Carrot Date Cupcakes! Quite the random combination, buuttt, being 36 weeks pregnant and craving a good carrot cake, you'll see that this is actually very relevant for me right now :p
At 36 weeks pregnant and also an avid exerciser, the ingredients in this treat are very beneficial. Per my previous post on pregnancy, I am following some guidance through my OB/midwives on the best supplements to support me throughout the end of my pregnancy. This delicious healthy muffin is made with all natural sugars and full of micronutrients to support end of pregnancy. It also serves to provide a great source of potassium, magnesium and Vit A for post workout recovery. Research shows that consuming 3-4 dates daily in the last few weeks of pregnancy can provide additional nutrients and building blocks to help with cervical ripening and strengthening/ supporting a woman's uterus during contractions while in labor. However, I find dates quite too sweet to eat alone and decided to search for a recipe that would help me satisfy my carrot cake craving while also helping add some more of these recommended dates to my diet. This recipe was inspired by prevention.com, and includes a few tweaks. It is absolutely delicious, added-sugar free and easy to make! There is also a bonus recipe included for a dairy-free cream cheese frosting. The frosting is good but these muffin/ cupcakes taste great alone and without any added toppers. See below for more pictures with my assistant and the recipes!
*I have to be honest and share that the process of baking these muffins and creating this post was EXTREMELY challenging. Sure, my daughter is so angelic looking and peaceful in these photos- but that was not how it all went down as we wrapped up the baking and I began taking my photos. I was reminded so harshly that doing this blogging/ creative thing with a young toddler is HARD. There were tears and a huge tantrum with my daughter screaming to be held and then throwing herself on the floor from our barstool as I balanced my phone camera in one hand and the plate of muffins in the other. This mothering thing can be hard! But here I am, persevering again, because this recipe was too good to not share. And I want some creative me-time to myself every once in a while too!
pregnancy, dates, carrot cake, post-workout, post-workout meal, pregnancy foods, third trimester, natural sugars, carrot date muffin, carrot date cupcakes, healthy pregnancy food, pregnancy nutrition
Healthy Carrot Date Muffins for Pregnancy and Post Workout
prep time: 30 minscook time: 20 minstotal time: 50 mins
This delicious healthy muffin is made with all natural sugars and full of micronutrients to support end of pregnancy. It also serves to provide a great source of potassium, magnesium and Vit A for post workout recovery.
ingredients:
Muffin/ Cupcake Base
- 1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/3 cup wheat germ
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 cup pitted medjool dates
- 1 cup boiled water
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/4 tsp himalayan pink salt
Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8oz kite hill plain cream cheese (or your choice brand of cream cheese)
- 1/2 stick of earth balance butter
- maple syrup to taste
instructions:
Muffin/ Cupcake Base
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients (flours, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Mix well.
- Pour boiling water over dates and let soak for 10-15 minutes. Transfer dates and water into a blender and mix until smooth like a paste.
- Add date puree to dry ingredients bowl along with eggs, oil and carrots. Mix well.
- Fill each muffin tin about 2/3 full to make approx 12 servings.
- Place muffins into oven and bake for 20 min. Poke with a toothpick to ensure it comes out clean when inserted into middle of baked muffin.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Allow butter to reach room temperature.
- In a blender, combine butter and cream cheese.
- Add 1 tbsp maple syrup at a time until mixture reaches desired sweetness and consistency in texture.
- Place in refrigerator and allow to cool while muffins are baking.
- Once muffins are cool, spread frosting on top and Enjoy!
Created using The Recipes Generator
Bon Appetit!
Post a Comment
Pregnancy- oh, pregnancy....
This is my first mention of our baby boy coming in just a few short weeks on the blog here. I'm currently 36 weeks +5 days as I write this. And I am not one of those women who gush over and adore being pregnant. Pregnancy was not the most enjoyable experience for me the first time around. I was physically healthy all throughout and had an amazing home birth experience, but my mental health and comfort was extremely challenged. It took a lot of healing, some marriage counseling, kindness toward how (and whether) I exercised, a job change and self-care to recover my sense of self. After about 2 years of soul care, body healing and working to a place where our whole family was able to sleep through the night that I was beginning to feel ready to open my body to growing another human again. It's amazing how much we are able to endure as women one time and then to do it again... it feels like insanity! But the joy of having Chaya has truly shown me just how worth it it all is.
My husband and I follow natural family planning and we are both very in-tune with my cycles. I so appreciate his understanding of ovulation, all the fluids, the days before and the days after. We had been talking for months about what that would look like for us as we both came to a place of readiness to bring another child into our family and this world. It is SO much different planning a pregnancy than having it spring up and shock the hell out of you like it did our first time around! If we had tried to find that perfect timing, I probably would not be pregnant to this day. We prayed and just allowed the peace of God to fill my body and our process.
Similarities~
Symptoms: Nausea was my returning (un)friend who visited me again this pregnancy. And it was brutal. It was just as bad and strong as ever, similarly to my first pregnancy with Chaya. The first trimester for me was absolute Hell. I'm just going to say it and lay it out there- for real. I was physically so sick that I needed to take 3 weeks off from working. And I work from home! All I could really do was lay on the couch. I could barely go in the kitchen let alone prepare food. I grieved being able to be interactive with my daughter (she's watched a lot of TV this pregnancy, by the way) and I grieved all my visions for this blog and my creativity taking a back seat.
Generally Healthy- Although I felt terrible during my first trimester, I am so thankful to be healthy. I have not had any life-threatening complications. My labs, blood pressure, and other indicators are all well. No swelling, ongoing backaches or other pregnancy woes. This truly is a blessing as I now have this heightened sense of awareness this second time around about all the possible scary and tough things that can come up when bringing life into this world. Pregnancy truly is a miracle.
Midwives, Home-birth Team- We are using the same home-birth team as we did with Chaya. It was an excruciatingly amazing experience that I haven't fully detailed out here yet but hope to sometime. Our home birth team is phenomenal and I couldn't imagine not having their spiritual, medical, emotional and nurturing support this time around again.
Abiding Grace Midwifery- Me, Dr Anne Marie holding Chaya, Midwife Pauline and my husband Zach
Differences~
Symptoms: Thankfully, my nausea lasted just under 13 weeks this second pregnancy compared to 18 weeks the first time around with Chaya. This was likely something that I did not have much control over, but taking time to rest, eat more protein-rich meals/snacks and exercising regularly may have contributed to me handling the nausea better in my second pregnancy. I'm also not experiencing any constipation, heartburn or indigestion this time around like I did with Chaya. Also likely related to my higher veggie, fiber, water intake and exercise regimen.
My food aversions have been stronger in the first trimester and I did not have as many this pregnancy. With Chaya, I was sensitive to a lot more random foods and restaurants; I couldn't stand Chipotle and with this second pregnancy I would have Chipotle multiple days in a row! My only food aversion this pregnancy was buffalo chicken wings my husband made for himself one evening. Again, random- and very minor.
Time of Year/Weather: Let's just say, being pregnant in the summer means a lot more sweating in a lot more unmentionable places! :P
Another Child to Care After- This has been the hardest difference this second time around. Although expressing more independence than an infant, Chaya at 2 yrs old was still breastfeeding during my first trimester and is currently working on potty-training and requires a lot more attention than ever before. When home, mama is her playmate, chef, personal dresser, diaper changer, hygiene assistant, dry cleaner, teacher, chauffeur, etc!
Nutrition and Exercise~
Because of my more flexible work schedule doing health coaching and counseling from home, I've been able to plan my exercise and other self-care needs much better this second pregnancy. The kids club at the gym has also been a great source of playtime and social interaction for Chaya on days when she's not at daycare.
Nutrition-Wise- This pregnancy, my focus has been to include generous amounts of protein into my meals and snacks every 2-3 hrs. This tactic has worked to help reduce my nausea, bloating, constipation and heartburn that I experienced a great deal with Chaya. It has also given me more sustained energy and a sense of more stabilized blood sugar. Protein and veggies- my every-meal goal! With Chaya I craved carbs galore. I still do with this second pregnancy, but I go for fruits (thank goodness for all the delicious summer fruits!) and whole grains. I include a sweet treat like dark chocolate or a cookie every day and on occasion I enjoy- devour- a tasty vegan donut from Whole Foods :)
My OB/ midwives also have me on a supplement regimen to match each stage of my pregnancy. I'm currently taking good amounts of red raspberry leaf tea, alfalfa, evening primrose oil, vit D3 and more on top of my prenatals.
My Weekly Workout Split-
Mondays- 30 min cardio (stairmaster) plus upper body strength training (biceps, shoulders, triceps and back)
Wednesdays- 30 min HIIT workout, circuit training rotation style (burpies, sled pushes, box step-ups, pushups, banded squats)
Fridays- Lower body (deadlifts, squats, Bulgarian split squats, hip thrusts and other mobility calisthenics) plus 20 min cardio cool down on stairmaster
Three days during this pregnancy has been my weekly challenge, commitment and all that my body has really been able to handle with a toddler now. And I think that has been plenty! It doesn't take hours and hours at the gym to maintain a great sense of fitness, strength and well-being. Most days I have to really push myself to get going because all I want to do is lay on the bed, honestly, but I've noticed a huge increase in my physical abilities, functional movement throughout the day and overall strength this pregnancy because of exercise. I was a lot more nervous to push myself the first time around because there is so much content on the internet cautioning women to not increase their heart rate above a certain level, risk falling if bicycling, risk injuring yourself when weight training, etc, etc. But this second pregnancy, with some common sense and really listening to my body, I've been amazed at how much it can do.
Let's treat our bodies to some healthful activity- with kindness and a little nudging :)
Women can really go through A LOT during pregnancy. I struggled weeks 1-28 (first and second trimester). Some women are blessed with low symptom, fine energy, easy-breezy pregnancies. I am not one of them. Although my labs come back normal, I eat well and exercise, I still feel beat down and not so great for the ~10 months of pregnancy. What I found to be most helpful was to embrace what my body was trying to do and re-arrange my lifestyle to help me cope in the best way possible. That meant finding a daycare for Chaya to start going to a few days per week, changing my method of communication for work appointments, scheduling more appointments with my own life coach, rearranging our budget to allow grocery shopping using Instacart (instead of carrying groceries and a toddler up a flight of stairs while pregnant in 100+ degree weather which was soooo brutal) and honestly, just resting and "be"-ing- which can be SO hard. I spent a lot of time reflecting and waiting and just letting my body be okay with the discomfort as it syphoned off nutrients and energy to grow this child. There was lot of time spent staring out the window, just letting time pass. Being still can be hard. But it was necessary for growth- literally in a physical sense of this baby but also spiritually.
Thankfully, I am working from home in this season of life (something I fought and prayed for) and it has provided immeasurable relief to my health and well-being. It still requires a great deal of personal discipline and self-driven structure. I know not everyone is able to, but I am extremely passionate about advocating for flexible work -parent or not- and challenging our culture's standard on productivity in the 40 hr work week. If you are feeling stressed or hopeless about your current work situation, I would love to talk with you more! Pray on it and don't give up looking!
Fears, Spiritual Growth, Learning Experiences
Shortly after deciding we were ready to TTC (try to conceive) I was surprised with how much fear I experienced. My senses were even more heightened than the first time around. I think with Chaya, I was just in sheer shock most of the pregnancy. I didn't realize how many people around me were privately suffering miscarriages and struggling with infertility. This time around, many thoughts of "what if I (we) can't" taunted me and those two weeks DPO (days past ovulation), felt like the longest two weeks ever. I remember journaling throughout those days and really challenging where my hope and trust were truly rooted. It was a good wake up call and a good introduction to pregnancy, because the whole 9-10 months is really about trust and hope and waiting and expectation.
Trust, trust, trust. I found I was having a hard time relaxing, letting go of control and allowing the process to unfold organically. I felt like I needed to have the perfect circumstances all lined up with perfect ovulation day timing, healthy sperm (asking my husband how he slept, ate, whether he drank coffee, water, etc) in order for everything to work out to have a healthy baby. And we didn't do ANY of that with Chaya. This time around I felt like I was being irresponsible if I didn't do my due diligence. And this is so not true! Of course we need to honor our bodies well and feed and rest and take care of ourselves. But at the end of the day, we have to surrender to the process!
Chaya was so healthy with no complications or special testing. So I believed that I had reached the end of my good portion. That it had run out. And that I was due for something bad to happen. Again, not true and NOT how God works. What I found helpful was to keep active (not busy) and stay prayer-full. It can be a mind-consuming thing once you've decided it's go-time and you want to make this thing happen!
What I've Learned at the End of the Day:
1) Live your best life (don't compare) and trust your body to do the rest. Honor each hard story you've heard while still keeping an open heart.
2) Continue to exercise, cook (or purchase take-out when you need) healthy meals, stay active in work commitments, relationships and hobbies/ passions.
3) Ask for help
4) Gratitude
Chaya is now 2 years old and with each new stage of her life comes a new approach and strategy to how I have to coordinate my work for the day. Gone are the days where I could rely on her naptimes for catching up on tasks and phone calls. Her vibrant toddlerhood is calling for bunches and bunches of mama love, attention, role-playing playtime and snacks that require a bit more preparation than the good ole breastmilk. Now our days usually start with time at the gym for me (and also an opportunity to squeeze in some work) and play time at the kids club for her (a sweet break for mama and some social time for Chaya!). My sweet friend, Rachael reached out to me to take some photos for my blog- giving me and my husband a more than welcome creative break. I racked my brain trying to come up with some clever post, but what I found even more poignant was to turn our typical, seemingly mundane everyday into a beautiful, pictorial story. So Rachael and I played around with angles, lighting and expressions versus a planned storyline. Seeing these photos surprised me and reminded me that we can still enjoy so much meaningful and significant purpose even when things feel redundant in our simple day-to-day lives. So with less words, I'd like for the pictures below to tell the rest of our story- a snippet of a day in the life of a working mom
Please check out more of Rachael's amazing work at this site: https://www.anewday.me/
Our family had the amazing opportunity to enjoy an all-inclusive package trip at the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos in San Jose del Cabo in Mexico sponsored on behalf of my husband's company- Legacy Builders. It was a bit of a gamble deciding whether we would bring our toddler daughter with us and in the end, we're so glad we did! This resort helped make our decision just that much easier with kids activities/water park, all you can eat food (no need to think about preparing food), room service and lots of outdoor space. So my experience may be a little biased in that way. But hey, if you're going to travel with children, this is likely the way to go. It saves so much headache and stress in the long run. I share some more about what we learned below!
1) They can add so much fun and spontaneity. Chaya was such a joy. She forced me to laugh more, get out more, play in the water more (much longer than I planned), splash around more, let go, run about the hallways, meet new people and more!
2) Their minds are full of so much wonder. I found myself enjoying a lot more of the simple things like walking around, enjoying the feeling of sand between my toes, sitting in front of the fire and just watching its flames bow in and out for minutes at a time, facing my head up and stretching my arms out wide to feel the ocean breeze, seeing airplanes fly in and out of the airport wondering where they're coming from and what their story is. Seeing the world through their eyes enhances things beyond our usual imagination.
3) They still need some structure. Naptimes, lots of snacks, mealtimes, downtime balanced with playtime were still a means for survival traveling with this toddler. But we maintained flexibility with these things. Sometimes we slept on a lounge chair outside by the water and sometimes we went back to the room. The first two years of Chaya's life I battled with guilt that we didn't follow this regimented structure for naps, meals, bedtimes and where she took and had them. But I've learned that with some of the flexibility we've maintained with how those happened, Chaya has actually turned out to be an amazing traveler because of it! We were able to still stay out late, watch the shows and have our fun as we have learned to have her adapt to OUR schedule versus the other way around.
One late night, we were all cozied up by the outdoor bonfire as we were greeted and joined by another beautiful young family with a daughter right around Chaya's age. We shared great conversation and laughter over our alternative parenting styles for bringing our children with us on this type of vacation and allowing them to stay up late with us. So all you parents out there who follow similar suit, you're not alone and you are not being bad parent! Shake that guilt away.
4) They need options! Especially during the "travel" parts in the airport and on the airplane. I stocked up our bag with lots of her favorite snacks, water, ipad with games and movies pre-downloaded, a change of clothes, markers, a sticker book, kids headphones, and a mini ball to bounce around during layovers. But she also enjoyed random knick-knacks from my purse like sunglasses, a hair-tie, a pen, etc. Anytime we were on the verge of a meltdown (aka boredom), we switched out one activity for the other to keep things interesting.
5) Your trip doesn't have to suffer! While we don't plan on always brining our children with us when we travel in the future, we found for this earlier toddler age that bringing Chaya with us was an amazing enhancement. Twos don't have to be terrible. We adjusted our expectations and knew we probably weren't going to go deep sea diving or fly-boarding together. But we still very much enjoyed the more family-friendly activities that were available to us. We took turns when needed. During naptimes and after Chaya had gone to sleep we still enjoyed quality time together and romantic moments. We built special memories and strengthened our family bond. It was a beautiful trip and hopefully this will encourage and give hope to other parents who either do not have the child care resources or who are simply not ready to take that long and far of a trip separately. You can have it your way :)
**We're so thankful for Legacy Builders who supports families, provides amazing opportunities like this one and rewards hard work. My husband and I have experienced tremendous freedom in time, finances and relationships. We couldn't have found better people to work with, do life with, and grow business with together.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)