Now that Tommy has arrived, I’ve started thinking about getting back to my pre pregnancy diet. I think pregnancy taught me a lot about what my body wants and needs to maintain a healthy, happy and confident weight. I found that when I ate what I wanted and craved, my body told me when I was full and hungry. I was just much more in tune with my hunger and satiety than ever before. I didn’t dream of my next meal. I didn’t follow any diet. I didn’t count calories and I didn’t restrict myself. I still ate a healthy diet in my opinion but much more fatty dressings, pasta, calorie dense granola, empty calorie beverages, eggplant Parmesan, cheese, ice cream and cookies than I normally do. 🙂
Of course what you don’t see in an Instagram picture is that most of these less than “healthy” foods were in fact organic, minimally processed or homemade. Still, an organic root beer is sugar water and something I’ll be cutting out now for most of the time.
Two weeks postpartum, I have about 7-10 lbs currently to lose to get back to my pre-baby weight and I’m hoping to achieve my weight loss with my continued self aware non-diet. More importantly though, I know I’m losing muscle and will be working towards getting back my strength. I’m not going to make diet versions of my favorite foods but practice better portion control, add more veggies to meals, and utilize healthy cooking kitchen tools to make meals more flavorful with less calories and toxins.
I’ve been working with Kohl’s since April and have come to love shopping there online and in store. They have a wide variety of healthy cooking tools from my favorite blenders to BPA free storage containers. The best part though is that they always have a sale or promotion going on from Kohl’s cash to 20% off. It’s one of the best places to stock up on your kitchenware. Here are a few of my favorites that come in handy when health is at the forefront of my diet for me and my family.
This blender is life changing. I’ve had mine for over 2 years and it’s my most used kitchen appliance. The smoothies are so much better tasting when you use a high powered blender. Instead of something you should have, smoothies become something you WANT to have. I craved milk shakes often in pregnancy and with a good safe protein powder, it felt like I indulged daily thanks largely to the wonders of this blender. Everything just seems to blend better together, no chunks at all! A little avocado will make you think you added cream to your shake. If you like a good smoothie, the steep price tag is honestly worth it my 31 year old opinion.
I use mine for blended chia pudding, cauliflower rice, juice, salad dressings, banana ice cream and more when I am looking to eat clean in addition to smoothies.
When it comes to cooking, I am concerned now only with what I put in my body but also what products that food is prepared with. Now that I am a mom, preventing disease in my own body as well as my families is extremely important. Non-stick pans allow you to cook with less oil which means less calories, but you don’t want to use a non-stick pan that potentially transfers chemicals to your food. Pans like the one I got at Kohl’s are typically now made without PFOA, a chemical used to manufacture the fluoropolymers that make up nonstick cookware’s coating. It was also associated with tumors and developmental problems in animals. Naturally, experts were concerned about its possible effects on humans and most companies avoid using it now.
The key to using non-stick cookware is to make sure you do not overheat your pan above 500 degrees Fahrenheit. When heated too high, the coating begins to break down and toxic chemicals are released, some carcinogenic. A few tips to avoid heating is to never cook on high, use heavier pans, do not preheat an empty pan and don’t attempt to broil or sear meat in a non-stick pan.
I love using a non-stick pans for making eggs, protein pancakes, stir fry dinners, and sautéing any vegetable. It allows me to reduce the number of calories used when cooking, without missing out on much flavor. I still add a little EVOO but don’t need nearly as much to avoid sticking and burning the pan.
I love salads but I hate making them at home. I prefer them to be made with thinly sliced vegetables and find it time consuming and difficult to chop at home. I have a spiralizer as well that I bought at Kohl’s and couldn’t decide which one to feature here since both are great at making vegetables more versatile. The slicer is great for carrots, cucumber, onions, peppers and potatoes on a regular basis. It’s quick and easy.
I took this picture right when I bought it and have loved using the three thickness settings. My pics at dinner all came out yellow and ugly but I’ll share them on Instagram soon.
I love Zak designs for a variety of reasons. First is that their products are beautiful and bring life to a boring kitchen. Second, they great quality and last. Third, they are BPA free! BPAs are found in plastics and the lining of cans and seep into our food or drinks. I don’t want to misquote the risks of BPA’s so here is what the Mayo Clinic says, “Exposure to BPA is a concern because of possible health effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children.” Adults are not off limits however. Studies have shown that BPA may cause/contribute various types of cancers and diseases. Limit your use of canned foods lined with BPA, reusing plastic water bottles or water bottles exposed to high heat, choose items like the Zak Designs Kitchen Tools that say BPA free.
I also use mason jars to store food or BPA free Tupperware. I know this post is about losing weight, but when I think of my health these days, disease prevention is just as important. There are many other studies that suggest BPA’s are causing more diseases in adults but I highly encourage you to do your own research or I’d be happy to do a separate post on them.
The thing about BPA’s that is difficult is that we use plastic for so many different purposes. At least baby products are mostly made without them these days but I find it overwhelming to look at all the products you shouldn’t use if you are concerned with them. I try to do the best I can, and don’t want to Food Babe rain on your parade of blissful ignorance so I’m suggesting you do the best you can.
To get more healthy cooking gear, visit Kohl’s Healthy Cooking page to check out more products that I love.
$100 Kohl’s Giveaway
I also have a $100 Kohl’s gift card to give away to one of you. Simply leave a comment below letting me know your favorite healthy cooking supplies, from immersion blender to slow cooker or spiralizer – whatever it may be. You can also let me know what healthy cooking item you’ll buy if you win the $100 Kohl’s gift card. No you don’t have to use it on something for your home. You can use it towards anything!
This post is sponsored by Kohl’s. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I picked out the items here to feature on my blog post.
