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How to survive the holiday season
Welcome to the 2021 edition of the “How to survive the holiday season” guide! Hope the tips below help you stick to healthy habits during this hectic time of the year. Holiday season, 2021 edition 2020 was hard, 2021 has potentially been harder. Some of us thought we wouldn’t go through lockdown again but we were wrong. On top of the frustration of being “trapped” at home, we added the burnout of having been there before. Mental health suffered, healthy habits went off the window. The holiday season comes packed with family and other social commitments despite life not being “back to normal” yet. Under normal circumstances, being “naughty” for…
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Setting goals for 2021
2020 has been without a doubt, the most eventful year in our lifetimes. As the year comes to an end, you might wonder if setting goals for 2021 makes sense at all. As always, it depends. SMART Goals I’m sure you’ve heard about SMART goals before. The acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. For example, let’s say you have put on 30 kg in the past 5 years. “Losing weight” is not an example of a SMART goal. It is relevant but way too generic and not time-bound. Hence, it is difficult to measure and perhaps unachievable. A better wording would be “lose 10 kg by the…
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20 things to try in 2020
This is a different spin on new year’s resolutions, inspired by Gretchen Rubin. If you are keen on testing new stuff and/or building new healthy habits in the new year, here is a list of 20 things to try in 2020. Food and nutrition Eat a new fruit, vegetable, legume, nut or seed every month. Eat with friends or family at least 3 meals per week. Cook a meal at least once a week. Try a new cuisine. If you eat meat, buy it from an ethical butcher such as Feather and Bone or The Ethical Farmers. If you drink, do Dry July or Ocsober. If you don’t, give up…
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New Year resolutions and other goal-setting strategies
January 1st is the date most people choose for starting (or re-starting) new habits. Many people set New Year resolutions but, sadly, not many follow through. Does this mean New Year resolutions are bad? It depends. Know yourself The reason why resolutions work great for some people for not for others is that we are all different. More precisely, we respond differently to outer and inner expectations, according to the amazing framework developed by Gretchen Rubin. She has categorised people into four tendencies, of which upholders are the most likely to set and meet New Year resolutions. Obligers may meet them if they are accountable to someone other than themselves.…
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Happy New Year!
I just finished listening to Foodstuff‘s episode on New Year’s food traditions, which I found fascinating particularly because I could identify some traditions I grew up with. Eating 12 grapes at midnight for good luck in the following 12 months is a fairly widespread tradition in the country, and my family has definitely partaken in the ritual many times. I also learned that one my family’s traditions (eating mochi on New Year’s Day) actually comes from a Japanese tradition. As far as I know there are no traditional Peruvian dishes that are eaten this time of the year. Growing up, my family’s New Year’s Eve dinner was always pork or…
