INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Rice, bread, pasta, and breakfast foods like granola can help keep your energy levels up. Sticking to whole grain sources of carbohydrates gives you extra fiber. This will help your digestive system.  Consider making your own muesli for breakfast with bananas, chopped whole oats, granola, dates, and any other items you prefer.  You burn calories when you breastfeed. For this reason, it is important to keep your energy levels high with sufficient carbohydrates. Just like when you were pregnant, incorporating fruits and vegetables into your diet is a wise idea. Having five portions of fruits and vegetables daily is a good benchmark. Aim for fruits and vegetables with varying colors to maximize the nutritional benefits.  Spinach, kale, and darker lettuces give you needed iron while citrus fruits like oranges or grapefruit provide Vitamin C. Make sure to wash all fruits and vegetables to remove any pesticides that might be on them. Organic vegetables and fruits should have fewer chemicals. The following amounts represent one portion:  Half a grapefruit One apple, one banana, or one orange Half an avocado Half a green pepper One full tablespoon of dried fruit Fistful of berries or grapes Two apricots Two plums One slice of pineapple Three full tablespoons of cooked vegetables or beans 150 mL (5 oz.) glass of freshly squeezed orange juice Protein is very important for your muscular strength and overall health. Seek protein through meat (preferably lean), eggs, and legumes (kidney beans, pinto beans, lentils). Also consider having two servings of fish per week. “Oily” types of fish like salmon are particularly good.  Eat fish that are low in mercury. Salmon, trout, shrimp, tilapia, anchovies, perch, oysters, and crab are good options. Avoid grouper, sea bass, mackerel, marlin, shark, and tuna.  Oily fish contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are thought to vital to your baby's brain and eye development. If you don't eat fish, consider taking an omega-3 supplement. Vegetarian mothers run the risk of having a B12 deficiency. Their babies also can have this deficiency, which causes decreased appetite, vomiting, muscular atrophy, and other problems. Talk to your doctor about taking a supplement. Also, you can get B12 through fermented soybean products. Although cow milk can cause problems for some babies, having a small amount of low-fat dairy products like yogurt is healthy. Goat milk products also can be a healthy alternative to cow’s milk. If you remove cow’s milk from your diet, your doctor might advise you to take calcium and/or Vitamin D supplements. If your child has an adverse reaction to cow’s milk (ingested through your breast milk), your baby might display these symptoms:  Bloating Rash Eczema Changes in excrement Insufficient growth Vomiting Diarrhea Itchy skin Swollen face, lips, eyes Coughing Constipation Although you do not need to drink excess water while breastfeeding, aim to have at least eight 8-oz glasses (about 2 liters) of water or other fluids (apart from alcohol) during the day. While breastfeeding, your body releases the cuddling hormone oxytocin, which causes you to be thirsty. Keep water handy while breastfeeding.  Make sure that your urine is pale. If it is dark yellow or smells strange, you should drink more water.  Check the chemical levels in your water. Although some tap water is healthy to consume, in other cities it is not. In the U.S., your water supplier must provide you with a copy of a Consumer Confidence Report, which shows what chemicals exist in the water.  Consider buying a filter for your water. This can give you peace of mind that your water is safer and often improves taste as well.

SUMMARY: Eat whole grains. Enjoy your fruits and vegetables. Add protein to your diet. Eat dairy. Stay hydrated.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Grip a pencil, marble or any other small object with your toes and repeatedly hold it for six seconds before setting it down.  This is an easy exercise to do when watching television, reading or working because it does not require much attention. Take 20 marbles and see if you can drop them into a bowl one at a time for an added workout. Place the towel at your feet and slowly curl it towards you by only using your toes. Repeat this five times for both feet. If you would like to increase the resistance of the towel add some weight to the end of it. Find some rocks (make sure they are not sharp or jagged) that you can walk on comfortably. Your feet will grip the rocks naturally and the changing surface of the rocks will work out the nerves in the feet that actually connect to the lower back, strengthening both. Sand has a lot of give when you walk through it. Doing so barefoot is a great way to flex your toes, as you’ll need them to help grip into the sand as you push forward. Take your shoes off when you’re next at the beach. Just be careful of glass and other debris. Try climbing a sand dune barefoot for even more intensity, if there are any in your area or at your local beach.

SUMMARY: Lift objects with the toes. Grip a towel with your toes. Walk on rocks. Walk barefoot through sand.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Lying in a variety of poses will help loosen phlegm and allow you to cough up mucous. First, lie on your back and prop pillows under you to elevate your hips. Then, lay on your right side with 2 pillows under your right hip. Rotate, and lay on your left side with 2 pillows under your left hip. Finally, lay on your stomach with 2 pillows under your hips.  Stay in each position for 5–10 minutes. The medical term “postural drainage” simply means adjusting the position of your body so that phlegm can drain from your lungs. While reclining in each position for postural drainage, breathe by expanding your stomach. Rather than focusing on breathing high in your chest (which may cause a coughing fit), focus on breathing low in your stomach. This will help the phlegm drain from your lungs.    Press out your stomach as far as it will go, and then imagine that you’re trying to fill that entire space with air when you inhale. The medical term for this type of breathing is “belly breathing” or “diaphragmatic breathing.” If the postural draining doesn’t loosen up your phlegm, you may need to physically loosen up the congestion. Cup one of your hands and tap your chest and back with about as much force as you’d use to crack an egg. Avoid tapping directly on your sternum or on your spine. You may need to ask a friend or family member to help you tap hard-to-reach parts of your chest and back. As you tap your chest and recline for postural drainage, phlegm and mucous will begin to loosen in your lungs. To cough up phlegm, sit down and lean slightly forward in a chair. Fold your arms over your stomach, and lean forward. As you press down on your stomach, cough 2 or 3 times. Pause for a few seconds, and then repeat.  As the phlegm comes up from your lungs, spit it out into a tissue, trash can, or other nearby receptacle. Practice controlled coughing to avoid coughing fits, which often cause your trachea and other airways to constrict.

SUMMARY:
Recline in different positions for postural drainage. Breathe deeply from your stomach while draining your lungs. Tap on your chest and back to loosen up phlegm. Practice controlled coughing.