New Year’s resolution ideas for a better you

OCTOBER 26, 2022 A farmer from Baras town in Catanduanes takes advantage of the sunny weather in drying up the abaca strips on Tuesday before Paeng brings rains in the province and in Bicol region. Michael B. Jaucian

And just like that … it’s 2023!

The year 2022 was a spectacular year that tested the strength of many. It was, for me, the year of the phoenix as businesses— whether restaurants, hotels, airlines, stores—managed to rise again after the quarantine years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Siargao and other places badly hit by Typhoon “Odette” (international name: Rai), made us proud as the communities took on rebuilding their homes and reopening their shops. Even the Philippine economy defied gloomy expectations as it hit 7.6 percent gross domestic product growth in the third quarter. Thank you, 2022!

As we begin 2023, it’s time for those New Year’s Resolutions again! Whether we are able to stick to them or not, here are eight resolutions for a better you:

1. Drink more water

Water is a component of almost every body part. On average, 60 to 75 percent of the adult human body is water. The brain and heart are composed of almost 75 percent water; the lungs are almost 85 percent water; muscles and kidneys are almost 80 percent water; the skin contains almost 65 percent water, and even the bones are around 30 percent water. Water dissolves and carries nutrients and oxygen to our cells, regulates our temperature, keeps our tissues moist and our joints lubricated, protects our organs and ensures their proper operation, and flushes out waste products, hence, the recommendation that we drink eight glasses of water a day.

However, the amount actually depends on your body’s needs for fluids and your activities, such as how often you exercise, your environment and even your health. In general, though, a study has suggested that men need around 15 cups or 3.7 liters a day while women need 11 cups or 2.7 liters a day. So try to drink this much because lack of water can lead to dehydration and while you may not necessarily faint, even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired. So make it a resolution to drink more water—for more energy to achieve your goals this New Year!

2. Know your wines

As much as I’d like to say that this can also help you fulfill your required daily liquid intake, it does not, because alcohol causes dehydration. But wine does have its own health benefits, as long as taken in moderation. There is medical research that says antioxidants in wine may help prevent coronary artery disease, the condition that leads to heart attacks as these increase levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol) and protect against cholesterol buildup. Meanwhile, resveratrol might help prevent damage to blood vessels, reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) and prevent blood clots.

But come on, no one drinks wine for its “health benefits.” It’s a luxury that is best appreciated when you understand its intricacies. So know your wines. Enroll in a WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) course at Enderun, or join or even put together a wine club. By the end of the year, you will be able to distinguish whether a bottle is from France or Argentina; what grapes were used; and maybe a bit of history on the winemaker’s terroir. Then you will enter the Wonderland of Wines and start collecting. It’s really a delicious and uplifting, though at times pricey, hobby!

3. Go organic

There is a theory that the reason why there are so many unhealthy people today is because of the hormones and antibiotics that commercial brands feed the animals that we eat. This makes sense. Take chicken. Some brands give chicken growth hormones along with their feeds to make them grow faster and when they get sick, antibiotics are thrown in to prevent them from dying. Meanwhile, supply must be met so the chickens are killed even before they have excreted the antibiotics totally. And then we eat that. Hence, there’s the need to go organic, i.e., going for products where artificial chemicals were not used in the growing of the plant or animals. You will have more energy too!

SUPPORT LOCAL FARMERS Preparing a rice field in Santa Rosa, Nueva Ecija —FILE PHOTO

4. Meatless Mondays

Every year for the past three years, I have resolved to go on a plant-based diet. That lasted all of one week. Wait, who am I kidding? Maybe two days. It’s just really hard to say no to a good beef bourguignon, beef kaldereta, a good burger or even chorizo. So here’s a compromise: meatless Mondays. It’s like fasting for Lent but the inspo isn’t religious and it’s all year. You may not last all year but, hey, it’s a start. And you can literally start tomorrow!

5. Learn to cook

The pandemic taught us the value of knowing how to cook for ourselves, not to just forever be dependent on restaurant food and deliveries. Anthony Bourdain said that if you can’t even cook an omelette, shame on you and it’s true. Cook for yourself at least once a week. And you will realize that Gusteau (from the movie Ratatouille) was right: anyone can cook!

While you’re at it, master a dish. Like your go-to karaoke song, you must have a go-to dish to contribute. And it can’t be an omelette; it has to be something you can bring. Master a stew or a dessert. Or follow the lead of the Princess of Wales who gifted Queen Elizabeth II, for her first Christmas at Sandringham, with chutney she had made herself using her grandmother’s recipe.

6. Support local farmers

While there is optimism for this New Year, we do still live in difficult times. Now, more than ever, we need to help each other and our community. And that includes helping our local farmers. Buy from them as much as you can. I do my part in supporting local farmers through Cordillera Landing On You (CLOY), a group that brings produce from the Cordillera region including coffee, honey, and strawberries. To order, call 0917-8675188 or search Cordillera Landing On You (CLOY) on Facebook.

7. Eat with your family

The pandemic also taught us that life is precious and that you never know when one will go. Spend time with your family and loved ones. Do your best to spend meals with them. Take time to find out how they are, instead of just learning about their updates through their Facebook pages. Let’s “normalize” eating together and praying together as a family again where you actually talk to each other and not through your mobile phones.

8. Be grateful

Finally and most importantly, be grateful. There’s a bit of magic with this equation. When you have a mindset of gratitude, you open yourself up to grace. And then the blessings come pouring in. Try it and I guarantee you, there will be an abundance of grace. It’s a formula that is absolutely inexplicable; I think it can only be attributed to God. When it hits you, don’t forget to say hallelujah!

May you be blessed with a wonderful, grace-filled 2023!

Happy New Year! INQ