Take Good Care of Yourself

It’s funny how those seemingly simplistic Dove Dark Chocolate messages stick with you isn’t’ it?  I will admit, I do have a soft spot for dark chocolate. And am not going to turn down any opportunity to open the delicate foil wrapper; not only to indulge in delicious chocolate, but to read the inspirational message that is inside.  Tonight’s message just happened to be catchy and significant enough to make me stop and think.  ‘Take good care of yourself’.  That leads me to ask you, how did you take care of yourself today?  Did you exercise?  Choose healthy options at meal and snack times?  Take a few moments of silence and reflection, and/or give your body the rest it needs?

 I want to share with you how I took care of myself today.  I did exercise today; 50 minutes of cardio split between an elliptical machine and a run walk on the treadmill at the gym.  After sweating up a storm, I took 15 minutes to stretch and cool down, (very important both physically and mentally).  I also ate very healthy today and was proud of myself.  My breakfast was plain Greek yogurt with almonds, flax, cinnamon, honey and dried plums.  Morning snack was an apple.  Lunch was leftover piece of tilapia with peas and carrots, sprinkled with pesto vinaigrette.  Afternoon snack was 1 serving of multi grain Wheat Thins.  Dinner was roasted vegetables, couscous and beans (black and garbanzo), and a glass of red wine.  And dessert was (obviously) 3 pieces of Dove Dark Chocolate.

So, there you have it, how I, Bridget, took care of myself today!   The neat thing about my philosophy is that I do not expect ANYONE to have an identical day to mine.  Maybe you exercised more than me, maybe you did not exercise because your body needed to rest.  Maybe you had a breakfast or lunch meeting and you could not control what your food options were, but you made the best choices given your situation.  And, at the end of the day, that is what counts.  You do not have to be perfect, I am not perfect myself, and would never expect that of anyone, especially those who are trying to adopt and formulate their own healthy changes.

I hope this post leaves you with motivation and insight on how you CAN take good care of yourself.  Below I will share my dinner recipe with you.  I do want to note, there is no animal protein included in this meal, however, I want to state that I do incorporate animal protein into a majority of my meals, tonight just happen to be a night where animal protein was not convenient for me.

Take Care of Yourself Dinner

Oven Roasted Vegetables with Couscous and Beans

Broccoli, Mushrooms, Peppers, Garlic and Onions (or any other vegetables of your choice.  You also choose the quantity, as leftover veggies make great quick meal options)

Couscous (prepared by bulk recipe or by box purchased from the grocery store)

*Whole grain couscous is a better option

Beans (I chose a combination of garbanzo and black beans.  You may also choose to use bulk or canned beans)

Cut vegetables as desired, place on baking pan and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, place in oven for 20ish minutes at 300 F (temperature and time may vary depending on your oven)

Cook couscous as directed

Using a dinner plate or bowl, scoop ½ to 1 cup couscous and same serving of beans.  Top with vegetables.  Optional parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top, Enjoy!

Another option is to omit beans and serve vegetables and couscous as a side to a lean protein (i.e chicken, fish or lean beef)

Enjoy and take good care of yourself!

b.