Beautiful After the Belly

Diastasis Recti, Hernias, C-section and Ab Scarring, Belly Button, Pelvic Floor

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January 8, 2010

QUESTION: Once your close your diastasis…can it REOPEN????

Of course it can!  Have I had it happen to me?  Of course I have!

In fact, I became lacksidasical about  “GETTING UP AND DOWN CORRECTLY” and “LAYING DOWN CORRECTLY” the past months (ahem…holidays…still not much of an excuse for THAT…!)

Those may seem like VERY insignificant things, but let me tell you – they can be VERY influential for the good, or the bad – as can some of the other culprits – incorrect abdominals, and pregnancy.

To LAY DOWN CORRECTLY:  From a sitting position (and while keeping your transverse in) you walk your hands down to one side and let you hand slide down and let the head and body inch down as your stationary hand supports your body in this process.  You will then be lying on your side, with your head on your arm.  Then lay your head down on the ground first, and then let your body roll over onto your back.  If you DONT lay your head down on the ground before your body rolls over, you will get a BULGE OUT.

And that is how it happened…(getting up and down incorrectly) a few times at least. And SHAME on me, I measured my previously beautifully closed recti, and discovered I had a 1 on the top, 2 in the middle, and 1 fingerwidth gap on the bottom.  This was 2 1/2 days ago.

(On a side note – getting up and down correctly out of bed is a very common culprit for women who have small children who cry in the middle of the night. They bolt upright out of bed – jacknife – and it causes a very forceful forward movement and SPLITS the recti further.)

Well, I was very upset with myself for letting that happen.  And I was not keeping up to at LEAST 5 sets of seated Tuplers a day, so I am sure my transverse and recti muscles atrophied a little.

Well, Repentently I did some HEADLIFTS (another post for another day)  – which are essentially the CORRECT version of “crunches” but where you KEEP YOUR SHOULDERS ON THE GROUND at all times, slightly tilt your pelvis, and approximate your recti as you lift JUST your head, and  (OF COURSE) keep your transverse in.  I also put on my SPLINT the next day and wore it all day.  Today – 2 days later – TOTALLY CLOSED.

Is this the first time this has happened to me?  ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!
In my experience teaching and training, and observations with myself, I have noticed that once you gain the mind-body connection of bringing the recti together and closing the diastasis, its MUCH easier to bring it in during the occasional relaspe.   I think of it as TWEAKING!  I have to do it SEVERAL times on myself – Maybe once every 4 – 6 months or so…usually when I get lazy.

BUT HERE IS THE DIFFERENCE – (Instead of this initial 5 months it took me to close my diastasis measuring 3 on top, 3 in the middle, and 3 on the bottom) it only takes me a day or two now to get everything back together BECAUSE of the mind-body connection, and GREAT Transverse (innermost abdominal) strength (Referred to also as “CORE” )

So – its not an ALL or NOTHING thing.  Diastasis can be the DARNDEST things.  You just have to show them who is boss!  And don’t GET DISCOURAGED!!  I have not met one yet that couldn’t be tamed, trained, and fixed 🙂

January 5, 2010

Omega 3s – what is the point? Postpartum depression, baby’s brain, weight loss…

So why should we take Omega 3s…or should we?

The answer is a RESOUNDING YES!!  But in what form?  Omega 3 right from the fish is GREAT…BUT!

You have to know lots of things about where and how…for instance…Salmon needs to be WILD CAUGHT, preferably in clean Pacific waters off the coast of Alaska.  If its wild caught in polluted waters, guess what you will be eating…tons of mercury!  Also, make sure its not FARM RAISED.  Whats all the fuss about?  If you are eating Salmon for the heart and brain beneficial Omega 3s, Farm Raised means they eat meal from the farmers that are comprised of Omega 6s.  So it will give you lots of Omega 6s, which you probably get tons of if you eat any grains at all.

What do wild caught fish eat you ask?  Salmon eat other fish, but if they eat those fish in the wild, those fish will have fed on algae, which makes the composition of the fish to contain Omega 3s.  And the further down the food chain you go (smaller the fish) the more potent the Omega 3 will be since they will have fed directly on the algae, or maybe just 1 fish away from eating the algae.  For Salmon, its usually several fish away from eating the algae because of how high up they are on the food chain.

It is estimated that our ancestors ate Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratios of 2:1, and it is estimated that our American diets on average are Omega 6 to  Omega 3 ratios of 20:1, 30:1 or even 50:1.

Who cares?

Well, our brains have been dependent for milennia by this ratio since Omega 3s feed our brains, and keep the heart healthy.  And when women are pregnant, the baby demands SO much Omega 3s from the mother to sustain brain and organ growth, the if the mom is not taking a STRONG Omega 3 during pregnancy (with the right DHA and EPA ratio) she will most likely suffer from postnatal and even prenatal depression.

And women are told – DO NOT EAT FISH when your pregnant.  And by the way, ACOG has switched this around and tweeked it because they realized that Omega 3s are so important to the baby development and babies whose mothers ate Fish (AKA Omega 3s) during pregnancy tended to have less learning dissabilities, cognitive problems, behavioral difficulties, and other issues.  The studies that came out also showed those mothers had less issues with postpartum depression.  So guess what – when those studies came out, ACOG switched to each a little bit of fish per week.

OR there is another option if you are worried about the Mercury.  You can take a HIGH QUALITY Omega 3.  I am not talking about Walgreens or GNC versions – you want PHARMECEUTICAL GRADE Omega 3.  If you cannot physically ask someone if your Omega 3 supplement is pharmeceuitcal grade, I would not bother.  Because Supplements are considered a FOOD by the FDA, they do not monitor them like they do actual drugs.

Food Grade Supplements are the kinds you will find at Walgreens and Sams club and GNC.  That means they are only required to have 30% of what they say they have.  Which means its less potent.  But it also means in the case of Omega 3s:

It might not be properly distilled
It might not be COLD PRESSED (if its heat pressed, all the properties of Omega 3 will be destroyed)
It might have mercury or other toxins in it
It might have questionable fish as its source (low quality Omega 3)
It might have questionable fillers in it

So, please do your HOMEWORK!  But it is so worth it to take this yourself.  Even while nursing, its GREAT to have that Omega 3 composition in your milk to keep building the baby’s brain after birth.  Thats why formulas now tote “WITH DHA” but the DHA in mom’s milk is so much more available to the baby’s body.  Here is a GREAT book I read on Omega 3s – so great: Omega Rx Zone: The Miracle of the New High-Dose Fish Oil
And there is also another one that I read that I loved:The Omega-3 Connection: The Groundbreaking Antidepression Diet and Brain Program.

One more item of interest – Omega 3s are very effective when people have reached a weight loss plateau because of the anti inflammatory properties.  Remember those 5 whites – they CREATE inflammation.  So the Omega 3s are a great choice for any weight loss regimine.

You can also google studies about Omega 3s – everything from ADHD to premenstrual cramps come up – and they are VERY interestiong to read.  That is another post for another day.

Anyone had any problems with Postpartum despression?  How did you cope with it?  Did you take Omega 3s during pregnancy?

December 29, 2009

Realistic BELLY expectations…post baby…Exercise, Nutrition, and Results examined

 So how much bounceback can you expect your belly to have after having kids. Is it really “gone for good?” What is realistic?

After kid #2 – it took me 5 months to get to my pre pregnancy belly – I went froma 32 inch waist to a 25 1/2 inch waist. It took me as LONG as that because at the time i wasn’t doing the Tupler Technique, that I now teach, correctly. I was stuck at a 27 inch waist. When I realized what i was doing wrong – it went down to the 25 1/2.

After kid #3 – Losing weight in the 3 months it took me seemed like the LONGEST 3 months ever. My belly went from 32 inch waist AGAIN to a 25 1/2 inch waist AGAIN after 11 WEEKS. It was much faster this time because I used the Tupler Technique throughout my entire pregnancy. I was back in pre pregnancy clothes within a week – just used the low waisted ones and worked my way up. And I did 10 sets of 100 Tuplers for 11 weeks.

BEST BET – combine GOOD NUTRITION with the Tupler Technique during and right after baby comes. You can start doing the Seated Tuplers within 24 hours after giving birth. Within 1 week after a C section.

Now lets talk skin. Skin tautness on the belly is a combo of AGE and GENETICS. Having said that there are some herbs and digestive enzymes that can aid your skin elasticity, which is what you want. That is another post for another day.

FOR ME PERSONALLY

AFTER BABY #1 – Skin looked great after the initial belly jelly.

AFTER BABY #2 – Skin looked pretty good after the initial belly jelly.

AFTER BABY #3 – Skin elasticity fairly good after the initial belly jelly. Its not “perfect” but slowly it got to where I was pleased with it. Can I tell I had a baby now? Not necesarily. But I know it is not identical to pre pregnancy skin. I am in low 30s for anyone in age comparison.

BEST BET for skin: Hydrate your skin, Lots of Lycopene (from tomatoes), Good Quality Contouring creme (from a reputable company – this is just my opinion, but it has worked for me), Get lots of vegetables, DARK berries – blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, Beta Carotene – carrots, sweet potatoes, Mangoes, and take a good quality digestive enzyme which will aid skin elasticity. These same things will help prevent stretch marks if you follow before you get pregnant. AVOID the five whites, which AGE YOUR SKIN!!!!!! Also take into allowance predisposition to stretch marks.

You can have high standards for your belly with the right STRATEGY. GOOD NUTRITION and GET YOUR RECTI TOGETHER!

December 18, 2009

Great Belly during the Holidays…


So, as women we always have to be careful of not only what we eat, but how we do things, (or how to avoid things) during the holiday to prevent everything from SHOWING on our waistline.

For some reason, as women we are blessed with bloating by eating the wrong things.
GO EASY ON THE TREATS! Not that you need a reminder from me!

Here is my personal strategy when I go to parties: I take LOTS of veggies from the veggie tray, so I have just the tiniest bit of room on my plate for a treat. Then I eat all the veggies first and sometimes I will only then want a bite of the last thing on my plate.

What I have found is that because I am usually talking at parties the whole time, I am not usually even aware of what I am eating and I don’t enjoy the treats to the fullest extent (taste, smell, texture) so its not really WORTH indulging since I will be scensory deprived while eating it. If you are going to eat at parties and talk, you might as WELL eat something healthy because you will only be HALF aware of what you are eating.

If you are not a big talker at parties – make it your goal to converse more – you will have a BETTER time and you will eat MUCH less.

WATCH WHAT YOU LIFT!
What’s the big deal you ask? If something is TOO HEAVY for you, you will know because you won’t be able to keep in your transverse all the way back to the 5th floor (back to the spine). Its very tempting to lift those Christmas boxes, the heavy Christmas presents for the kids, the HUGE turkey – have someone HELP you lift it if you can’t keep in that transverse or you will resplit or split further – your recti.

DO SOME SEATED TUPLER EXERCISES
Extremely potable exercises you can take with you anywhere in almost any circumstance. Bring your innermost muscle in as far back as you can go – hold it for a count of 30. Then do 5 squeezes out the back at the end. This is the elevator.

You can also go back with your innermost stomach muscle – transverse – all way back (5th floor), and release the muscle a little bit to the 3rd floor (imagining your belly as a sideways elevator). Do that 100 times – just make sure the movement is smooth and really SQUEEZE back the transverse everytime you go back to the 5th floor.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

While you might not be able to avoid them entirely, AVOID AS MUCH AS POSSILBE the five WICKED WHITES:

White Sugar
White Potatoes
White Flour (Bread)
White Rice
White Pasta

These strategies will help you avoid BLOATING, BULGING, BELLY ACHING, and sporting a BELLY BUMP (known as a pooch).

October 28, 2009

THE BEST CHOCOLATE

I firmly believe in substituting. If you have a “pitfall” food, especially at a certain time of day, the likelihood of always depriving yourself can do STRANGE things to the psyche.

For me, I had a MAJOR sweet tooth. For having a dentist for a dad and being deprived sugar when I was little, it was like I was compensating for all those sweet cereals I couldn’t have.

Well, I have had to work on MAJORLY curbing that for the past 9 years. My body is not as friendly to my sweet toothing. And since sugar really causes so much oxidizing DAMAGE to the body – in all its forms (HFCS) as well as artificial sweetners (nutrisweet, aspertame, etc) I have really tried to not go here often.

Well, I do pretty well if I have a salty snack. I choose wisely – I LOVE the Terra sweet potato chips, and the Trader Joe Sweet potato chips. I have still found I can’t have them everyday or my skin does funky things. So once a week.

My chocolate of choice? My husband SPOILED me forever when he gave me this for our anniversary: GREEN AND BLACK 85% CACAO DARK CHOCOLATE.
It is SO smooth and SO choclately, and somehow does not taste at all bitter. And a little goes a LONG way. One bar lasts me a week or more. Its amazing. Plus it is LOW in sugar – only
And the best part is, this kind of chocolate is LOW on the glycemic index because it is dark. What does that mean – it doesn’t spike insulin like other chocolates because it is so dark. Since it doesn’t produce that fat storing hormone, its NEARLY guilt free.

And really, since having it, all the other chocolate brands and kinds PALE in comparison. I feel like I have become a chocolate snob.

I still find I can’t have it everyday or my skin does funky stuff.
What are your favorite SUBSTITUTES? What are some healthy alternitives that you have discovered?

October 19, 2009

Before you get pregnant again….


Before and After

Yes – there IS something that must be addressed before you get pregnant again.

That is to CLOSE YOUR DIASTASIS. You know, that gap in your recti muscles that I talk about on this blog.

Whats the big deal? If you start a pregnancy with this gap, then you will split your recti further apart with each pregnancy.

So what? The further the rectus abdominus (outermost abdominal muscles – the six pack muscles) are, the HARDER they are and the LONGER it takes to bring it back together.

ALSO – did you know that a DIASTASIS is the reason that you show SOONER during subsequent pregnancies than the first? It is your recti splitting further and further apart. If you don’t bring it back together BETWEEN pregnancies- this will happen more and more with each one.

What is the matter with having split recti – a.k.a. diastasis? First of all, it looks unsightly. Your intestines bulge out and literally have nothing to hold them in except a thin piece of connective tissue that is then spread across your intestines like SARAN WRAP. And if you get a HOLE in that – umbilical HERNIA!

Yeah, not ONLY that but you will have back aches. The Purpose of your recti, aside from holding you in, is BACK SUPPORT. If your recti are split your back muscles are compromised. You will most likely have back aches.

AND if your recti are split you will have a tough time pushing that baby out. It will be a STRUGGLE my friend. The recti are what help you push out that baby.

So to prevent WORSENING that saggy belly look, prevent back aches, push the baby out efficiently, get into pre-pregnancy clothes much FASTER, and to feel much BETTER and STRONGER during your next pregnancy, BRING the two halves of the recti together.

HOW? If I don’t live near you – or someone trained in this technique – you MUST check out the book “Lose Your Mummy Tummy” by Julie Tupler. You can find it on AMAZON. Also, the current official website is

www.diastasisrehab.com

Are you planning another pregnancy? Do you know if you have a diastasis?

October 9, 2009

How many did you have today???



So, I counted, – yesterday I had eight, and today I had…only five. VEGETABLES AND FRUITS that is.

According to the book that I LOVE called, “What COLOR is your diet?” by Dr. David Heber, (this book is found in many cancer treatment centers for helping people get much faster results by AIDING THEIR body – helping it to HEAL itself.

One saying I love – from Aristotle – is to use “food as your medicine” and “medicine as your food.”

He called FOOD and MEDICINE “blurred boundries” because they overlap.

SMART MAN.

So how many servings should you have of Vs and Fs each day – 7 to 9 for a women, and 9 to 11 for a man.

For most americans they have the same old same old – iceburg lettuce, banana, apple, maybe ketchup.

However, we need to have one of EACH COLOR to get a variety of different antioxidant (found in DAVID HEBER’s Book). And of course, if you are eating the right amt. from each group, the better it will be for your waistline. You will be fueling your body the right way and balancing it.

Here is the Rundown:

700 different carotenoids have been isolated from plants and animals. Carotenoids are chemical compounds that absorb visible light and so determine that carrots are orange, tomatoes are red, etc. These carotenoids are specifically broken down by the body during the process of absorption. They them go to specific tissues and organs where they have been shown to protect against the type of oxygen damage that can harm your DNA.

YELLOW/GREEN – spinach, collard, mustard, turnip greens, yellow corn, green peas, avocado, honeydew melon, kiwi

CONTAIN – lutein, zeaxanthin, which are caratenoids which concentrate in the eye and contribute to eye health. Lower intakes have been associated with cataracts, age related cellular degeneration, the primary preventable cause of blindness in America.

GREEN – broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, bok choi, kale.

CONTAIN – sulforaphane, isothiocyanate, indoles, which stimulate the genes in your liver to turn the production of enzymes that break down the cancer causing chemicals in the body.

GREEN WHITE – garlic, onions, celery, pears, white wine, endive, chives.

CONTAIN – these plants in the onion family contain allicin which has been shown to have anti-tumor effects. These contain rich sources of flavonoids, including quercetin and kaempferol.

RED/PURPLE – grapes, red wine, grape juice, prunes, cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and red apples.

CONTAIN: Anthocyanins – powerful antioxidants that may have a beneficial effect on heart disease by inhibiting blood clot formation.

ORANGE – carrots, mangos, apricots, cantaloupes, pumpkin, acorn squash, winter squash, sweet potatoes

CONTAIN – alpha and beta carotenes

ORANGE/YELLOW – orange juice, oranges, tangerines, peaches papayas

CONTAIN – B cryptothanxin, a minor carotenoid. These fruits have other benefits and are a separate group to by used to stimulate more diversity.

RED – tomatoes, pink grapefruit, watermelon.

CONTAINS: Lycopene (more abundant in cooked tomatoes than raw)


HOW MANY HAVE YOU HAD TODAY? Do you try to have one of each color? Do you tend to lack a certain type of antioxidants by not eating something in that category?

September 25, 2009

No fun Negotiating! I just need a place to train!!


So, I am peeved (sorry another rant post – I will try to be more postitive next post) and this seems like a good way to express it!

Since we moved across the Chicagoland area, it has become necessary for me to find another place to train my peeps. My former space – Velocity Sports – is 1 hour away. I have been putting off finding a place because I was getting moved in, catching up, blah blah – anyway now its time.

So Julie told me I should find a small yoga or pilates studio to train out of because they can usually use the extra money – win win situation – and they are pretty reasonable.

So I called this very awesome Yoga place, so it seemed. They have everything from Prenatal/Postnatal Yoga to Fertility Yoga (I learned today there is such a thing!) to Mom and Baby and Mom and Child Yoga, etc. It seemed like a IDEAL place to train people about the Diastasis. The lady I talked with seemed pumped about it – she is the co-owner. She talked about me going into all her classes and letting them know what I do and getting a clientelle base from her – high quality – clientelle. It seemed IDEAL!

And then we started talking about Rates and Money. Why does Money have to tarnish everything ? But there it is! From our conversation I gathered she didn’t have anyone not asking to work for her that was asking to “rent out a room.” She spoke about doing a flat fee – which sounded reasonable – I liked her rate.

After I erroneously mentioned my rate schedule with Julie, SUDDENLY she started talking about percentages, and getting a higher percentage when it was from her clientelle, and a percentage of my group sessions – which ended up being $75, on top of what I pay with my contract with Julie (5 to 25% depending). I mean SHEESH -it has to be worth it for me to drive 35 minutes to get to the place!! It has to be worth it to drop my kids off or pay someone to watch my kids! It has to be worth it to spend my time training when there are so many other demands on my schedule! Not to mention, no one else in IL is certified to teach this!

I spoke up that then it is no longer renting a room, its something else. But when I got a word like that in, she spoke more quickly and louder and how she has to be consistent with me how she is consistent to her massage therapists who give her a percentage, blah blah blah.

So I had to end the conversation because I was getting “wilty” – it was time for dinner, and she sucked all my energy reserves out of me. The conversation had been an hour. I had to digest (no pun intended) what we had discussed.

I emailed Julie the scenario and asked – am I out to lunch, or is that exorbitantly high, notwithstading that I would benefit from her clientelle? She said ABSOLUTELY that is too high, in NY she paid $20 flat fee – not matter how big or how small the people she is training. And in a recession she was appalled at this lady, who was OBVIOUSLY shooting from the hip to have suddenly changed her tune.

So, I am so glad to have a seasoned business women confirming that, because I am green around the ears with this kind of thing.

For heaven’s sake, I just want to (a few times a month) RENT A ROOM!!!

September 16, 2009

The Doctors CUT the segment!!

Totally sad news – The Doctors decided to revamp the show into a “100 questions” deal and not do any type of in depth discussion on the diastasis recti – AKA the MUMMY TUMMY or MOMMY TUMMY.

This is very disappointing not only to Julie Tupler, who I have emailed back and forth about this, but also to me, and women that I teach and train, and other people who could have REALLY benefited from knowing MORE about this topic.

Believe me, when women understand what this is, and measure their own diastasis and feel that crazy gap in the muscles, they REALLY understand why their midsection is just not the same, even if they run miles and miles, and work out 1 hour a day, etc. Believe me I teach and train those type of women who just can’t understand WHY what they are doing is not working.

So ANYWAY, they DID give Julie a quick “props” type of thing on the website

http://www.thedoctorstv.com/main/show_synopsis/294?section=resources

because one of the questions was about the diastasis (although they did not mention her).

HOWEVER – I realize after watching the 60 second segment on the diastasis http://www.thedoctorstv.com/main/procedure_list/501 that they VERY INACURATELY told this poor women that she would have to get SURGERY to correct this problem. The doctor recommended CRUNCHES to someone with a “small diastasis” which can make it WORSE, and just pointed to the surgeon who proudly said one of his “TUMMY TUCKS” would do the trick, although “problems could arise.”

HELLLLOOOOO? This just seems like a very “fast way” to approach the topic that is also misinforming postpartum women everywhere. They were going to have Julie on to talk about exercises and splinting the muscles which can TOTALLY CLOSE a diastasis recti WITHOUT SURGERY. Women I train have been told they need surgery, and I have helped them TOTALLY CLOSE their diastasis recti in 8 weeks – no “possibly harmful side affects” like surgery.

ALSO, they said your “OB GYN” could diagnos this problem. Yeah, they learn about this topic during ONE paragraph in med school. Maybe even a couple of pages. SOME OB-GYNS can tell you if you have one, many don’t know how to measure or that you measure in 3 places. And most of all, they can only refer you to a surgeon because THEY DONT KNOW HOW TO FIX IT!

IDIOTS!

ANYWAY, if you would like to see REAL INFORMATION on this topic, or just more in depth, on the “THE DOCTORS” please write in and let them know. I think a show on this topic would be much more beneficial than the other show topics I saw, like

“What color is your labia” (GAG ME – is this a joke?)
“Do you have cankles?” (This subject is being OVERDONE by the media – BORING!)
“Do you want butt implants? (Come on, this is SOOO superficial! Who cares!)

So please go to their website: www.thedoctorstv.com and let them know you want to hear more about the diastasis and the TUPLER TECHNIQUE (exercises to close the recti after pregnancy) rather than SNIVELING topics that are just trying to sensationalize nothingness.

ENOUGH RANT??? I am disgusted!