your body is amazing...take care of it!

I have been wrapping up my Master's paper over the last few days. I am writing a protocol for providers for nutrition care with various conditions in high risk pregnancies. At any rate, I've thinking about how amazing it is that we can reproduce life in our bodies and quite honestly I am amazed that it works out for the best most of the time. This morning I went to the gym for a body pump class at 8:30. I had never met our instructor before, she apparently had a baby 12 weeks ago, although you would never guess it by looking at her. Anyway, she was amazing and she even worked her abdominal muscles. She was obviously in great physical shape before and during pregnancy which has allowed her to be a very strong shortly there after. Here are my thoughts:

• For anyone thinking of becoming pregnant, now it the time to clean up your eating pattern and start exercising if you don't already do so!
• If you are already pregnant, never too late to start. At minimum make healthy food choices most of the time and skip the sugary drinks and concentrated sweets. Also, as long as your doctor has said it is OK, try to exercise most days of the week, even if you just take a walk. This can help you gain the recommended amount of weight and reduce risk of developing conditions such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. 
• For those of us who are not pregnant, if they pregnant women can do it, we certainly can!! Take care of yourself. The body is amazing, but if you want it to work well for a long time, you have to maintain it. Think of this as the same as getting oil changes, alignments and other maintenance for your car. Give yourself the nutrients you need, avoid the junk you don't and exercise to keep all your parts working!

Take Care!!