Mia Price, Co-Community Outreach and Social Media Coordinator
The Kinkaid School - Houston, Texas
Teen Board Member 2018 - Present
Mia is a sophomore at The Kinkaid School. She is a member of the varsity golf team, and she also serves on her school’s Governing Council and Sustainability Committee. She has made the High Academic Honor Roll and the Citizenship Honor Roll for the past 5 years. Mia enjoys participating in her school’s musicals, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends.
New Year - 2021
2021, and that means it is time for New Year’s resolutions. After a long and crazy 2020 filled with uncertainty and negativity, it is important that we refocus this year on positivity and achieving our goals. We cannot wait for the world to return to “normal” to start prioritizing our health, but instead, we should take action to change our lives now. Here are some of my healthy New Year’s resolutions that I hope you will join me in achieving:
1. Drink 64 ounces of water per day.
It can be very easy to forget to drink enough water throughout the day, but there are many reasons why it is important. For example, since your body is composed of about 60% water, drinking water helps your body with digestion, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature. In addition, it can improve your exercise performance. Drinking enough fluids will help to maintain your concentration and performance, increase your endurance, and prevent excessive elevations in heart rate.
2. Treat sugary beverages as desserts.
Sodas and juices are not commonly considered to be desserts; however, they often have just as much sugar, if not more. For example, a 12 ounce can of Coca-Cola has 39 grams of sugar, while the average chocolate chip cookie has 14 grams. The misconception that these beverages are healthier than desserts is very dangerous and is hurting the health of many. This year I hope to limit my sugary beverage consumption by categorizing them as desserts. I typically only eat two sweets per week, so now when I drink a soda, it will count as one of my two desserts.
3. Eat a vegetable at every meal.
I prefer fruits over vegetables, and since many food pyramids group fruits and vegetables together, it can be easy for me to only eat fruits and pretend that I am still eating a balanced diet. This is untrue, as fruits and vegetables contain different nutrients. It is especially important to eat leafy green vegetables because they are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and they can help protect you from diseases. It is much easier to incorporate vegetables into lunch and dinner than breakfast, since you can just eat them as a side, or you can make a salad. Breakfast can difficult, but I personally like to put spinach into my smoothies and my omelets.
These are my suggestions for healthy New Year’s resolutions, but ultimately everyone’s should be customized depending on their health needs and goals. I personally would like to focus on eating healthier, but some people would prefer to focus on exercise. No matter what your resolutions are, I encourage you to persistently work to achieve them and use this new year as an opportunity to create positive change in your life.
Mia Price January 2021
