Fighting Fatigue: Finding Time for Self-Care

by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Aug 30, 2023 | Education Materials

Fighting Fatigue: Finding Time for Self-Care While Raising a Child with Disabilities

As a parent of a child with disabilities, your “normal” isn't like everyone else's. You may be constantly on the go, juggling doctors’ appointments, therapies, school meetings, and everything in between. In the mix of it all, it's easy to compromise your own well-being and put your family's needs first. However, it's vital to periodically assess your level of fatigue and create a self-care treatment plan in order to avoid burnout.

Today, my guest post writer, Alyssa Strickland of Milennial-Parents.com, offers some tips and resources to help you assess your levels of fatigue and respond accordingly.

Assessing Your Fatigue Levels

It’s important to start with a personal assessment to see how fatigued you are. Be sure to consider the following areas:

Sleep Quality

Are you waking up feeling rested and rejuvenated, or are you struggling to fall or stay asleep? A lack of quality sleep can exacerbate fatigue. Fortunately, Good Housekeeping notes that there are a number of apps and tools available to help you track and improve your sleep quality, so it may be worthwhile to download one that will give you a clearer picture of your sleep patterns.

And don’t downplay the importance of having a quality mattress. For couples, a king-size mattress is ideal, as it can give each sleeper approximately 38 inches of personal space on either side of the bed. As you’re finding king mattresses, it’s best to not skimp on options like cooling technology and breathable, soft materials, and are designed to provide the best support for your posture.

Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety

Do you find yourself feeling down, agitated, or irritable more often than usual? Do you have trouble concentrating or enjoying activities that you used to love? Healthline points out that these can all be signs of depression and anxiety, which can contribute to fatigue. If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, it's important to reach out to your doctor or mental health professional.

Satisfaction with Your Parenting

It's normal to feel like you're not doing enough as a parent, but if you're constantly second-guessing your decisions or you're feeling overwhelmed and alone, it's important to seek help. Consider seeking counseling to work through your feelings and difficult parenting decisions, and look for organizations that support people with disabilities in your community.

Implementing Self-Care

Self-care requires a healthy balance, as it's vital to ensure that you don’t begin neglecting your responsibilities or burdening your support network in the pursuit of respite. There are a number of ways you can begin your treatment plan, so it’s best to evaluate which best fits your personal circumstances. Consider the following:

Make Time for Yourself

Set aside time each week to do something that you enjoy without stress or obligations. This can be something as simple as reading a book, taking a walk, or getting a manicure. You can also use this time to focus on your mental and emotional well-being by journaling, meditating, or practicing yoga.

Seek Professional Help

If you're struggling to cope with the demands of parenting a child with disabilities, don't be afraid to seek professional help. There are a number of therapists and counselors who specialize in working with families of children with disabilities. Support groups are also a great resource for parents with similar challenges.

Stay Organized

Clutter can be incredibly stressful, especially when you’re trying to find something important, like important medical documents or receipts. Be proactive about reducing this particular stress by digitizing your files. Consider this option that won’t take up any valuable space in your home. Use a file scanning app! Simply open the app and take pictures of the files you want to scan. The app does the rest. Then, if you store the files in the cloud, you can find and access them from anywhere.

Before you start organizing, also keep in mind that reducing stress begins by keeping a clean and healthy home. When it comes to organizing your kids' playroom, invest in storage containers and shelving. You can get the job done quicker by involving your kids and turning your decluttering efforts into a game by guessing how quickly you can get it done.

Take Care of Your Physical Health

It's important to take care of your physical health, as this can have a direct impact on your energy levels and overall well-being. Make sure to eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep. If you're struggling to make time for healthy habits, consider hiring a babysitter or asking a family member for help.

Pursue Your Personal Goals

It's easy to lose sight of your personal goals when you're focused on meeting the needs of your family but sometimes, it’s possible to align both personal ambitions and family needs. For instance, if you’re always wanted to go back to school, maybe now is the time! Teachers are in especially high demand. And if you’re open to online programs, such an option allows you to learn at your own pace without having to take too much time away from your family.

Next, if you want to start a business of your own, there are plenty of opportunities out there. You might want to consider learning how to form an LLC, as this business structure offers great flexibility and a lot less paperwork. Be sure to check your state’s regulations for LLCs before going ahead.

Last but not least, it may also be worthwhile to consider a change of career so that your professional life is less demanding. If you're re-entering the job market, you can stand out from the crowd by creating a professional and distinctive resume using one of the best resume editors with a host of copy and imagery options.

Prioritize Your Needs to Stay Strong

As a parent of a child with disabilities, you can’t afford to become burned out, so self-care needs to be a priority. By taking the time to assess your fatigue levels and implement the treatment plan, including pursuing your career dreams like starting your own business, you can ensure that you're able to effectively meet the needs of your family as well as your own.

Image by Pexels

Alyssa Strickland created millennial-parents.com for all the new parents on the block. Alyssa believes the adage that it takes a village to raise a child, but she also thinks it takes a village to raise a parent! Millennial-Parents is that village. Today’s parents can be more connected than ever, and she hopes her site will enrich those connections. On Millennial-Parents, she shares tips and advice she learns through experience and from other young parents in three key areas — Education, Relationships, and Community.

Homeschooling Dietitian Mom helps you teach your kids how to make better health choices, no matter what their age or unique needs. Contact us today to learn more! debbiesuerd@homeschoolingdietitianmom.com

Healthy and Eco-Friendly Ways to Feed Your Family

by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Jul 17, 2023 | Education Materials

Healthy and Eco-Friendly Ways to Feed Your Family

Food intake and environmental sustainability are connected. According to the Global Nutrition Report, a quarter of all deaths are associated with poor diets that prioritize red and processed meat as well as sugary drinks. Additionally, these dietary choices negatively affect the environment. The foods above are currently in high demand and generate more than a third of all greenhouse emissions. What you put on your family's plate thus impacts their future—both via their health as individuals and the well-being of the world they live in. As such, it's essential to be selective about what you put on the table.

To start giving your loved ones a more sustainable diet, here are five healthy and eco-friendly ways to feed your family.

Cook More at Home

Eating out at a restaurant with your family tends to be the path of least resistance. But think twice—restaurants produce an enormous amount of food and energy waste. Even if you opt for a food place that serves nutritious meals, cooking at home is still better for your health. Your average home-cooked meal won't have the added calories, sodium, fat, and sugar in restaurant spreads, and you're far more likely to consume various foods. While home cooking can be tiring, what you cook doesn't have to be fancy. To motivate yourself to cook more, remind yourself your meals don't have to be picture-perfect—and in your kitchen, you have the freedom to create the food you and your family enjoy. More importantly, cooking at home will have less of an impact on the environment.

Incorporate Vegetables into your Family's Favorite Meals

When getting your family to eat healthier, one simple trick will work with picky eaters: add, not subtract. Serving steak? Add a side of cauliflower “mashed potatoes.” Burger and fries? Mix some vegetable fries in with the normal ones. That way, you can easily sneak the nutrients and vitamins your family needs into foods they already enjoy. It's a great way to create healthy, sustainable meals.

Buy From your Local Farmer's Market

If you're lucky enough to have access to a farmer's market, take full advantage of it. Here, you'll be able to get organic products that spent more time in the ground and were not genetically modified or sprayed with pesticides. They're thus likely to taste better and be more nutritious. You'll also be helping out farmers who engage in sustainable farming practices to minimize waste and pollution. Buy fresh fruits, vegetables, and more at your farmer's market to promote the health of both your family and your community.

Support Vegan Brands

As a mom, you know how challenging it is to configure a diet that suits your family's tastes, let alone one that's healthful—but you don't have to do it yourself. Many women entrepreneurs, some of them moms themselves, have launched vegan healthcare products that can help you streamline the process of giving healthy and sustainable foods to your family. One example is No Evil Foods, a company co-founded by creative Sadrah Schadel that produces plant-based alternative proteins. Another is Miyoko's Creamery. Formerly known as Miyoko's Kitchen, it specializes in vegan cheeses and was founded by cookbook author Miyoko Schinner. You can easily buy these foods from retailers like Walmart and Target, making it easier to brainstorm and craft sustainable, delicious meals your family will enjoy.

Control Portion Sizes

Your family should eat well. However, if you serve large portions, you're potentially aggravating two issues: food waste and obesity. If your large servings remain mostly untouched, you might end up throwing out perfectly edible food. If your family is used to eating huge servings, they may also be in danger of becoming overweight—which in turn has the accompanying risks of diseases like stroke and diabetes. It's thus best to control portion sizes in a way that still satiates hunger. Accomplishing this can be as simple as serving food on smaller plates and recommending refills only after those plates are clean. This can encourage your family to only eat until they stop being hungry—not until they're too full to move—and prevent food waste in the process.

It's essential to find healthy and eco-friendly ways to feed your family. Try these strategies to get your family top-notch nutrition in ways that are also great for the environment.

Written by Reanne John for homeschoolingdietitianmom.com

Reanne John became a learning advocate after her daughter entered nursery. After discovering helpful educational tips, Reanne decided to pursue a career in blogging to support other parents.

[IMAGE: https://images.pexels.com/photos/5996911/pexels-photo-5996911.jpeg]
Credit: Pexels

Staying Organized as a Foster Parent of a Child with Special Needs

by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Jul 10, 2023 | Education Materials

Staying Organized as a Foster Parent of a Child with Special Needs

There’s no denying that foster parenting is a rewarding experience, but it also comes with challenges, especially when you’re raising a child with special needs. Among other things, taking care of a child with extra needs requires impeccable organization and planning.

It’s important to identify efficient strategies for staying on top of everything to maintain a healthy, happy, and nurturing environment for your child. From decluttering to planning meals, Homeschooling Dietitian Mom has rounded up the most effective and cost-efficient ways to keep your lives organized and minimize stress along the way:

Declutter and Organize Your Space

A clutter-free house makes it easier to think and move. It’s no secret that caring for a child with special needs can be messy. Start by decluttering and organizing your living environment to reduce stress for your child and yourself.

Your child’s room is an excellent place to start. Then, you can move on to the kitchen, living room, bathrooms, and other spaces. Having everything in its rightful place will make it easier to access the essentials when you need them while also making the space feel less overwhelming in general.

Tidy Up Your Documents

Raising a child with special needs requires lots of paperwork, from medical records to therapy appointments, educational programs, and more. Staying organized means that you must keep track of documents, reports, legal papers, and other important information.

A simple way to accomplish this is to create a filing system for each of your children. Be sure to label each file according to the document's nature and put them in one place. You’ll notice less anxiety and stress if you can find what you need quickly and easily.

Further, you can streamline your life by scanning and digitizing your paper documents using optical character recognition (OCR) technology. This will allow you to convert files into fully editable PDFs and search, edit, and organize your documents with just a few clicks. In fact, if you want an OCR software option, here’s a great place to start!

Nail Down Your Kids’ Schedule

If you’re fostering more than one child, you know how challenging it can be to keep everyone’s schedules organized. One strategy is to use a family calendar or whiteboard and note each child's activities, appointments, and meetings. You could also prioritize important events and establish routines to bring some predictability to your day. Involve your children in the planning process, and hype them up for upcoming events or activities.

Plan Your Meals

Cooking for a large family can be time-consuming and stressful, but meal planning can save you time, money, and stress. Plan your meals one week in advance and make a grocery list around your plan.

Meal planning can help you shop efficiently, reduce food waste, and keep healthy meals ready for your family. Batch cooking and freezing portions can also ensure you always have something nutritious and easy to prepare on hand.

Succeed in Your Work

If you have a remote job or run a business from home, you must find a way to balance your work and family life. Set aside specific hours for work and stick to them as closely as possible. Communicate with your family about when you’re working and when you’re available.

Moreover, use your work breaks to check in with the children, play, or simply relax. It’s crucial to remind yourself that you don’t have to do everything. Learn to delegate tasks, and don’t hesitate to invest in caretaker services!

Wrapping Up

Raising a child with special needs as a foster parent is not without its challenges, but it’s also very rewarding when you approach it with a strategy. You’ll notice less stress and easier caregiving duties when you stay organized and plan ahead.

Remember to establish routines, keep a clean home, organize your documents, strike a work-life balance, and implement the other tips above. You’ll quickly create a nurturing and structured environment for your foster children and yourself!

Photo Credit Pexels

Alyssa Strickland created millennial-parents.com for all the new parents on the block. Alyssa believes the adage that it takes a village to raise a child, but she also thinks it takes a village to raise a parent! Millennial-Parents is that village. Today’s parents can be more connected than ever, and she hopes her site will enrich those connections. On Millennial-Parents, she shares tips and advice she learns through experience and from other young parents in three key areas — Education, Relationships, and Community.

Homeschooling Dietitian Mom has all the parenting, educational, and nutritional tips you need. Click here to browse our store!

A Diet Low in FODMAPs May improve your IBS

by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Aug 10, 2022 | Education Materials

A diet low in FODMAPs may improve your IBS

Did you know that one in seven adults suffers from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

Common IBS symptoms include:

• Lower abdominal pain
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Bloating
• Altered bowel movement (constipation and/or diarrhea)
• GI upset sometimes characterizes this condition

Research conducted at Monash University suggests that the best way to alleviate the symptoms associated with IBS may be to limit a group of small chain carbohydrates (such as sugars and fibers) that may be poorly digested.  This group of carbohydrates, known as FODMAPs, is well tolerated by most and, in fact, FODMAPs feed healthy gut bacteria.

But for those individuals who do not fully digest these molecules, they enter the large intestine where fermentation causes undesirable symptoms.

The low FODMAP diet has gained popularity for its usefulness in reducing symptoms associated with IBS and other gastrointestinal disorders. So, what exactly are FODMAPs?

FODMAP is an acronym that stands for:

• Fermentable
• Oligosaccharides (legumes)
• Disaccharides (lactose, milk sugar)
• Monosaccharide (excess fructose)
• And
• Polyols (sugar alcohols)

Some common foods high in FODMAPs include

• Apples
• Peaches
• Pears
• Onions
• Garlic
• Wheat
• Barley
• Rye
• Mushrooms
• Sugar-free gum can trigger IBS-related symptoms because it contains sugar alcohols, like erythritol, which are high FODMAP

A diet low in FODMAPs may improve your IBS

Removing problem foods has been shown to improve IBS symptoms by 70-80%. And many foods can be identified in the short-term as not being problematic, thus, making the long-term removal of foods less burdensome.

The low FODMAP diet is a temporary elimination diet rather than a lifetime prescription. The elimination phase is about 2-6 weeks and involves the removal of all high-FODMAP foods from the diet, followed by the gradual reintroduction of these foods by FODMAP category.

It is important to work through the reintroduction period with a registered dietitian for guidance on appropriately reintroducing foods and how to accurately assess tolerance. 

The objective of this method is to identify which foods trigger symptoms.  Adhering to a low FODMAP diet for a period of time can be difficult but there are a variety of resources that may be useful.

You can use the Monash University app will help get you started.

The really good news is that not every high FODMAP food causes symptoms in everyone. This means that after the elimination phase, you can slowly re-introduce foods. If there are no symptoms, you can continue eating those foods.

The slow re-introduction of higher FODMAP foods back into the diet is important in pinpointing which foods trigger your individual symptoms and in what quantities.

Interested in learning more about FODMAPs and IBS? Click here to reach out to me.

Other articles you might find helpful:

Is it Gluten Sensitivity or Celiac Disease?

7 Surprising Symptoms of Iron Deficiency

10 Small Steps to Improve Your Health