*This post is sponsored by DayDose. All Opinions are my own.
Taking care of myself was never easy, but becoming a mother certainly magnified how difficult self-care can be. I love being a mom, but I’ll be the first to admit that after my time and energy goes to them and their needs, I can end up feeling depleted and if I am not disciplined, I stop taking care of myself.
We have all probably experienced some of the negative ramifications that happen if we don’t prioritize our own wellness. I get irritable, feel exhausted and even get sick when I’m not taking care of myself. Everyone around me notices when I am irritable and exhausted really and that not only disappoints me but lets those I love down because I am not showing up for them the way I need to be. I am a better mother, wife, friend and creator when I incorporate consistent workouts, a healthy diet, and essential vitamins like DayDose. Mom guilt isn’t fun so I’ve really been focusing on doing these things for myself and my family over the past few years and I notice an undesirable difference when I get off track.
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Now that the kids both have school, the hours between drop off and pick up (8:30-11:30) are one of the few times I can actually be alone, so I cram everything work-related into those three hours. You’ll usually find me glued to my computer writing blog posts, editing photos/video, catching up on email or taking calls. This is my time to get sh*t done. Once I pick up Gunnar from preschool, we eat a healthy meal or snack together. It can be tricky finding things we both like, but lately, we’ve gravitated towards this vegetarian pasta recipe with protein-filled, gluten-free pasta.
Veggie-Filled Pasta Salad
INGREDIENTS
- 1 box of Banza penne pasta (made from chickpeas)
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks of celery
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 small can of pitted black olives, rinsed and drained
- 1 cucumber
- 1/2 onion
- Italian-style dressing (I made my own without preservatives but you can also buy this from the grocery store!)
- Optional: cheese and tomatoes
RECIPE
Start by boiling water and tossing in the box of Banza pasta. While the pasta is cooking, chop up all of the veggies into small, bite-sized pieces. Once the pasta is done cooking, drain the pasta and rinse with cool water. Combine everything in a large bowl. For the Italian dressing, I like to make my own without preservatives! I mix 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar, 2 cloves garlic (minced), 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard seed in a sealed jar and shake until mixed. Then I pour it over the pasta salad, stir to combine and refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving. This pasta salad will last several days in the refrigerator and tastes great left-over!
As often as I can, I take him to the gym where we are lucky to have child care so I can sneak in a workout for myself and film some exercises for Instagram. I’ve been filming bits of my workouts for a year now — it was a little embarrassing at first, but my audience on Instagram seems to like them so I will keep it up as long as it is helpful! Do you watch them? 😉
I also take DayDose vitamins to stay healthy. When it comes to supplements I’m a skeptic. As a personal trainer, I know there are A LOT of myths in the health and fitness industry and sadly, supplements aren’t highly regulated so I always do my research before starting any new vitamin or supplement. DayDose’s concept is simple: instead of taking 5+ tablets of individual vitamins, they offer only 3 tablets; two multivitamins and one fish-oil capsule. Fish oil is so important for heart and brain health and it’s also so stinking good for your skin so I always try to find a supplement that includes it. Their multi-vitamins stimulate and support energy, muscles and joints which is key for active people or anyone looking for more energy so they can be more active.
Incorporating a little self-care every day doesn’t have to be painful. Get moving, take your vitamins and set yourself up to eat right most of the time. No matter where you start, these three things done big or small will help you feel better.
