Top ten tips for a healthy family.

Posted by on Sep 22, 2011 in Body Awareness, exercises, Family, Fitness, Health, lifestyle, people, thoughts | Comments Off on Top ten tips for a healthy family.

Defining good health is easy, it’s a sense of well-being, a balance between your body, mind and spirit.  As a mother of two grown ups I feel that parenting has been a great experience. Easier said than done being a good parent takes plenty of time, effort, commitment, knowledge and sacrifice.

I had the fortune to have two great parents both very different from each other but with the same determination to help me evolve into the best person that I could be. Despite their differences, there were three things that both shared in common that I also implemented as I was raising my kids:

  1. Good and nutritious food. Our meals were freshly made everyday with the freshest ingredients( both my parents used to go to the local farmer’s market to find the best ingredients). I also enjoy my grocery shopping trying to find only the best of produce and my kids know how to make the right choices too.
2. The power of exercising and stretching everyday. Both my parents did calisthenics, yoga, swimming, rowing and horse back riding. They never suffered from neck or back pain. They carried themselves in a way that expressed self-confidence. Good posture is essential to prevent  body misalignment. It is not an easy task to remind your kids to stand straight, but at the end all the effort is worth it.
3. The transcendental meaning of self-discipline. How to control your emotions, your reactions and your thoughts. Both my parents had a very rough life. My dad  was in a concentration camp during World War Two, and my mom was an orphan. Teaching your kids the power of resilience and discipline will help them  be strong as they face all the challenges in life.

4. The last 7 tips are from my experience.  I reinforced the value of accepting yourself with pride. No one is perfect but we can always be better in every aspect of our lives. Self image is very important, one vital step is keeping your weight under control by eating right and definitely by controlling the size and the amount of  the portions.

5. Being a 24-7 good role model. Kids are the vivid image of their parents and their home values. Be in sync with your husband to avoid  confusions and misunderstandings. They have a great memory when it comes to remind us of our mistakes.

6. Hygiene is vital for keeping a healthy body. One habit that I always reminded them was : wash your hands as soon as you get home, before eating, and after doing any kind of activity or sport. Carry anti-bacterial soap or wipes in your purse or back pack. Besides personal hygiene I taught them to keep their rooms tidy.

7. Body awareness is vital in keeping your body healthy. Listen to your body, don’t force your body, if something feels wrong, stop  immediately. You can save your kids from injuries and  unnecessary aches and pains just by teaching them to pay attention to their bodies, specially if they are physically active.

8. Positive attitude, value yourself and your positive attributes so people can value you as well. Go with the flow. Laugh it off.

9. Love is essential in your life it nurtures your mind and spirit. Love yourself first, your family, your country and choose a job that you love. Volunteer and give back as much as you can. Treat others well and avoid being judgmental.

10.Be grateful for everything you have, specially all those things that are priceless not the material things. The practice of simple meditation helps you relax and enjoy the present. With or without music, indoors or outdoors or in a quiet or a crowded place meditation is a great source for peace and mental health. My kids love to relax and unwind with music.

I hope these tips will be useful for parents to follow and a real eye-opener for those seeking for a little advice.