Resolve to Keep Those New Year's Resolutions

Keeping a New Year's resolution may depend on following three simple steps, says Dr. Bernard Davidson, a family psychologist at the Medical College of Georgia Health System.

Here are the steps:

Track your progress

Motivate yourself by celebrating your successes and by getting positive feedback from supportive family and friends. A good approach is to evaluate yourself every week or two weeks. However, don't over-monitor yourself by doing a self-assessment every day. That's just likely to end in frustration. Don't compare yourself to others. Accomplish your goal in a way that's best suited.

Be prepared for setbacks

Don't think of them as complete failures, don't dwell on them, and don't let them make you give up your goals. After a setback, try to get back on track to reach your objective. Plan ahead on how you'll deal with setbacks. For example, if you do have a cigarette when you're trying to quit, your plan may include calling a supportive friend to talk about it. Or you may want to review all the reasons you listed for wanting to stop smoking and why reaching that goal will make you happy.

Be committed

You must think through what you want to change and commit yourself to the long-term process it usually takes to achieve change. You then need to come up with a realistic plan to help you reach your goals, Davidson said in a statement. For example, if you want to shed some pounds, create a weight-loss schedule and an achievable diet and exercise plan. If your family and friends are supportive, tell them about your goals. They can provide encouragement and reinforce your commitment to change. If necessary, seek professional help to assist you.

From:  www.womenshealth.gov

Posted by:  Dianne Gertson

Ready-to-Cook Foods: Follow Directions to Keep Your Holidays Happy

Eating them right out of the package, without cooking, could make you sick
Cookies are a holiday favorite – and this season is a good time to remind ourselves that ready-to-cook foods of all kinds, including raw, packaged cookie dough, do need to be cooked. Eating these kinds of foods right out of the package, without cooking them, could make you sick from bacteria. Cooking them according to the package directions before you eat them kills bacteria that could make you sick.
Whether it’s packaged cookie dough or a frozen entrée or pizza or any of the other ready-to-cook foods we use for convenience, cook or bake them according to the directions on the package, to help keep your holidays happy.

Most people who get sick from bacteria in ready-to-cook foods that aren’t cooked properly will get better by themselves, although foodborne illness isn’t a very pleasant way to spend the holidays. But anyone, of any age or health condition, could get very sick or die from these bacteria. This is especially true for people with weak immune systems; for example, the very young, the elderly, and people with diseases that weaken the immune system or who are on medicines that suppress the immune system (for example, some medicines used for rheumatoid arthritis).
Pregnant women also need to be especially careful to follow cooking directions on packages, since some bacteria are very harmful or deadly to unborn babies.
It’s a good safety tip to keep in mind all year, not just in the holiday season: Follow the directions on your ready-to-cook food packages to help keep yourself and your loved ones healthy.

Happy Holidays and remember to BE FOOD SAFE!

From:  fda.gov

Posted by :  Dianne Gertson