When I got pregnant, I was pretty skinny and weighed a 105 pounds. Slowly as I went ahead with the pregnancy, I started gaining a lot of weight, mainly due to my eating habits. I simply took pregnancy to be a licence to eat whatever and how much ever I wanted to eat. It is believed that we dont need to gain more than 30 pounds during pregnancy, all the aditional weight is just fat that is hard to get rid of after delivery. I totally agree with that today but at that time I only munched at nuts, cookies, chocolate and all the goodies I wanted to. Eventually by the end of my pregnancy, I was a 155 pounds. A month after my baby was born, I was still a 150 pounds, each time I looked at myself in the mirror, I hated myself. I wish I had not eaten all the junk in my pregnancy.

Finally I decided that I had to do something which I really did. I gave up sugar, and stuck to healthy eating including lots of fruits, vegetables and water along with light exercise. This is all I did for one year and today I'm a 110 ponds. Still need to lose 5 more stubborn pounds but I'm not too stressed out about it as I was a year back. I believe if I can do it, anybody can. Eat right and lead a healthy life and you will see the results. Feel free to ask any questions.

For many of us, the arrival of autumn means it's time to stock up on Kleenex and cough drops. Along with seasonal allergies, autumn means colder weather that can bring with it colds and flu. But yoga can help by strengthening and balancing your basic weapon against sinus conditions -- the immune system. Yoga postures, pranayama, relaxation and meditation are powerful tools for helping to stimulate or calm the immune response depending on the situation.

Increased allergy symptoms indicate that your immune system is working overtime. A stuffy nose, ears and sinuses, inflamed eyes, headaches, sore throat and difficulty breathing are all caused by the mucus-producing process of the inmmune system attacking innocuous invaders. Through relaxation, the nervous system can tell the immune system to settle down and stop attacking the foreign bodies, which are naturally cleared out in a non-allergic person by sneezing once or twice a day. When the immune system backs off, inflammation and mucus decrease and symptoms diminish.

Practicing any yoga posture in a relaxing way with slow deep breathing and the intention to let go and relax the nervous system can be very beneficial in decreasing the symptoms of allergies. Kapalabhati breathing is great for allergies as it forces out the mucus. (Don't forget to keep tissues within easy reach!) The relaxation time at the end of a yoga class can also be an important part of decreasing allergic immune response. Encourage your students to relax and affirm that the relaxation will help decrease their reaction to allergens. However, be aware that students suffering from allergies may become too congested when lying on their backs; you can suggest they lie on the stomach or side if that's more comfortable.

Relaxing the nervous system has been shown to help direct the immune system to attack the viruses and bacteria that increase in colder weather. Colds are caused by bacteria and affect the upper respiratory system, causing stuffiness, coughing, sore throat, etc. If the immune system is weak, the bacteria can go into the lungs and cause bronchitis or pneumonia. Viruses go deeper into the system, causing chills, fever or pain and aching in the joints.

But a strong immune system can frost the invaders within a few days, preventing more extreme manifestations of the illness and in fact strengthening the immune system. Again, yoga postures done in a relaxed way and slow, deep pranayama can help relax the nervous system and boost the immune response.

Another way to build the immune system and improve sinus-related conditions is to focus on the thymus gland. Located in the chest, the thymus gland is the locus of the immune system. Thus both the thymus gland and the immune system are stimulated by any posture in which we open the chest and breathe deeply into it. The most beneficial postures for this purpose are the Cobra, the Pigeon, the Fish, the Boat, the Bow and the Bridge.

Since the thymus gland corresponds to the fourth chakra, these postures can be enhanced by including chakra sounds such as the fourth chakra bij mantra "yum" or the fourth chakra vowel sound "ay." Kapalabhati breathing or slow deep ujjayi breathing in postures where the chest is open can also be beneficial. Experiment with practicing the postures as you breathe deeply into the chest and sound the mantras. My audiotape on Prana Yoga, send out through KYTA last spring, will help guide you in combining the mantras with the postures.

With a relaxed nervous system and a focused and revitalized immune system, you'll find you're able to resist autumn allergens and throw off winter's infections more readily.
Practicing the postures, breathing exercises and meditation makes you healthier in body, mind and spirit. Yoga lets you tune in, chill out, shape up -- all at the same time.

For many people, that's enough of an answer. But there's more if you're interested.

For starters, yoga is good for what ails you. Specifically, research shows that yoga helps manage or control anxiety, arthritis, asthma, back pain, blood pressure, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue, depression, diabetes, epilepsy, headaches, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, stress and other conditions and diseases.
yoga therapy

Thanks Carol my wife is also pregnant and she has already gained 30 pound of her normal weight. I will also suggest her to have a balance food to loose her weight. As she is pregnant now and her delivery is after a couple of month what types of exercise she need to do now?

Normally walking is considered as the best exercise for pregnant because the chances of any accidents are minimal compared to other strenuous workouts. Did your wife ask her doctor? 30 pounds weight gain may be a bit higher, considering she has few more months to go. Whatever you do, make sure she continues to eat healthy food.

Very nice and informative thread ..

awesome post

Thanks Jailyn

A new mom who breastfeed her new born child produces an average output of 850ml of breast milk each day. To provide this, the mother needs to consume approximately 500 extra calories per day during lactation.