Tips for Better Parental Health

Photo of a heathy mother

As much as we worry about our babies, we also need to remember how to keep ourselves healthy as well.  Taking a natural route is always the best plan.

The goal is to seek out the natural versions of gut healthy foods that make a world of difference.

Arm yourself against sickness, negative mental health, and learn about gut-healthy foods. Getting better digestion is the start to increase overall heath.

Let’s dive into these easy-to-use tips for better parental health.

Photo of oil of oregano pills

Oil of Oregano: Combat Unexpected Sickness

The most powerful herb to help fight off illness. This magical plant when transformed into oil of oregano offers antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal properties.

They have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits too.

A powerhouse of that can help ward of many forms of sickness. And take down any nasty bacteria, or other incriminating bad guys swimming around in the body that shouldn’t be there. 

Perfect if you travel internationally often.

Or if you have a family beach vacation in Cancun coming up. Take a capsule before or after any meal you’re suspicious of when you’re there.

Kills bad bacteria on the spot, no questions asked.

If you travel frequently, and are subjected to different types of worldly cuisine, have some in your travel bag.

Any foam in the stool is the result of bacteria leaving your body. Your body will thank you.

Magnesium and Mental Health

Magnesium is massively important for every human on Earth.

There are hundreds of useful functions and reactions magnesium does inside us that help the body and mind. It can help ease tension like muscle cramps.

It can also help with sleeplessness and is great for the heart and nerves.  

What’s become more and more interesting however is how magnesium is associated with positively affecting your brain and mental capabilities. What can it do?

It can get you out of a mental funk and start clearing out anxiety and depression.

Magnesium supplementation can be beneficial to mental cognitive function. As stated in, “The Role and the Effect of Magnesium in Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review” published June 03, 2020.

They go into focus on magnesium’s effectiveness as a therapeutic supplementation with the presence of psychiatric pathology. Anxiety disorders and depression were two areas examined in the article.

If you ever have thoughts leaning towards the postpartum side of the aisle, it may be worth looking into further. You can find more in the abstract of the peer-reviewed study as linked regarding postpartum.

More study and research needs to be done, of course. But it’s worth taking a look if you think you might be in this boat.

There are many forms of magnesium, so do your research. Googling “the best one for sleep,” for example, is a good start.

One thing is for sure, don’t sleep on the benefits of magnesium.

It does 100’s of reactions in the body. And we as parents need all the help we can get.

Gut-Healthy Foods and Benefits

As new parents, we realize how much energy, focus, and resilience we need to keep up with little ones.

The more  we learn, the more we see that gut health plays a big role in how well we show up for our families.

Research consistently points to a few simple foods: ginger, fermented vegetables like kimchi, yogurt with Lactobacillus, and apple cider vinegar (ACV).

These foods can make an impactful difference in everyday wellness.

Photo of ginger root

Ginger

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) contains gingerol, a compound with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity.

• Shown to reduce nausea in pregnancy and chemotherapy patients (Viljoen et al., 2014).

• Supports digestion and reduces inflammation (Daily et al., 2015).

Ginger tea became a lifesaver during late nights when stomach aches make you feel off but you know you still need to keep moving forward.

Fermented Foods (Kimchi)

Fermented foods like kimchi provide probiotics and increase nutrient bioavailability.

• Kimchi supports gut microbiota diversity and metabolic health (Park et al., 2014).

• Fermented foods enhance immune defense (Marco et al., 2017).

Adding a spoonful of kimchi or sauerkraut to meals has been an easy way to sneak probiotics into a busy parent life without overthinking it.

Photo of yogurt with lactobacillus

Yogurt with Lactobacillus

Probiotic-rich yogurt is widely accessible and family-friendly.

• Lactobacillus helps with lactose intolerance and supports gut balance (Savaiano, 2014).

• Certain strains reduce diarrhea and improve digestive health (Goldenberg et al., 2017).

Yogurt has been a staple snack in many households. An easy go-to, and something to share with your toddler. So many yummy flavors to choose from. Not too much sugar though.

Apple Cider Vinegar

ACV contains acetic acid, supporting metabolism and microbial balance.

• Improves post-meal blood sugar control (Johnston et al., 2004).

• Has antimicrobial properties against harmful bacteria (Entani et al., 1998).

A splash of diluted ACV in water before dinner helps me feel lighter after meals. A small but impactful ritual that will pay dividends in the future.

Immunity or Close to it

As parents, it’s easy to put ourselves last, but small changes matter.

Research shows these gut-healthy foods like ACV, Lactobacillus and Kimchi can support digestion, immunity, and energy levels.

These are the changes that help us as parents show up 1% better every day for our kids. If we’re healthy, we keep them healthy. Those are tiny steps, to big dreams.

Parent Homework: Try adding one of these gut-healthy foods into your daily routine this week. Taking care of your gut is one of the simplest ways to take care of your whole family.

Related:  9 Financial Tips for New Parents 

References:

• Daily, J. W., Zhang, X., & Kim, D. S. (2015). Efficacy of ginger for osteoarthritis symptoms: a systematic review. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 23(1), 13–21.

• Johnston, C. S., Kim, C. M., & Buller, A. J. (2004). Vinegar improves insulin sensitivity to a high-carbohydrate meal in adults. Diabetes Care, 27(1), 281–282.

• Marco, M. L., et al. (2017). Health benefits of fermented foods: microbiota and beyond. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 44, 94–102.

• Park, K. Y., Jeong, J. K., Lee, Y. E., & Daily, J. W. (2014). Health benefits of kimchi as a probiotic food. Journal of Medicinal Food, 17(1), 6–20.

• Savaiano, D. A. (2014). Lactose digestion from yogurt: mechanism and relevance. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 99(5), 1251S–1255S.