JulieBhosaleAchive

It does not get much better than teething pops made from vegetables! These also make great summer iceblocks or just to sneak in some nutritious ingredients in a really fun way! These teething pops are made from beetroot! Who would have guessed that you could have this awesome purple vegetable in a teething pop? Beetroot is a wonderful antioxidant, so when combined with berries (also high in antioxidants) like this that's a powerful immune system booster. Not to mention beetroot is high in iron and folate. These cool pops are also made from coconut milk so are dairy-free but with dietary fat for long lasting fuel (and no blood sugar spikes!). We had so much fun making these in the morning and in the Avent Combined Steamer Blender it was just so easy; one of the many uses for this must-have baby item! Ingredients: 1/2 Cup of raw beetroot chopped or about 4 small baby beets 6-8 strawberries 1 Cup of coconut milk Directions: 1.Peel the raw beetroot and chop into rough cubes. Alternativ

A perfect post-activity snack option packed full of good fats and protein...actually this is a good snack for busy mums full-stop! Packed full of important nutrients to help re-fuel after some activity, especially any resistance based work. It will also make for a great breakfast on the go without spiking your blood sugars. A little warning, this is not a sweet smoothie! It is not often that my creations do not get the seal of approval from my little monkeys but this was not one of them! That is ok by the way! Using a quality dark coco powder (I just use Pam's) contains less than 1g per serving (a tablespoon) and 1g/100 but you get all the fun of chocolate! Ingredients: 1 cup of dark blue milk (can use almond milk for d/f) 1/4 cup of greek yoghurt 2-3 tbs of desiccated coconut 2 tbs of coco powder 4-5 tbs of peanuts   Directions: 1) Simply place all in the NutriBullet and pulse! Sprinkle with coconut for extra jazz :) 2) Enjoy and go! For more smoothie recipe ideas just jump over h

Keeping fit and doing daily activity during pregnancy has many benefits for both mum and baby but it can be hard for mums to know what is safe and what is not. This is why we have asked Lorraine Scapens from Pregnancyexercise.co.nz to answer your questions about exercising during pregnancy.   Lorraine Scapens is a pre- and postnatal exercise and wellness specialist, and has over 20 years experience. Her focus is on diastasis prevention; healing and ensuring mums are pain free and can enjoy living an active life with their kids. Lorraine created her website Pregnancyexercise.co.nz  five years ago as she wanted more women to benefit from her knowledge and experience. Back Pain Many women suffer with lower back and pelvic pain during pregnancy but the good news is you don’t have to and most pain can be prevented and or treated. Back pain in pregnancy is often caused due to: Pregnancy hormones - relaxing and loosening ligaments, Poor posture, Diastasis Recti – Abdominal muscle se

On Thursday our first baby turns four!! I almost can't believe it. I like to make a really big fuss of our boys birthdays. I spent months (not kidding) planning Arjun's first birthday party....fast track a few years with now two in tow and those 'months' have quickly become ah minutes? Food at kids parties can be a tricky balance between providing healthy food, that is easy to prepare AND is still a 'treat'. So I have picked five of the (less healthy) common foods that are often provided at kids parties and suggested some super simple switches for you! 1. Tomato Sauce Many varieties of tomato sauce have a shockingly high amount of sugar in them. The brand featured below contains over 40% sugar (ekkk!). Here in New Zealand a company called Get Real Food have created their own tomato and barbecue sauce made from actual vegetables! With just 13g of sugar per 100g (and it's not even refined sugar!) this sauce is a great switch and one we use all the time! 2. Lo

Yesterday started out like a normal mum/working day. Well normal for our crazy household. I didn’t get to bed until 1am, not the kids that kept me up, I was checking over all the orders in the last couple of weeks to make sure nothing had been missed. Juggling business work, teaching and research means business work is often (cough, always, at the moment) done in the wee hours – there is just never enough time in the day! At some point our big boy woke up, he gets scared of the dark at the moment and his night light bulb has needed replacing, it’s been on my to-do list for about 4 days. I was really kicking myself at 3am or whenever it was (didn’t check the time), as I didn’t even try and settle him, in my exhausted state I just crawled in beside him, prayed his brother didn’t wake up. I couldn’t sleep though and my mind was already on the meeting with the publishers ahead. I was also thinking how I would be able to function on like no sleep…luckily after a while in my arms, he fell ba

In this technological age there is no escaping screens and media. It is literally everywhere we go both inside the home and out…and will only be increasing. While new innovations in technology certainly make our lives easier, the downside is our children are now growing up with access to screens that I personally never had in my own childhood. As both a researcher and a mum this is a huge concern for me. There are a multitude of scientific studies that show a loss of communication, cognitive development, imagination, movement and problem solving skills associated with increased screen-time in children. This research also extends to toys such as those with electronic features rather than our traditional toys. I am no angel when it comes to media use with our children, sometimes it is literally the only way I get a shower in the morning (hmm ok a shower maybe every second day!). I am always on the lookout for new activities and ideas for the boys that do not involve screens but also are