Q: Empty calories are calories which contain little or no significant nutrients. Empty calories will provide nothing to you or your baby and only lead you to gain more weight. Because of this, if you are trying to lose that post baby weight then you are really going to want to avoid empty calories.  Empty calories are generally associated with sugars and solid fats. Examples of common sources of empty calories are ice cream, cookies, soda, cheap juices, cake, pizza, cheese, and butter. Occasional indulgences, such as for a birthday celebration, are okay but these should not hold a common place in your diet. Many people eat too much food when they do eat. Eating smaller amounts of food at one time can help you stick to a reasonable calorie count. To get yourself eating better portions of food, try using a side or salad plate to eat your meal. Come back for seconds only if you are still hungry after 15 minutes.  A good rule of thumb is that if you’re eating as much as you would in a restaurant, you might be eating too much. You’ll also need to learn to recognize when you’re really full. Remember: you don’t want to feel stuffed. You just want to feel not-hungry. Waiting for your food to begin to digest can help you to realize when you’re really full. This is great for preventing over-eating and even more post-baby weight gain. Give your body 15 minutes after eating a small meal and then go back for (a smaller portion of) seconds if you’re still hungry or top it off with healthy snacks, like broccoli. Another technique is to eat micro meals, or basically really healthy snacks, and skip the standard “two big meals” altogether. By eating small amounts of food throughout the day, you can feel more full and energetic. This is also easier on a new mom, since finding time to cook and eat can be really tough. A sample daily diet would look like a bowl of oatmeal, a banana, and a protein shake when you wake up, celery sticks on your way to work, a cup of yogurt and two pieces of whole grain toast at 10, a turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato at 12, grapes and orange slices at 2, carrot sticks and a glass of milk at 4, and a big kale salad with a side of quinoa for dinner. Eat soy nuts between any of these “meals” if you really can’t fight off the munchies! As your baby weans, you’ll be burning fewer calories. This means that your body will probably try to tell you that it is less hungry. This is a good thing! You should listen to your body and ease up on your calorie intake. It is also an indication that you’re ready to start dieting and exercising properly, since you won’t have to worry as much about your little one any more.
A: Avoid empty calories at all costs. Practice portion control. Wait for your food to settle. Eat frequent micro meals. Follow your body's cues as your baby weans.

Q: John’s Wort. St. John’s Wort is the alternative medicine that has some effectiveness in milder forms of depression. It has not, however, shown to be much more effective than a placebo in large-scale studies. This medicine can be purchased at natural health food stores.  Be sure to follow directions on the package for proper dosage and frequency. Be sure to buy herbal supplements from a reputable seller. Supplements are only very loosely monitored by the FDA, and as such, levels of purity and quality vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Do not take St. John's Wort with medications such as SSRIs. This can cause your body to have too much serotonin, which can be life threatening. St. John's Wort can make other drugs less effective when taken at the same time. Drugs it can affect include oral contraceptives, antiretroviral medications (e.g., drugs to treat HIV), anticoagulants (e.g., Warfarin), hormone replacement therapies, and immunosuppressant medications. Work with your doctor if you are on other medications. Because of the lack of evidence supporting the effectiveness of St. John’s Wort, the American Psychiatric Association does not recommend it for general use. The National Center for Alternative and Complementary Medicine recommends caution in using homeopathic remedies and encourages open discussions with healthcare providers so that treatment can be coordinated and safe. Another alternative supplement is S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe). SAMe is a naturally occurring molecule, and having low levels of SAMe have been linked to depression. SAMe can be taken orally, intravenously (an injection into a vein), or intramuscularly (an injection into the muscle) to boost your SAMe levels.  The preparation of SAMe is not regulated and the potency and ingredients can vary among manufacturers. Be sure to follow directions on the package for proper dosage and frequency. Acupuncture is a part of traditional Chinese medicine that uses needles inserted at specific parts of the body to correct energy blocks or imbalances in the organ. Locate an acupuncture practitioner by searching online or asking your doctor for a referral.  Check with your health insurance provider to find out if acupuncture is covered by your insurance. Evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture is mixed. One study has shown a link between acupuncture and normalization of a neuroprotective protein with an effect similar to Prozac. Another study has shown effectiveness comparable to psychotherapy. These studies lend some credibility to acupuncture as a treatment for depression, although more research is needed.
A: Try St. Try a SAMe supplement. Seek acupuncture treatment.

Q: See your health care provider if you have any of the signs or symptoms listed or are concerned that you might have uterine cancer. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.  It might be a good idea to ask a friend to go with you to your appointment. They can be there for moral support, to help you remember the information the doctor gives you, and to ask questions that you may forget in the moment. Make sure you prepare for your appointment ahead of time by researching your symptoms, keeping track of your symptoms, and writing down any questions you may have. It is important to ask your doctor questions when you consult with him or her about your concerns regarding uterine cancer. Doing research on your own is a great way to find out some preliminary information, but getting information directly from your doctor is more beneficial.  If you often have trouble remembering all of the questions you want to ask, write your questions down ahead of time as you think of them so you’ll be sure to ask all the right things when you’re discussing it with your doctor. You can also take notes during your appointment with the doctor so that you will be able to accurately recall all of the information later. There is also no simple and trustworthy way to test for uterine cancer in women who are symptom-free. The Pap test (also known as Pap smear) does not check for uterine cancer. If you do have signs or symptoms of the cancer, your health care provider may perform one or more of the following tests:  Pelvic exam Transvaginal ultrasound Endometrial biopsy Pap test (to test for other possible causes) Once you have tracked all of your symptoms, discussed your symptoms with your doctor, and undergone any testing your doctor deems necessary, your doctor should be able to give you an accurate diagnosis about whether or not you have uterine cancer.  Keep in mind that your doctor may need to do some tests on your before they can make a definitive decision about your symptoms.
A:
Prepare for your appointment. Ask questions. Know what to expect. Get a diagnosis.