New Year's Resolution worth Keeping

A New Year’s Resolution worth Keeping The last present has been unwrapped and all the holiday activities are a memory and now it’s time to turn to making New Year’s resolutions. Over 100 million Americans make resolutions each year. The most common of resolutions include: starting an exercise program, eating better, reducing the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, caffeine or other drugs. Despite our best intentions 4 out of 5 people will fail at keeping these resolutions. This year I would like to suggest that instead of giving up a bad habit, why not take on a good one? Here are some healthy New Year’s Resolutions you may actual enjoy “putting on” and experience success. 1. Try a new food that you have not ever eaten before. Some great suggestions include: Black rice (try looking in the organic isle of your grocery store or purchase on line at http://www.lotusfoods.com ), pomegranates or roasted parsnips. 2. Cook at home! Want to eat healthier, cheaper, and more deliciously? Make it yourself. It will also give you the opportunity to buy local and seasonally. 3. Enrich your life by sharing a meal together. Did you ever notice that food taste better when shared with family and friends? Our lives are enriched when we share a repast with those we love. Want some great ideas on how to make this time even more special? Read Laurie David’s new book The Family Dinner http://www.amazon.com/Family-Dinner-Great-Ways 4. Go Meatless one night a week. Have you heard of the Meatless Monday movement? In efforts to cut down on our meat consumption and reduce our risks of heart disease, diabetes, certain forms of cancer and obesity reduce your meat consumption. Going meat free just one day a week will improve your health and the health of our planet. For more information on this topic see www.meatlessmonday.com 5. Want to make exercise a part of your daily routine this New Year? Get a buddy! Research shows having a buddy increases our chances for success and it’s more enjoyable! 6. Learn something new this year! You’re never too old to learn something new. Take a cooking class, learn to ride one of those high speed fancy road bikes or jump on a skate board with your kids. If you want to stay young and keep your mind healthy and alert, continue to learn and challenge your brain. Now that you have some goals here are some tips to be that one (remember 4 out 5 people don’t keep their new year’s resolutions!) who is a success. 1. Be committed to that new habit you want to make. Believe that you can do it. Those with a strong self –efficacy are more likely to achieve their goals. 2. Have a plan of coping strategies in place so you are ready when you reach a road block. 3. Keep track of your progress. The more you monitor your behavior and receive feedback from your support system, the greater your chances of success. Why not keep a calendar hanging in your kitchen and record the day’s you went meatless or tried a new food. Don’t forget to document all the times you went for a walk or went to the gym. Remember it takes a minimum of 15-19 consecutive attempts at something to make it a habit. 4. Get an accountability partner- perhaps a family member or your best friend. They may be just as interested in making these New Year’s resolutions as you. 5. Missed a week of meatlessness? Don’t give up. Get right back on schedule. Mark it on your day planner or make yourself an “appointment” on your cell phone- “no meat today.” Do whatever it takes to remember your new commitment. According to the Journal of Clinical Psychology, people who make New Year’s resolutions have higher rates of success at making a desired behavior change then people who don’t make resolutions. After six months, studies report, 46% of resolution makers were still keeping their resolutions. Go for it- been that 46% this year.

An Orange in your Stocking

Christmas is soon upon us.

By now I presume that you have decorated your home for the Christmas season and have hung your stocking by the chimney with care. Throughout the years children have found oranges in the toe of their Christmas stocking. Have you been one of the lucky ones who has found an orange in your stocking? Or have ever wondered how that tradition started? Here is what I have learned about this ancient tradition.



The tradition of placing oranges in the toe of stockings dates all the way back to the 19th century and included a man named Nicholas. As it has been told, Nicholas had a great deal of money, which he chose to share with the poor. One winter he learned about a man who had three daughters, who could not marry because they were too poor to have a dowry. Without a dowry, no husbands could be found for these women. So one night the daughters washed out their stockings and hung them to dry by the fireplace. During the night Nicholas came by and threw coins down their chimney and they landed into the girls stockings. The next morning they found enough gold in their stocking to provide them with an adequate dowry. The gold that Nicholas was said to have thrown has been represented over the years as gold balls, making oranges the symbol for gold balls.





Bishop Nicholas is often portrayed in pictures wearing the red ceremonial robes and miter (or headdress) and holding the staff of a bishop, as well as holding three gold balls, gold coins, or pieces of fruit. Nicholas lived a long life, died of natural causes, was canonized and made a saint. This same man, born in Turkey in the 4th century, is Saint Nicholas. Most of us know that St. Nicholas became, over time, our good friend Santa Claus.





The Christmas season and all winter long we can look forward to the availability of citrus fruits. Oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, and Clementine are at their peak throughout the winter months and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways.





Try adding fresh sliced oranges or pink grapefruit to a green salad. The following recipe is colorful and pleasantly bittersweet.



Kiwi, Orange Grapefruit and Watercress Salad



Serves 4



Ingredients

1 large navel orange, peeled and pith removed

1 large pink grapefruit, peeled and pith removed

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp rice vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper or to taste

3 Tbsp canola oil

2 tsp honey

3 large kiwi, peeled

1 bunch of watercress, trimmed, rinsed, and dried.





Directions:

1. Halve the orange lengthwise, cut across into very thin half-round slices. Repeat for the grapefruit.

2. Combine lemon juice, vinegar, cayenne and honey. Mix to blend. Add oil. Add any juice drippings from the cut fruit into your dressing and blend together.

3. Arrange the watercress onto a platter. Arrange the orange and grapefruit slices overlapping. Cut the kiwi into rounds and arrange into the center of the salad.

4. Cover and chill.

5. When you are ready to eat, top salad with the dressing.