News Taffy

It’s that time of year again when we make promises to ourselves to become a better person. People use the start of the new year as a fresh slate to start over and change the things they don’t like about themselves. The gyms are full, the last of the Christmas cookies are tossed and sales of nicotine patches are brisk. No matter how earnest the attempt or strong the desire to achieve that goal, most New Year’s resolutions are forgotten by February. If you are really serious about weight loss, exercising more, getting more rest or spending quality time with your family, then it’s time to get creative.

Instead of promising yourself that this year you are going to exercise more and get in shape, plan a summer or fall vacation based on an activity like bicycling in Spain or hiking in the Grand Canyon and book it. Now you have the perfect motivation to keep exercising because you have the reward of a fabulous vacation.

If you want to quit smoking, focus on the monetary savings. Since the average cost of a pack here in Arkansas is $6, you could save $2200 a year by quitting if you smoke a pack a day. That is serious money that you could use for something fun, pay off credit card debt or invest in your retirement fund, achieving another goal. Once again, book that vacation or start looking for a new car now to focus your mind on your goal which is to quit smoking and put that money to good use.

Perhaps you need to lose weight but have been unsuccessful with diets in the past. Many people think that if food is healthy for you, then it must taste bad but that only shows that they have a limited dietary experience. This year consider expanding your horizons when it comes to food. Instead of trying the newest diet, you need to learn to cook. The better your skills in the kitchen, and the larger your recipe repertoire, the easier it is to prepare simple, nutritious meals. There are cooking classes offered at different times here in Jonesboro and around the state. Lindley Pipkins, owner of Meals for Moms offers local cooking classes; email her at mealformomsjtown2@gmail.com. The Winthrop Rockefeller Institute offers classes throughout the year with their Saturday Chef’s Series. Since the Institute is located near Petit Jean Mountain, this offers the chance for a nice weekend trip. Visit their website at uawri.org or call 501-727-5435. Eggshells, a full-service kitchen shop in the Heights area of Little Rock, offers cooking classes with local chefs; visit their website at eggshellskitchencompany.com for times. In March, the Ozark Folk Center offers a spring greens cooking class where you will cook outdoors over a fire and learn to cook early spring greens such as beet greens, spinach, poke sale and more. Visit ozarkfolkcenter.com for more information but you will need to sign up soon for this class.

Whatever your New Year’s resolutions, find a new way of looking at the solution and you just might stick with it this time.