Tag Archives: new year

In Love and Health: Keep your New Year’s Resolutions

January 6, 20223-bottom, Community Health, Health, Recreationkeeping, new year, resolutionsJoanne

By Dr. Erik Johnson
Love & Health Chiropractic

Happy New Year! Did you make any New Year resolutions this year? Many of us did. And most of us have failed to keep them in years past. In one study, 77% of people kept their resolutions for 1 week but by the end of two years, only 19% were still going strong— and 53% reported slipping up at least once. Yes, it can be difficult to stick to your resolutions.

To keep yourself really focused on your goals, take time to quietly imagine how you will feel when you achieve them – and hold on to that feeling. If you Google, “keeping New Year’s resolutions,” you’ll find lots of good advice. For example, CNN Health shared these five tips for keeping your resolutions, based on the book, How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.

Make a cue-based plan. For example, instead of generalizing that you will exercise, plan a time each day when you will exercise and have your electronic calendar remind you to do it. Or, if you want to eat healthier, plan a weekly menu and make a shopping list to support it.
Give yourself a fine. Make a deal with yourself, a friend, or a charity, that every time you slip up, you will pay them a designated amount of cash. Psychologically speaking, it seems penalties can be pretty motivating.
Make it fun. Watch your favorite TV show only when you work out. Treat yourself to your favorite coffee drink when you buckle down and learn that new subject or listen to your favorite tunes organize the house.
Give yourself a few “Get out of Jail Free” passes. If you miss a day at the gym or gorge on chocolate cake one night, give yourself a pass and get back on the wagon.
Find an encouraging friend. Including a friend on your journey keeps you more accountable. Also, they might have some wisdom for you as you seek to achieve your goals, and vice versa.

Whatever your 2022 New Year resolutions are, another good way to achieve them is to choose health in every choice you make. Even if your resolutions have nothing to do with physical health, being active, eating healthy, staying hydrated, and getting enough sleep all support you in every other area of your life. So does keeping your spine healthy. Regular chiropractic adjustments not only relieve pain that can discourage you from meeting your goals but keeps your whole body humming in tune.

Dr. Erik Johnson DC is a chiropractor at Love and Health Chiropractic in Wyoming at 1586 44th Street SW.

New Year, New… Blah?

January 21, 20193-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, How-To'sFireworks, LMSW, mental health, new year, Resolution, Ronald Christian RiveraJoanne

By Ronald Christian Rivera, LMSW, Outpatient Therapist

New Year, new blah… The fact that I put off writing this blog entry (New Year’s inspirational) until the end of January shows my lack of interest for hallmark catchphrases and societally forced transformations. Now, I know I’m coming off as somewhat pessimistic, but I’m the kind of person that thinks we should be seeking growth and transformation in our daily lives and not simply at the beginning of the year. Most of us sprint towards desired changes until we’re faced with obstacles and challenges that our new routines bring about, and in no time we find ourselves right back where we started.

Let me back up a bit and say that I do think there’s something special in regards to the hope and inspiration that a new year brings. For some people it represents a fresh start or a clean slate. If you’re someone that finds that spark for change due to this time of the year, then more power to you. Maybe I should be more embracing of this annual gift.

In treatment we have a scientific phrase used to describe the catalyst for change or universal phenomenon that we refer to as, “whatever works.” So, if kicking off the New Year generates newly found motivation in you to _____________ (insert New Year’s Resolution), then that’s the antidote to ambivalence. Below I have provided a rather commonsensical, yet overlooked, “how-to” guide that (hopefully) may assist in following through with your New Year’s Resolutions for 2016. “May the odds be ever in your favor.”- Katniss Everdeen (I think).

Comprehensive guide to achieving your New Year’s Resolution goals:

Slow and steady wins the race. Set small, measurable, bite size goals that can be reasonably achieved within 1-3 months. This will help you to build off of your daily progress which in turn will provide additional motivation to stick with your plan as you meet short term goals and continue to raise the bar. Example: Instead of saying, “I want to get in shape by summer.” Try, “I’m going to exercise three times a week for the next month and aim to lose 10 pounds.”
Your language matters. There have been some interesting articles that I’ve read throughout the years in regards to how our irrational thoughts can prevent us from taking risks and challenging our comfort zone. Negative thoughts, intrusive thoughts, and self-defeating attitudes can be toxic for anyone who is attempting to make changes in their lives. Even when we have the motivation to try something new and dare to take a leap of faith, our inner critic is right there to remind us of why we shouldn’t. Silencing our inner critic can be challenging, but one effective way to combat that pesky inner voice is by mindfully speaking to ourselves with the wisdom and encouragement that we would give to our best friends. Example: Instead of allowing your friend to dwell on past failures after experiencing a set back on a new business venture, it would be more constructive to challenge their negative attitude by helping them focus on past accomplishments that were only met after overcoming adversity. It is essential that we channel this stream of positivity and affirmation in moments of “self-talk” in order to silence the voice of self-defeat.
Make it fun! This is a big one for me. If the resolution you’re looking to make involves a significant lifestyle change, then it is essential that you have a fun time doing it. We humans love our habits, and man, is it difficult to lose our comforts no matter how destructive or maladaptive they may be. Example: For some of us that might be finding the simple pleasures of adjusting to an early morning routine and for others it could be finding a creative exercise to stay in shape if running or biking are not your cup of tea. The takeaway is this: the more fun or pleasure we get from the activity the more likely our body will crave that we repeat it.

Reprinted with permission from Cherry Health.

The Lunar New Year: Ushering the Monkey Out

January 17, 20173-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyomingfirecrackers, Jade Emperor, January 28, lucky money, new year, Tết, Vietnamese New YearJoanne

Students wearing áo dài, a traditional Vietnamese outfit.

By Adrian Ɖặng Bảo Oánh

It is about Tết’s time again. This time, the Lunar New Year will fall on January 28 on the western calendar. Being true and loyal to their traditions, Asians who observe the lunar calendar are busy preparing to celebrate their upcoming New Year. Individual ethnic groups from various Asian-American communities are planning celebrations of all sorts and sizes to welcome the new Year of the Rooster. The current Year of the Monkey is ending soon. Each year of the lunar calendar carries the sign of one of the twelve Asian Zodiac animals in proper sequence. The animal-based signs are: the Rat, the Ox, the Tiger, the Cat (or Rabbit), the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Goat, the Monkey, the Rooster, the Dog, and the Pig. Although there are many similarities, this article will focus more specifically on the Vietnamese way of celebrating the New Year, which they call Tết

People set off firecrackers to chase away any old evil spirits leaving the remains in their home. (Photo from author.)

The proper celebration, in general, involves many aspects to be prepared for. People make certain that their homes are cleaned and repaired to their tip top shapes. Many folks repaint their homes from the inside out to welcome the new year. There are many chores in food preparations to offer the best dishes during the celebration of Tết. The food preparation must start several weeks ahead to finish in time for Tết. The prominent offerings would be bánh chưng (sticky-rice cake), bánh dày (white rice dumpling), and many kinds of sweet goods which consist mostly of candied fruits). The rice cake, square and blocky in shape would represent the earth (the world was thought to be square), and the round rice dumpling would represent the sky or the heavens according to Vietnamese legends and tradition. The Vietnamese people offer these two baked items to honor the creator of all things, the divine God. Everybody should acquire new clothes and wear them during the first three days of the new year. This practice shows respect for the new year; it also shows pride and bring good luck. Poorer families try to tailor their own new outfits if they could not afford to buy new.

The Vietnamese áo dài is the preferred attire during Tết time. It is as traditionally and nationally “Vietnamese” as one can get. It is a tunic that was designed circa 1920. There is a male and a female version of the traditional áo dài. The men’s áo dài is worn more loosely in more subtle colors while the lady’s áo dài is more form fitting, and it comes in more vibrant colors and derivative options. It neatly enhances and shows off the beautiful shape of the female’s body while it is quietly elegant but not revealing at all. The áo dài has been around for about a century, and it is still popular. Its original design has not really changed much. Now that we have more Vietnamese people residing all over the world, women from many countries are taking to wearing áo dài also. American women from all heritages look really good in Vietnamese áo dài. Between the food and the new clothes alone, Tết may get to be very expensive. It is not uncommon for some families to go into debts after the Tết celebration. People actually borrow money to celebrate Tết “properly.”

In modern time, people keep the festivities down to three days. In the past, it could last as long as three months in some parts of the world. People respectfully usher the current year “out” and joyously welcome the new year “in.” People set off firecrackers to chase away any old evil spirits from the last year that are still lingering around, and firecrackers also keep new bad spirits from attempting to enter. The artful dragon dance also serves a similar purpose: it chases away bad spirits and brings good fortunes.

The first day of Tết is the most important day. It is reserved for the closest and highest ranking family members. Lower ranks would go to higher members, usually elders, to show respect and extend to them the best wishes for the new year. In return, the high-ranking family members would wish the visiting members well and hand out “lucky money” in beautiful little envelopes (usually red in color). Folks would visit extended family members and close friends on the second day of Tết. On the third day, they go to other friends and acquaintances.

Every year, the Jade Emperor (or the Divine God) would send a different “supervisor” or observer to each household to observe, record, and make a report at the end of the year. Each event that occurs within the household will be reported to God. This character always resides in the kitchen to watch over everything that goes on in the dwelling. On the twenty-third day of the twelth month (12/23), every residence would arrange a ceremony to send off the current year’s “Kitchen God.” By tradition, and according to the ancient legend, this god rides back to heaven on a carp (fish). Therefore each household would provide a nice-size live carp in a water container, the like of a kid’s plastic splashing pool, for the reporting god to use as transportation back to heaven. Upon arriving in heaven, the Kitchen God will report to the Jade Emperor the year’s worth of occurrences within the residence off a long scroll of paper. The Kitchen God kneels down in front of the Jade Emperor and reads the report in a very poetic and rhythmic way. At the turn of the year, the Jade Emperor will send a newly assigned Kitchen God to each household again for the following year. “Clear for taxi to runway 2017 and hold short until 12/23”. “Clear for takeoff at midnight 12/22 and proceed on course”. “Roger that!.” And off he will go, accurate to the split of a second. Have you ever seen a carp taking off flying at more than light speed?

The Monkey brought with him many interesting things. The nature of the Monkey was, well…to monkey around. He brought us some good events. He also brought us some questionable events. And true to being a “Curious George,” he has sprung some quite peculiar events on us before he would leave us alone and let the Rooster take over. However, we must be thankful for the Monkey, but it’s time for him to go. Happy New Year of the Rooster. May all be blessed with good health, and may all your wishes come true.

Start off your New Year right — take a few healthy (and fun) cooking classes!

December 8, 2016Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Food, Local Food, Upcoming EventsDowntown Market, fun food experiences, new yearJoanne

Experience the magic of the season, Downtown Market-style and check out the January 2017 class schedule below for your next fun food experience.

WEEKLY MEAL PREP

Wed, January 4, 6-8:30 pm • $60

You’ll prepare enough meals to get through the entire week. Learn how to make root vegetable chorizo enchiladas, rustic pasta bake, autumn squash soup, pork vegetable stir-fry and a hearty beef stew. At the end of class you’ll head home with containers filled to the brim with scrumptious delights.

FITNESS FOODS

Thu, January 5, 6-8:30 pm • $60

If you’re an athlete or trying to live a healthy lifestyle but are having a hard time being creative with food, this class is for you. You’ll make a multigrain Moroccan chicken stew, whole grain pasta salad with winter vegetables and a filling shake with banana, chocolate and peanut butter.

INTRODUCTION TO JUICING WITH MALAMIAH JUICE BAR

Sun, January 8, 10 am-12 pm, • $45

Join Malamiah Juice Bar as they introduce you to the practice of juicing in order to get the maximum nutrients from your fruits and vegetables. You’ll learn about the health benefits of juicing all while creating delicious juice combinations with targeted health benefits. Plus, you’ll learn how to include boosters and enjoy ample samples.
REGISTER

KNIFE SKILLS: VEGETABLE BUTCHERY

Tue, January 10, 10 am-12:30 pm • $60

Tue, January 10, 6-8:30 pm • $60

Vegetables aren’t just a side dish, in this class they are a rock star! You’ll learn proper techniques on how to select, prep, slice and dice, and then masterfully cook a variety of vegetables—from beets (smashed and seared with chimichurri and goat cheese crema) to zucchini (zucchini olive oil cake with lemon drizzle).

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE DOWNTOWN MARKET’S JANUARY CALENDAR

Tết, the Lunar Calendar, and the Year of the Monkey

February 19, 2016Area Education, Holidays, Upcoming EventsAdrian Đặng Bảo Oánh, Chinese New Year, Lunar Calendar, Monkey, new year, Tết, Vietnamese New Year, Year of the MonkeyJoanne

By: Adrian Đặng Bảo Oánh

Most of Asia observes the lunar calendar, which is based on the cycles of the moon as compared to the Western solar calendar. The celebration of the lunar New Year is perhaps the single most important and prominent event over much of Asia. Western folks sometimes mistakenly call it the “Chinese New Year” for lack of knowledge. The Vietnamese folks call it “Tết”.

Each year carries the sign of one of the animals in the “Asian Zodiac”. These twelve animals, in proper sequence, are: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the cat (also called the rabbit in some countries), the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat (or ram), the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the pig. Year 2016 carries the sign of the MONKEY!

Since the lunar calendar staggers a bit when compared to the solar calendar, the lunar New Year usually falls into the late January or early February timeframe of our Western Calendar. In much of Asia, this would mark the beginning of spring time and, quite appropriately, the beginning of a new year, a new beginning.

In the modern days, people who observe the lunar New Year would limit their celebration to three days due to their busy schedules. There are still some quaint villages in Asia where people would celebrate New Year for as long as three months, in extreme cases. However, the first day is always the most important.

There are many aspects of the lunar New Year celebration. The Asian people politely usher the ending year “out”; then they respectfully and joyously welcome the new year “in”.

Starting a week before New Year’s eve, each household performs the ritual of sending off the kitchen gods back to heaven to report the year’s worth of happenings to the Jade Emperor (the divine God).

During New Year, we can really feel the seasonal change in the climate; it truly feels like a new beginning. The buds and new leaves are sprouting on trees and plants. The birds start laying eggs and animals give birth to young ones. People also join in and celebrate with the rest of nature.

Spiritually, it is time to look back and commemorate the family ancestors. Each person also reflects upon himself/herself to recognize the negative things and mistakes during the departed year to improve upon or get rid of, and he/she solemnly makes resolutions for the entire upcoming year. It is also time to revisit religious beliefs in each individual.

During Tết’s time, lower ranking family members traditionally go to all of the older or higher ranking members and present them with good wishes for the new year. In return, older folks will hand out “lucky money” in beautiful little red envelopes and also wish the younger members well. This tradition is also extended outside of the family to show respect, fondness and thoughtfulness to friends, neighbors, and acquaintances.

The first person who enters any home after the turn of the year is believed to bring his/her good or bad luck into that home. Residents of each home are very careful about who shall be the first person to set foot into their home. People really avoid sad or unlucky subjects during this special time of the year.

For celebration, there are usually plenty of food and beverages of the best varieties. People set off firecrackers to ward off evil spirits. The dragon dances also serve to bring luck and chase off any evil spirit from the last year. There are games that are reserved mostly for New Years time. There are also cultural shows in the performing arts discipline that are presented almost only during Tết’s time.

Happy Year of the Monkey. May you have tranquility in all aspects of your lives, and may all your wishes come true!

New Year’s Resolutions? Oh, woe. And, oh no! Not I.

December 31, 2015Beer, Editorial, Holidays, Upcoming Eventsconsequences, new year, new year's resolutions, nigel, no, resolutions, Victoria Mullen, wolf spiderJoanne

By Victoria Mullen

I have a huge–HUGE–pathological aversion to words like “resolution” and “resolve.” This may not seem like a big deal to many, but I’m an attorney, so it somewhat limits my field of practice. I have other shortcomings, too, but they are far too plentiful to list here. Suffice it to say that I defer from resolving to do anything specific in any given, coming year.

Now, if I put away my laptop and left things here, this would be a very short story, indeed, but that seemingly simple and non-malicious act would have far-reaching ramifications. If law school taught me anything, it’s that one must consider every single last consequence an action could possibly produce. (Well, that’s what I got out of it, and my GPA reflects this.)

For example, my boss would not be happy with a mere paragraph of an article. I would get fired, and I wouldn’t have any income so I wouldn’t be able to afford rent and to feed my cats. Months later (because let’s face it, I’m a hermit), a neighbor–or maybe not a neighbor because who knows to where I may have wandered off–would discover my tattered, lifeless body (face down), shredded to bits by those two back-stabbing felines, because we ran out of food and the ingrates were too lazy to go out and catch their own. The fate of my boys would likely remain a mystery, but my guess is that they would be initiated into a feral cat colony where they would live out their nine lives in the company of similarly ungrateful felines.

In the interest of conserving space, I have skipped a few steps in this scenario. When you think about it, we are all but a step away from a horrific disaster, but that has nothing to do with the subject of this story.

The evolution of resolutions
I now divert your attention to the tale of Sam, Christy and Nigel, each of whom New Year’s Resolutions have affected in a very big way. There is at least one lesson to be learned here. As an incentive, I leave it to you to figure that out.

Every year, Sam gains at least 20 pounds porking out at Thanksgiving and Christmas parties because he lacks self control and simply enjoys eating. (Shhh. If you listen really, really hard, you can almost hear him smacking his gelatinous lips. Wait! Is that a grunt I hear?) Sam has many, many friends, thus many, many visits, which results in eating many, many meals. But Sam has absolutely no personality, so I am baffled as to how he manages to get invited to so many places year after year.

Then, there’s Christy. Each year on January 1, this spry gal pours the pennies out of her 10-gallon penny jar, drives to her favorite tattoo parlor, and gets a fabulous new tat. She’s only 30, but Christy loves BIG tattoos, so she’s running low on real estate. Plus, her mom is really mad at her and has threatened to evict her from the basement for months now.

Nigel? Well, Nigel just can’t stop chirping.

One of these individuals feels guilty, but not for any obvious reason. One is pretty darn pleased with herself. And one is a cricket and should have nothing to do with this story, but he is here to prove a point.

Of the three, Sam is the most likely to make some sort of resolution. In his defense (or by way of explanation–take your pick) he no longer fits into his designer suits, which he bought before the Great Recession, and he can’t afford to buy a whole new wardrobe. He’s stuck, so to speak.

Christy will save up more pennies and after saving and contemplating and designing another tattoo, she will blissfully go out and get inked again.

Nigel will get eaten by a wolf spider.

The resolutions: January 1
Sam vows to eat less. He’s a Type A personality, so he doesn’t stop there. He makes another resolution: He vows to lose weight. As with food, he just can’t control himself because–poof!–now there’s a third resolution: He vows to lose 20 pounds. Wait. He isn’t Type A at all. The truth is that he feels obliged to make three resolutions because that’s the tradition in his family and Sam is a follower. He can’t bring himself to break tradition, and he is too oblivious to realize that he could resolve to break tradition and thus change the course of his life’s trajectory in a very big way. Alas.

Christy doesn’t think she needs to make any resolution at all. She’s pretty happy with how things stand: Free place to stay, cool ink. But everybody else is making resolutions, and so she succumbs to peer pressure. She resolves to save money to get another tat. Perfectly legitimate. But Christy is currently unemployed. So, she has to make another resolution: Get a job. Now, a third resolution is needed: She resolves to be nicer to her mom so that Christy doesn’t get evicted until at least after winter’s end. You see how these things can snowball out of control very quickly.

Nigel is but a dried-out husk, so he is incapable of making decisions, including resolutions. In legal terms, Nigel is incompetent. Nigel is also a decedent. Well, he’s not a person, so “decedent” isn’t entirely accurate, but you get the drift.

The wolf spider who has drained the life–and juices–out of that gallant little cricket realizes that something must be done, so he makes a resolution: To find another cricket. As with the above individuals, the wolf spider doesn’t stop there and finds it necessary to add a second Resolution: To drain the life and juices out of that cricket. Because, let’s face it, what’s the use of finding a cricket if you don’t drain the life and juices out of it?