Sweaty Selections

This weekend was a (partial) work weekend.  And it was INSANELY hot.  Fall is nowhere in sight and while I usually love 90 degree temps, my hormones are not on the same page.  At all.  Our AC isn’t doing much of anything and so Kyle and I spent a large part of the weekend bitching about how uncomfortable and sweaty we were.  So productive.

Anyway.  I did take pics of parts of the weekend, so I’ll share.

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Friday morning I had oatmeal with apples and almond butter.  Even though it was hot, it was the only thing that sounded good.  I made them on the stove…reluctantly.

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The portion I made was actually two bowls full but I ate them separated by an hour.  Easier on my preggo stomach.

I don’t have any photos from the afternoon, but my attempt at exercise included an hour long walk listening to a new podcast (Pregtastic – I found it on iTunes).  It was a lot of stuff I already knew (sometimes I knew more than the panel members), but interesting nonetheless.  Now that I’m past my initial anxiety, I think having a health care background has made pregnancy way easier for me for a variety of reasons – not only do I know a lot more medical terminology than the average pregnant woman, but I know what all the tests are and what they are for and I understand anatomy and physiology in depth.  I learned every single thing about being pregnant and childbirth in nursing school, so even though I didn’t go into maternity or OB specialties, I’m surprised at how the knowledge (that I thought was lost forever in the back of my brain) has been so easy to recall.  Sure, there’s a whole other aspect of living it out (the “you don’t know until you’ve been pregnant” statement), and I don’t want to dismiss that.  Going through pregnancy myself makes it more real and emotionally relevant, but I’m still very left-brained and textbooks and scientific journals are my crutches.  Wives tales are fun to hear about and share, but research-based data is what I go by.  So yeah, maybe the Pregtastic podcasts are good to pass the time on my walks, and perhaps others mean well when they ask if I’m eating enough x,y,z, but when it comes to diet and exercise, I think I’ll trust my MD.  And myself.*

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At some point I had greek yogurt and home-made pluot jam.  But the heat zapped my energy and cooking dinner seemed out of the question.  Kyle left work early because of the fires, so when he got home we brainstormed ideas for dinner.

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Laziness won and we went to Poquito Mas.

I got the Nature’s Grill burrito with fresh grilled eggplant, mushroom, zucchini, red and green bell pepper, red & white onion with black beans, and fresh salsa.  I nixed the jack cheese and sour cream, but added spanish rice and pinto beans.

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I thought this one was mine because it was smaller, but when I cut into the other one (to test for cheese), I was happy to find out mine was the BIG guy.

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Helloooo lover.

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Excessive plastic (waste!!!) aside, one of the best parts about Poquito Mas is the salsa bar.  I got 3 different kinds (and some lime slices).  Kyle likes the black salsa, I like the green one.

We had Sabra guacamole at home, which I spooned into my burrito bite by bite.  🙂  FYI, the Sabra guac has been in the freezer for over a month and after I thawed it the fridge for one day, it was ready to go.  Still green and fresh tasting as the first one I tried.  This one was the SPICY flavor.  And it was spicy.

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Do Work!

This was my (near) burn out point.  I stopped to take a breather, but eventually finished THE WHOLE DAMN THING.

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The next day was (supposed) to be a work day, but since I nearly passed out a few different times before 6 am, I ended up calling in sick for the shift.  It annoyed me and I felt bad about doing so (especially on a weekend day), but I really couldn’t stay vertical for more than 2 minutes at a time.  I had to sit down in the shower, I had to pause in getting dressed to go drink some water, and even after eating a quick slice of zucchini bread with almond butter, I still was all shaky and weak.  So weird.  Grrrr.  Anyway, I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I just laid on the couch zoning out to the morning news for a few hours.

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This didn’t help me feel any better either.

Sugar used to be the thing that I needed when I felt queasy and light-headed and faint, but being pregnant has made everything different.  Hypoglycemia isn’t the issue and so carbs don’t fix the problem.

In hindsight, I think it was simply the heat, but I did have a TON of fluids throughout the previous evening and during the night, so I can’t really call it dehydration.  Overheating?  Who knows.

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I had a seitan and millet bowl for lunch and started to feel much better afterwards.  Randomly, what I’ve noticed is that the thing that seems to make my annoying symptoms go away is protein.  It’s probably why eggs in the morning are my preferred choice at the moment.  And why the seitan helped, but the oats didn’t.

Kyle and I took a stroll to the beach in later on, and watched the sea planes go back and forth between the ocean and the Sepulveda fires.  They were doing pretty fast laps, landing just off the shore, scooping up water, and flying back to dump it on the flames.  It was really cool to watch.

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Going with the protein theory, I had cannellini beans and cherry tomatoes with garlic infused olive oil and salt for a snack.  Aside from being delicious and vegan, it made me feel better.  So did a cold shower.

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For dinner I had leftovers, including a gardein chili-lime chik’n breast (that had been in the freezer from a previous WF trip) as well as millet and peas.

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Faux meat products aren’t usually my thing, but it was pretty good.  I don’t think having a gardein breast every few months will kill me.

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I swear, I had at LEAST two liters of water after dinner.  Plus a gingerberry kombucha.  Are these new bottles?  The glass was so dark.

The next morning I had to work, so I tested my protein theory and had a fried egg with my zucchini bread for breakfast #1.

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The egg wasn’t really fried.  I made it in the microwave the night before in a glass bowl sprayed with non-stick.  One minute wonder.

The rest of my work food was the same stuff I had previously packed for Saturday.

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My second breakfast (at work) was half of a sweet potato with two fried eggs.

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My lunch was a millet + kale sauté + avocado combo.

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The day before I added a ton of kale to a frying pan with a glug or two of sesame oil.  Once it had wilted down, I added a sauce mix of tahini and Bragg’s aminos thinned out with water.  And topped it with sesame seeds.

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So that’s where the sautéed kale came from.  I added even MORE kale on top, in the form of kale chips.  It looks like seaweed, which also could have been a nice addition.

I don’t even remember what else I had in my lunch box.  People at work seem to LOVE making comments on my eating habits.  Someone commented that my lunch box was so much bigger now (ummm, false, it’s the same lunch box I’ve always used and is just as packed thankyouverymuch).  Another person said I was feeling sick because I wasn’t eating meat (ummm, false, again).  And yet another person told me that I was crazy (and implied I was a bad mom) for not eating meat and dairy at this time in my life (rude and invasive much?).  People!  I didn’t even reply to any of these comments because it’s not even worth my time.  I know WAY more about what’s in my food than any of the people I just mentioned so their opinions don’t mean much to me.  I had another coworker overhear the whole thing and pull me aside later to offer support and tell me people are crazy and I’m clearly healthy and happy and to keep doing my thing.  It was really nice.  Most of my coworkers are like that.  It’s just odd that people feel it’s acceptable to make a statement about something so personal.  Can you imagine if I told someone fasting for religious reasons during her pregnancy that she was a bad mother?  I don’t think so.  That’s not my business.  If only there was a nice way to say “butt out”!  If you don’t want to feed your baby kale and beans and potatoes, that’s your deal.  If I don’t want to feed my baby beef and cream, that’s mine.  Cool?

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I had a pretty busy work day (my patients weren’t very stable), so when I got off work, this text from Kyle made my night!

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Not only had he gone grocery shopping (and picked up the exact popcorn and GF pretzels I like), but he had made dinner.  And left some for me.  Score.

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Normally he makes a very basic tortilla espanola with just eggs and potatoes, but this time he added in peas, and tomato and basil (from the garden).

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I started with a modest serving.  But who are we kidding – I definitely ended up finishing the entire portion he left me.  🙂

*I don’t mean to sound like a know-it-all here.  I just find science-based/educational sources more reliable and therefore place more weight in that information as I go through pregnancy.  There’s PLENTY I don’t know, but I research the crap out of it until I find the answer from a trustworthy resource.

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Comments (31)

  1. Caroline

    All your food looks delicious! It’s a serious pet peeve of mine when people comment on what I’m eating/not eating

  2. Chelsie @ Balance, Not Scale

    Ooh. The tortilla espagnola looks like something simple that I could attempt! Most cooking/baking is a little too tricky for me at this point — need to work my way up!
    When I get dehydrated, I find it’s less about the amount of water I’ve drunk and more about my electrolyte balances. But you seem to be on a good run with the protein, so if that’s working, keep it up! 🙂

  3. Lee

    The darker bottles are the “original” formula kombucha – the one that they took off the shelves for a while a couple years ago because they said they had alcohol in them. The lighter bottles are the “new” formula.

  4. hippierunner

    Urgh that sucks about people commenting so ignorantly. You know you’re healthy and the foods you’re feeding your baby is super amazing healthy stuff, if only they realized too…Seriously annoying! Props to you for being able to keep your cool around them.

  5. carrie

    People make the most ridiculous and rude comments about food…makes me crazy…but I often just smile and walk away. Stay strong – you are smarter and healthier than all of em!

  6. Lacey

    It’s amazing to me that you all’s seasons are so different from ours-mostly because we’re both in the US. It was in the upper 90s here (Nashville) from May-August. Now it’s somehow a high of 70, which i love, but it’ll last for all of 2 weeks. I hope you get some relief!

  7. sarah

    People are so rude! A guy at work told me my overnight oats looked like barf as I was eating it…nice…
    You have a good attitude though. Your healthy and feeling good so just go with what feels right. And good for you listening to your body and taking a day to rest when you clearly needed it! It’s all worth it in the end!

  8. Alexis @ Hummusapien

    WOAH you just seriously sparked my appetite. Yogurt with homemade jam? YUM! Your lunches remind me of mine….about a zillion tupperwares with delicious concoctions 🙂

  9. Mary

    Ugh, people are so RUDE! It amazes me that people feel like they can comment on your food. Unsolicited advice seems to be a theme during pregnancy, I don’t know how I would take to it if I’m ever fortunate enough to have kids. I might not be able to be as polite as you!

    I think all of your food looks delicious and super nutritious for baby 🙂 It actually makes me not feel so bad for packing a huge lunch bag full of goodies…I don’t even work crazy long shifts like you do, lol.

  10. Shawnna

    Boo to those people commenting on your food!!! I have never seen the Synergy look that dark. It is great that you are a research focused person, because OB is the one specialty where many common practices aren’t research or evidence based at all! It is crazy once you start researching things that everyone assumes are based on fact since they are standard. My husband witnessed lots of it first hand while in med school and internship. So, I was glad that we did our own research too 🙂

  11. Carey

    Haters Hate, pay no attention to them and do your thing!

  12. Katie @ Peace Love & Oats

    omg seriously all your food looks so good, haha good thing I’ve started to make more and more of your “recipes”. Question about the eggs, when you bring those to work do you re-heat them and if yes does it make the yolk hard? Haha I’ve always wanted to pack eggs but I’ve only ever eaten them immediately. (and I hate hardboiled!)

  13. Brigid

    My diet is similar to yours, in terms of the amount of egg/dairy (a little) and meat (none) I consume, so I do not look forward to that aspect of pregnancy. I don’t know why people think eating a tub of ice cream is fine for the baby, but a plant-based diet is unhealthy. Stupid.

    It was God-awful hot this weekend! We actually left our (a/c-less) apartment in Hollywood in favor of Venice Beach on Saturday because we felt that miserable. Sunday, at least, was better. And we are some Poquito Mas lovers here, too. We hit up the one in Burbank somewhat regularly. I love the green and black salsas!

  14. Lisa

    Wow, I can’t believe someone would make those comments on your food habits and implying you will make a “bad mom”. That is absolutely horrendous for someone to judge you for that based on eating habits. Simply horrible. Mmm, I am so craving eggs now!

  15. Lou

    It’s so funny – just because you are pregnant/a new Mama people think that is an open invitation to put in their “2 cents” about EVERYTHING.

    People need to realise that EVERY pregnancy and new baby is DIFFERENT…. what works for one may do the total opposite in another situation. I feel your frustration…. hate to tell you, it gets even worse when bubs arrives. Not just with food… sleeping….crying…..vaccinations….. parenting – argh – EVERYONE has an opinion about them all!

    Gah.

    You know what’s right for YOU and YOUR baby, stick with it sister 🙂

  16. Jennifer

    Wow, people can be so cruel and judgmental. Sounds to me like those people are insecure about their own eating habits or some other aspect of their life and/or they just don’t understand certain aspects of nutrition like you do. I think it’s good that you took the high road by not dignifying their comments with a response.

  17. Stacey

    Love the text with picture included! So thoughtful that he made dinner extra special!

  18. Sara @ sarasmiles

    Ahh this is so interesting! And I’m glad you are sticking by what you feel is right for you despite what your coworkers say. You’re baby is getting to be the best eater right from the start!

  19. BroccoliHut

    Ah yes, I know all too well what it’s like to have people inspect your lunch and throw insults at you. Happened all the time when I would bring my dinner to work during high school and college. It wasn’t until I went to grad school for nutrition (with fellow food nerds) that the ridicule stopped. What goes through people’s heads to think that it’s OK to say stuff like that?!
    Anyway, rock on mama-to-be. Keep on feeding Baby Hippie all that kale and beans 😉

  20. Elise (Post author)

    i eat them cold later bc i dont like hard boiled eggs either. not a great system, but oh well. if you think of something let me know!

  21. Elise (Post author)

    ive always gotten comments, but with pregnancy its a WHOLE new level of invasiveness. its insane. people are insane. ha. oh well.

  22. Elise (Post author)

    wow. people are so WEIRD. why would anyone think thats okay to say to another person???

  23. Elise (Post author)

    wait, are you sure? i had a TON of the old ones before they got recalled and they were never in the dark bottles. and ive had a lot since they came back and also never seen the dark bottles. and im talking bi-coastal kombucha consumption too – nyc and ca.

  24. Jessie

    I just can never get enough of all your foods. They always look so delicious and yummy! Who cares what others may say, as long as you continue to feel great & look great that’s all that matters <3 Smile hunnie.

  25. Lee

    Yep, pretty sure (though they don’t sell the darker ones here in GA). Look at the picture of the bottle – it now says that you have to be 21 to purchase. I bet your store sells both kinds. The new formula is in the lighter bottles.

  26. Mimi

    Unfortunately, when women become pregnant, everyone assumes our bodies are public domain. It sucks, and you just have to dig your heels in. I’ve had too many dirty looks because I’ve said “NO!!” when everyone wanted to rub my belly, and I just got tired of being pawed all the time.
    A pregnant woman’s diet (and sometimes what she feeds baby) seems to be just as public. Hugs for the Mama! That tortilla looks divine…

  27. Jessica

    Ugh, people are annoying. You’re doing a great job – nourishing your future babe in the best way possible! Both my sister-in-laws were veg all throughout their pregnancies (and before and after) and their kids came out super healthy! 🙂

    BTW, I also have pretty bad hypoglycemia and usually find that protein helps the most when I’m starting to feel dizzy/nauseous. A piece of fruit will make me feel worse, but toast with pb or crackers and hummus (something salty and protein-y) always does the trick!

  28. Terra

    Although I am not pregnant, I get comments about my diet all the time! Even my mom will make faces about how gross tempeh bacon is because it is a “fake meat”. We got in an argument about how it is not fake meat but a food in and of itself that has some bacon-like flavoring. She thinks cashew sauces are disgusting and unnatural? I’m confused… I think what is in her processed food is unnatural, not something made from a nut!

    The most common comment I get is why am I not losing weight if I eat so healthy (I eat like you but with a little less carbs). Well, my weekly beer habit and slow thyroid can be to blame as well as my inability to resist baked goods in the break room no matter what ingredients they have in them! Oh well… baby steps, right?

  29. Elise (Post author)

    boo. im sorry you have to deal with that terra. baby steps.

  30. Shawnna

    We just bought a variety of flavors from WF here in MI, and they aren’t darker, but there is barely any fizz!! It’s almost like they are all flat.

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