M'lani Health

Constipation during pregnancy can be extremely uncomfortable and is common with studies finding 20-30% of women deal with constipation at some point during their pregnancy.

There are various reasons this occurs and can be due to:
🤍 Progesterone, this hormone rises in pregnancy & slows motility to allow for more nutrient absorption in the small intestine
🤍 The growing uterus can place pressure on organs
🤍 Prenatal supplements which contain iron & some morning sickness medications can increase constipation

If you’re after a great electrolyte I love .co and their cola flavour 💕

🍓✨ Chia pudding recipe ✨🍓
♥ 2 Tbsp. Chia seeds
♥ 1/2 cup coconut milk
♥ 1 Tbsp. Cacao powder

Mix this all together in a jar overnight and consume as a pudding for meals or snacks ❣️

Bali - the trip that kept on giving, sickness 🙈😂 still made extra special with our amazing family 💕💗

Formula for a hormone balancing smoothie
🫐🍓🫐

With summer coming, smoothies become a staple for many of us! They’re such an easy way to pack in nutrients to your day 🙈

The most common mistake I see with smoothies, is when they’re loaded with fruit, fruit & more fruit. This can be a recipe for disaster when it comes to our blood sugar levels & energy levels.

When making a smoothie it’s important to think of balancing it out as you would a main meal with a source of healthy fats, complex carbs & protein.

Swipe across to see examples of what you can include to create your next smoothie that’ll leave you feeling energised & full for hours 🌼🌸

I get it, you’re standing at the yoghurt section in the fridge & the options are endless 🫠 Where do you start for your little one??

Marketing can be confusing, so I wanted to help give you some options that you can choose from that will satisfy your little one & support their health 🥰

I aways check the back of yoghurt for protein, sugars & calcium content. In terms of sugar, always keep in mind 1 teaspoon = 4g of sugar.

The recommended dietary intake of calcium for children aged:
- 7-12 months is 270mg
- 1-3 years is 500 mg
- 4-8 years is 700 mg
- 9-11 years is 1,000 mg

I’ll be honest I’ve been scared to share my go-to fav snacks because there’s always going to be better options out there & sometimes I feel like nutrition can cop a lot of heat 🙈

Of course making your own snacks is always better 🙈 However, when you find yourself a little peckish or craving something sweet in the afternoon & you haven’t pre-made any treats these are my GO-TO options just from the shops ✨

Health has to be maintainable & if you can’t enjoy a little sweet treat without feeling guilty then it’s not going to be maintainable!

A little tip when choosing packaged snacks always check how much sugar they contain 💥
The WHO recommends women have no more than 6 tsp. of added sugar per day (1 tsp. = 4g). So I try & stick to sweet packaged snacks with less than 2 tsp. of added sugars, where possible 🥰

Cooking & freezing meals & snacks during my 3rd trimester for when remy arrived is something I pat past alex on the back for 😂 I wondered if I was going overboard with my cooking but I can’t tell you how amazing it was having home cooked, nutritious & delicious meals ready to go when we were in our newborn bubble 🥰

Slow cooked meals are especially important during the postpartum period, because it’s easier for your body to digest & absorb nutrients 💖💕 This means your body can utilise the nutrients a lot easier 🙌🏻

Swipe across for recipes including:
❤️ choc fudge brownie
❤️ gooey choc-chip cookies
❤️ veggie savoury muffins
❤️ mexican chicken
❤️ chicken & buckwheat soup

💗 NUTRITIONAL CONTENT REFERENCE POSTERS 💗
These are perfect to print out and have in your kitchen, ready for a quick guide on where to get your nutrient sources from!

I’ve placed a link in my bio if you’d like to have a look on Etsy for similar posters 🌟✨

🌸 Mums, Bubs & Kids PB & BANANA BAKED OAT SLICE 🌸

This recipe is perfect for winter breakfast or snacks on the go. Super quick & easy to make (which is what I love) & you can freeze them to pull out as needed!

INGREDIENTS
⭑ 2 bananas
⭑ 2 Cups rolled oats
⭑ 1 Cup coconut milk
⭑ 1/3 Cup peanut butter
⭑ 2 Tbsp. ghee, melted (or coconut oil)
⭑ 1 egg
⭑ 1 tsp. vanilla
⭑ 1 tsp. baking powder

METHOD
⭑ mix everything together
⭑ pour into baking tray of choice lined with baking paper (I used a medium rectangle size)
⭑ bake for around 45mins at 180
To be completely honest our oven temps have rubbed off so the temp is a rough guess 😂

*does contain peanuts, eggs, oats which are potential allergens - so just be mindful

🌸✨ DAY OF EATING FOR HORMONAL BALANCE ✨🌸
These meals & snacks provide a balance of protein, complex carbs, healthy fats & fibre which helps support our blood sugar levels 💥

🌟 Breakfast - Poached Eggs on Toast 🌟
Add fried mushrooms & spinach for extra micronutrients

🌟 Snack = Chia Pudding 🌟
Made with coconut milk, mixed berries & peanut butter

🌟 Lunch = Macro Bowl 🌟
- Complex Carb: brown rice & sweet potato
- Protein: chicken / tuna / beef / tofu / salmon
- Healthy Fats: avocado / hummus / tahini / nuts & seeds
- Micronutrients: all of the salad and veg

🌟 Snack = Protein Smoothie 🌟
Made with banana, protein powder, spinach, zucchini, flaxseeds & nut butter

🌟 Dinner = Chicken Stir-fry with Rice Noodles 🌟Made with a tahini, ginger & tamari dressing and lots of veggies!

🐰 Easter bunny treaty for our lil bunny ✨✨🌟 remy ended up feeding half his breakfast to my sisters dog Honey 🙈

After a rough few weeks of gastro and sickness Remy went completely off his food! Today has been the first day he’s been excited and wanting food again! So naturally I got excited and made some yummy muffins for him inspired by Banana, Oat & Quinoa baked cups recipe 🌸✨

Quinoa is an amazing source of complex carbs, complete protein, dietary fibre, magnesium, iron, folate, zinc & antioxidants! Sneaking quinoa into these yummy muffins is a great idea for any children who are fussy and picky with their food!

RECIPE
* 1 C oats, blended **
* 1/4 C rolled oats **
* 1/4 C almond milk **
* 2 bananas mashed
* 1 cup cooked quinoa
* 1 egg **
* 1 tsp. cinnamon
* 1 tsp. baking powder

*** I have used allergens in my recipe as remy has been exposed to these foods, so just be mindful when cooking for your little ones😊

Many of us skip breakfast, or grab a slice of toast with butter and Vegemite as we race out the door 🙈 I get it, life gets busy and it’s hard to know what to eat that’s quick and easy but also healthy!

However, breakfast sets us up for the rest of the day, so it's super important to start your day with a nutritious breakfast that contains a balance of complex carbs, protein & healthy fats. This helps stabilise our blood sugar levels for the day to avoid those energy spikes and crashes.

🌸 My personal fav is Bircher - a great balanced breakfast you can make sunday night for the next few days, great for mummas who need to quickly pop something into a bowl and eat!

✨ PB & banana on toast is definitely my go-to comfort food breakfast or snack! I don't know what it is about PB and banana it just hits that comfort spot, whilst also being super nutritious !