Why I love (teaching and using) Baby Massage
I initially started teaching Baby Massage to cover a good friend
on maternity leave with her twins, thinking it would complement what I
do nicely anyhow. I didn’t expect to love it and learn from it as much
as I have and do. So I wanted to share with you how precious it is for
babies, parents, maybe grandparents and carers too.
History
Baby massage is older than people may realise. It has been passed
down through generations in many different countries across the world;
including Asia, Africa and New Zealand. It was brought to the USA by a
lady called Vimala McClure. During her stay in India in the 1970’s,
McClure saw mothers massaging their babies as she walked around the
villages. Also, when she fell ill, she experienced how the people there
used massage to help some of the patients back to health. When I had
Matilda, we just went to class as it sounded nice. I had no idea of the
numerous benefits until I came to teach it.
Bonding
I didn’t have trouble bonding with Matilda but I still could have
done more massage with her. I had a traumatic birth experience and so
struggled with PTSD and anxiety for a while afterwards. (I can only tell
that in hindsight.) Human touch is like nutrition, especially for
babies. It literally nourishes them.
Some of the massage strokes involve songs or rhymes so it is also
nice to use your voice (another way to release stress is to sing) and
gently entertain your baby that way. Baby massage helps produce
Oxytocin, the love hormone, so it can help with depression and PTSD.
Not just for babies, but older children too
I still do massage on Matilda and she’s 3.5. When we’ve gotten
cross with each other and need to calm down and re-connect, I like to
offer her my love with some massage. And she’ll often ask for it now too
which is lovely. Once babies get to like their massage, even though you
think they may crawl away whilst you do it, they’ll often pause to
watch me (the teacher) or take in what another baby is doing, so it’s a
great learning/social environment in class too.
Tummy troubles
Baby massage is commonly sought by parents of babies with
constipation, wind or colic. It can be excellent to help ‘get things
moving’ and release trapped wind through some very simple strokes. As
well as my daughter, I’ve had the pleasure of massaging my niece and a
friend’s baby and had reports of “they did a poo soon after! Thank
you!”.
Posture
I’m a posture geek in my other work as a personal trainer and yoga
teacher so I was excited to learn that baby massage can also help with
posture. You might be thinking “posture for babies?!”. However, we might
realise as adults that our posture could be better and we may suffer
due to tight shoulders or standing badly, so why not work on it from a
tiny age? Poor habits can start early on; for example wearing stiff
soled shoes too soon can inhibit the natural movement of the foot.
Through a few simple strokes or just an awareness of the body
holding tension, you could help your child hold their body in greater
comfort and confidence. I’d love my daughter to have a good awareness of
her body and it’s capabilities as she grows older. When babies begin to
crawl or walk they can sometimes develop tension in the hips or
shoulders for example (as it’s a bit like body weight exercise), so this
hands on time in massage can help you identify and remedy this.
For more information on my Baby Massage and Mamma Yoga classes,
see here.
Below are a couple of case studies to show what Baby Massage has helped with in my classes. Names have been changed for privacy:
Jade and Oscar: Jade came to class with Oscar and said she couldn’t put him down at all, he needed to be held all the time. Cuddles are great, of course but also us Mums need a few minutes to use both hands. Jade said after the first course the Oscar was way more content and less clingy. She could put him down and he’d calmly watch her instead. (Jade and several of her NCT pals came to the course three times in a row.)
Rita and Amber: Baby Amber came with her Mum, Clare a few times and when Amber was a bit older, she came every week with her Granny, Rita. It was lovely to see the two of them come and enjoy this time together, so Clare could get some rest or run an errand or two. Rita was having chemotherapy during the time they came to class so I’d often pick up little Amber for her, as she was weak. I’m happy to say she made a full recovery from the cancer. I think baby massage was their special bonding time, so that Amber got to know Granny that way too. Very moving…
Thank you to Lizzie and Alex
from my current class in Caversham, who have kindly let me use their
photos which I take on the fourth week of the course.
The Combined Importance of Your Core and Pelvic Floor
As a pre and post-natal exercise specialist it is my job (or at
least I see it that way!) to check the condition of each new clients’
deep core muscles and pelvic floor strength. This assessment tells me
exactly where to start with our training journey together and if further
assistance may be needed, in the way of a women’s health
physiotherapist.
Why
am I writing about the pelvic floor when there are other fitness tips I
could be sharing? Because I passionately believe that people are
greatly undereducated in the role of the core and pelvic floor. If your
pelvic floor is not functioning well, this can and does
massively affect one’s confidence and overall sense of self. We’re
talking about a matter of continence and confidence. — Imagine having
the constant worry that if you laugh, cough or sneeze you will not be
able to control ‘down there’ and leak a little/pee yourself. This is a
regular occurrence for many, because these natural functions of the body
put pressure on the core and pelvic floor. If your pelvic floor muscles
are weakened for whatever reason, this can easily happen. Many women I
have spoken to nod their head in recognition of this and think it’s just
normal after having a baby. Well listen up all, you CAN change this.
The pelvic floor comes under a large amount of stress through pregnancy and giving birth. NOTE; NOT just vaginal birth but caesarean deliveries too. Believe me, I know from having a caesarean myself. It isn’t just at this time though; also during the menopause, post hysterectomy and similar invasive surgical procedures. Men can also suffer from the side effects of a lack of conditioning of these deep, internal muscles e.g. from acute IBS or digestive issues as well as heavy weight training.
I have a great book called ‘Pelvic Floor Secrets’ by Jenny Russell, which I have not yet finished but have already learned a great deal from the first half. This information benefits both my clients and me, therefore I recommend this book to anyone experiencing/familiar with sub-optimal pelvic floor function.
Another useful bit of advice is to really think about your breath. Focus on what you feel internally when you exhale deeply. Whether you can feel it or not, (this will come if you continue to practice) this action connects to the deep core musculature and pelvic floor.
I am no longer surprised, yet still disappointed to hear from the new Mums that I train, that in their post-natal check up, they have been given the go-ahead to exercise with no actual physical ‘check’. As a result many women are sent away ready to train without knowing that they are already starting on the back foot. Pelvic floor and core connection and re-strengthening is fundamental before doing sprints/burpees or whatever high impact exercise one wants to do to help shift excess fat. Not only will results be hindered, but these problems left untreated could cause further damage if expert advice is not sought. I’ve seen too many ladies with abdominal separation, and continence issues training unwisely (for healing their body after giving birth), so please speak up if this is you, so you can feel better in more ways than one!
Why
am I writing about the pelvic floor when there are other fitness tips I
could be sharing? Because I passionately believe that people are
greatly undereducated in the role of the core and pelvic floor. If your
pelvic floor is not functioning well, this can and does
massively affect one’s confidence and overall sense of self. We’re
talking about a matter of continence and confidence. — Imagine having
the constant worry that if you laugh, cough or sneeze you will not be
able to control ‘down there’ and leak a little/pee yourself. This is a
regular occurrence for many, because these natural functions of the body
put pressure on the core and pelvic floor. If your pelvic floor muscles
are weakened for whatever reason, this can easily happen. Many women I
have spoken to nod their head in recognition of this and think it’s just
normal after having a baby. Well listen up all, you CAN change this.The pelvic floor comes under a large amount of stress through pregnancy and giving birth. NOTE; NOT just vaginal birth but caesarean deliveries too. Believe me, I know from having a caesarean myself. It isn’t just at this time though; also during the menopause, post hysterectomy and similar invasive surgical procedures. Men can also suffer from the side effects of a lack of conditioning of these deep, internal muscles e.g. from acute IBS or digestive issues as well as heavy weight training.
I have a great book called ‘Pelvic Floor Secrets’ by Jenny Russell, which I have not yet finished but have already learned a great deal from the first half. This information benefits both my clients and me, therefore I recommend this book to anyone experiencing/familiar with sub-optimal pelvic floor function.
Another useful bit of advice is to really think about your breath. Focus on what you feel internally when you exhale deeply. Whether you can feel it or not, (this will come if you continue to practice) this action connects to the deep core musculature and pelvic floor.
I am no longer surprised, yet still disappointed to hear from the new Mums that I train, that in their post-natal check up, they have been given the go-ahead to exercise with no actual physical ‘check’. As a result many women are sent away ready to train without knowing that they are already starting on the back foot. Pelvic floor and core connection and re-strengthening is fundamental before doing sprints/burpees or whatever high impact exercise one wants to do to help shift excess fat. Not only will results be hindered, but these problems left untreated could cause further damage if expert advice is not sought. I’ve seen too many ladies with abdominal separation, and continence issues training unwisely (for healing their body after giving birth), so please speak up if this is you, so you can feel better in more ways than one!
Sweet Potato and Squash Soup
This soup is delicious, speedy to make, really simple and seasonal too! Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 50g coconut oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
- 600g squash, such as butternut or pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1.5 litres hot vegetable stock
- fresh coriander to garnish
Sweet Potato Cakes
These are very good and healthy too!
from Yotam Ottolenghi’s book ‘Plenty’ (with my alterations in brackets) Serves 4
from Yotam Ottolenghi’s book ‘Plenty’ (with my alterations in brackets) Serves 4
- 1kg peeled sweet potatoes, cut into large chunks
- 2 tsp soya sauce
- 100g plain flour (or wholemeal/spelt)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp caster sugar (optional)
- 3 tbsp chopped spring onion
- ½ tsp finely chopped red chilli (or more if you want them hot)
- (some coconut oil for frying)
White Bean & Artichoke Dip
From Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s book ‘River Cottage Veg Every Day’
This rich, creamy, deeply savoury dip is wonderful with crudités, or dolloped on to a warm flatbread. It also works well served on some crisp lettuce, as a salad. Serves 4-6
Add the garlic to the pan and stir for another couple of minutes. Tip in the oregano, cannellini beans and artichokes and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes, until everything is heated through. Tip the mixture into a food processor and add the lemon juice, chilli flakes and yoghurt. Blend to a coarse purée. Add salt and pepper to taste and thin with a couple of tablespoons or so of the olive oil from the artichokes, until you have the texture you like.
Serve the dip warm or cold, trickled with olive oil, and scattered with toasted walnuts if you like.
This rich, creamy, deeply savoury dip is wonderful with crudités, or dolloped on to a warm flatbread. It also works well served on some crisp lettuce, as a salad. Serves 4-6
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 200g artichoke hearts in olive oil, drained, oil reserved
- 3 garlic gloves, finely chopped
- A few sprigs of oregano, leaves only, finely chopped
- 400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
- 2 tbsp thick, plain yoghurt (I didn’t use this)
- 25g walnuts, toasted (optional)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Add the garlic to the pan and stir for another couple of minutes. Tip in the oregano, cannellini beans and artichokes and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes, until everything is heated through. Tip the mixture into a food processor and add the lemon juice, chilli flakes and yoghurt. Blend to a coarse purée. Add salt and pepper to taste and thin with a couple of tablespoons or so of the olive oil from the artichokes, until you have the texture you like.
Serve the dip warm or cold, trickled with olive oil, and scattered with toasted walnuts if you like.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Fresh Figs
Recipe taken from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi (Ebury Press).
‘This unusual combination of fresh fruit and roasted vegetables is one of the most popular at Ottolenghi. It wholly depends, though, on the figs being sweet, moist and perfectly ripe. Go for plump fruit with an irregular shape and a slightly split bottom. Pressing against the skin should result in some resistance but not much. Try to smell the sweetness. The balsamic reduction is very effective here, both for the look and for rounding up the flavours. To save you from making it you can look out for products such as balsamic cream or glaze.’
Serves 4
Wash the sweet potatoes, halve them lengthways and then cut each again similarly into three long wedges. Mix with three tablespoons of the olive oil, two teaspoons of salt and some black pepper. Spread the wedges out on a baking sheet, skin-side down, and cook for about 25 minutes until soft but not mushy. Remove from the oven and leave to cool down.
To make a balsamic reduction, place the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 2–4 minutes, or until it thickens. Be sure to remove the pan from the heat when the vinegar is still runnier than honey; it will continue to thicken as it cools. Stir in a drop of water before serving if it does become too thick to drizzle. Arrange the sweet potatoes on a serving platter. Heat the remaining oil in a medium saucepan and add the spring onions and chilli. Fry on a medium heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring often, making sure not to burn the chilli, and then spoon the oil, onions and chilli over the sweet potatoes. Dot the figs among the wedges and then drizzle over the balsamic reduction. Serve at room temperature with the cheese crumbled over, if using.
Enjoy!
‘This unusual combination of fresh fruit and roasted vegetables is one of the most popular at Ottolenghi. It wholly depends, though, on the figs being sweet, moist and perfectly ripe. Go for plump fruit with an irregular shape and a slightly split bottom. Pressing against the skin should result in some resistance but not much. Try to smell the sweetness. The balsamic reduction is very effective here, both for the look and for rounding up the flavours. To save you from making it you can look out for products such as balsamic cream or glaze.’
Serves 4
- 4 small sweet potatoes (1 kg in total)
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 40ml balsamic vinegar (you can use a commercial rather than a premium aged grade)
- 20g caster sugar
- 12 spring onions, halved lengthways and cut into 4cm segments
- 1 red chilli, thinly sliced
- 6 fresh and ripe figs (240g in total), quartered
- 150g soft goat’s cheese, crumbled (optional)
- Maldon sea salt and black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C Fan/Gas Mark 9.Wash the sweet potatoes, halve them lengthways and then cut each again similarly into three long wedges. Mix with three tablespoons of the olive oil, two teaspoons of salt and some black pepper. Spread the wedges out on a baking sheet, skin-side down, and cook for about 25 minutes until soft but not mushy. Remove from the oven and leave to cool down.
To make a balsamic reduction, place the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 2–4 minutes, or until it thickens. Be sure to remove the pan from the heat when the vinegar is still runnier than honey; it will continue to thicken as it cools. Stir in a drop of water before serving if it does become too thick to drizzle. Arrange the sweet potatoes on a serving platter. Heat the remaining oil in a medium saucepan and add the spring onions and chilli. Fry on a medium heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring often, making sure not to burn the chilli, and then spoon the oil, onions and chilli over the sweet potatoes. Dot the figs among the wedges and then drizzle over the balsamic reduction. Serve at room temperature with the cheese crumbled over, if using.
Enjoy!
Spinach and CoYo (Coconut Milk Yoghurt) Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
So, my boyfriend cooked this last weekend. He seemed very dubious
about my idea of cooking with plain coconut milk yoghurt but I said I
thought it would work. So experiment he did and it was DELICIOUS! Thanks
Mr Mahil 🙂
Wilt a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach with a little water in a pan, stir in a small amount of olive oil and a clove of crushed garlic, add two teaspoons or so of CoYo and season to taste.
Stir for a about a minute then take off the heat. Place into two big, juicy Portobello mushrooms and serve.
Simple but so tasty! Give it a try and let me know what you think 🙂
I should have taken a pic but forgot to. I will post one here when I make it again soon!
Wilt a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach with a little water in a pan, stir in a small amount of olive oil and a clove of crushed garlic, add two teaspoons or so of CoYo and season to taste.
Stir for a about a minute then take off the heat. Place into two big, juicy Portobello mushrooms and serve.
Simple but so tasty! Give it a try and let me know what you think 🙂
I should have taken a pic but forgot to. I will post one here when I make it again soon!
Broccoli Salad with Sesame Dressing
from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s book ‘River Cottage Veg Every Day’
Serves 4
Serves 4
- 1 large head of broccoli (about 500g)
- ½ garlic clove
- 1cm piece of root gingerA pinch of sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 2-3 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Why Alcohol Makes & Keeps You Fat!
Alcohol has a two-fold negative effect on our ability to lose fat:
1. Alcohol is highly calorific and easily over-consumed. Compare its calorific value with the other components of our diet: Alcohol is 7kcal/g, fat is 9 kcal/g, both protein and carbohydrate are roughly 4kcal/g).
2. The simple presence of alcohol in your system has a hugely negative impact on your ability tometabolise fat. Period!
This was illustrated by a study where 8 men were given two drinks of vodka and lemonade separated by 30 minutes. Each drink contained just under 90 calories. Fat metabolism was measured before and after consumption of the drink.
The reason why alcohol has this dramatic effect on fat metabolism has to do with the way alcohol is handled in the body. Rather than getting stored as fat, the main fate of alcohol is conversion into acetate and the presence of acetate in the system puts the brakes on fat loss. The greater the quantity of alcohol, the greater the quantity of acetate created, the less likely fat is metabolised.
In other words, your body tends to use whatever you feed it, and after a time becomes adapted to the macro nutrient intake. Unfortunately when acetate levels rise, your body burns the acetate preferentially. So the body simply burns the acetate first, this basically pushes fat oxidation out of the metabolic equation.
1. Alcohol is highly calorific and easily over-consumed. Compare its calorific value with the other components of our diet: Alcohol is 7kcal/g, fat is 9 kcal/g, both protein and carbohydrate are roughly 4kcal/g).
2. The simple presence of alcohol in your system has a hugely negative impact on your ability tometabolise fat. Period!
This was illustrated by a study where 8 men were given two drinks of vodka and lemonade separated by 30 minutes. Each drink contained just under 90 calories. Fat metabolism was measured before and after consumption of the drink.
The reason why alcohol has this dramatic effect on fat metabolism has to do with the way alcohol is handled in the body. Rather than getting stored as fat, the main fate of alcohol is conversion into acetate and the presence of acetate in the system puts the brakes on fat loss. The greater the quantity of alcohol, the greater the quantity of acetate created, the less likely fat is metabolised.
In other words, your body tends to use whatever you feed it, and after a time becomes adapted to the macro nutrient intake. Unfortunately when acetate levels rise, your body burns the acetate preferentially. So the body simply burns the acetate first, this basically pushes fat oxidation out of the metabolic equation.
Lemon Courgettes, Feta & Watercress Salad
Here is a fresh tasting, flavoursome recipe by Silvana Franco. (I
didn’t use feta cheese and it was amazing without, so use or exclude as
you fancy.)
Serves 4, Ready in 20 minutes
Put the courgettes on a large plate, sprinkle over 1 teaspoon sea salt and leave for 10 minutes. Pat dry with kitchen paper, then sprinkle with the rosemary, lemon zest and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Mix well.
Put a griddle pan over a medium-high heat and cook the courgettes for 2-3 minutes each side, until golden.
Meanwhile, make the dressing. Whisk together the lemon juice, 2-3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the cumin seeds and some black pepper.
Toss together the feta, watercress, mint, courgettes and the dressing. Sprinkle over the couscous and serve while the courgettes are just warm.
Enjoy!
Serves 4, Ready in 20 minutes
- 50g couscous
- 4 medium courgettes, cut into thick slices
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- Grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp toasted cumin seeds
- 400g good quality feta, cubed
- 80-100g watercress or various other salad leaves
- Handful fresh mint leaves
Put the courgettes on a large plate, sprinkle over 1 teaspoon sea salt and leave for 10 minutes. Pat dry with kitchen paper, then sprinkle with the rosemary, lemon zest and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Mix well.
Put a griddle pan over a medium-high heat and cook the courgettes for 2-3 minutes each side, until golden.
Meanwhile, make the dressing. Whisk together the lemon juice, 2-3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the cumin seeds and some black pepper.
Toss together the feta, watercress, mint, courgettes and the dressing. Sprinkle over the couscous and serve while the courgettes are just warm.
Enjoy!