxury holidays!).

Energising lunches for a Busy Mum

This week has been manic and as a busy mum to be, I know how tempting it is to reach for a 'quick' solution for lunch when you're at work.
Looking at lunch aisle of the supermarket leaves me pretty uninspired and I know sandwiches will leave me feeling sluggish and lacking concentration in the afternoon. I'm also usually short on time and want to avoid getting the bump caught up in the crowds and queues.

So, I want something to hand, that's going to be nutritious, quick and provide me and bump with energy for a productive afternoon. What's more I'm thinking nutrients for me and the bump - especially after reading that giving babies nutritious food could significantly increase their earning power as adults (British Medical Journal research). I'm thinking early earning power from the children, early retirement for me!

My best tip is the ‘capsule store cupboard’ which you have at work and
top up regularly. That way you always have access for tasty, healthy and ‘save cash’ lunches.

How to create your capsule store cupboard:
Buy Monthly
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Tins of Tuna, salmon, sardines and mackerel, lentils, chickpeas, red kidney beans,
cannelloni beans and mixed pulses
• 1 pack of Oatcakes or Ryvita
• 1 small carton of cream cheese spread or 1 small jar of dairy free mayonnaise
containing flaxseed (a better option as it contains the essential fatty acid from
flaxseed to sustain appetite - available from health food shop)
• Sugar Free Muesli
Buy Weekly:
• 2-3 lemons
• Small tub of each Hummus, Plain Yoghurt, Low-fat cottage cheese
• Loaf of Pumpernickel or dark rye bread (keeps well in fridge) or
• 1 pack of Wholemeal Pitta breads
• 1-2 large potatoes or sweet potatoes
• 1 bag of mixed Italian mixed salad leaves or Cos lettuce (more nutrients than iceberg
lettuce)
• 1 bag of watercress, spinach and rocket mix
• 6 plum tomatoes
• A pack of mange tout and French beans and small carrots
• 1 red onion
• 1 red/yellow/green pepper
• Pre cooked basmati brown rice or wild rice (prepare and cook on Sunday and it will
keep until Wednesday in the fridge)
• 2 cartons of vegetable soups or chicken and vegetable soups
• 5-6 cherry tomatoes
• Pieces of fruit (buy every 2 days for freshness)
• Packs of Fruit Salad (buy every 2-3 days)
• Small pot of Olives (from the deli counter)

How to mix and match your lunch items:
Now you have all the ingredients to hand in your work cupboard, you can use them to make
up different lunches each day.
Here are some lunch suggestions: The Energiser Lunch
Mix brown or wild rice with canned salmon and chopped salad vegetables
Add 2 teaspoons of your dairy free mayo and juice from half a lemon or 2 teaspoons of
cream cheese.
Have a few handfuls of Italian mixed salad leaves and 2-3 cherry tomatoes
The ‘Brain’ Power
Sardines or mackerel on a slice of rye bread (alternatively slice a pitta bread in half and
pack inside the fish) and add cos leaves and chopped peppers on the side or on top.
Mix the Sardines or Mackerel with juice of half a lemon and a tablespoon of some natural
yoghurt or 2 teaspoons of cream cheese.
The warming, comforting
Baked sweet potato (to sustain energy for longer then white potatoes)
Add 3 tablespoons of cottage cheese, a handful of rocket leaves and a few chopped cherry
tomatoes
You can also add some hummus for more flavour
Add a few handfuls of mixed salad leaves on the side
The ‘Quickie’
Low fat yoghurt, fruit and a handful of muesli – a great grab and go ‘brunchy’ option.
This supplies energy nutrients and good bacteria for good digestion
The ‘Light Bite’
Place a good few handfuls of salad on a plate, top with a protein option (salmon, tuna,
sardines, lentils, cottage cheese) and 4 olives.
Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and half the juice from one lemon.
Alternatively mix the fish with 2-3 teaspoons of cream cheese and juice from half a lemon.
Have 1-2 oatcakes on the side.
This is perfect if you’ve eaten out the night before and wish to ‘lighten’ up.

For our guide to my top 5 supercharge your energy foods, go to: www.fitnessnutritiontrainer.co.uk/articles.html

For more information on the UK's no 1 nutritional programmes for brides, mums to be
and new mums visit; www.beez-kneez.co.uk or contact +44 (0) 20 8 354 1583