Daily High Five

Five strange New Year traditions

by Thing Two on December 31, 2012

It’s once again to celebrate your accomplishments, future goals, good times and bad times of the last 365 days you’ve lived through. You might be heading to a party or keeping it low key with a bottle of wine and movies at home. No matter how you celebrate it, it’s a fun evening to remember the past and look forward to the future. While your “normal” celebration may be getting hammered, there are plenty of other traditions around the world thought to bring good fortune and a prosperous year to those who partake in them. Here are five strange New Year traditions celebrated around the world.

1. Finland - It’s a longtime Finnish tradition to predict the coming year by casting molten tin into a container of water, and then interpreting the shape the metal takes after hardening. A heart or ring shape means a wedding in the New Year; a ship forecasts travel; and a pig shape signifies plenty of food.

2. Spain – At midnight on New Year’s Eve, it’s customary in Spain to quickly eat 12 grapes (or uvas)—one at each stroke of the clock. Each grape supposedly signifies good luck for one month of the coming year. In Madrid, Barcelona, and other Spanish cities, revelers congregate in the main squares to gobble their grapes together and pass around bottles of cava.

3. Scotland – During the New Year’s Eve celebration of Hogmanay, “first-footing” is practiced all over Scotland. The custom dictates that the first person to cross the threshold of a home in the New Year should carry a gift for luck (whiskey is the most common). The Scots also hold bonfire ceremonies, most notably in the small fishing village of Stonehaven, where townsmen parade while swinging giant fireballs on poles overhead (supposedly symbols of the sun, to purify the coming year).

4. South America - In Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Venezuela, it’s considered lucky to wear special underwear on New Year’s Eve; in cities like Sao Paulo and La Paz, market vendors start displaying brightly colored underpants a few days before the holiday. The most popular colors are red and yellow: red is supposed to bring love in the coming year, and yellow is supposed to bring money.

5. Panama – Models or dummies of well-known people—called muñecos—are traditionally burned in New Year’s bonfires in Panama. The figures can include everyone from television characters like “Ugly Betty” to political figures like Fidel Castro (last year, Panama’s first Olympic gold medalist, track star Irving Saladin, was burned as a muñeco). The effigies represent the old year; immolating them is meant to drive off evil spirits for a fresh New Year’s start.

What’s your strange New Year tradition?

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Five tips to help you quit smoking

by Thing Two on December 16, 2012

Come on everybody, you know just as well as I do that smoking is a downright dirty habit. Your teeth get stained, your clothes smell terrible, and you are burning away your money while slowly killing yourself. As the year winds down, consider giving up smoking in the New Year. Here are five tips to give you a jump start on quitting.

1. Remove evidence of cigarettes – To get smoking out of your life, get rid of anything and everything that reminds you of cigarettes. Clean your car, wash your clothes, hide your ash trays and of course, get rid of all your cigarettes. Keeping “just in case” cigarettes or lighters undermines your self-confidence, and at times, will tempt you.

2. Plan ahead for temptation – In order to stabilize your blood sugar levels, eat frequent, small meals. Your hands will want to stay busy, so keep a stress ball, a doodle pad or some other small toy to fidget with when you think you need a cigarette. If your mouth feels like it needs to be doing something, munch on carrots, raisins, hard candy or gum to take away that craving.

3. Set a date – Quitting smoking is one of the most important health decisions a person can make, but it won’t be easy. Commit to a date and stick with it. Setting a quit date in advance helps you prepare your mind for a new, smoke free life. It will get you to stop saying “I’ll quit soon,” and get you in the mindset of what you will do to prepare yourself for the tough battle ahead. Hold yourself to your date, and tell others about it. Not only will others hold you accountable, but you’ll hold yourself to your word.

4. Drink more water – When you have the urge to smoke, drinking water can combat the craving and get your mind off smoking. Avoid alcohol, caffeine or any other triggers you have to help you fight the urge to smoke. Water will give your hands and mouth something to fidget with, and you’ll continually be able to put something in your mouth and system that is calorie free!

5. Change your routine – If you are used to taking a smoke break at 10:30 every day, consider getting up and taking a walk to the water cooler at 10:15 and chat with a friend there for a few minutes instead of freezing outside. Sit at a different chair at your kitchen table, take a new route to work, or drink tea instead of coffee. Figure out what makes you tick and crave a cigarette, and try to eliminate those triggers from your life.

What tips do you have for those who want to quit?

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Five Ways To Cut 500 Calories From Your Diet

by Thing Two on October 4, 2012

We’re always looking for ways to cut corners, including losing weight. Simply cutting some calories out of your every day meals will ensure you are on the right track. Here are five easy ways to cut out 500 calories from your diet.

1. Leave some behind – Leave a few bites behind every meal. I know we were all taught to be part of the clean plate club when we were little, but leaving a handful of fries and a quarter of the burger will leave behind some unneeded calories.

2. Get more of the good stuff – If you find yourself munching out of boredom, munch on the good stuff, like fruits, veggies, salads, soups and water. You’ll trick yourself into thinking you’re eating a lot if you have a huge bag of carrots, and you can eat as many as you like by getting your fiber, vitamins, and daily dose of fruits and veggies.

3. Don’t skip – Don’t skip meals, don’t skip meals, don’t skip meals. If you think skipping breakfast will cut out the calories, you’ll leave yourself over-hungry and end up consuming more than you should for lunch. If you’re starving, you are much more likely to eat something fatty and unhealthy that will instantly hit the spot instead of a healthy option. Opt for some fruit and yogurt in the AM, and you won’t end up overcompensating during lunch.

4. Don’t munch, focus on the balance – While your afternoon snack might be low cal, the amount you consume might not be. Instead of always reaching for low cal snacks and meals, concentrate more on the balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats. Ensuring your snack has protein will keep you feeling full rather than carbs alone, so consider nuts and a piece of fruit instead of just a handful of Cheez-Its.

5. There’s an app for that – Track your food with a free App, like Lose It. Seeing just how many calories are in something will make you reconsider and choose something smaller or with fewer calories. The amount of calories in that extra bag of chips will make you think twice.