Mom Bashing

Okay - I've broken the first rule of successful blogging and that is to start a blog and then promptly not post anything for two months!

But I digress.

So unless you've been living under a rock, you've seen the cover with Jamie Lynne Grumet on the cover of Time magazine, looking utterly beautiful and at ease breastfeeding her three year old son, Aram.

And controversy has ensued, as the folks at Time hoped it would. Why not? It it has opened a dialogue about breastfeeding and normalized it for those people that can't seem to get it through their thick skulls that breasts are first and foremost for sustaining, feeding and nourishing a child.

In case you missed that last bit, I will state it again: the female's biological reason for having breasts is to feed and nourish a child.

All the other stuff - sensation and sex, fashion and flaunting are just a great side benefit to the beautiful and multi-functional breast.

I breastfed both of my girls. Would I have done so until they were old enough to walk up to me, lift my top and attend to me like I was a walking, talking dairy bar? Not likely. But - I will loudly defend a woman's right to do so. Why? because there is nothing sexual about it (see point above). There is a significant amount of scientific research touting both the physiological and nutritional benefits of it.

And if a woman doesn't, or can't, breastfeed - that's ok too. There's no extra gold star.

The more disturbing issue here is yet another label for mothers (and parents) to adhere to. Really, do we need to define and have a set of dogma to strictly adhere to such as "attachment parenting?" Putting my baby in the bjorn or a sling wasn't really "attachment parenting" in my mind, it was convenient, kept her close and allowed me to wander freely at the lake or shopping. When my girls are sick, and my husband or I sleep in their beds or beside them on the floor, are we practicing "attachment parenting?" No. It's just common sense; taking extra pre-cautions to ensure they don't choke on their vomit in the middle of the night.

We have made parenting into a competition of sorts where the rules keep changing. And it doing so, "Mom Bashing" has become the norm as we snidely take in Jamie Lynne Grumet's beautiful face and judge her. She's too beautiful, too thin, too at ease ("why", sniffed one comment on the 'net "does she look so rested?")

Side note: I'll tell you one thing: the reason she is so thin is that breastfeeding burns an extra 500 calories on average per day. No treadmill or weights, just whip out the boob and call it a day.

Of course, the Time photo is meant to incite a response. The photo is taken to deliberately provoke. The fact that Aram is standing on a chair makes him seem older and obviously taller. But in reality he is only three.

Why do we care so much what other women do? Children need to be cared for, attended to, kept safe from predators (albeit rare) in our world, loved, hugged, kissed and told they are amazing little people. Whether or not a woman breastfeeds three months or three years need not be a concern. To me, it's just a choice.

Travel Fit

March Break: mostly it conjures up images of drunken frat boys and teenagers in too-tight bikinis - probably because I've never actually been away for the storied March Break.
If you are lucky enough to be sun and beach bound ... yay! please DON'T send me a postcard. Of course I am kidding! I would love to see all of your awesome pics when you are back ... eventually...when I am not bitter about being stuck in this bipolar winter. *

Okay - but you want to keep on that fitness routine while you are away? No problem! There's a few strategies you can utilize to do so; which can in turn keep you more energized during your vacation (hello, more pool side time) as well as motivate you to stay on routine with nutrition as well. It's max and relax time, so keep it simple.

• A resistance band/tube packs in your suitcase and takes up virtually no room, and weighs next to nothing. You can work upper and lower body in as little as 20 to 30 minutes
• Jump Rope: again, a lightweight in terms of real estate investment and can serve as your cardio component.
• Run/Walk the resort or on the beach. Running or walking in the sand also provides extra resistance ... kind of like nature's boso ball ... you have to work a little bit harder because it is a less predictable surface.
• Your hotel room: use the bed/chair as stations for tricep dips and step ups. Disclaimer: do these before hitting the Tequila!

Resistance Band Workout:

Band Squats: Place the feet a little wider than hip width apart, with the band looped around the outside of your feet, as below. Squat, like you are going to sit in an imaginary chair; keep your weight in your heels and do the movement slow and controlled for 12 - 15 reps
Band Lunges:  Stand in a neutral position and then step one foot forward, and bend then knee so that your quad is in a 45 degree lunge position. Your knee should never go forward over your front toe! Bend elbows and press hands up (see illustration). Now you are working your shoulders as well! Do 12 - 15 reps, switch legs.
Tricep Band Kickback: Put the tube on the floor and step on it with your right foot then hold tube in left hand, raise arm up so that it is parallel to the floor. Kick your arm back in a controlled motion, contracting the tricep muscle.
Chest Press with Band: Anchor the band around a stationary object and lunge forward with one foot (knee does not go over top of the toe!) with the tubing handles at chest height.

Extend hands forward in a straight line, just short of locking elbows. Repeat for reps.

• Depending on time, you could superset each exercise with plyometric jump squats and lunges as well as tricep dips off a bench or chair and pushups for the chest.
• Abs: Planks done on the beach/hotel - use time to vary the challenge. For example: hold plank for 30 seconds, rest 10, 40 seconds, rest 10, 1 minute, rest 10, 1:30 seconds, rest 10, etc. Keep the abs engaged and tight, the lower back should not sag.

One of the most fun and effective reference guides I have come across is Jillian Michael's "Hot Bod in a Box." Kinda cheesy name, yes - but for $16, you get over 50 workout cards, all illustrated and sample workout programs already put together for you.

I have come to realize that it is all about balance. Numerous vacations I have gone on, I have not heeded my own advice. Looking back I think it is because I pushed myself too hard to the point of neglecting myself. Many times I would find myself rushing out to teach yet another class (while working a full time job) and then going home to try to be the best mother and wife I could be. Sometimes you don't realize that, while what you might be doing does appear to be healthy, it's not if you are so fragmented that not one thing is getting the attention it deserves.  

I remember just last year going away on a week long cottage jaunt with friends. While my friends proudly displayed their newly bought Adidas that could be put to good use doing some recreational running around the lake, I had stubbornly brought nary a pair of favourite Lululemon pants. I knew then that I had to strike a balance so that it wouldn't be all or nothing. I needed to find that place for me - to take care of myself the way I try to take care of others in a fitness class.

So have fun whatever you do this March Break! This summer when I pack my suitcase for the annual getaway, you can bet my Lulu pants will be on top.

*Weather may not be accurately represented as written :)

Quinoa Cakes!

I've always known about quinoa - that grain that actually isn't really a grain at all but technically a seed (who knew?). It took a friend and a trip to Costco to get me back into the quinoa game! I'm always looking for recipes that will raise the bar on taste, keep the integrity of the recipe and that the girls will eat. Try these Quinoa Cakes, as below:

• 2 full cups of cooked quinoa (follow your recipe listed on package).
• 3/4 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1 large grated/shredded carrot
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons of all purpose flour
• chopped green onion - green parts only (2 stalks)
• smoked paprika
• sea salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of sugar (or sugar substitute as equivalent)
• 1/4 teaspoon of cumin
• 2 tablespoons of canola oil (for frying quinoa cakes)

1. Mix all ingredients well; ensure that the carrot is well grated before added to mixture. Add seasoning. Heat canola oil in large, wide bottomed frying pan on med-high heat. Before frying - ensure oil is hot enough by testing a bit of the mixture. It should sizzle immediately.

2. Using a 1/3 cup dry measuring cup, scoop mixture and drop gently into frying pan. Use the reverse (flat) part of the measuring cup to flatten top of the dollop you've just dropped in pan. Let the Quinoa Cake fry on one side for 3 to 5 minutes, allow to brown. Flip and cook other side.

3. Turn out to a papertowel lined plate to allow any excess oil to come off.

Serve hot or cold! I like these cold on top of crisp lettuce and lots of veggies, or used as a filling for a sandwich wrap. Make them slightly smaller to serve as an appetizer.

Nutritional Info - roughly calculated, per cake:
136 cals, Fat: 7 grams, Carbs: 11 grams, Fiber: 2 grams, Protein: 8 grams

Enjoy :)
MissFIT Mama

To blog or not to blog?

So.

Blogging - why do it?

I actually thought I had the answer to that, and it turns out that answering that question isn't as easy as I originally thought!

I won't say it's my dream come true to blog, (cheesy) but I did once say I dreamed of being a writer. I guess what I am realizing is that harvesting a love of writing can come in many forms. Not necessarily of go-big-or-go-home journalistic success or better, the kind that tops a New York Times bestseller list.

I mean, why would anyone want to read stuff I've written? (besides Hubby MattFree and my parents. The former because I asked him to and the latter because ... well....they're my parents!)

Okay - maybe a few friends, too.

I enjoy writing, I enjoy discussions and debate; seeing the humour in things that might be best left unsaid. But these discussions happen too and far between. Just this past weekend, myself, hubby and group of friends went out for sushi. Everyone was excited to get together because "we don't do this often enough!" Since my Mom was away, getting a sitter was less of the guaranteed variety and more of the "you'll take great care of my kids 'cause I'll pay you" genre.

So six adults in one SUV (which is even more of a pain when you consider the car seats need to come out) we had a lot of time to chat ... even more so due to the fact that the sushi place we were so eagerly awaiting to try (new in our town/city) had no ... ***gasp*** liquour license yet! Non negotiable. Before you judge me take into consideration the sitter is paid, the car seats are out, a DD procured, the kids fortified with yet another showing of Jim Carrey's "The Grinch that Stole Christmas" (yes I realize it is February) and I have frantically dug through the dryer for my favourite pair of grey, monochromatic tights: damn straight it better be licenced! I can sit at home and stare across the table from Hubby and kids without wine - that's called a weekday.

Anyways.

With all of this uninterrupted discussion time, I realized that maybe it isn't just me craving more dialogue. And I don't mean it always has to be an in-depth thesis-worthy discussion - just stuff: parenting, health, cooking creatively while constantly experimenting with foods to entice my kids to eat and try new things. Keeping my brain engaged. A realization that I might (just maybe) watch too much reality TV?

So I guess this blog may be a bit of a mixed bag....life as we know it and the daily grind (I mean joys) of parenting, a bit of health and fitness stuff that I can offer up, neat recipes to share be shared in kind.

So if you like it - share it! If you don't, great: please stop reading and don't bother sending any creepy emails. If you are some kind of ad/media Mogul that somehow has had a lobotomy and don't realize there are other (read: better and fancier graphics) blogs out there to invest in...well have your people call my people and we'll talk dollars. Top dollars. I want at least $8.00. That's exactly enough for my daily Timmie's at the College each day for a week! I told you: I dream big.