"Hey Dad, Take Some Cod Liver Oil!"

So, a couple of months ago I was group texting with my mom and dad, (we do group family texts all the time talking about silly stuff!) and my dad was talking about how congested he was and feeling all sick on his break from work. So of course, being the helpful person I try to be haha... I say, "DAD! You should be taking cod liver oil! It's great for immunity! And maybe try some hot water with honey and apple cider vinegar!" And his response was, "You sound like my grandma! She made us drink weird concoctions that tasted like motor oil (or something) when we were sick!" So then I started thinking, I know this stuff is good for you, and I've read a little before but I wanted to know more to support my points haha and NOT look and sound like his crazy grandma!

Most of my points are from random websites I came across online, and I didn't cite every website just because I wasn't sure what all I would include, so hopefully the plagiarism police won't come and get me! (I know, horrible former teacher example! eek!) These days as a stay at home momma, pretty much any and all information comes from online! I saw a meme on Instagram a couple of days ago that read, "A worried mom does better research than the F.B.I." haha and it is so so so true...

A couple of things to know about Cod Liver Oil:

• Cod Liver Oil is rich in EPA and DHA which are elongated omega 3 fatty acids that our body needs! EPA is essential for hormone synthesis and DHA is helpful in supporting brain activity and the nervous system. (It really is impressive how much of our bodily processes are supported by hormones, especially during pregnancy, so take care of those little guys! Give them what they need!)
• It is also rich in vitamin A and D, which are both difficult to acquire in our normal daily diets. Cod liver oil has the most vitamin A and D when compared to any other common food.

So what is this stuff actually good for?

From my research, I read that cod-liver oil is used to help people with high cholesterol, high triglycerides, kidney disease in people with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoarthritis, depression, an autoimmune disease called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), glaucoma, and middle ear infections (otitis media). It also can be helpful with allergies, asthma, learning and behavioral disorders

In addition, it can help with muscle pain and bone density. Those awesome omega 3s are key to rebuilding bone density and retaining the bone density that you have. The vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium and magnesium, which are both key in retaining that bone density.

Cod liver oil is thought to help relieve joint stiffness associated with arthritis, have a positive effect on cardiovascular health, and help repair wounded teeth, nails, hair, and skin. It can even improve heart function, even when damage has been done from a heart attack etc. Cod liver oil changes the lining of the arteries to improve healing. These points make sense because of how it helps with inflammation.

One of my favorite finds was that it helps lowers blood pressure by reducing stress inducing cortisol! Wish I would have started taking this stuff a long time ago! Get ride of that cortisol! I also read that nutrients in cod liver oil can help prevent cancer and may help repair wounds and aids cognitive performance. (Are you persuaded yet???)

This won't apply to everyone, but this stuff is great to take prior to conception and pregnancy! Cod Liver Oil is helpful for both the hubbie and wife to take, with different benefits for both! Like I mentioned earlier, it regulates hormones which is essential for having a regular cycle, and also prepares the uterus to receive the fertilized egg. 

During pregnancy, having though omega 3s in your diet provides enough for your growing baby. If you don't have enough, the baby will take from your body and leave you with a depletion. According to one of the websites listed below, "essential fatty acids are important to your baby’s brain, eye, and heart development. DHA is necessary in high concentrations for proper brain function, including proper development and cognitive function. Low levels of DHA are linked to premature birth, low birth weight and hyperactivity in children. DHA is an important component for a healthy central nervous system. EPA is necessary to grow a healthy circulatory system." The benefits continue as your baby grows, obtaining necessary Omega 3s through your breastmilk. 

So, the more I read about this stuff, the more impressed I am. And it's so easy to get this supplement in your every day diet! I order my soft gel caps from Amazon and do a subscribe and save, which saves me a few bucks! They don't make me sick or taste bad at all! 

http://www.amazon.com/Barleans-Organic-Oils-Softgels-Lemonade/dp/B002N9AD2G/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1420605065&sr=8-2&keywords=barleans+cod+liver+oil

Before I got pregnant, this was the brand that my cousin's wife turned me on to. It took me a little while to get used to it, but then I actually started to like it! Of course, once I got pregnant again, this option went out the window because it was not going down or staying down hah! But just in case you are invested, it's good stuff! I would definitely recommend the one with lemon flavor! 

http://www.amazon.com/Carlson-Norwegian-Cod-Liver-Lemon/dp/B003B3P4PO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420688881&sr=8-1&keywords=cod+liver+oil

Couple of websites I got most of my info from...

http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/cod-liver-oil-the-number-one-superfood/

http://natural-fertility-info.com/cod-liver-oil-essential-for-healthy-fertility-and-pregnancy.html

And in honor of my Daddio... Happy Birthday!! He is a New Year's Baby and turned 56 this year!!

I may or may not have provided this super cool mug for his birthday present :0)

Hope you enjoy, and that it is all accurate hah! I'm sure my nutritionist cousin, Ashley, would let me know if not! ;0) And if anyone has more to add, feel free to comment!

Oh the Holiday Food...

My thoughts exactly after a week and a half of tons of heavy food and sweets non stop! Baby J2 has been jumpin' jumpin' this week! Hah! I actually do attribute feeling the first kicks this week to all of the cookies at my mother in law's house!! eek!! As all of the food has been so good, I was excited to get back home and cook a fresh meal and guess what, tomato soup round 2 was it! I mentioned this soup in my last post, and since I had some gouda cheese and chicken stock left over, I decided to make it again. The first time I made it I had not bought enough onions that week and sadly resorted to mince onions, but WOW I cannot tell you the difference that using a fresh onion made! This plus my basil being super fresh made this pot so much better than the first! This soup is so wholesome and so good left over. It takes some prep work, but I think the more I make it, the easier it will get!

Here is the link one more time! http://blog.seasonwithspice.com/2012/08/homemade-tomato-basil-soup-recipe.html

I just sliced some bakery bread and toasted the gouda cheese on top in the oven... broiled for a minute too.

Hubbie approved!!

Ok, so as healthy as I like to think I am, I just cannot resist a fluffy moist muffin. I made these sour cream coffee cake muffins this morning for breakfast with the help of my little chef. He's been totally into stirring things for months now and is a pro at putting the muffin liners in the muffin pan, so it was a good partnership hehe. I really liked these muffins though because one, most importantly, they taste great with a good cup of coffee, but two, because they are helping me cope with my weird prego cinnamon roll cravings; they have a great cinnamon streusel effect. I could have eaten the whole dozen myself probably, but then I don't think I could have moved the rest of the day. And my hubbie would have probably cried because he loves cinnamon streusel things. When we went to Menchie's to get froyo a few weeks ago you would have thought it was his birthday because they had Cinnabon Cinnamon roll yogurt haha... I guess no DNA test is required for my unborn child, maybe the cinnamon roll cravings are from him. ;0) 

P.S. - Update... made these a second time and used olive oil where it calls for vegetable or canola oil... the first time I had used coconut oil. They were much more moist and dense with the coconut oil, so just thought I would make that suggestion in case you were interested!

http://www.afamilyfeast.com/sour-cream-coffee-cake-muffins/#_a5y_p=2974515

Stir, stir, stir!!!

You'll notice that the bowl is empty while he's licking the whisk hehe... boy after my own heart though, I love me some muffin batter!!

Where's my coffee??!!

I don't think I have posted about the salsa recipe that I got from one of the best college mentors I could have ask for, so I will tonight! We grilled some burgers for dinner (Happy New Year!) and sometimes we just like to keep things simple with a side of salsa and guacamole. This has been such a good go to recipe, I've made it so many times and it never ever fails. It is so fresh and so tasty, and even freezes well! With all of the ingredients you need, you do two batches in your blender. I usually keep one in the fridge for us to eat and then freeze the other half in a plastic baggie. So once we finish the fresh batch, I just take out the baggie and let it thaw. You can blend the salsa as long as you want, obviously the longer you blend it, the less chunky it would be! Again, this salsa calls me back to my garden and makes me long for those days of just going to my backyard and picking things I needed for it! I would definitely recommend using fresh garlic with this. I feel like fresh garlic really makes a difference in taste and it is so good for you! Garlic is highly nutritious, helps boost your immune system, has active compounds that can reduce blood pressure and improve cholesterol, has antioxidants that could prevent Alzheimer's, can help detoxify heavy metals from the body and improve bone health!! Need I say more??? Go get yourself a garlic press (Pampered Chef has a fabulous one!) and press that garlic!! Here's Rachel's recipe...

10-12 roma tomatoes

2+ jalapeños (The smaller the jalapeño, the spicier it is!)

1 lime or lemon

2 - 8 oz. cans of tomato sauce

1 yellow onion

salt (maybe 1-2tsp?)

2 garlic cloves

1 bunch of cilantro

So new year means fitness goals, am I right?? My super sweet hubbie got an awesome gift card at a work party (I never win anything but he seems to have better luck than me!) and decided to buy us Fitbit trackers! It has been so fun tracking our steps, calories burned etc. and since there is a friends/buddy aspect to it, we have been able to keep track of each other's progress and have a friendly little competition! ;0) The fitbit syncs up automatically to an app on your phone, so it's pretty convenient to check and log your progress during the day. It has been cool to see what kind of activity you have during the day, and one thing that was eye opening was the sleep tracker option! I tried it last night and was shocked at how restless of a sleeper I am! No wonder I am so tired in the morning! Hoping tonight will be better! But anyway, here's to a new year and hopefully a healthier one!!

I'm not a super girly girl but I am about some things, and I do like  to accessorize, so the flex band color options are definitely appreciated! ;0) Don't you love all the toys in the background? Our living room is Toys R Us right now in case anyone needs to know.

Just an example of a screen shot of the Fitbit app that your bracelet syncs up to. This was today's activity!
 

You can track runs on here as well. You can also log food and water consumption, start a food plan, track exercise and sleep and set goals for yourself.