"Posh Mama, Zen Baby": The Lowdown on Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal Vitamins from Garden of Life

I mentioned in the very first “Posh Mama, Zen Baby” post that I wrote that I have been taking Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal Vitamins throughout my pregnancy. Since I love these vitamins so much and have done so much research about the ingredients, I wanted to share a little bit about them for this week’s Pregnancy post.  I swear by these vitamins and even though they were difficult to get down during my first trimester due to how sickly I felt, I feel comfort in knowing how many vital nutrients I am putting into my body (and my baby’s developing body) every day, even if I don’t get to eat the perfect health food diet. This was especially important during my first trimester when there were days that I didn't feel like eating anything except mac and cheese. Now, in the last month of my second trimester, they help me to feel more energized for my day and prevent some common pregnancy symptoms.  

What makes these vitamins so special?

These vitamins are specially created to not only help your baby flourish during development, but they are designed to keep you flourishing throughout your pregnancy.  They come with a few extras that the prenatal vitamins that my doctor prescribed did not come with, such as Probiotics (which keep your digestive track in balance and can help ward off yeast/urinary tract infections).

These vitamins also come with the suggested daily intake of Folate, so you don’t have to worry about taking a separate supplement.  It is recommended by the Center for Disease Control that you take at least 400 mg of Folate during your first trimester, which is different than Folic Acid, every day to support neural tube development, to prevent brain and spinal cord defects. Folate is a B-Vitamin naturally found in dark green leafy vegetables, like spinach and kale, whereas Folic Acid is the synthetic form of folate. Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal’s come with 800mg of natural folate, which is all easily absorbed into the placenta, whereas only a certain amount of folic acid can be converted into absorbable folate and the body is left with unnecessary folic acid. Because these vitamins are created from raw food (and they have never been cooked or treated), you are getting the most natural form of the folate which means that all of the 800mg are going right into your placenta and supporting your baby’s development.

These vitamins come with ginger to help ease morning sickness.  Additionally, to support overall healthy digestion and elimination, they contain Probiotics (as we’ve already discussed), Vitamin D, and Zinc.

While pregnant, your blood volume can increase up to 50% which requires your heart to work harder.  To support heart and blood health, these Raw Prenatal’s contain Iron, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, B-Complex, and Folate.  

Some other perks:

Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal vitamins are raw, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, uncooked, untreated, and unadulterated.

Where can I find these vitamins?

I found them at Whole Foods and you can always find them online with this list of retailers.  For one month’s supply, you pay around $42.  

*Note: I do take DHA and Fish Oil for Omega 3’s  additionally and try to eat a lot pregnancy superfoods, like spinach, kale, avocado, citrus fruits, etc in a well-balanced diet. Prenatal vitamins should be the foundation of your pregnancy diet, not the only way you're getting vital supplements.

Zoe Saldana Reveals Weight on Allure Cover

by Sarah

Zoe Saldana, who most recently stars in Star Trek Into Darkness, covers Allure Magazine this month and reveals her weight.  The cover reads, "Zoe Saldana: 115 Pounds of Grit and Heartache." The big reveal of Zoe's weight has been a hot topic in pop culture because while most actresses don't dare share their weight, she is tiny, which might cause people to set unhealthy and unrealistic expectations for their own bodies.  Aside from the weight topic, the media is also in a frenzy because of the revealing photo shoot featured alongside the article, which features a nude shot. 

Personally, I think people need to stop trying to be celebrities. Celebrities have to look good because it is part of their career and they only look as good as they do in magazines and on the red carpet when they have a team of people working on them.  When they're lounging in their house, they look like everyone else. Thin celebs may inspire eating disorders, but realistically, if you are battling an eating disorder, it is your personal battle. When you eat healthy and work out, your body balances itself out. We can't, as a society, want to see celebrities in movies and read about them in magazines, and then blame them for being the role we want them in.  

On the Today show on May 16, Zoe defended her decision to share her weight: “It would have been wrong if they were lying about my weight. This is how much I weigh. It’s something I can’t control. It’s who I am. I have a very thin frame, I was a ballet dancer. They wanted to do that, I don’t think it was to make an issue of my weight. I think it was to talk about that for a lightweight person, I seem to be really strong-minded.”

To read the article and to see the rest of the photos, click here to go to Allure.com.  

Angelina Jolie Undergoes Preventative Double Mastectomy

Angelina Jolie revealed in the New York Times yesterday that she has recently undergone a preventative double mastectomy, in a self-written piece titled, “My Medical Choice.” She explains her decision as a way to reduce her risk for breast cancer, which was determined to be 87%, down to under 5%.  The actress shares that she had an inherited gene mutation, known as BRAC1, which gives a 65% risk of breast cancer to those who carry it.  

It was a shocking and unexpected piece to read, but much praise is being given to Angelina for sharing this personal story and opening a discussion in households across the world about not only preventative double mastectomies, but the gene mutation, BRAC1.

To read the full piece, you can read it in the New York Times here.

Image: Getty Images

Posh Mama, Zen Baby: How To Safely Do Yoga During Pregnancy

If you liked the first post from our pregnancy, and soon to be "mommy", series, Posh Mama, Zen Baby, we have more information-rich posts coming soon. Our Editor-in-Chief, Sarah, will be taking various courses at Shining Light Prenatal Education & will blog about every class! We are thrilled about our new partnership with Shining Light and to get started, we have a q&a session with the studio’s owner, Deena Blumenfeld about yoga and what is safe during pregnancy.  

Right before I found out I was pregnant, I was on a hot yoga kick. During my first trimester, however, I didn’t want to exercise at all, which luckily for my ego, is a common thing.  But, once I got my energy back at the beginning of my second trimester and tried to go straight back into hot yoga, I had an instructor tell me certain types (especially hot) of yoga could be potentially harmful to my baby, which scared me a little. Exercise, in general, can be scary during pregnancy because overdoing it can be dangerous. I knew that if I did yoga while pregnant, or prenatal yoga, I would need to find a class to go to.  I'm happy to have found an informative, friendly yoga studio, Shining Light. For anyone else out there who is in this boat of wondering exactly what is safe when it comes to yoga for the preggy girls, here is the full scoop from Deena.

1. What are the do's and don'ts of prenatal yoga? As mentioned above, I had an instructor tell me that hot yoga combined with some of the poses could be harmful to my pregnancy--which poses are safe and which are not?

Many women have fears and concerns regarding exercise and pregnancy. There are a lot of myths out there about what you can and can't do when pregnant.

Your other instructor is right with regards to hot yoga. When pregnant, if the body's core temperature is raised it can cause miscarriage, though the likelyhood is small. Hot yoga falls into the same category as a jacuzzi, hot tub or sauna. They all can raise your core temperature. So, hot yoga is contraindicated during pregnancy.

As for the "more difficult poses", if you were doing them before you got pregnant, generally you can continue doing them into your first trimester (sometimes later, too). Headstand, handstand, wheel pose, etc are all OK if you were regularly practicing them. Now, however, is not the time to learn these poses, nor will you find them taught in a prenatal yoga class.

Any pose that takes a lot of balance or an inversion should be approached with caution in pregnancy. As your belly grows, your center of gravity shifts and you'll need to be more cautious about falling. The weight of the baby, in an inversion, can put pressure on your lungs making it harder to breathe. It's important to listen to your body. Remember, when pregnant your body is changing daily.

Deep back bends, such as wheel pose, can put strain on the rectus abdominus (the line between the 6-pack). Many pregnant women, due to the intra-abdominal pressure of the growing fetus, experience a mild-moderate split in the muscles. This is called diastsis recti. Most of the time, this self-corrects postpartum.  We don't want to aggravate this split, and deep back bends can do just that. So, once your belly is showing, it's time to skip these poses.

Big twists are also out during pregnancy. No baby likes being wrung out like a wet towel! Twists in the upper back are just fine.

Do come to prenatal yoga when your first trimester fatigue and morning sickness are over. Do respect your body and your baby; both are changing daily and your needs and abilities will shift as well. Do focus on hip openers, squats, low back releases, etc. Do practice pranayama (yogic breathing) and meditation. These components of yoga are often overlooked in favor of the physical postures. Your mental and emotional state are keys to having a healthy mama and baby.

Poses to do at home: Cat/Cow, low lunges, tailor pose (butterfly legs), and wall squats.

As always, consult with your doctor or midwife before beginning your prenatal practice. Should a complication arise during your pregnancy, confirm with your care provider that it is still appropriate for you to practice yoga.

2. What are the benefits of yoga throughout pregnancy? Does it take away some of the common pains that people often associate with pregnancy, like back pain or even labor pains?

The benefits of prenatal yoga include greater flexibility and stamina. The breathing you learn in class directly translates to labor. It helps clear your mind and better allows for focus. Meditation can help you process the fears, doubts and emotions you have. There is also a social benefit to coming to prenatal yoga - you get to meet other pregnant mamas! It is huge to have community support. Many of my students have found lasting friendships and baby play-dates with their fellow prenatal yoga students.

Yoga can help with the common aches and pains of pregnancy. Low back pain, sciatica, hip pain, upper back pain and fatigue can all be helped through regular yoga practice.  I often hear, "Thanks, I feel so much better!" at the end of class.

Will yoga take away labor pain? No, but it will help you learn how to better move your body so you can cope effectively with the pain or discomfort of labor. Many of the postures we practice in class are labor and birth postures.

3. Does doing yoga help your body prepare itself for labor? How?

Yes! As I said above, many of the postures we practice in class are labor and birth postures. By practicing regularly (1-3x a week) you will find that your body more naturally assumes these postures in labor. You will be able to maintain them longer and they will be more comfortable for you. The breathing you practice helps you maintain a rhythm during labor, gives you focus and keeps you calm. Yoga during pregnancy helps you become more flexible physically and emotionally. It prepares us body, mind and spirit to birth the baby we carry inside. Yoga also helps with postpartum recovery. When you are in better shape going into labor, your recovery is generally easier.

To sign up for classes with Shining Light Prenatal Education or to learn more, you can visit their website at shininglightprenatal.com.

Image: FitPregnancy

'The Great Gatsby' Opens This Weekend-- Hear What The Film Critics Have To Say

by Sarah

Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan in The Great Gatsby (Image: Warner Brothers)

Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire, and Isla Fisher opens in theaters this weekend. This will be the novel's fourth big-screen adaptation since it was written in 1925.

Film critics are praising Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, but the overall film, they say, isn't quite as spectacular as the book.  In fact, if you read the reviews, you'll find some rather heated comments.  From the Washington Post, "This dreadful film even derogates the artistry of Fitzgerald, who wrote 'The Great Gatsby' while living on Long Island and in Europe. In a deviation from the book that amounts to a calumny against literary history, Nick, the author's surrogate, is discovered in a psychiatric hospital where, as an aging alcoholic, he struggles to comprehend the vanished figure at the center of the long-ago story, and finally completes his treatment by writing the novel. It's literature as therapy, and Gatsby as Rosebud."

As I’ve said on the blog before, no matter what happens, the film already is set up to make money because it is The Great Gatsby, a novel everyone knows and everyone loves. Even people who aren’t familiar with literature know this book. From New York Magazine, “The best thing about Baz Luhrmann's much-anticipated/much-dreaded The Great Gatsby is that, for all its computer-generated whoosh and overbroad acting, it is unmistakably F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby.' That is no small deal."

Leave your comments below if you love or hate The Great Gatsby, which opens today, May 10, 2013.

Met Gala 2013: Best & Worst Red Carpet Looks

The annual Met Gala Ball was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Monday to celebrate their spring exhibit, "PUNK: Chaos to Couture." As always, celebrities came out in full-force to celebrate fashion and art. 

Amanda Seyfried, the new face of Givenchy, in Givenchy and Anne Hathaway in Valentino (and newly blonde hair.)

Jessica Alba and Ginnifer Goodwin both wore edgy custom-made Tory Burch dresses. Ginnifer finished off her look with dramatic eye makeup and bold black eye brows.

Fashion icons: Anna Wintour, the host of the event, looks flawless in Chanel while Sarah Jessica Parker made perfect use of the night's theme in a Gilles dress & Philip Treacy mohawk headpiece.  

Nicole Richie in a Topshop dress & a bold silver hair color. While Rihanna tweeted that her look "made her want to throw up", we love the daring look.  She took a huge risk with this look, which is what "Punk: Chaos to Couture" is all about.  Mara Rooney in Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci looks perfect, but she should considering her date for the evening was Riccardo Tisci himself. 

Worst red carpet looks: Beyonce in Givenchy Haute Couture by Riccardo Tisci & Kim Kardashian (rumoured to have been previously banned from the event, but allowed as a guest of Kanye West) also in Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci.  (Is it just us, or does Kim K look a little lost with this gown--with matching heels and gloves? She's trying to fit in so hard that she missed the theme of the night: punk! She missed out on a lot with this ensemble.)

Beyonce looks fierce, but the matching boots kill this look for us. Something about this look looks like drag-gone-wrong. 

Image Credits: Getty, NYMag, &  Zimbio

"The Bling Ring" Full Official Trailer Released

In one of the most anticipated films of the summer, The Bling Ring, starring Emma Watson, Taissa Farmiga (American Horror Story), and Leslie Mann, follows a group of teens (dubbed “The Bling Ring”) who managed to rob multiple celebrity homes a few years back (2008-2009 to be exact).  The group of teens managed to steal over $3 million in clothing and jewelry. Sofia Coppola took full advantage of the story and made a satire of it and as the first official full trailer portrays, the movie, with Emma Watson’s character, pokes fun at Alexis Neiers, a member of The Bling Ring, as well as one of the characters on E!’s Pretty Wild.  If you were never lucky enough to witness the worst reality show ever, it followed Alexis and her “sisters”, one biological, and one of her friends who lived with the family, and a spiritual home-schooling mother as she partied hard and went to court for the robberies.  Even though I said it was the worst reality show ever, it SO was the perfect satirical film waiting to happen.

In the movie, it shows the group of teens, who are jealous of the lifestyle of the young celebrity, manage to get into the homes of popular celebs like Paris Hilton, simply by using gossip blogs and the internet.  With someone like Sofia Coppola behind the film, you know it is going to have a dry sense of humor.  Remember The Virgin Suicides?

One of the reasons why this story has been so intriguing is that even though these teens committed crimes and did something bad, there was a real cultural problem with teenagers wanting to be just like celebrities, who had nothing to do but go to clubs, drink some iced beverage from Starbucks (but never indulge in calories from real food), shop for designer duds with someone else's money, and even get arrested in style (just like Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, and Lindsay Lohan). Reality shows set these young girls up to be important people within our culture, so young teenagers had these people as "role models." And, you know that more teenagers would have tried to steal from these celebs if they lived anywhere close to their homes. You just have to admit-- when our society sets teenagers, the people most likely to do dumb things, up to feel inadequate, a story like this was kind of bound to happen (to kids with a lack of direction). (UGH- it's so exciting to see this story, full of cultural problems, being done by such a talented director, Coppola.)

One last thing-- here is a great article, that started it all, essentially, from Nancy Jo Sales of Vanity Fair. If you remember, Alexis Neiers, on Pretty Wild, reacted pretty harshly to this article-- look it up on Youtube for a good laugh. Read the article here.

Six Steps To Get Inspired When You Feel Like You Can't

by Sarah

1. Cook a healthy meal in your own kitchen.  When your diet is out of whack, or you're always at a restaurant, you can forget how important healthy eating is to a healthy mind.  Get out of the house, find a recipe for a healthy meal full of vegetables, go to a grocery store, and pick out food to make yourself.  When you get home, put on your favorite music, and cook yourself (or your family) a healthy meal.  When you prepare your own food (i.e. picking out a piece of fish from the fish counter and chop up vegetables for the meal), you appreciate it more.  You worked for it, so it's a meal that you can savor a little more.

2. Clean. A cluttered living space can lead to a cluttered mind.  No matter how overwhelmed or how behind you are on a project, take an hour to really clean your space. Open your windows, do your laundry, clean your kitchen, or organize a closet. Something about a clean space will help you tackle projects much easier.  Plus, cleaning gets you in a working mode that inspires you to work on not only your living space (or office space), but the rest of your life.  

3. Exercise.  Similar to cleaning up your working or living space, exercise gets you in a working mode.  If you set a goal for exercise, even if it’s just a brisk walk with your pooch, and conquer it, you begin to feel as though you can conquer other goals in life you have on your mind, too.  

4. Avoid taking a day off to “get inspired” and just get going. Sure, resting and recharging are essential to a productive life, BUT, these are not the same as giving in to procrastination.  Procrastination only breeds more procrastination.  If you are trying to get inspired to say, write a big paper, and you feel the urge to take off a day to purely procrastinate (i.e. doing absolutely nothing, all with the lurking thoughts that tomorrow you will have SO much work to do), you probably won't be inspired to do anything the next day, either.  We all know this is true, right? Instead, start small and get yourself going, by eating a nice meal, going for a walk, or cleaning. Then, do a small portion of your work and see how it feels.  After you get started and get through that initial push, you will find that it’s easy to just work right on through the project until it is done.  

5. Experience culture.  Let’s say you aren’t working on anything particular and you are just lacking in inspiration for every-day activities.  Maybe you’ve been cooped up in your house for too long or working too hard at work, or maybe you’re going through a hard phase of life.  Either way, it’s time to go experience something rad.  Go to a play, go to a ballet, or go sit outside at a coffee shop on a busy street and write in a journal or talk to a pal.  Maybe you need to take a vacation to a new city or an exotic beach (if your budget allows it.) You need stimulation-- so go out and get some!

6. Okay, people, I saved the best for last: face a fear and/or get vulnerable.  Sometimes when we are feeling uninspired to really get out there, it is because there is something we’re scared to do and this big thing that we have to face is lurking in the back of our mind.  And boy, when we put something off, it sure does lurk.  In fact, it lurks so much, that it takes up too much mental space-- space that could be used for creativity, new experiences, feeling lightweight and happy, and maybe even our manifesting powers to invite our dreams in. The space that it takes up is negative, which isn't good for us.  

In Brene Brown’s book, “Daring Greatly”, she says that the only way to be truly happy, creative, and inspired, is to be totally vulnerable.  Hmm. So, what does this mean exactly?

It means that we really have to walk straight through our fears and tackle everything tough in life head-on to get to happiness. (I know, I wanted a better answer, too.) Maybe this means opening up about something you are keeping a secret, or trying to apply for a job AGAIN, or maybe it means breaking up with someone, but these big things that are scary to face are the most essential key to happiness.  

We tend to put these big things off because we think facing them will be packed with turmoil or terror (and honestly, sometimes it is), but afterward, you get to a place you never thought was possible when you were putting it off-- ease, happiness, and tons of space to really let new (amazing) things into your life.

Image Credit: Find this image on Pinterest here.

"Cinderella" Offers a Delightful Close to Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's 2012-2013 Season

by Sarah Davis

The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre is closing their 2012-2013 season with Cinderella, a beautifully-done take on an adored story.  Promised to “brim with enchantment, romance, and comedy”, Cinderella goes far beyond that, offering a performance that overflows with colorful costumes and set designs, energy from every single member of the cast, and a certain amount of life that only comes from a production company that truly wants to impress you.  The live orchestra, led by Charles Barker, was equally as delightful and lively on opening night, April 19, 2013, while playing Prokofiev's score, which is considered to be one of ballet's most brilliant scores (originally premiered in 1945). The orchestra combined with the energy of the dancers, PBT is offering quite a “bang” of a close for an already impressive season.

We’ve seen them master an eclectic variety of shows this season: Giselle, The Nutcracker, Unspoken, and most recently, Moulin Rouge, but I have to admit that Cinderella was the best of the season.  In addition to the PBT company dancers, twenty children from Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s School stole the show away, dancing as enchanted garden creatures, including bumblebees, snow angels, and butterflies, brought to life by the beautiful fairy godmother, portrayed by Julia Erickson on opening night.  A group of bumblebees come out at one point and I promise, it is sure to steal your heart.

Another lively addition to the story were Cinderella’s two very clumsy step-sisters, played by a hilarious duo of male dancers. And of course, the iconic love story of Cinderella and the Prince, surely did combine enchantment, romance, and comedy.  

We highly recommend that you check out Cinderella with Live Orchestra this weekend only in Pittsburgh for a delightful entrance into the warmer weather and a great close to an impressive season.  

As they do with every close of a season, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre will host their En Pointe Season Cast Party, which is sponsored by Nordstrom this year, on Sunday, April 21, after the final performance.  You’ll have the opportunity to meet the dancers who you’ve seen on stage all season and explore a collection of Nordstrom’s latest shoes, inspired by Cinderella. For more information and tickets, visit pbt.org.

Image Credits: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

Carey Mulligan Stuns in 'Gatsby' Inspired Photos for Vogue

It seems like Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of The Great Gatsby has been on the verge of being released for a while now. Originally, it was to come out in December of 2012, but a new release date has been scheduled for May 10.  With a iconic film like this, plus a star-studded cast, it doesn’t seem to matter. Even though it seems like we’ve been waiting for forever.... when you mix Leonardo DiCaprio with your absolute favorite teenage (okay, “of all time”) read, there is no complaining. Right?

Carey Mulligan, who stars in the film as Daisy, is on the cover of this month’s Vogue and this might be, perhaps, the most beautiful Vogue cover we’ve seen in ages.  Mulligan’s interview is rather bland, unlike her photos, but we learn that she has a very close relationship with the Olsen twins (she partied with them all night after finding out that she got the role.) Also, other people up for the role of Daisy: Michelle Williams (who I always easily confuse with Carey Mulligan, actually), Scarlett Johannson (whew, we all dodged a bullet on this one, folks), Blake Lively, Natalie Portman, and Keira Knightley. The article reveals that Carey Mulligan had the best chemistry with Leo.

Image Credits: Vogue