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Every year, the holidays seem to arrive a little earlier, and before long, the New Year looms with resolutions awaiting fulfillment. This year, why not get a head start on an improved you long before January 1?
We sat down with some local experts to help you get the jump on some of the most popular promises we make to ourselves.
All Cookies in Moderation
“It’s a holi-day, not a holi-month,” says Joanna Chodorowska, owner of Nutrition in Motion, a certified nutritionist and a triathelete. As part of the Do’s and Don’ts of the Holidays seminar Chodorowska will be hosting at Saxby’s Coffee on December 8 at 7p.m., she believes indulging during the holidays is all about finding balance.
According to Chodorowska, if you’reattending or hosting holiday festivities, load up on protein during the day so you can enjoy dessert without guilt. You can also take matters into your own hands.
“When I go to a party, I bring a veggie tray,” she says. Adding both variety and flavor with snap peas and steamed asparagus, Chodorowska always goes home with an empty plate.
Maintaining your regular exercise routine as best as you can is also crucial, even if it’s
squeezing in 30 minutes of exercise here and there. “You want to do damage control before you do any damage,” continues Chodorowska. Above all, she advocates the 80/20 rule: “80 percent of the time, you’ll do your best. The rest of the time, you need to be able to enjoy yourself.”
Hey, Big Spender
A little bit of damage control can also go a long way when it comes to maintaining and strengthening your finances, another popular New Year’s resolution. But Doylestown-based accountant Jack Kearns insists that the resolution people should be making is not to overuse their credit cards. “January is not fun for some people,” he says.
According to Kearns, use cash to pay for holiday gifts whenever possible. If necessary, cut back in other areas of your life to avoid having to turn to plastic. Homemade gifts always provide a cheaper, more meaningful option. Still, if cash and time are tight and you can’t avoid the use of your card, Kearns recommends putting more than the minimum toward any credit card payments.
it Doesn’t Make you Look Cool
“This year, I’m going to quit smoking.” How many times have you heard someone utter the phrase or said it yourself? Juliette Camburn of Serenity Day Spa might have the key to help you kick the habit: acupuncture.
Serenity offers a Stop Smoking Package, where Camburn performs auricular acupuncture, targeting five points in the ear. The process aims at detoxifying the body, especially the lungs, and is meant to assuage the urges associated with giving up cigarettes.
As part of the package, Camburn also uses ear seeds, little balls the size of a pencil point, that stick on the acupuncture points in the ear. Throughout the day, a client can massage the points and lengthen the treatment.
Camburn knows that quitting cold turkey is hardly easy and believes smokers need to be mentally prepared as well. She recommends making a list of why you want to quit so it serves as a daily reminder. Camburn counsels her clients throughout the process and typically suggests new ways to redirect their attention whether by chewing gum, taking up a hobby or another means. “It’s so easy to fall back into a habit,” she says.
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