Hey! Listen up busy mums! You need to remember that you are valuable and you deserve your OWN meals. Time and time again I hear about busy mothers, (especially of young children) not eating their own meals but instead, picking at their kids leftovers. What is that about? I realise you are busy, but this devalues your awesome caretaking-self, subsequently wreaks havoc on your hormonal system, not to mention-could be contributing to excess weight and mood swings.
A lot of women think that they are “being good” by being able to get by on 3 french fries, two bites of a chicken finger, and the last crumbles of a torn up croissant throughout the day.
You are UNDER NOURISHING yourself. If you are overweight, tired, and cranky-this could be why.
As the flight attendant says “put the oxygen mask on yourself first before helping others”. This is an important metaphor for taking care of and fueling your body well enough to take the best care of your children. Not only that- but you deserve it!! Most likely, you are sleep deprived. This leaves you physically and most certainly emotionally exhausted. Going long stretches without meals and then eating half a bag of Goldfish crackers and remnants of a muffin is a sure way to throw your cortisol levels off and acquire a ‘muffin-top’. You can manage your cortisol levels and say ‘bye-bye’ to tummy fat by getting good quality protein every few hours. Also, the sight of a beautiful plate of food dignifies your body and time by making you slow down to appreciate what you put in your gorgeous self...even if you say a quick “delish!” while you eat to acknowledge and appreciate your food and yourself before you run to drop the eldest at football practice will do great things for your body and soul.
I beg you....honour yourself by choosing your own healthy meals and try to take a breath and enjoy them. And, since you are insanely busy, always carry a non-kid snack such as roasted almonds, kale chips, or a Primal Bar in your handbag to keep your engine running. I promise you will feel more energetically sustained, patient, and present with your little ones and happier throughout the day. You will probably even drop a jean size.
