New Year, New You

By Jocelyn Ramirez

It’s the beginning of 2016, and everyone’s buzzing with new year’s resolutions and big goals. I’ve even heard someone say they plan to go vegan in the New Year (as they bit into some chicken in late December). Why do most of us have to wait for a new year to say, hey, it’s time to change? This Munchies article, though very vulgar, sums up the reasons why people choose to start new year’s resolutions and why they tend to get burnt out.

Yes, we all want to be the healthiest versions of ourselves. And yes, that can sometimes seem miles and dreams away from where we stand today. The truth is, everyday gives us an opportunity to slowly chip away at the intentions we set for ourselves. We have to make a choice to love ourselves enough each day to be cautious of the food we put in our body, stick to a fitness activity that motivates us, and practice other forms of self care that make us feel balanced. Setting unrealistic expectations like the Thalia waist we all talked about as teens is just out of the question. Que no?

As the article describes, it’s a battle to cut out all the processed food we’ve been programmed to consume. We need to challenge ourselves to read labels, learn more about what’s nourishing and damaging for our bodies, and “google what the hell that ingredient is.” We have control, and we have to do the work to make positive changes happen. Maybe everyday can mark the beginning of a new year of manageable resolutions until one day we realize we found our destination.