I’ve been doing really well with eating healthy lately. Less processed foods, more fruits and vegetables. I’m still a sucker for pasta and cheese, but substituting whole grain pasta makes it a healthier option. Sadly, there’s no healthy alternative for cheese. So I try to limit my dairy intake- gone are the days when I’d come home from working a late night at a restaurant and consume a block of sharp cheddar. Those were the good ‘ole days…

No matter how hard I try not to think about it, I always crave chocolate at the end of a meal. It’s my palate cleanser. We keep a bowl stocked with Dove chocolates in our kitchen. It’s stashed away in a corner, so we have to make the conscious decision to go get one. It’s strategically designed to not be sitting on our coffee table where it’s easy to eat ten pieces in a few minutes. We’ve learned that access is key to control. We once tried to cut chocolate out of our diet completely, but I realized that it’s more upsetting to restrict this small indulgence that it’s worth. I truly enjoy eating a little square of chocolate every night. Everything in moderation, right?

Our chocolate of choice is Dove Dark. The bag we have right now has almond pieces in it! But my favorite part of my chocolate-a-day is the little affirmation written on the foil. Sayings include, “Smile before bed. You’ll sleep better.” “Too much of a good thing is wonderful.” and “Happiness looks great on you.” make me smile as I take the moment to savor the piece of sanity melting in my mouth.