We all want our families to be happy, healthy, and on their way to being the best person that they can be. Happy? We can take care of that. Fill them up with all the love in the world while they’re young, and they’ll be on the right path. Healthy? Hmm, well that’s a trickier one. It can feel like it’s beyond our control, especially when we’re so busy taking care of all the necessary daily tasks. There are, however, some things we can do to put our families – and ourselves – on the right path towards sound health. Check them out below.
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Start With Shopping
Taking a trip to the supermarket might not be the most rock and roll part of your week, and you might not be all that motivated to sit down and make a list, but it’ll pay off, and in more ways than one. For starters, with a clear list of what you need, you’ll save money (most people spend more when they go off-piste and start putting random stuff into their trolley). Second, it’ll make it easier to buy all those healthy foods that are positively good for us. Your kids will want those sugary and fatty snacks, and they’re OK in small doses, but make sure the bulk of the cart is filled with nutritious goodness.
The Art of Cooking
It’s all good and well having healthy foods in the cupboards and fridge, but if you’re not incorporating them into your meals, then the benefits will be lost. It’s all about cooking. When people are tired, it’s normal that they’d rather just put a pizza into the oven or make a microwaveable meal, but if you do this often enough, then it’ll quickly begin to show. Learn the art of cooking healthy meals – there are plenty which takes only fifteen or twenty minutes – and you’ll be ensuring your family is getting all the goods things they need for robust health.
Simple Breakfasts
Of all the meals that you’re likely to skip, none are as tempting as the breakfast. It’s morning, everyone’s queuing up for the bathroom and rushing around like mad, who has time for breakfast? It’s better to have an extra fifteen minutes in bed, right? It might feel that way, but there’s a reason why they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It’ll keep your children going to school until lunchtime; having the energy to concentrate makes a massive difference to their education, and will keep their health robust. You’re not going to make a full English breakfast every morning, so focus on simple, energy giving breakfasts instead. There’ll be no excuse to skip breakfast anymore!
Exercise Hour
Your kids probably spend all summer running around and playing games with their friends, but when autumn arrives, they’re more likely to spend time indoors. As are you, incidentally. While it’s one of the joys of the season to spend time all together on the sofa, watching a movie, if you’re making a habit of doing it every night, then your families health will be a mess come springtime! Instead, find ways to incorporate exercise into your family’s routine. There are ways to get active in the home, for instance. You should also try to find ways to get outdoors and into nature altogether. A long walk in the outdoors is good for everyone and boosts physical and mental health.
Good Hygiene Practices
It’s not a mystery how people fall ill, and germs spread. Most of the time, it’s because the bacteria has been given license to grow on a person, and then they shake hands, and then they’re ill too. In a family, if one person falls ill, everyone does. But it doesn’t have to be that way. If you encourage good hygiene practices, you’ll be reducing the number of opportunities germs have to spread. Make sure everyone in your family – mostly the kids, though – know to wash their hands with water AND soap, and to dry their hands properly afterward.
Well Stocked Cupboards
Of course, from time to time people are going to fall ill. You can have your first line of defence ready by having a well-stocked cupboard filled with all the usual, everyday medicines we need when we’re poorly If someone in the family needs specific medication, don’t wait until you have free time to collect their prescription; there are just 3 easy steps to reorder your medicine online. They’ll get the medicines they need, and you won’t have to take time out of your busy time to find a pharmacy. Preparation and organisation are all you need to defeat the illnesses that every family get at some point or another.
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Green Up The House
If your home is currently lacking in the plants’ department, then it might be time to look at greening up space. There are plenty of benefits to having plants in the house. For starters, they improve air quality, so you’ll know that your family is breathing in air that’s good for the lungs. They also help with mental health issues, too. For reasons that may never be truly understood, being around plants elevates our mood. It’s good for the physical body if the mental mind is in a good space! And let’s not forget that they’re all pretty beautiful to look at, too.
Give up the Vices
Everyone knows that it’s bad to smoke, but it’s bad for your family too. To make things smell a little better you could get an air purifier for second-hand smoke but healthwise research shows that children who grow up with smoking parents are much likely to become smokers themselves later on in life. You’ll be doing your kids a long-term service if you stub it out. The same can also be applied to alcohol. While there’s little wrong with enjoying the odd glass of wine, if you’re making a habit of drinking multiple drinks each night, eventually your kids are going to internalise that behaviour, which can be difficult to undo later on in life.