1 Fat Blasting Circuit, 1 Recipe, Abdominal Re-training for mom

One great mom fat blasting circuit. 2 rounds of this are sufficient and will leave you gasping for your next breath.

1. Burpie Shoulder Press, 2. Front Chop, 3 and 4. 1 arm Dumbbell Snatch each side, 5. jump squats. Repeat these continuously and then rest 3 minutes before completing these 10 exercises again.

If you need to make modifications you can perform fast dead-lifts for your front chops, 1 sided squat and press instead of the combination move the dumbbell snatch.

I tired this new recipes the other night from Nathan Jackson Fitness. Squash Bisque- although it is supposed to be raw- I cooked it as I didn't think I could slip that by the kids. My modification for this tasty vegan recipe.

1 squash, 2-3 cups water, 1 red pepper, 2 celery stalks, 2 tsp sea salt, 2 tsp pepper, pinch of cayenne and cilantro to garnish. I pureed this after the squash was cooked and it was tasty.

I was skeptical (as I mentioned to him) because there was no chicken stock, but it was great, no worries. Thanks Nathan.

Are your abdominals really firing? This week I had the pleasure of working with some new people and many of them thought there abs were fine- meaning they were firing properly doing what they should be doing. After trying plank variations that were very difficult, we went through the lying leg lift series in phase 1, weeks 1 and 2 of the Baby Bump Busy Mom Fitness program, while drawing in abdominals. Drawing in if you are early post partum or have some sort of back injury will give you a neural connection that has been lost or modified from your stretched abdominals. These were the exercises that proved exhausting- mentally and physically. She had no idea her abdominals were not functioning properly. Are you aware? Do you have back discomfort? Have you performed drawing in abdominal exercises such as phase 1 week 1-6, pilates or rehabilitation? These are questions to ask yourself and if you feel your abdominals could be functioning better, this is where you want to start. This is the start of a great fitness program

3 Super Busy Mom Snacks

Today I'll report on some easy nutrition tips, with some modifications so you can give them to your children or send them to a "nut free" child zone such as school, daycare or birthday parties. These are also great snacks when you are pregnant. Eating is essential for all, but to get in healthy snacks when pregnant can be the difference between feeling nauseous and not. Keep your blood sugar stabilized if you are pregnant-eat.

1. Blueberries, walnuts, cottage cheese. This is a great busy super mom snack as blueberries contain antioxidants, walnuts contain essential fatty acids or omegas and cottage cheese contains whey protein to stabilize blood sugar. For the super kids snack version you can leave out the walnuts and a touch of applesauce for added fruity sweetness for the kids.

2. Apple slices and cheese. This super mom snack contain fiber, protein and fat to reduce blood sugar fluctuations. Mom may prefer apple-wood smoked cheddar and kids mozzarella, it all works. Eat the skin on the apple as this contain a few grams of fibre on its own.

3. Dried apricots and almonds. This busy mom snack again contain fibre and omega fatty acids. For the super kids version you can add some dried apricot slices to yogurt or cottage cheese. OK so you or your child is lactose sensitive or intolerant- so add some dried apricots (sliced) into nut free granola with a few dark chocolate chips(or carob)- I guarantee they'll gobble this down.

These snacks are easy to make, relatively not messy for children and mom, and have a balance of nutrients to stabilize blood sugar. I use the almond /apricot combo as my go to snack. I always have a bag of this in my backpack because it doesn't go bad. You can always have your food on hand. None of the snacks are low fat as you will notice, actually quite the opposite. Fats are essential in your eating plan to be successful at health and weight loss.

For the mom that is ready to take her nutrition to the next level I am going to refer you to this complete comprehensive eating program with great tasting recipes I am going to refer you to an ebook call The Diet Solution. I think you will find this easy to follow and is full of great ingredients such as coconut oils and medium chain fats to boost your metabolism. A great compliment to your busy mom workouts.

Also for a complete Busy Mom Fitness program or Pregnancy Fitness program check my Baby Bump ebooks. Everything you will need from pregnancy, post delivery, and fat loss/fitness. A comprehensive system.

My Busy Mom Fitness workout today- dynamic warmup and circuts

circut #1 2x- modified pullups, squat press, prone jack knife with pushup, kettlebell snatch

Busy Mom Fat Loss circut #2- lunge kettlebell row, burpee with jumpsquat, lunge xover row, jump squat 10 of each 2x through the circut

To get more workouts like the one listed aboven in a 16 week program get a copy of your Baby Bump Busy Mom Fitness ebook.

3 Keys to a Fit and Healthy Mommy

I hope everyone received my newsletter yesterday about how to maintain a fit and healthy life after labour day. You can still get it sent to you by signing up to the right hand side of this blog. The just of the letter was;

3 KEY TO LIVE BY to have a fit and healthy life as a busy mom.

1. Organize your menu. This means have meals planned in your head, make the grocery list to support this and shop and execute, by that I mean cooking not burning food.

2. Organize your workouts. Have a rough idea of when you want to workout for the day. Have a weekly plan of the days you are going to workout and have a workout program to follow. Again you can grab a free workout program in the side bar of this blog.

3. Sleep More. This will reduce stress, reduce belly fat and reduce overuse injuries. You will be a happier mommy.


My busy mom workout today- bike ride to work 10km, foam roll, standing lat pulldowns, pullups, shoulder rotations, deadlifts, bike ride home.

Eating With Children

I have shot a little video of me eating lunch with my daughter. After some research I realized many mothers are eating what their children eat for lunch, and given a choice children will eat chicken nuggets, hot dogs, kraft dinner and generally imbalanced meals. Moms get so caught up in "serving" their family that they often forget about themselves. Well I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news but nibbles of toddler food doesn't cut it for a normal active adult woman, especially ione trying to burn baby fat. You need meals that will keep your hormones in balance, sugars in balance, foods that feed your brain and body, and stimulate meal enjoyment. A few easy tips this videos high lights to help take care of mom and family. Mom's need to eat healthy, you set the standard for the house.

TIPS
1. Sit at the table to eat, no TV and schedule a time.
2. Prepare large amounts of food in advance for the week eg- cut fruits and veggies, cook meat, shred cheese
3. Variety of calories, some carbs, proteins and fats are essential
4. Eat whole foods and organic if possible
5. Use some flavour so you do not get bored of your food (I put a spice rub on the chicken and the baby eats it too- from Webbers book of grilling)
6. Eveyone eats the same meal of your choice.

Eating With Children Video

Most of all try to enjoy your meals, do not just rush through them. For any busy mother this is the key to living healthy and getting your body back. You are the life blood of the household and set the mood. Eat well and you will be happy.

HEALTHY MOMS NETWORK- recipes from an expert

Today I am very excited to host a guest blogger Cascia Talbert. Cascia runs the HEALTHY MOMS blog, please check it out. As a HEALTHY MOM, Cascia knows a few things about preparing quick healthy meals for her family. She is here to share a few of her recipes with us.

Simple Healthy Recipes Your Whole Family Will Enjoy
By Cascia Talbert


Between cleaning, taking care of our kids, running the household errands, and during these hard economic times fitting a part time job into our schedule's, moms are very busy people. No matter how busy you are it is still very important to take the time out to eat right.

Fixing healthy meals for our family often takes a lot more time to prepare than those "not-so-good-for-you" meals. To make it a lot easier I've put together a few healthy recipes that are simple and don't take a lot of time to prepare.

For breakfast try fixing your family whole wheat pancakes. Whole wheat pancake mix can be found in most grocery stores and it isn't that expensive either. Try this recipe out.

Oatmeal Pancakes with Mixed Berry Topping
Prep Time:15 min
Start to Finish:20 min
makes:6 servings (2 pancakes with 1/4 cup topping)

Topping
1 bag (10 oz) frozen berries, thawed and drained
3/4 cup real maple syrup (or you can substitute a low calorie sugar free syrup)
Pancakes
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
Whole Wheat pancake mix (follow instructions on the package)
1. In 2-quart saucepan, cook topping ingredients over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture just begins to simmer. Remove from heat; set aside. In medium bowl, beat pancake ingredients with wire whisk until blended.
2. Spray griddle or 10-inch skillet with extra virgin olive oil cooking spray. Heat griddle to 375̊F or heat skillet over medium heat. For each pancake, pour slightly less than 1/4 cup batter from cup or pitcher onto hot griddle.
3. Cook pancakes until puffed and dry around edges. Turn; cook other sides until golden brown. Serve with topping.

Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 310 (Calories from Fat 60); Total Fat 7g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 35mg; Sodium 290mg; Total Carbohydrate 55g (Dietary Fiber 4g, Sugars 32g); Protein 6g

You can also make pancakes and freeze them. After freezing your children can heat them up in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Try topping pancakes with plain low fat or fat free organic yogurt and fresh fruit, or chopped nuts and raisins, or all natural organic applesauce and cinnamon.
For lunch serve a salad with fresh fruit or healthy wrap sandwiches. These recipes can be prepared in less than a half an hour.

Layered Shrimp, Corn and Pea Salad

INGREDIENTS

1?4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3?4 tsp salt
1?4 tsp pepper
11?2 lb ripe tomatoes (we used red cut in wedges and yellow cherry tomatoes cut in half)
1 ripe avocado, peeled and cut in small chunks
2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 cups green peas, thawed
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
6 cups salad greens
1 lb peeled, cooked shrimp
1?2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, basil or parsley

PREPARATION

1. Whisk oil, vinegar, juice, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add tomatoes and avocado; toss to mix and coat. Let stand about 20 minutes to deveIop flavors.2. Mix corn, peas and bell pepper in a 4-qt serving bowl; spread in a layer. Top with 1?2 the salad greens, all the shrimp, then remaining greens. Spoon tomato mixture over the top; sprinkle with cilantro. Toss to mix or spoon through the layers.This is especially attractive when brought to the table in a clear glass bowl, preferably one with plain sides so all the layers are visible.

Nutritional Information
Yield 4 servings, Calories 508, Total fat 24g, Saturated fat 4g, Cholesterol 221mg, Sodium 815 mg, Total Carbohydrates 44g, Dietary Fiber 9g, protein 34g.
(source: Women's Day)

Bean and Veggie Wraps
Prep Time:10 min
Start to Finish:15 min
makes:4 servings
4 fat-free flour tortillas (6 to 8 inch)
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (5 oz)
1 medium onion, cut lengthwise in half, then cut crosswise into thin slices
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained, rinsed
4 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
1. Heat tortillas as directed on package.
2. Meanwhile, spray 10-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Cook mushrooms and onion in skillet about 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is crisp-tender. Stir in beans; heat through. Stir in spinach; remove from heat.
3. Divide bean mixture among tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Fold one end of each tortilla up about 1 inch over filling; fold right and left sides over folded end, overlapping. Fold remaining end down.

Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 270 (Calories from Fat 30); Total Fat 3 1/2g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 280mg; Total Carbohydrate 43g (Dietary Fiber 8g, Sugars 5g); Protein 16g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 60%; Vitamin C 10%; Calcium 25%; Iron 25% Exchanges: 2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 2 Vegetable; 1 Lean Meat Carbohydrate Choices: 3 MyPyramid Servings: 1/2 c Dairy, 1 oz-equivalents Grains, 2 oz-equivalents Meat & Beans, 1 3/4 c Vegetables
*% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
(source: EatBetterAmerica.com)

I love serving salmon for dinner and when I do we rarely have leftovers. Salmon is a healthy lean protein full of omega 3 fatty acids. Here are a couple easy and tasty salmon recipes. Always make sure you are serving wild Alaskan salmon.

Salmon with Pepita-Lime Butter

Lime juice, chili powder and pepitas give this salmon Mexican flair. Serve with wild rice and steamed vegetables.

Makes 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

2 tablespoons unsalted pepitas (see Tip)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 pound salmon fillet, skinned (see Tip) and cut into 4 portions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Toast pepitas (see Tip). Place in a small bowl with butter, lime zest, lime juice and chili powder.
2. Generously coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper, add to the pan and cook until browned and just cooked through in the center, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the pan from the heat. Transfer the salmon to a plate. Add the butter-lime mixture to the hot pan; stir until the butter is melted. Serve the salmon topped with the sauce.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 259 calories; 17 g fat (5 g sat, 5 g mono); 74 mg cholesterol; 2 g carbohydrate; 24 g protein; 0 g fiber; 360 mg sodium; 458 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Excellent source of omega-3s.
0 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1 fat

TIP: Tips: Pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds) can be found in the bulk-foods section of natural-foods stores or Mexican groceries.

Place a salmon fillet on a clean cutting board, skin side down. Starting at the tail end, slip the blade of a long, sharp knife between the fish flesh and the skin, holding the skin down firmly with your other hand. Gently push the blade along at a 30̊ angle, separating the fillet from the skin without cutting through either.

Place pepitas in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
(source: Eating Well.com)

Salmon Pinwheels


Don’t be intimidated by this fancy-looking breaded-salmon pinwheel, it’s quite easy to do. This technique works best when you use “center-cut” salmon fillet. If you don’t have a center-cut fillet or want to simplify the preparation, leave the fillet whole, spread the mayonnaise over it, top with the breadcrumb mixture and bake. To cut down on prep time, ask your fishmonger to skin the salmon for you. Serve with garlic-rosemary roasted potatoes and wilted spinach.

Makes 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1/2 cup coarse dry breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat (see Tip)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped rinsed capers
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 1/4 pounds center-cut salmon fillet, skinned and cut lengthwise into 4 strips
4 teaspoons low-fat mayonnaise

1. Preheat oven to 400̊F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Mix breadcrumbs, oil, mustard, shallot, lemon juice, capers and thyme in a small bowl until combined.
3. Working with one at a time, spread 1 teaspoon mayonnaise on a salmon strip. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the breadcrumb mixture over the mayonnaise. Starting at one end, roll the salmon up tightly, tucking in any loose filling as you go. Insert a toothpick though the end to keep the pinwheel from unrolling. Place in the prepared dish. Repeat with the remaining salmon strips.
4. Bake the pinwheels until just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the toothpicks before serving.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 342 calories; 20 g fat (4 g sat, 8 g mono); 84 mg cholesterol; 9 g carbohydrate; 30 g protein; 1 g fiber; 221 mg sodium; 528 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Potassium & Vitamin C (15% daily value), excellent source of omega-3s.
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 4 lean meat, 1 fat

TIP: Make your own breadcrumbs: Trim crusts from firm sandwich bread. Tear the bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Spread the breadcrumbs on a baking sheet and bake at 250̊F until dry and crispy, about 15 minutes. One slice of bread makes about 1/3 cup dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs.
(Source: EatingWell.com)

Serving healthy meals for your family does not have to be hard work or take a lot of your time. You can also include your children in the cooking process. Letting your kids help you prepare meals can teach them more about healthier eating habits and it can be a lot of fun too!

Cascia Talbert is the editor of Healthy Moms, an online publication and social network focused on health and parenting for moms.

MOM WORKOUT- Immediate Stress Relief

So I keep getting Happy Mothers Day greetings days after the event. Obviously my daughter had been groomed to say this continually until the day fit.

Exciting things are happening in our house, well for the kids. We have a birds nest on our windowsill. The momma had layed 3 eggs that hatched today. We have three baby birds, a mother and a father that is always around bringing food to the nest as well. Kasia is over the moon, she checks on the birdies every 5 minutes, and I must admit I love it too. We are sharing time learning about the birds and just "watching" them.

Busy Mom Fitness
I completed a 2 circuit Tabata workout today again without a single crunch. My workout was very short, maybe a bit too short but I was feeling congestion in my chest and having no husband help this week I decided this was enough for me. I still felt the need to workout as a form of stress relief and craved that sense of accomplishment for myself. I bet if I didn't workout most days I would skim through life never completing anything for myself in the day. You can still pick up your free mothers day program at the bottom of the Tabata post

I made a great homemade pasta sauce yesterday during my prep day as organic cherry tomatoes were on sale this week. The girls love pasta, it's an easy meal for all of us.

PREPARE YOUR FRIDGE

I had a great mothers day, despite the fact my husband was away. I took the girls to their swim lesson with the help of Nana and Grandpa then we all headed out for brunch. Kasia did a mother day performance at her school on Thursday, where all the children danced and sang, she is 3. I had tears in my eyes as I videoed it, then she came over to me with a white rose afterwards. My nephews class was up next and I got a video of him as well. She continually peeped "happy mothers day" all weekend long.

This morning I met my best friend for coffee and she told me a typical funny mom story. She has a cat, a fat cat. Well the cat was losing weight so she took the cat to the vet fearing the worst- diabetes, kidney disease. 200$ later the tests showed nothing. A week later she noticed that the dial on the automatic cat food feeder had been tampered with and her cat was only getting half the portion of food he normally gets. Her toddler confessed. She now has a thin cat, a 200$ vet bill and a guilty toddler. This is the second "pet food" incident I have reported about in 2 weeks. Mothers, check your pets or pet food. (Kasia ate Sammy's food the other week and threw it up at school the next day)

I walked home after hearing this innocent story to perform my Busy Mom Fat Loss workout out on my back deck as my baby watched me. I only performed 10 exercises once through because I am just getting over a chest infection and a sleepless weekend of parenting on my own (as both girls were suffering this weekend as well).
Listening to my body I performed my Busy Mom Fitness workout- kettle ball swings 20x, side step kettle bell swings for lateral hip stabilizers, push ups, spider man pushups, step ups, 1 arm push press, full weighted front squat, x body mountain climber, bent over lunge row, squat high pull. I did not perform a single crunch, worked every single muscle in my body and spent about 10 minutes sweating it out. This was enough for me today to keep active.

I went inside and "PREPARED THE FRIDGE" for the week. This involves cutting up the fruits and vegetables so the kids have readily available snacks, making a pasta sauce, grating a brick of organic cheese for kid snacks and getting rid of anything that is starting to get a bit gross. We now have cut peppers, cantaloupe, strawberries and cheese for snacks.

ROCK THE HOUSE

Today I rocked the house with my workout. I was actually at a gym and had someone cancel, so of course I took advantage on my FREE hour and rocked it out.
Busy Mom Fat Loss Workout- today I took my time with my warmup and made sure my thoracic spine was open before beginning and training squats and lifts. This is always where you start if you feel pain in your low back or restriction in you shoulders and neck, you can trouble shoot other issues from here.

Busy Mom Fitness- Rehab circuts with reverse lunge into adduction/flexion knee pulls, plank reach, ball elbow rollouts, rotational plank.
Metabolic Circut- burpie with shoulder press, jump squats, burpie with weighted jump squat and shoulder press, jump squats. Alternating 1 arm kettlebell swings, side and middle kettlebell swings alternating, Full Kettlebell rotations (Taking the V step further-stall at top and back push 180 degrees)brutal to say the least. Full weighted corkscrew (chop motion)
Strength Work- bentover dumbell rows, glut/hamstring drops into explosive pushups, standing lat pull, scapular protraction/retraction

It was great, everyone was staring. I was lifting more than the meathead men at the gym and working about 4x as fast. One of the trainers with their client called it "inspirational to say the least" I indicated if I have a free hour I'm going to take full advantage of it, I may not get the chance again for a few days.

I had a great pasta meal the night before with homemade veggie and meat sauce. This helped with my extra energy today. Hope this motivates you to ROCK THE HOUSE with some exercise.

The other night while driving home from the grocery store I relived my teenage years for 3 minutes. I had the windows down and cranked JOURNEY on the radio as I passed cyclists/walkers in the bike lane everyone stared again. Who is that crazy rocker with 2 car seats in the back. It felt good. I pulled into the driveway, turned down my music and resumed the role of MOM, as I unpacked the groceries. I thought of where I came from and what I have become, it's all good.

My Kid Barfed Up At School

So before I could get to my workout today, I was interrupted by a call from my husband. "Kasia has barfed up at school, just inside the school doors". That cut my day short. I headed home, and watched HORTON HEARS A WHO with my daughter. I will not eat treats tonight, I am more careful if I miss a workout.

It happens, kids are unpredictable, life is unpredictable. If I miss one workout to spend time with a sick child, no big deal. I am not addicted to exercise, but I do love it. I have made it my goal to eat extremely clean today, tomorrow is a new day. Part of being able to eat clean is being prepared. I grocery shopped last night and have a fridge full of great food, I am so glad I did otherwise I would not have been prepared for what happened today. As a busy mom you have the role of dropping everything and rushing to the aid of your children. Work/housework is set aside, exercise and diet are set aside and sometimes even a shower. I was grateful that I got up this morning and prepared my "SPICY PULLED PORK" in the crock pot with rice and lentils and had a fridge full of healthy options- one less thing for me to think about when things get out of control.

I had a busy mom fitness home workout yesterday with one lift circut and one core circut. My core circut was prone jack knife, stability ball toe taps/mountain climber combo move. This is a great move that kicks my butt every time.

SPICY PULLED PORK
pork shoulder in crock pot, cover with olive oil and a few table spoons of water
1 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp crushed garlic
1tsp oregano
1 tsp Cayenne pepper
2 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper

BE PREPARED

What a busy fit mom eats-part 2. How do I manage to serve a healthy meal while taking care of the kids after a day of work that starts at 5am? I am PREPARED.
BUSY FIT MOM DIET

Breakfast
My breakfast sausages are cooked for the week and waiting in the fridge, the strawberries are cut and I make Kasia a sand which when I get up in the morning.

Snacks
The fruit snacks like melon are cut and waiting for Kasia to get them herself. She is always hungry and visits the fridge to get the bowl of cut fruit out for herself. I have shredded organic cheese ready for the baby, Ava and she has rice krispies as well. There is a cupboard of KID snacks at ground level that Kasia also has access to- it is filled with raisins, apple sauce, and granola bars. For myself I have fruit and a 1kg bag of almonds in the house. I keep an apple and a dish of almonds in my gym/work bag at all times. I have a quick Prograde recovery drink when I have a busy schedule at work as I get very hungry and don't have a break.

Lunch
This is usually packed up left overs form the night before dinner.

Dinner
I also cut my veggies and keep them in the crisper. They are readily available for that nights meal. I use my crock pot often, especially when I need to clear a load of vegetables from my fridge. I have my meals organized in my mind for the week. I have been cooking for a family for about 25 years now and am used to this.

Groceries
This is where is begins, the most important part of my eating. I go with a list. I have an idea of meals that I want to make or new ones I want to try and get the ingredients. I don't visit the junk food aisle. I start at produce move to meat counter, go to Organic and them baby food area. (this is already 80% of my shopping) I then visit the butcher area and lastly the frozen and preserved food aisle for a few incidentals.

Visit www.babybumpfitness.ning.com for today's update on what I ate today. Again, I do not measure anything and do not follow a specific meal plan, I just fill the house with GOOD FOOD.

I felt strong today during my workout and did all lifting and pull ups.

What Does A Busy Mom Eat?

Follow along this week and I will be posting what I eat to feel energized, manage a physical job and take care of the kids. Post along with me, What do you eat?

If anyone knows me I am by no means strict with my diet, I just eat when I feel I need to and try to have the best quality food I can.

I never measure my portions, I am old enough to know when to stop eating. I love chocolate and I love food. I am not afraid of food or trying new recipes, if anyone has any suggestions let me know.

To follow along with me this week and view my food blog visit BABY BUMP FITNESS social site. The first 2 days of the week are posted.

I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT MY SLOW COOKER- Busy Mom Recipes

Ok, how do you take care of your children, run your house hold, make money, and eat a healthy- hot family meal every night. Two words--CROCK POT. That's right, I rely on my Slow Cooker to provide a healthy- hot meal for my family. I use the slow cooker about 4 nights a week and we always have left overs for great lunches the next day.

Benefits of a slow cooker

1. Quality on a Budget. You can use a cheaper cut of meat because it will be stewing all day. This means you can take those extra pennies and spend it on a better quality of meat. Eg.- instead of buying a generic prime rib, you can buy a hormone free or organic beef pot roast. That's right- quality on a budget.

2. One Pot Meal- all of the veggies are cooked right into the meal. This is great if you have toddlers, you are basically disguising the vegetables and can avoid a the great vegetable debate at the dinner table.

3. Low Prep Time- I have not spent more than 15 minutes ever preparing a slow cooker meal and typically I spend 5 minutes on the prep. Sad but true, I wake at 5am, feed the baby, make lunches, eat breakfast, prepare a dinner meal in the crock pot for that night and go to work by 6am.

4. Homemade Baby Food- Although my baby is 11 months old, she has NO TEETH. She is active and ready for a hearty meal. Using some little bits of meat, mashed veggies and juices allows her all the nutrients she requires and we are setting her up for great eating habits.

5. No Burning- that's right you cannot burn something in a crock pot, and small inevitable interruptions do not ruin your efforts, just serve out the meal when ever you are ready, or have food at hand for your forever hungry toddler.

There is no TV allowed at meal time and we all sit at the table, this is the only 15 minutes we all spend together each day. We connect as a family over a hot, healthy meal.

I would love to hear your favourite busy mom meals, write in and let me know. Here are 2 of my favourite meals.

J Fit Mom Meal #1
Spicy Pulled Pork

Place a frozen or fresh pork shoulder into your crock pot and spill about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over it.
Add 1/8 cup of water to the pot and sprinkle these dry spices over the pork
1tbsp paprika
2tbsp of ground cummin
1tsp chopped thyme
1 clove garlic or 2tsp dry garlic powder
1 tbsp fresh oregano or 1tsp dried
1tsp cayenne pepper

Cover the crock pot and cook all day. The pork will pull apart when ready. I just pull no spiced pieces from the middle for the kids.
I like to serve this over rice and snow peas. I use my rice cooker and in the last 5minutes of the rice cooking I throw the snow peas on top to steam them.
Other ideas- you can put the pulled pork into a tortilla shell with avocado and veg.

J Fit Mom Meal # 2
Crock Pot Osso Bucco

This is dinner party grade. Add the Veal shank osso bucco and a 2tbsp olive oil to the crock pot. 4 servings

4 veal shanks
2 tbsp butter
1.5 cup red wine
1 beef bullion cube
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 onion
2-4 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1tbsp fresh parsley
3 sprigs fresh thyme
sprig of oregano if you like it- not mandatory
course salt and pepper to taste a few sprinkles
carrots-chopped and celery chopped

Please write in and share your best Busy Mom meals, we want to hear from you.