On the menu this week are stuffed peppers and let me tell you, they are delish. Not only are these simple to make, but you can easily make them in advance and pop them in the oven when you’re ready for dinner.
You can also make them in several different ways. The ones below are vegetarian – made with brown rice and beans – but you can make them with cauliflower rice if you’d prefer and even add in sautéed ground turkey or beef.
Did you know that WebMD has a magazine dedicated to multiple sclerosis? Yup, they do, and it can be a great resource for those living with MS.
A few months ago, I shared my story and tips for living well with multiple sclerosis in their magazine, “Living Better with Multiple Sclerosis”. While everyone with MS is different, I wanted to provide some realistic pointers that others with MS could incorporate into their daily life.
Grab a copy at your neurologist’s office
If you are visiting your neurologist this month, you can check the article in person. The magazine also features some other great articles about how to prepare yourself for your next doctor’s appointment, how to better manage your everyday symptoms, along with pain relief options.
Tips for Living Well with MS
Be aware of your diet
I have found that what I eat affects how I feel, so I stick to whole foods (like protein rich foods with low saturated fats like fish or chicken), and avoid gluten and dairy when I can. I also keep sugar to a minimum.
Find ways to exercise
I try to make it to the gym at 2-3 days a week but that’s not always realistic. If you’re in a bind and can’t make it to the gym, try incorporating a longer walk into your daily routine or choose to take the stairs. A little can go a long way.
Connect with others online
You don’t have to physically meet with others anymore to get support; thanks to social media you can go online and find empathy, support and tips from people who are living with MS. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve met through Instagram hashtags that connect me to like-minded people with MS.
Find ways to lower your stress
Whether that’s taking breaks from work to around the block, meditating for 10 minutes or doing yoga, you need to find coping mechanisms for stress. Stress brings on symptoms so it needs to be controlled.
Keep a positive mental attitude
One of my favorite phrases is, “thoughts become things, so pick the good ones.” Believing you’ll be okay is the first step to making it happen.
Have any of your own tips you’d like to share? Please let me know in the comments section below.
Let’s be real for a second… it’s difficult to manage all of life’s responsibilities, am I right?!
There are so many things to remember… home repairs that need fixing, after school activities to sign up for, birthday presents to buy for, you get the idea. I’m tired just thinking about all of the things I have on my plate at any given time!
But I’ve figured out a solution to help get it all done: my to-do list.
This isn’t your ordinary to-do list – in fact, I have never seen anything quite like it – so I decided to create it to specifically meet my ever-evolving needs. What makes this to-do list so unique is that it allows you to prioritize your never-ending list of “to do’s”.
What does that mean?
Well, on a regular basis I find myself writing down something I need to do or to remember to do. But this list forces me to ask the question, “WHEN do I need this done? Do I have to do this this week or this month? Then, I add it to the appropriate column and eventually I have my list of what has to be done that week. It also allows me to jot down notes that I don’t want to forget to do but that I know I don’t need to address quickly.
I add a new list every week to the top and keep the previous ones if I ever need to reference back.
I personally find that this approach lowers my stress and my expectations for myself. It doesn’t overwhelm me because I am not looking at things comprehensively but rather little by little. It feels more manageable this way.
I have one personal list and one work list for each week. I simply cross off what I’ve finished each week and use the old list to start fresh the following Monday. It really works well for me.
This post is brought to you by the National MS Society.
Everyone’s journey with MS is different, but people living with multiple sclerosis tend to have a few things in common, like legitimate concerns about staying healthy and independent. That’s why the National MS Society created a new guide called, “Now What? Resources to keep you moving forward with MS”.
Whether you’re recently diagnosed or processing a shift in your disease progression, this guide is an introduction to the top resources and information to keep you moving forward. It shares tips to empower you with the right resources, insight into some common MS symptoms and how others cope, what to do in case of a flare, and how you can connect with the right care and live well with the disease. Hope you find it helpful!
Download this informative brochure from the National MS Society here.
It’s officially football season so that means chili is back! This one is a winner is our house and has one secret ingredient that makes it extra special: pancetta! It add so much flavor.
(If you want to make it healthier, just swap the beef and pancetta for ground turkey – it’s still very tasty!)
Instead of adding in a ton of different spices, I like the simplicity and taste of Trader Joe’s Taco Seasonings. If you don’t have one close by, you can easily use any other taco seasoning packet or just add in cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika and cayenne pepper.
For a fun touch, add a topping bar so your guests can make it their own with options like cheddar, cheese, green onions, jalapeños, sour cream, Fritos (gotta love the crunch and salt!) and hot sauce.
The Best Chili
Ingredients
2 cups onion
1 tablespoon garlic
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup of diced pancetta
1 pound ground beef
1 chopped jalapeño (more for toppings)
1 can green chilis
1 packet of taco seasonings
2 cups beef broth
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
2 cans of diced tomatoes
3 bay leaves
Instructions
Sauté garlic, onion and pancetta with olive oil over medium high heat for few minutes
Add chopped jalapeño and beef, and cook through until beef is browned. Mix in taco seasonings.
Add in beef broth, kidney beans, black beans, diced tomatoes and bring to a boil
Reduce heat to simmer and add in bay leaves; simmer for 20 -30 min. (Optional: I add a 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese so it melts and soaks into the chili)
Turn off the heat and give it 60 min to sit before serving if possible. This thickens up the chili and makes it taste better I think.
Remove the bay leaves and serve. Add any toppings you like such as cheddar cheese, green onions, jalapeños, sour cream or yogurt, Fritos (gotta love the crunch and salt!) and hot sauce
I recommend making this a few hour or even a day in advance to maximize flavors. When you reheat add in another cup of beef broth. Enjoy!
