For good health

I'm not necessarily one to make a bunch of new year's resolutions. I think it has something to do with the fact that I often break them. Quickly. But it also has to do with my belief that we, as humans, can start a new habit whenever we feel like it. 

This year, though, I want to focus on health (perhaps both mental and physical). Work has been especially stressful this year with all of the new mandates from the state. I notice myself grinding my teeth more at night. My attitude has certainly been less than positive on more days than I'd care to admit. I want to focus on staying positive and calm. Serenity now! 

I have been so lucky that for the past many years, my Systemic Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis has been well controlled. Taking only low levels of medication, I've been able to run races, Jazzercise like a mad woman, and keep up with my students. I have been blessed to have a healthy body to carry me through my 20s. And I want to make sure that continues. 

Lately, I feel like I've been eating out of convenience. I work long days and then am too tired to make a good meal when I get home. If there aren't leftovers in the fridge, I typically end up throwing together a meal from whatever I can find... a peanut butter and jelly sandwich... or just peanut butter and pretzels... or other things that I won't even name out of shame (ice cream has calcium, right?). 

I want to make sure I'm surrounding myself with whole, healthy, convenient food choices so that I don't end up making a meal out of pop-tarts and frozen vegetables. This requires some pre-planning on my part (pre-planning? I LOVE pre-planning!), but it's a step in the right direction. 

I'm hoping by filling my fridge and house with WHOLE foods, I'll choose those foods more often. I'm trying hard not to bring processed gunk into the house. We'll see. I mean, there's always room in the freezer for ice cream, right?