https://mamaeatsplants.com/2017/10/18/talking-trash/

http://www.biome.com.au/blog/101-eco-friendly-resolutions-be-happy-cost-no-money/

Something really important to me is reducing a negative impact on the earth. I try my best to treat Mumma nature as if she were the most magical home….because she is.

Some ways that I try to look after the earth include;

• picking up rubbish when I see it
• not allowing my children to have plastic toys
• not buying plastic
• eating a vegan diet that consists of local, sustainable and seasonal produce
• not supporting brands that are considered “Giants” and unethical (Nestle and MacDonalds etc)
• buying plants, linen and biodegradable things
• turning off taps, electricity switches and lights
• using carry bags, my own cups and bamboo straws
• fixing my things rather than replacing them
• when babies were little we used cloth nappies 
• donate things to the salvos or re gift things we don't use or need
• use biodegradable bin liners
• invest in a good drink bottle and coffee keep cup 

However, it isn't always easy to be environmentally conscious and I find that we do produce quite a lot of waste. 

It’s hard to be organised enough to shop at the bulk food stores, though I know once we move I can get into a better routine. 

And my hope is to visit farmers markets more regularly, planning our meals once we have shopped so that we can eat a little more seasonally.

It is important to me to live a life that is cruelty free, and a positive if any impact on the environment. Being prepared and in a routine will be key for me this year, so that I can produce minimal waste and feel good about my purchasing power.

“Every dollar you spend is a vote for the type of world you want to live in.”

This is mostly about cleaning, guy's I have OCD and clean obsessively which everyone tells me is  a ridiculous expectation with three children but hey?!

Each day at home I sweep, make the beds, walk Marli, clean the kitchen (washing dishes is my fave!) and clean the toilet thanks to my 6 year old with terrible aim. I keep the bedrooms clean and clear to promote good sleep.

This was all before the five of us moved into one bedroom at Eric's dad's home...so now my space is a little more cluttered, and my timetable a little less structured. Currently, in fact we are house sitting in Olinda/Kallista, then I'm in Byron for a week then June is Bali month! Eric is going away for Regionals to Sydney in there too.

I’ve broken my week down, monthly tasks and then a yearly roster.

Monday - Grocery Shop

Tuesday - sweep/vac/mop, load of washing, bake/cook a big meal like vegan ravioli

Wednesday - minimal housework, wash everyones hair

Thursday - garden (clean dog poo), clean all rooms, load of washing

Friday - small groceries shop, washing and general tidy

Saturday - relax

Sunday - bins out, bake/cook, plan clothes for the week

Monthly - waxing/beauty appointments, birthday shopping, events organisation/babysitting, washing bed sheets, shaving E’s head (which now I dont do, as he's cut it all off :()

January - garage sale, go through cupboards

February - clean the skirting boards

March - clean the windows

April - clean out closets for updating winter and bigger clothes

May - rearrange and deep clean the lounge (couch covers dry cleaned)

June - toy rotation

July - dry clean bed covers and flip mattresses, move rooms around

August - clean out closets for spring

September - toy rotation

October - clean the walls

November - clean out closets for updating summer and bigger clothes

December - prepare for Christmas i.e making gifts

At the start of the year it’s important to note important dates, events, birthdays and planned holidays down. Now I am also in the habit of marking school dates down too.

It's almost birthday season for us, and we have lots of travel coming up. I also have to factor in my birth clients and business expenses (like the dreaded BAS & insurance).

Things must be organised for me to fit in time for myself, so that I can show up for my family and clients as the best version of me. This year has been a little more bumpy than mornal, but I feel on the verge of a breakthrough ...after several breakdowns!

This amazing Mama has helped me so much along vegan meal planning for myself and the kids, her instagram is an endless source of inspiration and pure love:

https://mamaeatsplants.com/tag/meal-plan/

So, most of you know that Eric usually cooks in our house and I usually bake. Often my baking ends up on the floor or as a total disaster…I am a fabulous combination of a perfectionist and a rebel who doesn't like to follow instructions!

But my daily meals usually follow this structure:

• 4.45am lemon water
• 5am coffee + medicinal mushrooms
• 8.15am tofu scramble with spinach, tomato, mushrooms on one slice of avo toast
• 8.30-9.30am another coffee
• 12pm lunch is usually a salad wrap with sauerkraut and roast pumpkin on the side, for additional protein we add lentils
• 3pm kombucha
• 6pm dinner (sometimes at 4.30pm, sometimes as late as 8pm) usually rice and stir fry or curry

Each day I drink between two and three litres of water and sometimes I will snack on fruit or have a smoothie bowl instead of a lunch or dinner meal.

I’ve been baking something for River to take to school, and will be preparing some fritters and additional savoury snacks for energy at school. All of the kids eat like this:

• First Breakfast is oats with chia seeds, frozen berries, cinnamon, coconut milk and peanut butter
• Second Breakfast is usually a slice of avocado toast
• Fruit and chopped vegetables make up snacks
• Lunch and dinner is the same as us with some popcorn, nuts and dried fruit for an afternoon snack

When we are organised, our weekly shop has minimal waste, costs less than $300 and is all organic and seasonal.

For gut health we eat fermented foods like saurkraut and kim chi, drink kombucha and use pre and probiotic supplements. None of my children have ever had antibiotics. For anti-inflammatory benefits we add cinnamon and turmeric to our food, as well as chia seeds. For aditional calcium we add sesame seeds and we snack on different nuts daily. We take B12 supplements daily and I take iron with my moon cycle, I also take Biocueticals Ultra Muscle Ease daily to help with training and sleep.

I was reading through last years food journal, I don't keep one often but it is so great to see how far I have come. Last year, Eric and I were eating chips EVERY.single.day. I was also eating a twilight (vegan mars bar) almost every day and having between 3-4 large lattes. I don't eat chips or chocolate anymore, opting for some popcorn instead, and limit myself to two coffees.

The biggest challenge as a CrossFit coach, athlete and mumma is to maintain energy levels and nutritional requirements while balancing my attitudes towards food and body image. Eric wants me to gain a few kilos of muscle mass to help my strength, while I refuse to put on weight! A little bout of exhaustion//burn out saw me lose 6kg in two weeks and this had a major effect on my performance in the CrossFit Open...not that I'm looking to compete...I've still done so much better than in previous years and had a LOT of FUN competing within our box community.

I have been the nutritionist that teaches people HOW to eat, and I am looking into creating some more structured nutritional guidance for our athletes, especially those that are REALLY looking to compete in CrossFit and those athletes that are looking to lose a few kilos to help with their performance, as well as breastfeeding mummas and you know...everyone else ;)

Why CrossFit, mumma?

Members of great community-style gyms have a healthy support system. In the CrossFit world, it’s not just a place to work out…it’s a community, a support system, and an accountability mechanism.

When you constantly move in any given way, you train your brain, nervous system and musculature to be in a certain position. Therefore practice makes permanent not perfect, and this is why we prioritise movement quality and function over quantity. I certainly don’t think we are the only CrossFit box to prioritise quality over intensity, though we have a very educated and informed coaching team, who’s message stays consistent and clear.

We need to create an environment that allows us to easily prioritise wellness. It should be easy for us to train, whether at home or at the gym. That is why I created CrossFit Mummas, to allow the mummas in my community access to a family friendly gym, an opportunity for training WITH children, for them to take breastfeeding breaks, where nappy changing and toilet training is normal and given attention to, where I can model peaceful parenting and a vegan lifestyle. Not necessarily to teach other mum’s how to parent, but to allow for a new normal.

It should be easy and sustainable to eat well. We have so much access too whole foods, there is so much information about how to cook food, bake and meal prepare in advance that we literally do not need fast food. I assure you it’s far cheaper to buy and create your own organic meals than to buy “fast food” and that there are wonderful places to actually dine on the days where you want to eat out.

For a healthier future generation, broad social change must start in our youth. It is on us, as parents to lead societal changes toward healthier habits. To lead by example and incorporate health, wellness and fitness into our lives each day in front of our children. To counter current poor habits like technology addiction, inactivity, and inadequate nutrition.

The most efficient and effective way to achieving a better body composition and physique is proper nutrition and higher effort strength training. Unfortunately you cannot CrossFit your way out of a poor or inadequate diet and achieve performance or a physique that reflects your hard work, the cool thing about CrossFit, though, is that it doesn't matter if you do not have an “ideal” body composition…you can still be strong as fcuk or a body weight ninja! As my practice is all about health, my focus is on what I can do and the self acceptance that comes with feeling a certain way, able to achieve my movement goals and yeah sure looking fit helps me feel good!

“I lift because I am and because it’s part of a mission to change the world’s understanding of it’s potential.”

                                                                      31st December 2018
Dear Ariel,

Congratulations babe, you certainly shone this year! Things that you achieved:

• Interviews in both Mama Disrupt and The Collective Hub
• 10k Instagram followers and 3k FB followers with 1k email subscribers
• Attended four beautiful births
• Finished your book which is being published as we speak
• You bought your first home last week
• CrossFit Croydon boasts 200 athletes, 30 of which are highly competitive
• Yogility has 50 committed yogis each week
• You have loved and healed and found solid ground
• You visited Bali & Byron 
• You sent Eric to watch The CrossFit Games for his 30th - best wifey ever
• You stayed tanned all year, and had no bouts of depression!
• Your fitnessing paid off, with smashing all of your strength and gymnastics goals, feeling great in your own skin and helping share that message with other athletes and mummas
• You trusted the timing of your life and don't feel trapped or lonely. 
• You healed yourself, and in doing so helped to heal all the women of the earth, including Mumma Earth herself.
• Your friendships are solid, helpful, mutual, inspiring and truly fill your cup.

As part of CrossFit and as a business owner, I’ve learnt to constantly redefine what you think is possible.

At the beginning of 2017, the year that I turned thirty, I had big plans. I chose a word to define my year, and was careful that it wasn’t “growth” because how could I possibly go through more turbulence? I felt as though I’d grown enough thank you very much.

I’m as yet, unsure whether the years events have helped make me a better person, but they have definitely made me more myself.

To recap, we entered into our fourth year at CrossFit Croydon, driving 45mins each way to work most days (at one stage I was so befuddled I thought there was 8 days in each week…it just doesn't stop!) because I desperately needed to live by the ocean. I didn't count on feeling so lonely and I was incredibly anxious…all.the.time. I was living in fear of my annual winter depression and so I missed out on what could have been an amazing summer.

My moon cycle returned and on our anniversary, I literally thought I would bleed to death. I was struggling with meeting the days challenges, parenting and looking after myself. I felt hurt by my friend’s apparent rejection (story of my life…I’ll get into that in a moment) and things were unstable between Eric and myself.

Winter was another shit storm. We lost 45 athletes, lost friends, I lost myself too…we had no money and our bills had nearly tripled. Despite this, we managed to attend Splendour In the Grass and I stayed on in Byron to reconnect to myself. I had no one to talk to. My dad went and married his partner without inviting me. Eric and I kept fighting. I stopped breastfeeding Reef after 6 years of continual breastfeeding, tandem feeding and donating my breast milk. There’s a story for another blog.

The last few months we have recovered somewhat…our community is thriving and sees value in what we do, Eric created a comp squad which has seen us winning local comps, and I’m so excited to watch everyone perform in the 2018 CrossFit Open. The weather has been good so I’ve felt emotionally more stable. We met Dave Castro and many of the CrossFit HQ team before watching the Aussies cream the Invitationals in Melbourne. There’s been many highlights too.

I have put so much energy into meeting deadlines this year; filming my online program, writing a book, finishing my doula studies and growing our CrossFit community. 

So, I have achieved lots and overcome more than I thought possible. My mental health issues still play up, sometimes making me a shitty mother, wife and friend. It’s not an excuse and it’s something I work on everyday. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who stayed beside me through another tumultuous year, to the friends that have become more like family, and my beautiful children who show me what unconditional love is, and the value of being in the moment.

Here’s to more presence, love and sunshine.

https://melissaambrosini.com/wealth/manifest-your-dreams-and-create-an-epic-2018/

There are times as a woman that I feel completely trapped. I have no where to go, no one to call. I'm too much for everyone and not enough of anything good.
I have to smile for the children, have to be interested and excited to run a business, have to keep going no matter how much I just wish I was not here.
Words cut like knives but the feelings are the worst. No one will ever come, no one will save you, no one will ever love you.
How do you re write these thought patterns? How do you change who you are? How do I leave?
I feel as though I make some small progress only to come undone with an insensitive word and then a ramble about how I'm never happy, never positive, too sensitive, too stressed, too much...always.
What do I want? To be who I am. To achieve, to succeed, to thrive, to be loved, to be celebrated, to lift others every single day, to be a great mother, to be desired by my lover, to have rock solid friendships, to spread love in every moment, to change the world, to heal our environment, to make other people's lives better, to be happy, to be enough of the right things and not too much of the other things.

"If a woman is taught to hate her own body how can she love her mothers body? Her grandmothers body? How can she love the bodies of other women and men close to her? Harsh judgements about body acceptability create a nation of hunched over tall girls, short women on stilts, women of size dressed as though in mourning, very slender women trying to puff themselves out like adders and various other women in hiding: Destroying a woman's instinctive affiliation with her natural body cheats her of confidence. It causes her to perseverate about whether she is a good person, and base her self worth on how she looks instead of who she is, it pressures her to use up her energy worrying about how much food she consumes or the readings on a scale. It keeps her preoccupied, colours everything she does. It is unthinkable in the instinctive world that a woman should live preoccupied by appearance this way...
The body is like an earth. It is land unto itself. It is as vulnerable to overbuilding, being carved into parcels, cut off. The wilder woman will not be easily swayed. For her the questions are not how to form but how to feel. The breast in all its shapes has the function of feeling and feeding. Does it feed? Does it feel? It is a good breast. The hips, they are wide for a reason, inside them is a satin ivory cradle for new life. A woman's hips are outriggers for the body above and below; they are portals, they are a lush cushion, the handholds for love, a place for children to hide behind. The legs they are meant to take us, sometimes propel us; they are the pulleys that help us live, they are the anillo, the ring for circling a lover. They cannot be too this or that - they are what they are.
There is no "supposed to be" in bodies. The question is not size of shape or years of age, or even having two of everything for some do not. But the wild issue is: does this body feel? Does it have a right connection to pleasure, heart, soul, to the Wild? Does it have happiness, joy? Can it init's own way move, dance, jiggle, sway, thrust? Nothing else matters."
larissa Pinkola Estes

s part of CrossFit and as a business owner, I’ve learnt to constantly redefine what you think is possible.

At the beginning of 2017, the year that I turned thirty, I had big plans. I chose a word to define my year, and was careful that it wasn’t “growth” because how could I possibly go through more turbulence? I felt as though I’d grown enough thank you very much.

I’m as yet, unsure whether the years events have helped make me a better person, but they have definitely made me more myself.

To recap, we entered into our fourth year at CrossFit Croydon, driving 45mins each way to work most days (at one stage I was so befuddled I thought there was 8 days in each week…it just doesn't stop!) because I desperately needed to live by the ocean. I didn't count on feeling so lonely and I was incredibly anxious…all.the.time. I was living in fear of my annual winter depression and so I missed out on what could have been an amazing summer.

My moon cycle returned and on our anniversary, I literally thought I would bleed to death. I was struggling with meeting the days challenges, parenting and looking after myself. I felt hurt by my friend’s apparent rejection (story of my life…I’ll get into that in a moment) and things were unstable between Eric and myself.

Winter was another shit storm. We lost 45 athletes, lost friends, I lost myself too…we had no money and our bills had nearly tripled. Despite this, we managed to attend Splendour In the Grass and I stayed on in Byron to reconnect to myself. I had no one to talk to. My dad went and married his partner without inviting me. Eric and I kept fighting. I stopped breastfeeding Reef after 6 years of continual breastfeeding, tandem feeding and donating my breast milk. There’s a story for another blog.

The last few months we have recovered somewhat…our community is thriving and sees value in what we do, Eric created a comp squad which has seen us winning local comps, and I’m so excited to watch everyone perform in the 2018 CrossFit Open. The weather has been good so I’ve felt emotionally more stable. We met Dave Castro and many of the CrossFit HQ team before watching the Aussies cream the Invitationals in Melbourne. There’s been many highlights too.

I have put so much energy into meeting deadlines this year; filming my online program, writing a book, finishing my doula studies and growing our CrossFit community. 

So, I have achieved lots and overcome more than I thought possible. My mental health issues still play up, sometimes making me a shitty mother, wife and friend. It’s not an excuse and it’s something I work on everyday. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who stayed beside me through another tumultuous year, to the friends that have become more like family, and my beautiful children who show me what unconditional love is, and the value of being in the moment.

Here’s to more presence, love and sunshine.


https://melissaambrosini.com/wealth/manifest-your-dreams-and-create-an-epic-2018/

Normally, I don't advocate "weightloss" advice, because it really isn't my priority. However I do know many women that struggle with losing weight after having babies, whether that is because of lifestyle changes or weight gain during pregnancy.

Prevention before Cure
The best way to lose "baby weight" is to not gain excessive amounts of weight through pregnancy. Women can expect to gain an average of 8-twenty kilo's over a 37-42week gestation.
This can be broken down into:

• Breasts: 0.5 to 1.5 kg
• Uterus: 1 kg
• Placenta: 0.7 kg
• Amniotic fluid: 1 kg
• Increased blood volume:  1 to 2 kgs
• Increased fluid volume: 1 to 1.5 kg
• Actual fat stores: 2.7 to 3.6 kg

Every pregnancy and woman is unique and this is just a guide, however slow weight gain throughout pregnancy is a key factor in dropping excess weight after birth and preventing birth complications, haemorrhoids, and constipation.

Sustainability over Quick Fix
It is important to remember that your child will only be this little once. If we become obsessed with our post partum bodies, we can easily lose sight of the miracle that has just occurred and miss some beautiful moments just BEING a mumma. The best approach is one that delivers slow, sustainable results that your body can adjust to, that your milk supply can handle and that your baby can thrive on. The quality of your breast milk is dependent upon your maternal diet, if we eat in a restrictive manor, we can become under nourished, as can our babies.
Eating a wholesome, wholefood diet rich in colour and variety can ensure healthy weight loss and nutrient dense meals.

Make it easy
Stay hydrated, get your organic fresh produce delivered, plan your weekly meals once you have your groceries and in advance, and recruit help when you can. A new mother needs absolute pampering in the fourth trimester, or the forty days after birth. If family can help by making a few meals each week, or you can afford a meal delivery service like mygoodnessorganics.com.au/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI052Z1tGS1wIVTFe9Ch0u8Q6_EAAYASAAEgJq_fD_BwE then do not be afraid to say a gigantic YES! My friends made me the biggest pot of pumpkin soup AND paid for my meals delivered for one week after Reef's birth, this was extremely helpful with two other children to care for. 
Be mindful that when you are breastfeeding it is normal to feel super thirsty and hungry, your body requires an extra 300cals daily (more than during pregnancy) to produce breast milk.

Nutrition and Movement
When I wake up, I drink a glass of warm lemon water which starts my metabolism and helps to cleanse my body, this is also a great reminder to drink your first glass of water. As a plant based mumma, each of my meals include a source of organic fruit and or vegetables. For breakfast, oats with coconut milk, cinnamon and seasonal fresh berries (frozen outside of season) and a little maple syrup for sweetness helps to stabalise blood sugar levels and provide slow releasing energy. My other main meals both include at least one cup of spinach/kale and I eat an avocado and a handful of nuts each day for essential fats. 
Every morning and night I spend 2-5minutes diaphragm breathing. Especially early in the post partum period this helps tone the uterus and reconnect your pelvic floor to the breath. This is a major player in healing abdominal separation and pelvic function. It is also non negotiable for me to fit in some form of movement each and every day. In the first six weeks post birth, I recommend walking, gentle restorative yoga and transverse abdominis (TA) activation. From there I was able to create a strength and conditioning program for new mothers which enabled me to get back into CrossFit within 8weeks. 
If you have major abdominal separation or are unable to activate your pelvic floor then I strongly recommend consulting a Women's Health Physiotherapist before participating in any strength or conditioning. 

Was this helpful? To be part of the movement and be one of the first Mummas to participate in my 8 week online Postpartum Program please subscribe: