I find myself having a lot of conversations about food lately.  This isn’t entirely unusual, as it is one of my favorite subjects, but specifically I’ve been thinking about how confusing nutrition has become.  Between diets touting bullet-proof coffee, weight loss plans which sell processed foods, and confusing food packaging there are a lot of mixed messages when it comes to what’s best for our health.

Though I’ve always had an interest in nutrition I also have a a not so desirable habit of avoiding situations where I don’t know what to expect, so I’d never actually taken the time to visit a dietician.  Where does one find a dietician? How much does it cost? What can I expect at my visit? Curiosity got the best of me when I found out I could visit a nutritionist at MARTIN’S.

Here’s what I learned:

1. It’s not expensive. Turns out, you can see a registered dietician for almost free.  It may sound swanky to have a personal consultation with a nutritionist but really there’s no need for insurance, no need for tons of cash.  Visiting a nutritionist at MARTIN’S costs $20 for a one time consultation, but you receive a $20 gift card to MARTIN’S at your visit.  I don’t know many people who don’t need groceries, so this chalks up to a practically free visit in my book.

2. You can start with the basics. Labels confuse you? Serving sizes confusing? What’s good fat, bad fat and is there such a thing as in-between fat? You’re not alone if you’re confused by nutrition labels.  A MARTIN’S nutritionist has the advantage of being able to take you right out on the floor of the grocery store to talk labels and serving sizes of your favorite brands. No judgement coming from them, they’ll start wherever you are.

3. Good eaters can still learn something. Although I like to think I’ve got a better-than-average handle on nutrition, and I’m a pretty healthy eater, I still had holes in my diet (specifically calcium) that I didn’t think about until my nutritionist pointed them out to me.  I also learned that I should be incorporating a little more vitamin c to my morning breakfast as that helps me absorb the iron in the eggs.  I also realized I had slacked in reading nutrition labels, something I had done more diligently in the past. Even if you’re doing pretty well, a free(ish) visit with a professional might help you round out your diet a little better.

4. Good food is really pretty simple.  Somewhere down the line health seemed to get complicated. There are tons of fads out there and not just ones that raise eyebrows (like cricket flour for example).  It can feel very overwhelming.  A visit to a MARTIN’S Nutritionist won’t result in a new regimen of Cricket-Flour-Kale-Wheatgrass-Goji-Berry-Quinoa-Smoothies with a side of essential oils and gluten free, fermented sauerkraut… (sorry to disappoint). It’s not going to require you to spend a ton, or eat anything weird.  It’s good basic nutrition, small changes and healthier choices which can make a big impact on your health.

Here are a few tips for when you go:

1.  Come in with a goal.  Perhaps you hope to lose weight, have more energy, or just find out where you’re lacking and what you’re doing right. The personalized consultation is just that- personalized, a MARTIN’S nutritionist’s only agenda is to help you achieve your personal goals whatever those might be.

2. Track your eating the week before.  You don’t need to get too detailed, but keep an eye out for what you’ve been eating during the week, this will help your nutritionist get a better handle on where to start making better choices.  Same thing with any supplements you might be taking.

3. Write down a couple questions. Just like being at the doctor, you tend to forget your questions once you get there… then you find yourself during the week thinking “I should have asked about that” of course, you can schedule as many appointments as you’d like (and you’ll keep getting those gift cards) but you can make the most of your appointment if you don’t forget to ask about those specifics.

4. Don’t forget the children.  Sure, you might have a nice well rounded salad on the daily… But kids (and sometimes spouses) are notoriously picky eaters.  The MARTIN’S Nutritionists are armed with a few tricks of the trade to help you introduce new foods into their diet, they’ll help you find better alternatives to their pre-packaged favorites, tips on trying new things or meet with the kids for a kid-friendly lesson.

Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s some delicious lemon yogurt calling me…

Not ready to go it alone? Martin’s hosts classes for both kids and adults which you can learn about here.
Interested in making an appointment with a nutritionist at MARTIN’S?

Caroline Roessler, MS, RDN is in-store nutritionist for MARTIN’S in Midlothian VA call 804-794-7074 for an appointment.

Valerie Pulley, RDN is the in-store nutritionist at MARTIN’S in Short Pump on John Rolfe Parkway and Glen Allen. call 804-364-3644

Like this article? Check out these

Are Your Eating Habits a Mess? Here Are 14 Ways To Get On The Right Track

7 lessons I Learned from Going Gluten Free for One Month

Heart Health for the Whole Family

MARTIN’S is a sponsor of Richmondmom

There will be three mamava pods at MKE

General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee will be the first airport in the nation to unveil mamava, a free-standing pod for breastfeeding and pumping mothers. The pod provides benches, a fold down table, a USB port, power outlet, soft lighting, space for a stroller or luggage, lock and a mirror.

As with all things parenting and all things breastfeeding the reaction on the internet was swift.  Some mothers are hailing it as a long overdue accommodation for breastfeeding mothers and others are viewing it at a way to shame and seclude breastfeeding women.  So which is it?

Personally, having spent a total of 4 years (and more to go) as a breastfeeding mom I have no problem breastfeeding in public.  I’m not a fan of doing it squished up against a stranger in an airport, but a baby’s gotta eat (and preferably, not scream). My immediate reaction was “why not breastfeed where ever you already are?”  But then, I took a moment and went back to month 1, 2, and 3 of breastfeeding.  I wasn’t as confident as I am now, we didn’t have the hang of it, and breastfeeding in public was difficult because it was just such a clumsy process.  Or, when I was pumping, which I already hated and had no interest in feeling like a Holstein in front of my husband let alone an airport full of strangers.  Or when I had a baby who was easily distracted and breastfeeding in public was beyond frustrating because of all the things the baby would rather look at.

In the United States, just over 79% of women start breastfeeding, but by 3 months, only 40% of women have continued to exclusively breastfeed according to the CDC. Anyone who’s breastfed before can tell you those first three months are the hardest.  I realized, this accommodation isn’t for me, and if you’re ok breastfeeding in public then it isn’t for you either.

It’s for the nursing and pumping mothers aren’t as comfortable in public than those of us who have the hang of it.  It’s for you and me pre-confidence, and 79% of other women who are just trying to do what’s best for their baby and need all the help they can get. These are the women who need our support, and I applaud MKE for keeping these new moms in mind.

Of course, there is the flip side. If this space turns onto another way in which we isolate mothers “Excuse me lady, there’s a pod in Concourse C for that.” It’s a whole different story.

An airport has taken initiative to make this space for nursing and pumping moms. Coupled with breastfeeding laws and support from the public, this small change can help mothers quite a bit.  But, it’s up to us an our attitude to make it a positive (or negative) thing.

Losing weight, quitting smoking, and saving money are all popular resolutions… but the problem with these is that if you slip up, you feel like a failure… in fact, 92% of all resolutions are doomed to fail.

But New Year’s is still a great time for a little reflection and thinking of areas where we can improve. What if we took a different approach to a resolution this year… little changes, a different way of thinking or new habits that improve how we feel or our relationships with others. Perhaps these smaller steps will help us achieve some of our larger goals as well.

So if you haven’t given up on making a New Year’s Resolution altogether, here are some new ideas to get you rolling. Pick one as it is, or change it so it fits you better.

1. Read more, internet less. Mid-way through last year I decided that anytime I’d be tempted to surf the web or waste time on facebook/pinterest/twitter/instagram, I’d read instead. As a result, I devoured book after book,  saved a little money from online shopping, and felt less chained to social media.  I also read some really great stories I never would have “had time for” before.

2. Read in front of your kids.  Don’t save your book for when you’re in bed and the kids are asleep… let them see you read. Bring a book to the doctors office waiting room, let it be an accessory if you don’t get the chance to open it.  Read your book while they read or look at pictures of their own books during a family reading time.  Set an example for reading if your kids normally see you thumbing away at your phone, have them see you turning pages of a book instead.

3. Get more fresh air. Find an excuse every day for a little bit of fresh air no matter how big or how small. Work in an office? Park farther away from the building just to get a few extra seconds of fresh air.  Have your coffee on your front steps when it gets warmer or, if you have the time, get out and take a walk. Whatever you do, breathe more outdoor air doing it.

4. Make a regular girls night.  Join us at Wine Down when we have it, or Monday night at Wine Loft since you get a discount.  Try a new restaurant every month, have a new house host each month, share some wine and let the kids eat mac and cheese and run wild.  Whatever you decide and fits your lifestyle, just get together for a girls only night.

5. Be more personal with your Facebook friends. A friend announced her pregnancy, send her a message and some words of encouragement. Someone experienced a loss in the family, call them or send them something personal. Get out of the habit of hearts and stickers and actually reach out to them.

6. Call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while.  Old college friends, high school even elementary school friends… we’re still in touch with all of them thanks to social media but it’s not the same as actually hearing someones voice.

7. Start a new family tradition.  Start a tradition of writing a letter to your child each new year or on their birthday that they can open later.  Start a popcorn movie night once a month. Whatever you pick, find something that you or your family can count on that brings you closer together.

8. Learn something new. Kids are learning new skills all the time, but what about you?  Make it practical like finally learning how to sew, something fun like photography, or maybe a work-related skill that might benefit you later on.  Choose something that you can get excited about.

9. Say “No.” more. If you find yourself pulled in too many directions, vow to say “no” this year to something that you know in advance is going to overwhelm you later. Remind yourself that when we bog ourselves down with too many obligations, we aren’t able to do our best at any of them.  What’s more, we have a hard time slowing down to enjoy what’s happening around us.

10. Say “Yes.” more. This might seem like a complete contradiction to #9, but saying “no” to some big obligations might make more room to say “yes” to your kids more often.  If they ask you to play with them, talk to them, take them out for ice cream, think about saying “yes” more often. Sometimes a good tea party, or Pokemon battle or an impromptu froyo date is more important than whatever you though was keeping you “too busy”.

11. Do kind things for others in front of your kids. If you want to raise your kids to be considerate of others, set the example when they’re there with you. It might be small, but kids notice. They might even compliment you on it.

12. Find more time for you. Make yourself more of a priority. Go out for a massage once a month, take yoga, paint pottery or leave the kids with your spouse and take a walk around the block in silence.  Whether it’s being alone or spending time with a friend, find more time to do what helps you reset and start fresh.

13. Foster a sense of community.  This was my personal resolution in 2013 and it was so personally rewarding it almost felt selfish. Think of this on a macro and micro perspective.  On a larger level, you can do something out in the Richmond community, but you can also foster a micro sense of community with your friends.  Bring a meal to a sick friend, volunteer with your kids right in your own home; if you’re a nursing mom, go to a La Leche League meeting, or support other moms in your local playgroup.

14. Cook with your kids.  Family dinners are a great time for bonding, but making dinners can be a great bonding experience too.  Aside from being a great skill for the future, teaching the kids to cook has both long and short term pay offs… in the short term, it may encourage them to try new foods; in the long term, when the kids are old enough, you can put them in charge of dinner every once in a while, giving you a night off.

15. Reserve judgement.  Next time you feel that sense of judgement creeping up, squash it.  If we really want to end the “mommy wars” then we gotta start with ourselves first.

16. Date your spouse. Oh yeah, that person.  They aren’t just a co-parent… you actually like them. Make an effort to show them you care more often.

17. Think before you post.  Before you post something on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram ask yourself, “Why am I sharing this?”  Is it funny? Is it thoughtful? Is it hurtful? Are you trying to make someone jealous or looking for something in return? I won’t suggest what to do once you asked that question; that part is up to you.

18. Say “Thank You” more. Thank your kids when they’ve done something nice for their sibling, thank your spouse for doing the dishes, thank your coworker if they’ve helped you out.  Find small moments to thank others for the everyday things they do for you… not only will it make them feel good, but it reminds you to be thankful in the first place.

19.Visit a Richmond landmark you’ve never been to before. If there’s a local place you’ve always been meaning to go, make an effort to go there this year. Who knows, you might discover a new favorite.

20. Quality over quantity. Whether it’s food, or a purchase, or your time… think quality over quantity in all the things you do.

21. Stop putting yourself down in front of your kids. Having worked retail for a number of years, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen moms say they’re fat in front of their kids, who look up at them with pure adoration.  Of course, it would be great if you stopped the negative talk altogether, but start small by not saying it in front of your children.

22. Have more meaningful conversations with your kids.  Go beyond “how was your day” and share more about what’s happening in the world with the little people in your life.  Ask them what they think about a particular situation you might find yourself in, or what they think about a current event.  Try not to steer them in any direction and listen to what they have to say. They might surprise you.

23. Wake up earlier.  Ew, right? But if you’re not an early riser, try waking up just 15 minutes earlier to give you more time to set the tone for the day.

24. Bring sexy back. Whatever that means to you… bring it back.  After all, sexy is what brought you to this parenting place to begin with; no reason you have to ditch it now.

25. Don’t be a martyr. Stop suffering in silence. If you need help, speak up. If something makes you unhappy, make a change.  Things won’t get better until you do something about it.

What do you resolve to do this year?  Share some of your favorite resolutions in the comments below.

I recently visited some friends who had a baby.  The mother turned to me and said at one point ” I didn’t realize how hard having a baby would be on our marriage. I find myself always being the one to care for the baby, when the baby cries, my husband doesn’t even seem to notice.”  I’ve heard this from many, many moms and it’s mentioned in this article as kind of the beginning of becoming the Default Parent.

My family has not been immune to this phenomenon, once my husband was determined to be the one to get up with our son in the middle of the night, after I came back into bed with the baby, my husband marveled “I’m so sorry, by the time it registered to me that the baby was crying and I needed to get up you were already half-way across the room”.   After pregnancy and breastfeeding, mothers often have a natural connection with baby already that seems to cause them to be the first to respond to baby’s needs. In fact, evidence has shown that this inclination to care for a distressed child is so strong it actually spans across species and female deer will even respond to a human baby cry.   So yes, when the baby does cry you’re not wrong, you hear it differently than your spouse.

But beyond this, I feel like in many situations, particularly when both parents work, the Default Parent has a choice.  When you’re both equally busy, and the baby wakes up from her nap you can stop what you’re doing, sigh internally thinking “Why does it always have to be me?” or you can turn to your partner and say “Honey, will you go get the baby?”.  The would-be Default Parent can say “You have to take the day off work today to take care of Jr., I can’t”.  “I think the baby’s diaper is dirty, can you change it?” and the ever common phrase in our house “I don’t know, go ask your dad”.

Maybe you don’t feel like you should have to ask, but if you really don’t want to find yourself as the Default Parent then you need to get beyond that and ask your partner to step in.  I’d rather be a nag than a martyr and your partner also shouldn’t be expected to know you need help (or don’t need it, but would like it anyway) if you don’t say anything.  We all know that parenting is hard work and we know that marriage is hard work and creating an environment where neither person feels taken advantage of is just part of that.

After 3 kids and nearly 9 years of marriage I can say with complete honesty that my son is just as likely to turn to his dad for homework help as he is to ask me.  My husband has taken the kids to doctors appointments, talked to teachers, been to back to school nights, changed just as many diapers as I have, and has run plenty of errands with the kids in tow. He’s treated fevers, dropped kids off, picked kids up, organized playdates, stayed up nights, and wiped away tears, just as I have.  Yes, we do it differently, we’re different parents, but neither of us does it better than the other.  Over the years, we have each worked under the unspoken understanding that parenting is an equal opportunity obligation (and joy) for both of us.

Partly this has been due to circumstances, I am fortunate to have a partner who is a naturally enthusiastic father and who has a job that allows him to spend lots of time with our children (including being a stay at home dad the entire summer break). But this is also, in large part, a situation of our making.  We’ve each encouraged each other to pursue goals outside just caring for our family, spend time out with friends, go on vacations, take breaks and, perhaps most importantly, neither of us have been afraid to turn to each other and say “It’s your turn”.

The parenting gig isn’t always even in our house. There have certainly been times where I’ve found myself in the Default Parent role (what I refer to as Parent on Duty) and there have been plenty of times where my husband has been the default.  Inevitably, we will find ourselves in that position again at various stages of our journey as partners and as parents.  But when we start feeling overwhelmed (and perhaps a smidgen resentful) we have to ask ourselves “Is this something we just need to power through, or am I not speaking up enough?”.

Often, I’ve found that all we have to do is ask.

So here’s an easily attainable nautical inspired look.   These 6 pieces you can easily pick up, find or order to create a really cute outfit all for under $150.

Shopping list:

Gap Stripe Fluid Tee $26.95

H&M Boyfriend Jeans $29.95

Target Merona Crossbody Bag $26.99

Old Navy Sueded D’Orsay Flats $24.94

Forever 21 Set Sail Tassel Scarf $9.90

Target Solid Sunglasses $7.99

Total: $126.72!

There’s even money left over! If you’re dying for something extra, this outift would look great with a braided belt or large link bracelet.

…And I’m right there with them.  I just can’t help myself.

And the good news is: it’s good for you! Alright…. maybe not the 380 calorie Pumpkin Spice Latte but real, actual pumpkin is good for you.

I have a hard time really indulging in pumpkin when it’s 80 degrees out… It just doesn’t feel right. But we’ve dropped into the 70’s a couple times already and October is here!   So, I made a made dash for the pumpkin aisle at Kroger and eagerly grabbed as many cans of pureed pumpkin as my pumpkin-hungry hands could hold.

Now that I have approximately 8 billion cans of pumpkin, I’ve pinterested and googled some simple as pie (but not pie) pumpkin recipes to get my pumpkin fill(ing).

Bonus: These are meat-free and often gluten-free and while I’m not gluten-free (anymore) I still enjoy a good meal without all the wheat and meat.

Fuel my obsession!  What’s your favorite pumpkin recipe?