5 easy ways to improve the health & wellbeing of your family
5 easy ways to improve the health & wellbeing of your family
Family life can be busy. REALLY busy at times. The juggle and balance of work, school, piles of washing, after-school activities, getting lunch boxes ready and trying to get some kind of dinner on the table that everyone will eat makes for a crazy day.
As a working mum to two young boys I know and understand these challenges all too well. Here are my top 5 tips to keep your family healthy even when things are busy
Eat together, as often as you canI FULLY understand that it’s not always practical to eat dinner together, we often can’t in our house because of work schedules and an early bedtime for our baby, but as often as you can, share meals together. Try to sit down, at the table, without the distraction of the TV, your mobile phone or doing other jobs at the same time. In our house it is breakfast during the week and all our meals at the weekend. Kids learn good eating habits and how to behave at the table by watching YOU. What you do yourself is more important than what you tell them to do. It is a time to talk, enjoy the eating experience and come together as a family.
Keep active together - Build time into your week to be active – disconnecting from technology, being together as a family and enjoying the many benefits of activity is a winning combination to keep your family well! Whether it is a weekend bush walk, running on the beach together, jumping on the trampoline, swimming together, playing backyard cricket, climbing trees or kicking a footy around the park – make time each week to move together as a family.
To make it a HABIT, why not set a goal to do something together?!
Get your kids involved - From gardening, to shopping and cooking – the more you can get them involved, the better! It is amazing sometimes that kids will end up eating veggies you never thought they would when they have been the one to grow them, and if not – at least they have learnt a bit more about where their food comes from. Getting them involved in food shopping (if and when practical – I know this can be a double edged sword and sometimes can take too long!!)…but even just taking them with you to the fruit and veggie store and letting them help you pick the fruit and veggies is a great thing to do.
If you get them involved in the kitchen, teach them to make savoury food, rather than just biscuits, cakes and muffins. Both my boys spend time helping me in the kitchen and they love it!
More veg, less sugar - With the endless nutrition debates, mixed opinions and polarising views out there about food – it can all become a bit overwhelming knowing what to feed your family, but if in doubt, think back to basics. It is all too easy to get caught up in the trends, the hype and the fads but overall, including more plant based foods (veggies, fruits, pulses, nuts and seeds), opting for foods which are less processed and without too much added sugar is the way to go. Some of the most simple foods are the best.
It is recommended we keep our free sugar intake to less than 6 tsp a day as adults (26g), and for children is it less – so check what you are buying. Examples of free sugar include white sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup, honey, agave and fruit juice. The sugar that naturally occurs in WHOLE fruit and unsweetened milk/yoghurt (lactose) doesn’t count as part of the 26g.
Create a regular bed time routine - Sleep is important for us all and is actually has the biggest influence on our wellbeing and happiness – more than how much money we earn, exercise or our social connections!
If you struggle to get to sleep, it could be that you haven’t spent enough time outside during the day. Exposing your eyes to natural light helps regulate hormones which control your sleep and your mood, so if you spend all day inside (even if you see the outside world through a window at your office!) this could well be part of your problem. The same goes for kids too.
Avoid watching the TV, being on your computer or playing with any other similar device that emits blue light too close to bed time as it keeps your brain awake and can make it more challenging to fall asleep. For more on sleep, check this article out.
