Talk to Your Family About Making Healthy Changes
By Rachel Shouse
Making the decision that not only you, but your family as a whole, are going to work together in making healthier decisions is something you should be proud of. It's not easy to get a whole family to work together on tasks that are less than desirable. There are a few things that might make life a little easier. Eating healthy, getting adequate exercise, and creating healthy routines are all changes your family might need.
Eating as a Family and Working Together
Changes can be hard on adults, nonetheless children. If you have children, the best thing you can do is involve them. This may make things more time consuming so be sure to allot plenty of time for these activities. A great place to start when changing your diet is your refrigerator and pantry. Some may be in the habit of sorting through their food and cleaning the refrigerator. Have your kids help.
After you've sorted through what you have, now you can use whatever you have left to build a meal plan. A meal plan is simply planning either your meals or dinners for the week or time frame of your choice. Using a meal plan helps prevent you from going out to eat because the shelves are empty. Let your kids pick some favorite healthy dinners. More importantly, let them help you cook. Kids learn so much from hands-on activities.
Making Exercise Fun for Everyone
Kids seem to have enough energy to power a small town. Giving them a healthy outlet like a family walk in the mornings, afternoons, or evenings could make some tough parts of your day a lot easier. It doesn't have to be a formal walk. You could let your children guide the walk and see what kind of adventure you end up having.
If you have older children or teens and they're not super ready for this, try to educate them on why it's important. Explain how exercising reduces their risk of heart disease, diabetes, and more. Working out will also provide them with an energy boost that they would most likely appreciate.
Maintain a Healthy Family Routine
Building simple routines could benefit your family in many ways. If you make an after dinner routine that consists of the family working and spending time together, you're accomplishing two very important things at the same time, cleaning and quality time.
The same goes for a morning routine. Have your older children help your younger children when appropriate. Make the morning commute to school or work quality time. Creating simple regular activities like these are going to be memories your children and spouse will hold for years to come.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Huntington Beach, Calif.