17 months! This squishy little love (pictured here) & I just crossed over into our 17th month of breast-feeding. YEAY!!
I get asked all the time about how I maintain my milk supply, energy, immunity, and my sanity (although I question that last one myself sometimes, Ha!), while also running a business, chasing after our 7 year old & 17 month old, all while still breast-feeding.
So, I figured it was time to come clean on all my “secrets” about how I naturally boost my energy and immunity daily!! 😉
And just so you know, I’VE EXPERIENCED THIS WHOLE “NURSING A BABY THING” BOTH WAYS. Let me explain…
A little backstory… I breast-fed our oldest daughter, Mac (now 7 y.o.) until just past 15 months. I remember being SO thankful she was DONE breast-feeding, because I was COMPLETELY DRAINED (in every sense of the word)
I felt like all my energy had actually been sucked right out of me.
I was also SUPER frustrated because I was doing the ALL THE THINGS you’re supposed to. I was finally getting good sleep, I was eating a super clean whole foods diet (80/20), I was getting to yoga several days a week, & yet my energy was ZAPPED. Really, it was non existent!
Honestly though, I’m thankful for this experience because it propelled me to start looking for answers as to why my energy was so low despite doing what seemed like all the right things, and that search led me to find the much more healthy & energetic life I live now.
In the midst of my struggle I reached out to a friend who was a holistic health practitioner and fellow yoga instructor for advice.
I thought she’d recommend juicing or some herbal supplement, but while she said those things were great, I was floored when she recommended a “Superfood Smoothie“.
A Superfood Smoothie?!?! Was she serious?? A protein shake was somehow gonna help me have energy and kickstart me into a more healthy lifestyle ?!?
I MUST share here, that when she first recommended a “Smoothie” to help boost my energy, I was BEYOND skeptical and also very jaded about “Shakes” in general. I had no idea that what she was recommending was more of a nutritional supplement than a “protein shake”
A few of my thoughts….
I have done the shake thing before, No Thank You!!
I like chewing my food.
I’m always still hungry after one of those things.
I already eat healthy foods!
Any of these sound familiar? You name the excuse, I had it!
But I trusted her & the science behind the concept of my body needing more nutrient dense foods and supplementation. (CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON THE “SCIENC-Y STUFF if you like that sort of thing) Plus, I figured since I had no energy anyway, what did I have to lose by trying?
Fast Forward 5 years & there isn’t a day this Superfood amazingness called Shakeology doesn’t cross my lips. Including during my pregnancy (CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON THAT)
Here’s what I know from my 5+ years of personal experience drinking my Superfood Smoothie daily and experiencing how it works for myself & others.
(All of the following are my own personal experiences. I will never recommend anything I don’t personally use for myself and my family, and I always advocate you learn what works best for you & consult your chosen health care provider for issues with any underlying conditions and considerations )
I HAVE MORE ENERGY OVERALL AS WELL AS DURING PREGNANCY & WHILE NURSING PP
During my first pregnancy I had NO ENERGY. I felt nauseated and lethargic ALL THE TIME. This time around even though I was 6 years older and had my fair share of days where I needed a nap. I overall had far more energy & endurance. I worked out a minimum of 5 days a week all the way up until the morning of my C-Section at exactly 40 weeks. I even had energy immediately postpartum despite recovering from a C-Section and all the demands of those early newborn days.
BETTER IMMUNITY & HEALTH FOR ME AND BABY
Ky is now 17 months and has NEVER been sick (aside from sniffles and low grade temps when cutting teeth). Whereas Mac had been on antibiotics twice before her first Bday for raging ear infections, and had numerous colds & viral infections. Both babies were breastfed, and I ate the same clean whole foods diet with both, but only Ky had the benefit of me drinking Shakeology daily and supplementing with healthy fats.
It’s also worth noting that 3 days after I brought Ky home from the hospital, Mac started kindergarten. Anyone with school aged children can tell you, that first year in school your little one is like a walking petri-dish cesspool of germs. THEY BRING HOME ALL THE GERMIES!!! Mac picked up and brought home ALL OF THEM, yet baby Ky NEVER got sick!! That’s saying something!
MAINTAINED MILK SUPPLY & QUALITY MILK
Ky was 5 pounds 3 oz when she delivered via C-Section because of her Frank Breech presentation and compromised umbilical cord, so she had some making up to do in the weight gaining department.
I supplemented myself with Shakeology daily + healthy fats and she was EXCLUSIVELY breastfed. Immediately baby girl started putting on those cute baby LBs. My milk supply has stayed bountiful these whole 17 months, and the quality of my milk is still rich. Let’s just say chica made up for lost time quickly, and hasn’t slowed down since.
I DO NOT think all of this is by coincidence, and I absolutely credit my addition of Shakeology to my increased energy, health, and vitality
However, Shakeology is NOT a magic bullet! In addition to my daily Superfood Smoothies, I also…
- get adequate sleep
- eat an 80/20 Clean Whole Foods Diet (limited processed sugar, soy, gluten, corn)
- use the 2B Mindset Method for my overall nutrition plan
& on days I REALLY need an extra boost I use a scoop of my all natural Plant Based Pre-Workout mix aka Go-Go Mom Juice. (more on that one, and why I will ONLY use this one in a different blog post, coming soon)
I hope seeing what I do daily helps you reach your health, energy, and vitality goals. It’s my privilege to share what works for me because had someone not shared their experience with Superfood Supplementation with me, I might not have found what has helped me & my family live a much more healthy & energetic life.
The food you put into your body matters, and so does the QUALITY & nutrient density of the food & supplements you choose. Be sure when you’re choosing food and Superfoods that you are choosing the BEST quality from a reputable source.
And if you want to discuss any of what I’ve shared here or would like guidance on getting started with a healthier way to LIVE join my Virtual Wellness Studio complete with my coaching & support, meal plans, recipes, streaming workouts of all styles, & all the SUPERFOODS knowledge and supps!!! 😉 INFO ON MY VIRTUAL WELLNESS STUDIO HERE
“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine by thy food.” – Hippocrates
RELATED BLOGS & LINKS:
MY BREASTFEEDING MOMS SURVIVAL GUIDE: WHAT I WISH I WOULD HAVE KNOWN
SUPERFOODS DURING PREGNANCY: IS IT SAFE?
MY MORNING ENERGY & IMMUNE BOOSTING LINE UP
TO ORDER SHAKEOLOGY & GET SUPPORT SHAKEOLOGY OR SHAKEOLOGY + STREAMING WORKOUTS + MEAL PLANS + MY COACHING