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THE MODERN MAMAHOOD

The Modern Mamahood

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    • Blog
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    • Sips
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  • Natural Mama

A "Cheat Meal" Mentality Is Keeping You From Being Happy

August 3, 2017 Natalie Schwartz
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I am just going to come right out and say it, I hate, well, dislike this whole “cheat meal” terminology, because it implies and encourages looking at food with a negative connotation.

It’s not food that is bad, it’s that we as people make bad choices when it comes to food.

I believe in splurging or indulging in food that feeds your soul and makes you happy. Sometimes that food shouldn’t necessarily be consumed on the regular, or else I’d be up to my ears in dark chocolate and salt and vinegar chips.

It’s about taking a step back and looking at our diet, are we eating foods that serve us? That fuel our body, mind, and spirit (yes I just took it there with food talk)? Honestly though, food is something that gives us life and can keep us from sickness so why do we live in this weird restriction mindset?

Well for one, as Americans our portion sizes are outrageous and the food that is readily available, packaged and delivered is high fat and high sugar. In turn this causes us to gain weight and slow down as our energy leaves our body to process all of this junk. This results in the media or friends/ family telling us we need to get on a “diet” and then we will lose weight and feel better.

Ughhh… have you ever been on a diet? It’s fucking awful! I mean who wants to feel like they are counting calories or weighing their food or tracking their “points” for the day. Total snooze fest. It’s a bitch to live this way and it’s not sustainable for the rest of your life. BUT, they do promise you the very sought after cheat meal, once a week, because you’ve been so good restricting yourself the other 6 days.

So maybe you indulge and then go back to bed thinking, “well that was good now back to counting my points tomorrow and thinking about every single thing I am going to eat.”.

I have a really simple solution, start eating more foods that are from the earth, start eating more plants. When you eat a plant-based diet (no I am not telling you to go 100% vegan if that is not your thing) you are eating a lot more fiber, nutrients, and yes, protein. Fiber fills you up quicker than any empty slice of cheese pizza will, thus resulting in feeling full sooner.

When I was coaching clients I would give them ZERO RESTRICTIONS, “eat as much plant food as you want” I would tell them, but from the earth no packaged. About 1-2 weeks into our coaching their cravings for the salty and sweet, high fat foods were disappearing. They were shocked. Their relationship with food began to change when they experienced this shift in their body with weight loss, and increased energy.

The lifestyle of dieting and restrictions became a thing of the past because they were eating foods that made them feel good and when they felt like indulging in something, a “cheat meal” they did and then didn’t think twice about it.

You see, it’s about changing your relationship with food and when you do that you will free yourself from the guilt and desire for cheat meals and calorie counting. I say, if you feel like having a burger (veggie burger for me) do it, if you want to eat chocolate do it, but don’t tell yourself it’s a cheat. There is nothing positive about the word “cheat”, so rather change your relationship with food and how you view it. Indulge yourself because you deserve it, because you know you have been feeding yourself the best possible diet (plant-based) there is and life is too short for guilt around food choices.

I know a full vegan diet is not for everyone, and I’ve struggled with it on my 4 year vegan journey, but eating a predominantly plant-based diet is totally doable and will absolutely change your relationship with food!

I’ve been thinking a lot about you mama, as my reader and as the giver of life and love to your family, so I have been working to put together a full plant-based meal plan for you to help you on this healthy lifestyle journey.

One of my main goals for this blog is to empower you and encourage you to lead the healthiest lifestyle you can because helping people do that feeds my soul.

I would love to answer any questions you may have and hear your feedback if a printable meal plan would be something you’d be interested in!

Xoxoxo

-Natalie

In Health, Mamahood Tags The modern mamahood, cheat meal, motherhood, plant-based diet, Healthy lifestyle, veagn, The modern mama
← Smoothie Freezer Packs For Toddlers Vegan "Fish" Tacos →

Natalie Schwartz

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I started reading a book called “how to breakup with your phone”. And it got me thinking about how much time we all spend on our phones. Is it sustainable for our relationships and for our mental health? A study mentioned in the book really got me thinking about myself. With the rise of social media there has been a rise in teenage depression. I’m no teenager but I can totally see how this is manifesting in my own life, and it made me reevaluate how I think about social media and the time I spend on my phone. I want to be as transparent in this space as possible. Through the curated images and beautiful feeds you can get lost on this app and sometimes it can leave you feeling bad about yourself. The comparison game is real, whether it’s someone else’s body, their kitchen, their hair... etc. The last few weeks I’ve been having major anxiety and lots of stress over my Instagram feed and balancing this app with my life. I’ll get vulnerable to share this for anyone who is experiencing this. I feel like I got so far away from content that was meaningful to me. I was lost in creating the perfect images  and writing captions and picking the perfect preset filter that it literally was causing me to lose sleep. It was robbing me of time I was spending with Jack. I couldn’t turn off thinking about what I “thought” I needed to be doing next to stay relevant as a blogger in this space. Did you know that when you turn your ig account into a business account you can see the analytics about your engagement. If I took the “weekend off” from posting or doing ig stories (to be phone free with my family) Instagram would show that my engagement numbers dropped by the hundreds. This kept me engaged/a little addicted to staying locked in to posting. After all I’ve done so much work building this brand I didn’t want it to fall behind... I know, it’s sick, but those numbers are there for a reason because it’s beneficial for the app and the advertisers who pay to be on this space to have high engagement. I finally just had a moment of self realization that I’m going to simply stop caring so much and with that, take breaks from social media. -caption finished in comments- Took a much needed social media break and spent all of Saturday @omnilacosta spa, like literally all day. I got a massage and read my new book and didn’t talk to anyone. I forgot how important alone time is especially for us mamas. But I’m back and feeling refreshed! I shot a bunch of recipe content yesterday I’m so excited to share!! What do you do for self-care?! .
.
.
#motherhood #themodernmamahood #igmotherhood #honestmotherhood #veganmama #toddlerlife #blogger #momblogger #vegan #healthylifestyle #selfcare I’m just a mom wearing her husband’s shirt drinking her second caffeinated beverage of the day, with a messy house, and a non napping toddler... whhhhhyyyy?!!! Jack’s been sleeping in later than 5:30am #blessed but then he’s not tired for nap. Mama looks forward to her afternoon break. What age did your child stop napping??
.
.
.
#motherhood #themodernmamahood #igmotherhood #honestmotherhood #veganmama #toddlerlife #blogger #momblogger #vegan #healthylifestyle #naptime Back when we were babies( still in our twenties) no baby, and I was coloring my eyebrows a shade too dark. Our first Valentine’s Day we were living In Boston and as you know I LOVE V-Day💕. Stefan worked overnight at the time so the night before Valentine’s Day I went and bought a dozen red balloons 🎈 and a ton of decorations but it was snowing so hard that I was struggling to get everything in the car all by myself. I successfully hid the balloons in my trunk so he wouldn’t see. That night when he went to work I went crazy. I baked rice crispy treats in the shapes of hearts. I put out champagne. Our front entrance was a sea of red balloons. I hung signs, I did it all. .
The next morning as I was getting ready for work on Valentine’s Day, he had taken the train to my office in downtown Boston and decorated my desk. He even had an entire vegan chocolate cake with 2 dozen roses sitting there. So when I showed up to work and he got home from work we’d both see the surprises we had setup for each other.
.
He would later ride his bike in the snow to find my favorite wine. .
.
He’s never disappointed me since, not with Valentine’s Day, not with anything. I’m so lucky to have you as my forever Valentine @stefan_wm Thank you for loving me, I know I’m nice to look at but I can be a handful and you never complain 😚 #valentinesday2018 Ok ladies don’t hate me for this one but do you know what’s in your dry shampoo?😳 It’s actually alarming! One of the biggest toxic ingredients is “fragrance” which is full of synthetic chemicals! I get that dry shampoo is a staple in life just like coffee but there’s a less toxic route. Let’s break down a few common ingredients in most dry shampoos and I’ll share this easy DIY recipe so you can make your own non-toxic one!! .
.
Common ingredients in dry shampoo: ☠️Alcohol while it’s not “toxic” excessive use can cause damage to the scalp and is extremely drying. .
☠️Methylpropional- which functions as a fragrance and masking ingredient, is connected with possible bioaccumulation, organ system toxicity, endocrine disruption and allergies, and contact dermatitis.
.
☠️Isobutane-Isobutane and Propane are compressed gases that are used as aerosol propellants.isobutane is a hydrocarbon gas; used as a propellant in aerosolized products. Can be toxic and an allergen.
.
☠️Excessive use of dry shampoos that contain alcohol can lead to long-term hair and scalp damage.
☠️”Propylene glycol is found in shampoos, deodorants, skin care lotions and room deodorizers. Normal use of these products is not dangerous or toxic to the skin or airways. However, prolonged or excessive application can cause redness and itching to sensitive skin. Ingestion of propylene glycol could cause irritation, burning sensations to the throat and mouth, nausea and vomiting. The side effects of prolonged inhalation of propylene glycol found in room deodorizers can cause irritation of the mucous membranes, wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. It should be noted that regular use of skin lotions and cosmetics have no reported side effects in persons without skin sensitivities, according to the Scholar Chemistry website. Propylene glycol enters the body as an alcohol and metabolizes in the body's enzyme pathways. These pathways do not mature in humans until 12 to 30 months of age. Infants and children below the age of 4 years, pregnant women and those with kidney dysfunction or in renal failure are not able to eliminate propylene glycol in the body. THE REST OF THE POST/ RECIPE IS IN COMMENTS 💕GIVEAWAY 💕In honor of Valentine’s Day I’ve teamed up with @choicejuicery to gift one lucky lady the ultimate self-love package! One of the best ways to show yourself some love is to practice self-care so we are gifting you all of the @t.m.m.beauty essential oil rollers for mama + the new “love.” perfume roller! PLUS our 3 favorite SUPERFOOD Elixirs to ensure better sleep, glowing skin, and a boosted immune system with the sweet taste of cacao!!
.
All you have to do to enter is tag 3 friends. Follow @themodernmamahood @choicejuicery and @t.m.m.beauty
.
.
Winner will be chosen 12pm PST on Valentine’s Day💕 Kicked off the start of my favorite week at @shopflowerhill 💕 I LOVE Valentine’s Day and I expect all the balloons and roses and chocolate 🍫!! My sweet husband never disappoints☺️
.
.
I want to know are you team go all out or team it’s just another day?!?! Obvi you know which one I am!♥️ Shout out to my husband who works hard so Jack and I can play in the sand most of our days and listen to the edited versions of Cardi B songs. #momlife
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I started reading a book called “how to breakup with your phone”. And it got me thinking about how much time we all spend on our phones. Is it sustainable for our relationships and for our mental health? A study mentioned in the book really got me thinking about myself. With the rise of social media there has been a rise in teenage depression. I’m no teenager but I can totally see how this is manifesting in my own life, and it made me reevaluate how I think about social media and the time I spend on my phone. I want to be as transparent in this space as possible. Through the curated images and beautiful feeds you can get lost on this app and sometimes it can leave you feeling bad about yourself. The comparison game is real, whether it’s someone else’s body, their kitchen, their hair... etc. The last few weeks I’ve been having major anxiety and lots of stress over my Instagram feed and balancing this app with my life. I’ll get vulnerable to share this for anyone who is experiencing this. I feel like I got so far away from content that was meaningful to me. I was lost in creating the perfect images  and writing captions and picking the perfect preset filter that it literally was causing me to lose sleep. It was robbing me of time I was spending with Jack. I couldn’t turn off thinking about what I “thought” I needed to be doing next to stay relevant as a blogger in this space. Did you know that when you turn your ig account into a business account you can see the analytics about your engagement. If I took the “weekend off” from posting or doing ig stories (to be phone free with my family) Instagram would show that my engagement numbers dropped by the hundreds. This kept me engaged/a little addicted to staying locked in to posting. After all I’ve done so much work building this brand I didn’t want it to fall behind... I know, it’s sick, but those numbers are there for a reason because it’s beneficial for the app and the advertisers who pay to be on this space to have high engagement. I finally just had a moment of self realization that I’m going to simply stop caring so much and with that, take breaks from social media. -caption finished in comments-
Took a much needed social media break and spent all of Saturday @omnilacosta spa, like literally all day. I got a massage and read my new book and didn’t talk to anyone. I forgot how important alone time is especially for us mamas. But I’m back and feeling refreshed! I shot a bunch of recipe content yesterday I’m so excited to share!! What do you do for self-care?! .
.
.
#motherhood #themodernmamahood #igmotherhood #honestmotherhood #veganmama #toddlerlife #blogger #momblogger #vegan #healthylifestyle #selfcare
I’m just a mom wearing her husband’s shirt drinking her second caffeinated beverage of the day, with a messy house, and a non napping toddler... whhhhhyyyy?!!! Jack’s been sleeping in later than 5:30am #blessed but then he’s not tired for nap. Mama looks forward to her afternoon break. What age did your child stop napping??
.
.
.
#motherhood #themodernmamahood #igmotherhood #honestmotherhood #veganmama #toddlerlife #blogger #momblogger #vegan #healthylifestyle #naptime
Back when we were babies( still in our twenties) no baby, and I was coloring my eyebrows a shade too dark. Our first Valentine’s Day we were living In Boston and as you know I LOVE V-Day💕. Stefan worked overnight at the time so the night before Valentine’s Day I went and bought a dozen red balloons 🎈 and a ton of decorations but it was snowing so hard that I was struggling to get everything in the car all by myself. I successfully hid the balloons in my trunk so he wouldn’t see. That night when he went to work I went crazy. I baked rice crispy treats in the shapes of hearts. I put out champagne. Our front entrance was a sea of red balloons. I hung signs, I did it all. .
The next morning as I was getting ready for work on Valentine’s Day, he had taken the train to my office in downtown Boston and decorated my desk. He even had an entire vegan chocolate cake with 2 dozen roses sitting there. So when I showed up to work and he got home from work we’d both see the surprises we had setup for each other.
.
He would later ride his bike in the snow to find my favorite wine. .
.
He’s never disappointed me since, not with Valentine’s Day, not with anything. I’m so lucky to have you as my forever Valentine @stefan_wm Thank you for loving me, I know I’m nice to look at but I can be a handful and you never complain 😚 #valentinesday2018
Ok ladies don’t hate me for this one but do you know what’s in your dry shampoo?😳 It’s actually alarming! One of the biggest toxic ingredients is “fragrance” which is full of synthetic chemicals! I get that dry shampoo is a staple in life just like coffee but there’s a less toxic route. Let’s break down a few common ingredients in most dry shampoos and I’ll share this easy DIY recipe so you can make your own non-toxic one!! .
.
Common ingredients in dry shampoo: ☠️Alcohol while it’s not “toxic” excessive use can cause damage to the scalp and is extremely drying. .
☠️Methylpropional- which functions as a fragrance and masking ingredient, is connected with possible bioaccumulation, organ system toxicity, endocrine disruption and allergies, and contact dermatitis.
.
☠️Isobutane-Isobutane and Propane are compressed gases that are used as aerosol propellants.isobutane is a hydrocarbon gas; used as a propellant in aerosolized products. Can be toxic and an allergen.
.
☠️Excessive use of dry shampoos that contain alcohol can lead to long-term hair and scalp damage.
☠️”Propylene glycol is found in shampoos, deodorants, skin care lotions and room deodorizers. Normal use of these products is not dangerous or toxic to the skin or airways. However, prolonged or excessive application can cause redness and itching to sensitive skin. Ingestion of propylene glycol could cause irritation, burning sensations to the throat and mouth, nausea and vomiting. The side effects of prolonged inhalation of propylene glycol found in room deodorizers can cause irritation of the mucous membranes, wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. It should be noted that regular use of skin lotions and cosmetics have no reported side effects in persons without skin sensitivities, according to the Scholar Chemistry website. Propylene glycol enters the body as an alcohol and metabolizes in the body's enzyme pathways. These pathways do not mature in humans until 12 to 30 months of age. Infants and children below the age of 4 years, pregnant women and those with kidney dysfunction or in renal failure are not able to eliminate propylene glycol in the body. THE REST OF THE POST/ RECIPE IS IN COMMENTS
💕GIVEAWAY 💕In honor of Valentine’s Day I’ve teamed up with @choicejuicery to gift one lucky lady the ultimate self-love package! One of the best ways to show yourself some love is to practice self-care so we are gifting you all of the @t.m.m.beauty essential oil rollers for mama + the new “love.” perfume roller! PLUS our 3 favorite SUPERFOOD Elixirs to ensure better sleep, glowing skin, and a boosted immune system with the sweet taste of cacao!!
.
All you have to do to enter is tag 3 friends. Follow @themodernmamahood @choicejuicery and @t.m.m.beauty
.
.
Winner will be chosen 12pm PST on Valentine’s Day💕
Kicked off the start of my favorite week at @shopflowerhill 💕 I LOVE Valentine’s Day and I expect all the balloons and roses and chocolate 🍫!! My sweet husband never disappoints☺️
.
.
I want to know are you team go all out or team it’s just another day?!?! Obvi you know which one I am!♥️
Shout out to my husband who works hard so Jack and I can play in the sand most of our days and listen to the edited versions of Cardi B songs. #momlife
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner I’m treating myself to a little “me” time with @beautycounter #Ad! As a mom it’s crucial we treat ourselves once in a while. I’ve been loving spending extra time in the evening pampering myself by taking my makeup off with Beautycounter’s Cleaning Balm which leaves my skin feeling so much cleaner and it totally takes off all of my mascara which is so hard to do. I’ve been finishing off my routine with their Countermatch moisture lotion. I love how it leaves my skin feeling hydrated and soft. .
.
You guys know I LOVE clean beauty, after all beauty should be good for you and Beautycounter is leading a movement to a future where all beauty is clean beauty. Bonus?!! There are no calories in moisturizer 😝 save yourself from the Valentine’s mystery chocolate box!!♥️ #GiftfromBc #betterbeauty
With all the rain we’ve been watching a lot more tv than normal but yesterday we decided to go on an adventure. 40 minutes down to Ikea to by a new bed frame for Jack’s new mattress, a trip to Balboa park to play in the rain, one donut and cold brew(for me) later we had the best day.
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It was exactly what we both needed to fill our cup. Watching Jack splash around in the muddy puddles and chase birds trying to balance in his new rain boots was everything. .
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Also I’ve got an exciting announcement and giveaway coming for you guys to win your very own brand new mattress!! Xo
It’s been so rainy here in San Diego we’re not used to this weather. We are going crazy being stuck inside. I’m contemplating driving to Ikea with my toddler is that insane? Yes or No?🙃 what do you do on rainy days???
If we could all make eating yogurt in our underwear look this cute... 🥰 I’m so excited to share two easy and HEALTHY recipes with you today! Yogurt bark with fresh strawberries and stuffed raspberries filled with @tinygiantsfood berry probiotic yogurt. .
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I recently discovered @tinygiantsfood probiotic yogurt pouches and Jack is obsessed! Let me tell you it’s hard to find a certified organic probiotic yogurt that’s vegan! .
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Valentine’s Day is around the corner so I wanted to share two healthy recipes you can make using minimal ingredients.
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Yogurt Bark

Ingredients:
4 Vanana Banila Tiny Giants pouches
3-4 organic strawberries, sliced
8x8 inch pan
Wax paper

Directions: place a sheet of wax paper inside the glass pan, then squirt in your 4 pouches of Tiny Giants. Take a spoon and smooth everything out and then add your sliced strawberries on top. Place in freezer for 2 hours. Once the 2 hours have passed take the yogurt bark out and remove the wax paper and break into big pieces. Enjoy! 
More info & recipes over on the blog-link in bio-#sponsored