Feminine Buzz

Principals Of Pilates

Joseph Pilates, the creator of the pilates exercises,
claimed his method has a philosophical and theoretical
foundation. The exercises are not just a collection of
exercises, but a method developed and refined over
more than 80 years of use and observation.

The principals of centering, concentration, control,
precision, breathing and flowing movement are
comparable to those of yoga. There are some basic
principals of pilates.

One principal is mind over matter. The central aim of
pilates is to create a fusion of mind over body.
Without thinking about it, the body will move with
economy, grace and balance.

The end goal is a union of mind and body.
Practitioners believe that using the body to the
greatest advantage, making the most of its strengths,
counteracting its weakness and correcting the
imbalances within.

Breathing is also key in pilates. Breathing circulates
the blood so that it awakens the cells in the body.
They then carry away the waste that is related to
fatigue. For the blood to do its work, it needs to be
properly maintained and full of oxygen.

Centering and concentration are key in pilates.
Centering in pilates uses the abdomen, lower back,
hips and buttocks, also known as the powerhouse. This
is where all energies come from and flow outward to
the extremities.

Concentration is important because pilates demands
intense focus. Beginners need to pay close attention
to their bodies and build on delicate, small movements
and controlled breathing. Also, control and precision
are important. Every movement has a method and purpose
in pilates.

Facing your Fears

To many people, fear is a part of life. Not the
typical, well-known and talked about fears like
claustrophobia and hypochondria, but the fears that
keep you from going after the job you know would make
you ecstatically happy.

Our own self-esteem issues can keep us from taking
steps that could help us make the big step from being
a paralegal to a lawyer, or an online writer from
penning a book.

We are often our own worst enemy. Negative self talk
keeps us in our comfort zone. The fence that surrounds
our comfort zone is our fears. Some fences are bigger
than others, but fences nonetheless.

Take the time to think about what would make you
happy. Clue: it is not something you can buy!

Is it a promotion in the field you are presently in,
or something totally different?

Will it require you to go back to school?

Is it marriage?

Start with a written list of exactly what you are
looking for; looking for a mate who is a Christian?

Visit different churches or Church dinners. Life can
be just what happens to you; living is those
purposeful steps you make to make your passion happen.

Think about what you are afraid of. Do this when you
are alone and can think without interruption. Be
honest about your feelings.

Why are you afraid of that?

Where do those feelings come from?

What is the worst that could happen to me if I faced
this fear head on?

Will you die, or will you come out knowing that you
faced a fear that will forever change your life?

Planning Ahead While Pregnant

Planning ahead when it comes to food could mean the difference between making wise choices and making irrational choices. It helps us learn how to undo our bad habits and being pregnant is a great time to try and change any bad habits you may have. The best way to break bad habits and to form new ones is to constantly plan ahead.

You want to plan for snack attacks especially if you are not going to be home. You want to make sure you take some healthy food with you, so that you can resist the temptation of going to the vending machine and taking out that candy bar. Throw some nuts into your pocketbook or some cheese sticks in case of any hunger that might hit you through out the day.

Plan your food shopping list. Some people find that when they go to the supermarket with just a rough idea of what they need they usually wind up forgetting something important or they wind up buying half of the food store. Take a few minutes to plan your meals for the week and buy what you need to go with it.

Speaking of planning meals, that is a excellent idea. Plan for meals you can realistically prepare. Do not plan for meals that you do not have the time to prepare. You are only going to stress yourself out. Look for recipes that are easy and quick to make. Do not try to make something where you can’t pronounce half of the ingredients and need to shop at a gourmet cooking store. Chances are you are still working and the last thing you want to do is come home after a long day and then slave over a complicated recipe.

Also, planning your meals out for the week tends to help you be a little more organized for the week. It is no secret that pregnant women tend to forget things and this is due to their changing hormone level. By taking out the time to sit and plan your meals for the week will help you stay a little organized and save you a lot of time. If you already know what you are making for dinner, you do not have to worry about coming home after a long day and standing in front of the fridge trying to decide what to make.

You also want to make sure that get yourself in the habit of using vegetables are your main dish. Instead of doing chicken breast with a side salad, make your salad your main dish and the chicken breast a side one. You also want to buy your vegetables as fresh as possible, even if that means making two trips to the grocery store through out the week. The fresher the vegetable, the better they are for you and your baby. The same holds true for fruit also. Keep plenty of fruit on hand, especially if you tend to crave sweet stuff through out your pregnancy. Instead of reaching for a candy bar, you can reach for a piece of fruit dipped in cool whip

By planning ahead for the week or even month to come will help you stay on track with your eating and decrease the risk of you making the wrong choice if a craving should hit you.

Plus Size and Pregnant

A majority of plus sized women who are pregnant will experience a healthy pregnancy, but they are at a risk of having a more bumpy ride than someone who is not overweight.

Women who are overweight, or have a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more are at a greater risk of certain pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. No knows for sure why weight matters so much, as far as most doctors are concerned it is just one piece of the puzzle. The truth is most plus size women go on to have completely uneventful pregnancies and deliver perfect healthy babies as long as they eat well, exercise and watch their weight throughout pregnancy. The biggest problem with being plus sized and pregnant is that you are at a greater for some of the following.

Studies have shown that overweight women have a higher rate of neural tube defects which are problems with how your baby’s brain and spinal cord develop. These studies are unable to pin point exactly why overweight women are at a higher risk and have a higher rate. Some studies have shown that overweight women have lower blood folate levels than a woman who is of normal weight. Folate is needed especially in the early stages of pregnancy to help avoid neaural tube defects. Because of this, if you are overweight your doctor may prescribe you a prenatal vitamin with 1000 micrograms of folic acid. In fact, if you are overweight and planning on becoming pregnant, you may want to start taking folic acid before you even conceive.

Gestational diabetes is another complication that overweight women are at a greater risk of developing. Gestational diabetes is elevated blood-sugar level during pregnancy. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development estimate that women with normal BMI which is between 19 and 24 have a 2% chance of developing gestational diabetes. Overweight women have a 6% chance of developing this condition and obese women or women who have a BMI of 30 or more have a 9% chance of being diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Remember though that if you are diagnosed with this, you can still go on and have a healthy pregnancy with a modified eating plan.

Almost 10% of obese and overweight women develop a condition called gestational hypertension. This is when your blood pressure becomes high with a reading of 140 over 90 or higher after your 20th week of pregnancy but you do not have any protein in your urine.

Gestational hypertension is usually a small concern but can put you at a higher risk for preeclampsia (which is indicated by high blood pressure AND protein in your urine), intrauterine growth restriction, preterm birth, placental abruption and still birth. If you do go on to develop preeclampsia, your weight is probably not that big of a factor. In fact if you are under 35 and overweight you have LESS of a chance of developing preeclampsia that a woman over 35 and a healthy weight.

Perhaps the most common complication for overweight women is longer labors and the possible risk of a cesarean section. Nearly 26-35% of deliveries are cesarean delivery. You are at a bigger risk if you have been diagnosed with preeclampsia or gestational hypertension or have a large baby.
Eating healthy throughout your pregnancy and working with your doctor to manage your weight will help reduce these risks and increase your already high chances of having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Informal Wedding Dresses

A recent survey shows that more women prefer informal wedding dresses instead of the traditional wedding gown. This is because most of the respondents want something that is comfortable and simple but still look beautiful at the same time.

What makes the informal wedding dress so ideal is the fact that it can be used during any time of the year and in almost any occasion after the vows have been made. Also, it doesn?t cost that much so you can easily purchase it off the rack instead of having this custom made by a seamstress.

The design of the informal wedding dress is different from the formal kind because it does not have to be cathedral length or have a train. The material used is from man made fabric instead of silk which is much more affordable to buy.

Another thing unique about the informal wedding dress to the formal one is that it does not need that many adornments, bells or whistles. You can get one that has a flowery design or in any other color aside from ivory or white.

It can also be backless, sleeveless or strapless. If the wedding is going to be on the beach, you can even add a white sarong to the outfit. This allows you to show off some parts of your body like the arms or the back. You can also show your legs if you decide to choose one that has a short skirt compared to a long one.

The informal wedding dress should be free flowing and this can only happen if it is made from light weight material instead of the heavy fabrics available. It shouldn?t have that many embellishments as well because this adds weight to what you are already wearing making it very uncomfortable.

Having the right accessories should also be something to consider with your informal wedding dress. To go with rest of the outfit, you can wear a hat instead of a veil or have some fresh flowers when you wear your hair down. As for the footwear, you should choose between flip flops or sandals as it would be difficult to wear high heels and walk on uneven terrain. You can also have bracelets and earrings with pearls or gems

The nice thing about informal wedding dresses is the fact that you are not limited to bridal stores. You can buy one even at an outlet store. You can even shop for your perfect outfit online which saves you the trip from driving over to the mall.

Given that churches are not the only place that you can have a wedding these days, there can never be an ideal informal wedding dress. This is because it is dependent on many factors which include the theme, the place where this will be held, the month, your body shape and personal tastes. You just have to put all these things into consideration so you are able to wear the right one on that special day.

So, for those who are getting married real soon, it is still possible for you to have that dream wedding without spending too much money. You just have to find an informal wedding dress for yourself and the rest of the entourage even if you have to work with a shoestring budget.