The barrage of commercials for weight loss systems, exercise equipment and healthy foods has begun. While New Year’s Eve leaves another occasion for indulgence, it is also an apropos time to reflect on what might be called healthy indulgence. Let’s face it, diets don’t work. The human mind doesn’t like a sense of deprivation, and when a person tries to change ingrained behaviors, stress often overcomes the effort to change and the original situation gets worse (think, losing fifteen pounds, but gaining back twenty). So, this year my attitude is a bit different and more sympathetic toward myself. I don’t plan to chastise myself, but to adopt resolutions (for lack of a better term) that encourage more, not less.
Here goes…these are some of my food/writing related resolutions:
1. Eat a wider variety of foods: As someone who struggled with picky eating into adulthood, I have always been a bit hesitant of ethnic foods that are unknown to me. I hope to make curry at home this year, and to eat in a Korean restaurant (though I love, love, love Mexican, so go figure).
2. Eat more fruit: I find I default to bananas, apples and pears. My current goal is to put fresh pineapple into the regular rotation (which should be made easier by this cool gadget I got for Christmas), and to buy a single piece of a different fruit every grocery store visit. I bought a carambola today, so I am off to a flying start.
3. Write more: In the new year, I’ll be very involved with a cooking magazine for children ages 6-12 called Ingredient, and I will continue my column in a local newspaper, plus start working on a new kids’ book about native Minnesota foodways.
4. Drink more water. This is pretty self explanatory, and could probably be on almost everyone’s short list.
Wondering what the most popular resolutions are? Check out this real-time list on the popular goal-setting site 43 Things.
Do you have any food goals for 2011? May the new year bring you more of what you want!