Healthy Yuma: December 2012

The holiday season is upon on us, and on the heels of that is the arrival of a new year.

If you're like a lot of people, you've made New Years resolutions in the past to follow a better diet, to exercise, lose weight and generally lead a healthier life.

And, if you're like a lot of people, you didn't stick to your resolutions.

Don't give up, says Dr. Carl Myers, chief medical officer and vice president of medical affairs at Yuma Regional Medical Center. Make them again for 2013.

Persistence will help you fulfill your resolutions — and your overall goal of a healthier life, Myers explains in an article written by Yuma Sun Staff Writer Mara Knaub for this issue of Healthy Yuma.

The edition is devoted to the topic of healthier lifestyles over the holidays.

You can also find in the magazine some recipes for holiday meals that are both filling and healthful.

Holiday meals can pose the risk of salmonella and food poisoning if we're not paying attention to what we're doing as we prepare the turkey, making deviled eggs or making a multitude of other dishes that are Christmas or New Years traditions. Writer Sylvia Allen offers us some tips to ensure cleanliness in the kitchen.

The holidays can also be a time of stress as we're busy shopping and hosting holiday gatherings, all while juggling the other commitments and responsibilities in our lives.

A daily regimen of exercises can help us unwind and de-stress, Yuma personal trainer Anna Marie Castillo explains in an interview with writer Kerry Leonard.

If you're visiting out-of-town friends or family members for Christmas or New Years, you'll be traveling at the height of the cold and flu season. Find out in Healthy Yuma how to avoid sickness that could ruin the holidays for you.

We hope you enjoy Healthy Yuma. And may your holidays be happy, and healthy.