One of the great challenges in life is finding a balance between all of our obligations and responsibilities. We all have a million things pulling us in every direction: Careers, kids, spouses, family, friends, chores, hobbies — the list goes on and on.
Our chronic shortage of time makes it seem almost impossible to fit in a good workout at the gym every day, or hours slaving in the kitchen preparing healthy meals.
Sadly, for many of us, when things get hectic our own needs go to the backburner. It may start with just a few skipped workouts, or maybe you haven’t had time to sit down and eat all day. You’re ravenous, so you scarf down a fast food burger and fries on the run. Nether of which will kill you on occasion, but these things have a way of creeping into our lives and becoming habits. Lets face it, it’s just easier to not go to the gym or to stop at McDonald’s on the way home. But easier is not necessarily better.
Not taking the time to nourish yourself will eventually take its toll on your body, your mind, and your emotions. See, taking that time for yourself to get in a heart-pumping workout or to sit down to a home-cooked meal, even if it means pushing other things aside for a while, makes you better at everything you need to be.
When you feed your own needs and take care of yourself first, you’ll have more to give to your family, to your career, to your friends, and to all the many facets of life.
When things are about to get super busy in my life, I make sure to plan ahead and get myself organized. I lay out my workout clothes the night before, and I jot down what I’m going to eat the next day. On the weekends when I have a bigger chunk of time, I like to prepare several meals in advance so all I have to do is heat and eat.
Cook once, eat twice
Every Sunday night I grill a big package of chicken breasts, a big, lean flat iron steak, a few sweet potatoes in foil, and marinated veggies to have for the week ahead. We’ll put them on sandwiches with wholegrain bread, toss them into a baby greens salad, and stir them into lentil soup. I’m always so glad to have them in my fridge when I’m pressed for time.
When I have extra time to cook a beautiful healthy meal, I always make sure to make several servings. I’m a huge fan of “cook once, eat twice.” Like these gorgeous stuffed peppers. This recipe makes 10 servings, and they reheat well in the oven or microwave.
For these Mediterranean stuffed bell peppers, first sauté one pound of lean ground chicken breast and one chopped white onion in 1/2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil until the chicken is cooked through and the onions are transparent.
Add a splash of chicken broth, three cups of chopped red Swiss chard, and 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley. Sauté until the greens are wilted but still vibrantly green. Add one can of drained and rinsed chickpeas and one small can of drained sliced black olives.
Let the mixture cool down and add one cup of low-fat cottage cheese, one cup of reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese. Season as desired with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Stuff the mixture into five halved and seeded red, orange, and yellow bell peppers. Top each pepper with 1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Each bell pepper half has only 255 calories, 6 grams of filling fiber, and 21 grams of satisfying protein. Enjoy! Today and tomorrow.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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