New Years Resolutions by Press-Republican

RESOLUTIONS Why you should make a New Year’s resolution this year Page 2

How to turn your hobby into a career this year Page 3

The many benefits of cooking more meals at home this year Page 5

Learn more on how to find more time to exercise this year Page 6 SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 2018 • A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE PRESS-REPUBLICAN

RESOLUTIONS

Saturday, JaNuary 20, 2018

Why make resolutions this year?

he dawn of a new year is a time when many people take inventory of the previous 12 months and begin thinking about ways they can improve their lives in the coming year. Such looking ahead can provide inspiration and motivation. Resolving to make changes at the beginning of a new year is a tradition for many people. Even when people veer off course from their resolutions, many pick themselves up, dust themselves off and try again year after year. The custom of making resolutions is celebrated in many areas of the world. But how did the custom begin? History.com states that the origins of New Year's resolutions can be traced to the ancient Babylonians, who purportedly made promises to the gods to earn good favor for the coming year. These resolutions were personal promises of growth and redemption and were made in conjunction with the start of a new year which, at the time, began in mid-March and not January. Common resolutions revolved around getting out of debt or returning borrowed items. The Babylonians tried to fulfill these reso-

lutions so that the pagan gods would bestow favor on them, including a rich harvest, for the coming year. The Romans were the first to change the calendar to have the new year begin on January 1. January was named for the Roman god Janus, who had dual faces. Romans believed that Janus could not only look back into the previous year, but also look forward to the next one. So Romans made promises to Janus to do good deeds in the months to come and learn from past mistakes. Early Christians also embraced resolutions as chances to repent and redeem themselves through positive actions. Although there are still some religious ties to resolutions, New Year's resolutions are still largely practiced today. And unlike making promises to God or pagan gods, resolutions are now most often personal promises focusing on self-improvement. The largest percentage of resolutions made today, according to Statistics Brain, involve self-improvement or education-related goals. Sharing one's resolutions with a third party can help people stay motivated as they pursue their goals. Resolutions have been made for thousands of years, and millions of people still make them today.

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Saturday, JaNuary 20, 2018

RESOLUTIONS

Turn your hobby into a career T

he end of the year tends to be a time to reflect on the previous 12 months. Many people are inspired to find a new career at the dawn of a new year. Some might find it possible to turn hobbies and other interests into ventures that can make money or even serve as new jobs. Earning a living doing something you love is the ultimate goal for many people. However, before a person tries to turn a hobby into a career, he or she first needs to analyze the situation and give such a momentous decision ample consideration. All hobbies cannot be adapted into lucrative businesses, especially those that are very niche-oriented. The following techniques can help people turn their hobbies into careers. • Streamline and perfect your skill. Before trying to turn a hobby into a career, obtain further training or education, if necessary. Just because you're qualified to do something as an amateur does not mean you can do it as a professional. Research if you need more schooling and pursue that schooling if you find you do. • Appeal to other hobbyists. Hobbyists tend to be quite enthusiastic and passionate about their work. Therefore, your first client base may very well be other hobbyists. Attend street fairs, carnivals and any other gatherings that tend to bring hobbyists together. This can help spread the word about your ventures and open up your work to an extended network of like-minded individuals. • Listen to all feedback. Take criticism and other feedback from as many people as you can. This will help you to really fine tune and professionalize your hobby. Try brainstorming with people, remaining open to what others have to say about your potential business. • Start small and simple. Getting your feet wet in the business world takes

an investment of time and money. It's easy to follow the mentality "go big or go home." But with the goal of turning a hobby into a career, you may want to start slowly - taking the bunny hills before skiing down the expert-level slopes. Start selling items or services in the community. Expand to a website. Keep track of your profit margin before you grow your business even further. You must be realistic in your ability to

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make money that can fully support you and your business. Write about your interests. You may be able to make money through your hobby without performing the hobby. Become a freelance writer and share expertise through a blog or by contracting with newspapers and magazines. Sharing your expertise can be a lucrative and less costly way to turn a hobby into a new career.

RESOLUTIONS

Saturday, JaNuary 20, 2018

Improve your cooking skills T

he ongoing popularity of food-focused television shows, websites and apps suggests the public's desire to expand their food horizons and skills in the kitchen knows no bound. But some people may be falling short in terms of their kitchen skills. According to the market research firm Technomic, 80 percent of millennials say they think cooking meals at home is a smart living choice and nearly 70 percent say they enjoy cooking for others. However, there may be room for many people to improve their cooking skills in the kitchen. The market research group NPD Group found just 45 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 24 consider themselves to be merely "somewhat good" at cooking, according to a survey from January 2015. Cooking well has become something to which many people aspire, but with time-pressed schedules, some

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find it difficult to make meals happen. Those who are resolving to make more time for homecooked meals and sharpen their culinary talent have many resources at their fingertips. • Be present in the kitchen. The first step to being a better cook is to spend time in the kitchen and give meal-making your full attention. Distractions such as mobile phones and televisions can detract from the cooking experience. Flavorful and correctly prepared meals require attention to detail. • Learn the vocabulary. It's easier to prepare gourmet meals once you have fine tuned your cooking vocabulary. Cooking may have some abstract or foreign terms that mix together to form the culinary lexicon. Taking the mystery out of a roux or learning what it really means to roast can make it easier to develop your skills to the fullest. • Have fresh ingredients on hand. Build meals around ingredients that are available at home. Shop regularly for the staples that can be turned into many different meals simply with a variation of flavor. Before cooking, practice "mise en place." This is a French term for ensuring all of the ingredients for a particular recipe are prepped and ready to go before the stove is even turned on. • Read over the recipe and understand it. Trying different recipes can be fun because learning to cook well comes with frequent practice. Understand the components of a recipe and refer back to it frequently so that you know how and when to add ingredients. As you develop more confidence, you can veer from the recipe and expand the flavor profile or make substitutions. • Recognize that cooking is somewhat intuitive. A recipe can only get a cook so far. As your skills develop, you will develop a feel for good cooking. For example, you will know when a dough is at the right texture or if meat seems to be at the proper temperature (test it with a thermometer to be sure).

Saturday, JaNuary 20, 2018

RESOLUTIONS

Start cooking at home more often D

ining out can be a special treat after a busy week, a way to celebrate special occasions or a means to socialize with friends. Dining out every so often can be part of a healthy lifestyle, but individuals who want to exercise the utmost control over their diets may find eating at home makes it easier to do so. According to a Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey, many Americans dine out at least once per week. Restaurants Canada says spending on dining out has grown to around $72 billion a year. But entrée options on restaurant menus may be high in calories and compromise dieters' efforts to slim down. Research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics by Tufts University author William Masters found the average dinner entrée is 1,500 calories. Depending on age and gender, health experts say that adults need somewhere between 2,000 and 2,500 calories per day. The Energy Metabolism Laboratory found that 92 percent of meals from large-chain and local restaurants contain more calories than is recommended for the average person. If dining out is compromising diners' attempts to lose weight or maintain healthy weights, then exploring the following benefits to dining at home might be enough to compel them to enjoy more meals prepared in their own kitchens. • Cooking their own foods affords diners control over ingredients, including those that might not promote weight loss. • Making meals enables you to regulate the amount of food served, better controlling portion sizes. • Dining together as a family has been linked to benefits like improved conversation, reduced substance abuse in children and reduced obesity in families. • Those who are unaccustomed to cooking at home and/or struggling to find time to make their own meals can use these tips to make things go more smoothly. • Plot out a meal plan for the week and purchase ingredients for all recipes during one visit to the store.

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Choose meals that can be prepared in advance over the weekend and then heated up during the week. Incorporate a "leftovers day" into the schedule to prevent wasting food. Stock up on staples that can be included in many different meals, such as chicken, beans, potatoes, and noodles. Recognize that frozen or canned vegetables can be just as healthy as fresh items and stored safely for longer periods of time. Use a blend of convenience items and fresh ingredients for healthy meals. Meals need not be entirely made from scratch.

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RESOLUTIONS

Saturday, JaNuary 20, 2018

Find the time to start exercising again A

new year marks a great time to embrace change. Many people do just that by making resolutions designed to improve their lives in the year and years ahead. Resolutions regarding personal health are annually among the most popular changes people hope to make at the dawn of a new year. In fact, a quick scan of annual lists citing the most popular resolutions found that pledges to eat healthier and exercise more can be found at or near the top of such lists. Though such lists might not have been compiled using the most scientific of methods, it's no secret that getting healthier and looking better is a goal many people strive for upon the arrival of January 1. Unfortunately, a 2015 report from U.S. News & World Report suggested that 80 percent of resolutions fail, oftentimes as early as February. For those who don't just want but need to get healthier, failure to live up to a resolution to exercise more can have potentially devastating consequences. If exercising more is a goal in the year ahead, the following are a few strategies to make that happen. • Exercise in the early morning. As the day progresses, unforeseen challenges or forgotten commitments have a way of devouring time initially earmarked for exercise. Exercise first thing in the morning before any commitments to work and family hijack the time you have committed to exercising. • Take on less responsibility. Professionals and parents often cite commitments to work and family as the primary reasons they

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aren't getting enough exercise. While those are perfectly reasonable excuses to skip a workout, men and women who recognize the long-term benefits of routine exercise may be compelled to take on less responsibility at work while also making an effort to divvy up responsibilities at home more equitably. Embrace more efficient exercise routines. Rather than working a single muscle group at a time, which can be both time-consuming and boring, men and women can adapt their workout routines to focus on multi-muscle exercises. Work with a personal trainer to make your workout as efficient as possible. Schedule your routine each week. Each week is different, so while it may be ideal to establish a workout routine in which you exercise at the same time each day, that's not always going to be possible. Failing to exercise on a day you had intended to workout can compromise your motivation to workout in the future, so sit down at the beginning of each week to examine your commitments for the days ahead and schedule times to exercise in the next seven days. This can keep you on track and help you avoid the disappointment of missing a workout because life got in the way.

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FrIday, JaNuary 20, 2018

RESOLUTIONS

Get yourself a gym membership R

inging in the new year might be about toasting to good fortune and reminiscing with family and friends. But for many people, New Year's Eve also may be spent thinking about New Year's resolutions, many of which may focus on getting healthy and fit in the year ahead. According to CreditDonkey, a financial resource that helps people save money and make savvy financial decisions, the health club industry is valued at around $27 billion in the United States. Globally, health clubs produce close to $75 billion in revenue every year. And that industry appears unlikely to slow down anytime soon, as more and more people are resolving to get healthier. No one signs up for a membership hoping for mediocre results. Therefore, here is how to get the most out of a gym membership and regular workouts. • Get inside the door. The first step to realizing results is to go to the gym. Statistics indicate that within a month or two of joining a gym, attendance numbers dwindle even though people continue to pay for memberships when they are not going to the gym. Schedule time at the gym as you would any other activity. If you need motivation to go, enlist a friend to join and get you to attend. • Do something you love. Gyms cater to so many different workout experiences these days that gymgoers need not worry about getting bored with their fitness routines. Start out with an activity you enjoy doing, or experiment with different activities until you find one that you find enjoyable. You may be allowed to sample classes without paying for a different membership plan, or even just observe outside of the studio door to get a sense of what may interest you. • Work with a trainer. Gyms employ personal trainers who can help novices learn the ropes. New members can rely on personal training sessions to familiarize themselves with a gym's equipment and the proper techniques to employ when using that equipment. Trainers also can play key supportive rolls in members' workouts, helping to keep clients motivated on those days when the enthusiasm is waning. • Vary your workouts. Expanding your boundaries is a great way to push your body and maximize your workout. According to Jacob Wilson, Ph.D., certified strength and conditioning specialist and associate editor of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, "... by only doing cardio your metabolism will actually go down, making weight loss more difficult. Resistance training, however, builds muscle to increase your metabolic rate." Variety is the spice of life, and it's also essential to effective workouts

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