The Proof is in NO pudding

Apr 7, 2010 by cafebebemama

Ladies and Gentlemen, we learn today from our Resident Guru, Wendy Powell, that it seems the proof is in NO pudding with regards to our Mummy Tummies!  It’s not nice to admit but a lot of what has happened to our tummies, post birth, is down to what we’ve put in our mouths.  I know I’ve created an amazing fat layer(s) and I can’t blame that on c-section recovery or pregnancy.  I ate the biscuits, fish & chips and other rubbish.  Now, this could be a tough one for most of us.  Food is LIFE!  Food is what gets us through our long Stay at Home days.  But that very Food of Life could be what is holding you back.  Did you ever think that you might be choosing the WRONG food?  Well, Wendy is here to set us straight.  Prepare yourself for some tough talk…good luck ladies!

And so Ladies, we come to Number 4 of my Mummy Tummy Begone series at the delectable Café Bebe’s house. All that remains after this is for me to answer the ‘everything you always wanted to know about your tummy but were too afraid to ask’ questions. But that’s next week, so…

To re-cap on how we got here. To this happy & grateful, but nonetheless flabby, knackered & frankly quite baggy state of mummy tummy-ness…

There was: 1. The split in our tummy muscles; 2. The sorry state of our core muscles & undercarriage; 3. The need for seriously effective & seriously short exercise

And now we arrive at the missing piece of the jigsaw. FOOD. And what more appropriate time than the end of the Easter weekend – as we ‘just finish off… because then it’s gone, isn’t it?’ all that leftover chocolate – to address:

Getting Rid of the Flab part 2: The Right Food

Here’s my take on the whole diet thing. The best thing you can do to for your body shape nutritionally is NOT to count calories or pick a ‘diet’, but to simply start to ‘EAT CLEAN’. Avoid processed & refined foods & keep your food as close to its natural source as possible.

If the natural source of whatever you’re about to pick off the supermarket shelf or put into your mouth is un-identifiable, don’t eat it!

If you can’t pronounce the ingredients list… don’t eat it!

White, refined grains such as rice, white bread, anything baked using flour are full of empty calories which will make you fat, clog up your digestive system & may cause bloating… none of which is conducive to any flat belly you might be after.

Switch to wholegrains for a lower GI & the added benefit of extra fibre, along with drinking plenty of water & herbal teas. This will help to keep your digestive system working efficiently & reduce bloating. You will find more suggestions, as well as ideas & brands to try on the food section of my blog.

Remember that every time you indulge in those foods you KNOW you shouldn’t (if you want a flat tummy that is) then you’re covering up all your hard work with an extra layer of fat. It really is that simple – Please note, I never said it was easy, but it is relatively simple!

Incidentally, buried in my blog is a whole stash of ‘feeding kids’ ideas – snacks, recipes & strategies – many of which apply just as well to our grown up selves (Sorry but I’ve never been a smiley faces on the plate kind of mum I’m afraid. No offence intended Annabel, but life’s too short )

As well as keeping your nutrition ‘clean’, you may be storing extra fat around your middle due to how you manage the insulin level in your blood. Taken to the extreme, diseases like diabetes type 2 can be the result.

Insulin is a hormone that is secreted by the pancreas to control the circulating glucose (sugar) level in our blood. It is also a fat storage hormone, responsible for transporting glucose into our cells, to be later converted into energy. Too much sugar in our blood stream is toxic & very dangerous. Whenever we eat something, insulin is released to ensure that our blood sugar level doesn’t rise too high. The amount of insulin released depends upon the type of food that we eat. If you eat highly refined, starchy, carbohydrate foods such as white pasta, white bread, white rice, biscuits or sweet foods, this will increase the amount of insulin your body requires.

The more insulin released the more fat you will store. High levels of insulin in your blood will also inhibit the breakdown of fat, so no matter how much you exercise, the flabby tummy remains.

Eating a lot of sweet or refined foods means that you are constantly calling on your insulin to deal with the excess sugar in your blood. Over time this will lead to weight gain (especially abdominal fat around your middle), increased fat storage & an impact on your health.

Carbohydrate-rich foods serve as our main source of energy, & are ESSENTIAL, especially for a busy mother with many demands on her time & energy. Forget Atkins!

But your consumption of carbs should be in the form of whole-grains, fruits & vegetables. If there is no alternative but to use white pasta or rice, ensure that there is a good level of protein (beans, eggs, fish, meat) to help balance your blood sugar level.

Sugar, in whatever form you choose, creates havoc in your body. ALL calories from sugar are ‘empty’ calories, containing virtually none of the nutrients that your body needs. It also accounts for the energy ‘low’ that many people experience at various points throughout the day.

Stress, caffeine & skipping meals are also major culprits. If you drink several cups of coffee, tea or fizzy drinks throughout the day, regularly skip meals or live your life in a constant state of stress, you will de-stabilise your blood sugar level even further. This creates stress hormones & triggers the release of further glucose from your liver into your blood stream.

The whole process of releasing insulin (to deal with the release of glucose) starts all over again…and you didn’t even eat anything…

HOW TO BALANCE YOUR BLOOD SUGAR

• Avoid refined sugar & stimulants (caffeine, cigarettes, excess alcohol)
• Eat little & often – three balanced low-GI meals with small snacks in between (that’s not a Venti Latte by the way.)
• Choose supplements only from a well-researched, bio-available brand
• Exercise at least 3 days during the week
• Each meal & snack should consist of both unrefined carbohydrate & protein

A final consideration, is that if you have food intolerance to certain foods, then you may get bloating of your lower intestines contributing to a bit of pooch. Gluten is a common intolerance & tends to interfere with good digestion, causing inflammation & bloating. Just try going without wheat or dairy foods (cut one group out at a time to see if you feel a difference) for 72 hours, & see if you feel any different. The western diet contains far too much of both of these anyway, & going with a ‘clean’ diet (try to also avoid alcohol) for a few days will certainly not do you any harm.

You may even see a rather ‘miraculous’ improvement in the size of your tummy J

Good luck my Dears.

And please keep submitting your questions for next week: A few I have so far are: ‘What actually gets cut in a caesarean section?’; ‘Tummy tucks: how much does it cost & what happens?’ ‘How long do I count as postnatal?’ ‘I need some healthy snack ideas’ & ‘If my stomach muscles are split, isn’t that a hernia?’

It’s going to be gruesome but fascinating stuff