IMPERIAL VALLEY — “May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions.” But seriously.

Greeting the new year with a new attitude is human nature, and the most common areas of self-improvement often revolve around more exercise and eating right. We’ve got both here, with advice from a personal trainer and, separately, a nutritionist and dietician.

But it’s not always the outward that might need a little retooling. Here, we have some professional advice on how to clean-up those finances in 2025 and also how to clean-up the soul a bit, with the basics of charitable giving.

No matter what you choose to do in 2025, we wish you the very best.

A Pro Talks Fitness Goals in 2025

Fitness goals are among the most popular new year’s resolutions, yet they can also be among the quickest to abandon. The strategy for sustainability, as described by female fitness coach Kaeden Toves is to focus on, “little, short term goals” because those “are going to lead to a bigger win.” 

Some key facets that can help make fitness goals a success in 2025 include conducting research, finding the right form of exercise, as well as having weekly goals.

For those new to exercise, Toves recommends searching Google, Instagram, and YouTube to find short workouts and learn proper form. “Then, once you look that up, I would recommend, you know, writing in your notes what exactly the workout is,” she describes. The notes then serve to keep track of exercises as well as formulate a customized workout plan.

Online resources can suffice for home workouts, but if transitioning to the gym, a bit of research can make the process easier. Toves recalls her first few times going to a gym. “I had started by myself and I would just hop on a StairMaster with my notes open because I had a whole workout ready to go, and then I would do my steps,” she explained. If working out at a gym still sounds nerve-wracking, Toves recommends going with a friend, because it’s “always a little bit less intimidating just to do something together.”

Finding an enjoyable form of exercise is essential for maintaining a consistent workout routine. However, that might require testing out different types and formats to find the most enjoyable ones. “Do whatever is fun,” Toves states. “I think anyone — whether you know what to do or not — should just jump in if there’s a class going on.” Experimentation leads to understanding preferences and exposure to different types of workouts.

Individuals should also consider their goals before committing to a workout plan, as different outcomes will require different workout plans. Toves mentions that most people set drastic goals for themselves, but those are not usually realistic or sustainable. She opts for setting small, achievable weekly goals, such as gradually increasing the number of workout days or slowly reducing unhealthy habits, which can help build long-term success.

Toves’ clients typically reach out to her for guidance on toning, for which she says largely has to do with nutrition. “Getting your protein in and then actually lifting weights and pumping up those muscles, activating them” is what “will make you look a little bit more toned.” By contrast, meeting weight loss goals through LISS (low intensity steady state) cardio can be effective. “As long as you’re getting your steps in, whether it’s, like, going on a walk every day or coming walking on the treadmill,” Toves states, “that’s gonna really, really make some improvements.”

For added accountability and customized workout plans, a personal trainer or coach may be the next step. Before booking, however, Toves recommends having “your budget and finances” in place because it is “a lot easier to stay consistent knowing that you have that set aside.”

Trainers and coaches typically work over a period of several months to support the client and modify their fitness, nutrition or lifestyle habits to stimulate better results.

Kaeden Toves is available for new female clients interested in online coaching. Find out more by inquiring at 4:13 Fitness Center or by filling out an application on her Instagram page @kaedenbrooke.

— Melanie Moreno

Becoming Better with Finances in 2025

Envisioning a fatter bank account in the new year is commonplace, but making it happen can take some serious discipline, according to Jim Rhodes, a retired 30-year financial and investment planner.

Even for those who have never saved before, cleaning up your ledger can be done by “taking a few steps right now can make a big difference down the line,” Rhodes said — it’s a six-step process that can achieve big things.

Step No. 1, Rhodes said, is to “assess your current situation in terms of how you are spending your income. Once you know how your income is being spent, then you can decide how to make changes to help your situation.”

Creating a budget and sticking to it is step two, he said. “It is easier to stay on track if you establish budget goals, adjusting them as your life circumstances change.”

Step No. 3, eliminate unnecessary expenses. Rhodes said, “This is easier said than done but it may be helpful to think about what expenses are necessary and what is discretionary. That way you can focus on what expenses can be eliminated or reduced.

No. 4 is to build an emergency fund, he said. “Most people recommend a fund to cover about six months of income,” Rhodes added.

No. 5 is to educate yourself about investing, Rhodes said, and “focus on investment vehicles that are low cost, diversified and help you achieve values over the long-term.

Lastly, he said, “If this is too daunting, there are low-cost professionals who can help you take these initial steps.

Rhodes brings a lot of experience to the table, having worked with various organizations including Bechtel/Fremont Investment Advisors. He founded Rhodes investment Advisory in 1995, which merged with American Money Management in 2006. He retired from everything financial in 2022.

Taking aim at the young and single, or those who have never before thought about their financial futures, Rhodes cautioned “Don’t fall for the (get rich) quick schemes, the ones that are too good to be true. The only one making money will be the selling broker.

“It is never too early to be serious about this. One never knows what the future holds, and planning is always better than hoping to win the lottery just before retirement,” he said.

Rhodes added that saving doesn’t have to feel painful, adding that once a person has their spending under control and is setting aside 10 percent of their income for savings or investing, “you can have a ‘mad money’ account for occasional splurging.”

— Richard Montenegro Brown

How to Eat Healthier in 2025

Eating healthier in 2025 does not need to feel restrictive. Often, when beginning a new diet or way of eating, the tendency is to think about what is not allowed on the meal plate. Through simple swaps and visual guides, Marta Carrillo, MS, RDN, shares tips on how to build more balanced meals through what is added into each plate.

“Instead of restriction, I’m more about bringing nutrients into your diet,” said Carrillo, the dietitian leading El Centro Regional Medical Center’s medical nutrition therapy and on-site cafeteria. For the general person looking to eat healthier, simply filling half of a meal plate with vegetables can make a big impact. It takes some time for the stomach to get used to eating more vegetables, Carrillo said, but consistency will show results.

“Every time, I’m incorporating vegetables for all the meals,” she said, “until the stomach gets used to that.” There comes a point, Carrillo described, where a relationship develops between the stomach and brain because a person will start to crave eating vegetables more than the high-calorie or nutritionally deficient foods they may have eaten more of previously.

When setting goals for weight loss, it is especially important to eat a balanced ratio of food groups. “They tend to overeat more,” Carrillo said when describing challenges she sees in patients during consults. “It’s also a lot about portion sizes.” Too much of anything can create an imbalance, she cautioned. A tool Carrillo utilizes with her patients is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate. The guidelines, available at MyPlate.gov, encourage quartering sections of a plate to include fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy. The options for what falls within each category are versatile and serve as a reminder to consume a varied range of foods.

Satiation from protein, omega-3s, fiber and water are additional points that Carrillo keeps in mind when planning meals. Each correlates with necessary macronutrients, helps with important functions within the body, as well as supports energy and provides a feeling of fullness. Protein can come from lean meats, fish, poultry, tofu, eggs or legumes (a plant group including varieties of beans, lentils and peas). While supplementation is an option, omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish, like herring, mackerel and salmon, or plant sources, like flaxseeds and chia seeds. Fiber is prominent in many whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Despite water not being a macronutrient, Carrillo said hydration is important for the body and helps everything run smoothly.

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It is possible to eat healthfully, and it can be easier than ever in 2025 by incorporating whole foods that emphasize variety rather than restriction. Carrillo states, “Organic food — anything that comes from mother nature — it will help.” See MyPlate.gov for suggestions on how to create balanced meals at home. Marta Carrillo, MS, RDN is also available for nutritional support consultations at ECRMC through a primary care provider’s referral. The ECRMC cafeteria is also open to the public, offering a variety of healthful meal options.

— Melanie Moreno

Becoming More Charitable in 2025

It’s said that “charity begins at home, but should not end there,” and for those looking to start off the new year on a more charitable note, there is much one can do.

For Oreda Chin, executive director of the United Way of Imperial County, communicating needs and different ways to contribute are key. “Explain to them how they can help because there are a number of different ways. It doesn’t have to be financially. It could be that they give of their time and helping with recruitment, helping with volunteers, just get people to understand what we do and why we do it, and I think that that’s one of the things that we lack a little bit here in the Valley,” Chin said.

Jim Rhodes, president of Burning Bush International, a nonprofit that helps with faith-based outreach and charity in Uganda, his principles of giving are guided by his faith.

“For me, life is a better experience if you have a spiritual foundation, and you find small ways to help others. Don’t think, ‘I won’t do anything because I can’t have a big impact.’ Person-to-person charity can have a big impact on the life of someone else,” Rhodes said. 

Calexico Neighborhood House Executive Director Cindy Alba believes giving, whether time, resources or dollars, is a personally enriching experience. “I think the people that donate, they feel appreciation that they are making a positive impact to another person in the community. … And it gives them the value of being able to make a difference to people’s lives,” she said.

In a practical sense, if one is looking for a guidepost to charitable giving in the new year, there are some basics:

Donating money: One can donate cash or other assets. Also, automatic withdrawals can ensure regular donations 

Volunteering: One can offer time to support the community

Donating blood: A single donation can help save three lives, according to sources

Using a donor advised fund: A donor advised fund (DAF) is a charitable investment account that allows one to make a donation and receive a tax deduction. 

Considering a qualified charitable distribution: Those age 70 ½ or older with an IRA can consider a qualified charitable distribution (QCD).

Rhodes, who also has 30 years of experience in financial planning and investing, added, “When evaluating what charities to financially support, pay attention to their overhead expenses and how much of your donation dollar goes to the actual mission of the organization.”

Chin said giving through charity “gives you a rush. … an adrenaline rush.” “This is the one thing that I have found in the 30 years or more that I have been doing nonprofit work, you have to love something in that process. It has to be from your heart and something you feel very strongly about, with those people that have that feeling of charity and commitment.”

— Richard Montenegro Brown