Rooted Mama Podcast
Episode 3: Overcoming Physical Stress in Motherhood with Erin Simas
Episode #3: Overcoming Physical Stress in Motherhood with Erin Simas
Motherhood is a full time job! The care we provide and jobs we do as mamas will have an effect on our bodies, and it is so important to take care of our physical selves. On today’s episode, I talk with my friend and fellow mom, Erin Simas. Erin is a master’s prepared nurse and Nutritional Therapy Practitioner who runs her own business helping moms (and their families!) manage their health.
The common misconceptions about health in motherhood [1:00]
- Moms are destined to feel tired and stressed constantly
- You have to be diagnosed with specific illnesses to have poor health in motherhood
- Painful periods are normal
Health management vs. Health healing [3:45]
Many physical problems that moms deal with (fatigue, painful periods, etc.) are dismissed by their doctors, especially when blood work comes back normal. Just because there is no official diagnosis for a specific illness does not mean that there aren’t steps to be taken to improve our health and well-being. Find a practitioner that has a holistic approach and work to heal root causes, not manage symptoms.
Shelby’s experience with PCOS [5:00]
PCOS is related to insulin-resistance, which is related to blood-sugar imbalance (and even pre-diabetes). Birth control was used as management for my [Shelby’s] irregular periods as a teenager, but I had no idea about how working on my diet and lifestyle could help with my PCOS and ability to get pregnant in the future. Working on my blood sugar was key in my fertility journey.
When what worked before doesn’t work in the present [15:45]
After having children, our bodies have new priorities; it is very common for moms to have seasons where intense workouts and other physical activities they were able to do previously are not possible. It is important to remember that strength and endurance in motherhood simply looks different than our life before children, and it won’t last forever. Caring for children requires a different kind of energy, and embracing that can help our mindset moving forward as we learn where our energy needs to be allocated and what exercise works for the current season.
Practical ways that moms can support their health [21:01]
- Remember that the stronger we are, the stronger our kids are; taking care of ourselves allows us to show up for ourselves and our kids according to our values
- Eat more and stress less; stress suppresses appetite, and as a result (in addition to the million things on our to-do list) moms can chronically undereat. Being nourished helps us feel more balanced and in control.
How to build a nourishing plate [28:05]
Erin’s four building blocks for building a nourishing plate are a protein, an extra fat source, a non-starchy veggie, and a high-quality carb. These components not only help keep us full, but they give us energy, balance our blood sugar, give us macro/micro nutrients, and provide us with fiber that keeps us regular. Moms tend to neglect the extra fat-source building block, but it is an important component in keeping us satiated, and can be as simple as putting butter on roasted veggies just before serving or adding slices of bacon.
Taking care of ourselves while we take care of our children can feel like an extra chore, but it is essential in motherhood; we are worth the effort and deserve to have our health taken seriously. By listening to our bodies, finding holistic practitioners, eating nourishing foods, and prioritizing movement that fits in with our role as caretakers, we can not just survive in motherhood, but thrive in motherhood. To get all the details of this episode, listen to it on your favorite streaming platform, and if you haven’t already, subscribe to my email list to stay up-to-date on all future podcast episodes!