Growing up, my family never thought much about a super-healthy lifestyle. And Whole Foods wasn’t a store it was food that came from the farm - beef, eggs, milk, bread and butter, a fresh garden with potatoes row on row, beans, cabbage, beats - you name it. If we didn't grow it, most of our food choices were what was available in the local grocery store. The terms “gluten,” “hydrogenated oils,” and even “organic” were never mentioned in our household, we grew up on a farm, where cattle grazed, hogs rooted up mud and dirt, and fields were farmed for grain. If we wanted to get organic “whole foods,” we had to dig them up!
What you eat is just as important as how you eat, so refrain from making excuses and start acting like it. We had busy lives on the farm, but we were home for dinner every night. Look for ways to build relationships and family integration in something that sustains you each day you are alive. So much in life is connected to how we eat: the way we feel on a daily basis, our overall physical health, the way our mind processes information, our emotions, our ability to get a good night’s rest. The act of eating is not simply a chore that must be done to get through the day, but also an act that affects every other aspect of life.
Here are some ideas to make positive changes. This is meant to challenge you! The easy way is rarely the best way. Also keep in mind that these tips are to be taken generally. The idea is to create a health-minded environment, not six-pack abs for the whole family.
1. Control Your Environment
2. Make Healthy Shopping Choices3. Educate Those Around You4. Stop Sitting And Get Moving5. Treat Yo Self!
One of the keys to self-control is eliminating temptations from your environment. If chocolate chop cookies are your weakness, just don’t have them around—or buy them as a treat, in smaller amounts. Less temptation means less unhealthy living. It’s as simple as that!
Your healthy environment stems from many other choices. Make sure to make healthy purchases when you are at the market. Stick to the grocery list, the outside isles and don’t shop when you’re hungry! Let your brain do the deciding for you, not your cravings.
It’s easier to get on board with a change if you understand it, especially when you’re dealing with questioning kids or set-in-their-way adults, so make sure to share the WHY behind your healthy choices. Every decision has a benefit! If you highlight those, and your family is able to recognize and start experiencing them, you’re more likely to create decisions that will last.
Turn the TV off, take the iPhone, iPad and computers away, and get active! We’ve all become too sedentary, and need to make a conscious effort to add more movement into our days.
Remember, the goal is to create a generally health-conscious environment, not a picture-perfect family! Treat yourself and love your life! Just do the unhealthy things in moderation.
My family has stayed healthy for the most part - we lost our dad due to a heart attack, but we have all emphasized what it means to stay active - our kids are active and healthy, some of us in one form or another are involved in community wellness - whether selling gear, or coaching and participating, and the rest of us maintain active, healthy lifestyles. We’ve even managed, through endless nagging, to annoy our mum into staying healthy as well. THIS is where family health begins. It begins with YOU. It begins with anyone willing to make a difference and control their environment, and spreads to others nearby.
Inspire your family to cook, learn and laugh together in the kitchen.
No comments:
Post a Comment