Cherries have many benefits as they are full of so many nutrients and are fantastic for everybody to eat, but as your postpartum doula in Orlando, I am going to highlight the reason today why eating cherries is good for the postpartum Mom.
Feeling sleepy yet?
Cherries in a nutshell contain Melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that naturally lowers your body temperature, helping you to feel sleepy (similar to the effect of drinking warm milk)
Your body naturally produces melatonin, however cherries can increase the amount of melatonin, therefore improving the way you sleep. Now some of you reading this might be thinking “I am so exhausted, I could fall asleep attached to a coat hanger, and I don’t need cherries!” Some Mums (I was one of them) struggled with postpartum depression and sleep didn’t come as easy to me as it should have done. While dealing with a newborn baby, sleep can be a deprivation and this postpartum time may cause some to suffer from insomnia. Nibbling cherries during the day, can actually improve your nights. However I cannot guarantee that your baby will sleep all night, but they might help you, if going back to sleep after a middle of the night feeding is an issue.
Helps with digestion … dare I say a number two!
As a general rule of thumb, the hospital doesn’t let you leave until you have done a number two. The thought of pushing is enough to bring the strongest of us to tears after we have given birth. Pushing out a baby feels like a watermelon has passed out of your backside at an alarming rate. If you didn’t give birth vaginally, your body still starts shifting inside, causing your colon to do all sorts of odd things, making you feel like you might never poop again, but nibbling on those cherries which are a great source of fiber, can aid in keeping your digestive system on track, which can be vital during this postpartum time.
If you notice you are going too frequently and this is an issue…then cut back on the cherry nibbling! There is enough going on down there without other added issues!
Oh those poor muscles…
Eating cherries helps to reduce muscle soreness, inflammation and post workout pain. And of course this would apply for postpartum muscle inflammation as well. If you’re finding it hard to move around after a cesarean, having some cherries will definitely help you feel like a spring lamb in next to no time!
Pregnancy brain … Sorry, what were you saying again?
Cherries are referred to as “brain food”, aiding in the prevention of memory loss, which postpartum moms may experience due to stress or adjustment to a new born. I promise I won’t forget to bring a small basket of cherries with me when I come as your postpartum doula, in Orlando!
Jiggle belly no more …
Cherries are made up of more than 75% water. This water content makes cherries a perfect weight loss food, and is low in calories, high in fiber, keep you feeling fuller for a longer period of time. The anthocyanins in cherries activate a molecule that helps rev up fat burning and decrease fat storage. NOW who wouldn’t want that? Plus they make a healthier snack, which is much better than chowing down on chocolate!
If you can find a really good cherry juice that has no added sugar, then this is an option also. If the cherry juice is inexpensive, it is probably NOT good to drink. The pricier the cherry juice is, the more natural it is. Too much sugar keeps you awake and hyper and keeps the jiggle belly, jiggling for longer!
Leaving the cherries (or any other fruit) for that matter on a table, close to where you spend most of your day will encourage you to sit and snack on healthy snacks. When they sit in the fridge and getting up and down off the couch is time consuming or painful…they might sit in there and rot. As you get more nimble and as the inflammatory properties with cherries kick in, you will be more agile to gingerly make your way to the fridge.
Oh one more thing …. no matter how much you want your baby to sleep…do NOT feed a newborn baby cherries!
Happy nibbling!
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