A New Year Has Arrived “2021”

As we begin the year 2021, we often reflect on the things that happened in 2020 and make resolutions of things that we hope to achieve in 2021. People have been making New Year Resolutions for many, many years; however research has shown that more than half of the people who make a New Year’s Resolution will drop them by January 17th which is known as “Ditch Day”. To be successful in keeping a resolution that has been made, maybe we should change our thought process and switch the term Resolution for Aspiration. So, what is the difference between resolution and aspiration you may ask. A resolution is a firm decision to do something while an aspiration is a hope or ambition of achieving something. The two words evoke very different feelings. A resolution feels like a hard and fast rule. You either succeed or fail; there’s no middle ground. Whereas an aspiration feels like something we’re working toward. It gives us room to progress gradually, without feeling like a failure if we fall short of our goal one time. Resolutions may feel restrictive while aspirations may feel motivating. Take some time to think about your aspirations for 2021 and always aspire to do the best you can at any given moment.

“Aspire to greatness, your greatness.” Cindy Leland

Happy New Year!

2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines Have Been Released

The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines provides four overarching Guidelines that encourage healthy eating patterns at each stage of life and recognize that individuals will need to make shifts in their food and beverage choices to achieve a healthy pattern. The Guidelines also explicitly emphasize that a healthy dietary pattern is not a rigid prescription. Rather, the Guidelines are a customizable framework of core elements within which individuals make tailored and affordable choices that meet their personal, cultural, and traditional preferences. Below are the four Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Make every bite count with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Here’s how:

1. Follow a healthy dietary pattern at every life stage. At every life stage – infancy, toddlerhood, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy, lactation, and older adulthood – it is never too early or too late to eat healthfully.
2. Customize and enjoy nutrient-dense food and beverage choices to reflect personal preferences, cultural traditions, and budgetary considerations. A healthy dietary pattern can benefit all individuals regardless of age, race, or ethnicity, or current health status. The Dietary Guidelines provides a framework intended to be customized to individual needs and preferences, as well as the foodways of the diverse cultures in the United States.
3. Focus on meeting food group needs with nutrient-dense foods and beverages, and stay within calorie limits. An underlying premise of the Dietary Guidelines is that nutritional needs should be met primarily from foods and beverages -specifically, nutrient-dense foods and beverages. Nutrient-dense foods provide vitamins, minerals, and other health-promoting components and have no or little added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.
4. Limit foods and beverages higher in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, and limit alcoholic beverages. At every life stage, meeting food group recommendations – even with nutrient-dense choices – requires most of a person’s daily calorie needs and sodium limits. A healthy dietary pattern doesn’t have much room for extra added sugars, saturated fat, sodium, or alcoholic beverages.

To read the entire 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines:  Dietary Guidelines for Americans website >>

Boost Your Child’s Future Credit Score

An authorized user is a secondary account holder on a credit card, which means the user has access to an existing credit card account but ultimately isn’t responsible for making payments. Although someone can become an authorized user of a sibling’s or even a friend’s account, the most common arrangement is between a parent and a child. The arrangement benefits young adults who may not qualify for credit on their own because they have little or no credit history and limited income. Although most credit card companies won’t issue a card to someone who is younger than 18, a child who is younger than that can be an authorized user.

More information may be found at Kiplinger personal finance website >>

You Have A Spot, Take Your Shot

Because vaccine supplies are still limited, you may have to wait. Here is how to take your shot against COVID-19:

• Supplies are very limited. Right now, very few vaccine doses are available.
• You will likely need an appointment to get vaccinated. You may have to wait to schedule your appointment to get your vaccine.
• Your local health department or hospital can help you get your shot. Because supplies are very limited right now, most doctors cannot provide vaccinations in their offices.
• Find your local health department or hospital. Use the link to find the health departments and hospitals giving vaccinations in your area >>. You can search by zip code or county to find locations and contact information. Because vaccine supplies are very limited, providers on this list may have very little to no vaccine doses available when you contact them.
• You can also call the COVID-19 Line 1-877-490-6642. It’s a free call.

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