Let’s get healthy together! There are a variety of ways to protect your body from things that may cause chronic diseases. Healthy habits such as exercise, positive social interactions, eating well, and adding antioxidants to your diet all play an important part.
As you get older it becomes easier to let these things become secondary in your lives. In fact, you could make a strong case for healthy habits being even more important the older you get. It is better to maintain your health than trying to regain the health that you have lost.
A doctor once told me that people live the way the way they want then expect the doctor to fix up their poor lifestyle habits. And it doesn’t work that way. So, let’s get healthy together!
#1 Exercise
You have heard it so often, and it is so true, exercise is important! To keep healthy, you must keep your muscles and joints active. Young joints, old joints, they all need to move. As you age, you may need to take extra care to keep those muscles strong and joints moving.
During commercial breaks you can compete to see who can do the most push ups, hold a plank the longest, or do the most jumping jacks. Playing with your family creates a healthy family atmosphere and healthy bodies as well.
#2 Walk
Explore local museums. You can have so much fun as you walk through a museum. You could make bingo cards and have a scavenger hunt, to see how many things everyone can find during the trip. That type of activity will keep feet and mind active all at the same time.
#3 Let’s Get Healthy Together
As a family you can get together and discuss your habits. Decide which ones you have that lead to better health, and which ones can be improved upon. To increase you chances of good success, take small steps to get everyone on board. Take advantage of every new day to achieve a healthier weight and lifestyle.
If you are trying to get healthier, try to get the support of the whole family. It may be a challenge if you are a parent, trying to get the whole family working together. Have everyone join in to help create a healthy meal plan for the week. Use the weekend to plan and prepare meals for the busy week ahead.
#4 Create Healthy Habits before Bad ones Take Root
When your children are small, introduce them to fruit and vegetables. Fast foods often contain an excessive amount of fats and sugar. Avoid the habit of making fast foods part of your regular diet. Eat home cooked meals, at least half of the days of each week.
Center your diet around vegetables, fruit, and whole grain. You can add some plant-based proteins and a variety to lean protein, and fish.
#5 Work with Your Healthcare Provider
Stay up to date with dental care and your immunizations. Ask questions and be open to healthy changes. Prevention is easier than trying to cure the problem once it has surfaced.
#6 Eliminate the “White Stuff” from Your Diet
As much as possible try to eliminate refined and processed foods. White sugar makes things so tasty, and using processed foods are time-savers, but there are usually so many chemicals in processed foods that it is better to reconsider and cut back on them when possible.
#7 Eat Breakfast
Each morning before work or school take time to refuel your body with a protein. Starting the day with a protein helps to keep you satiated to stave off those mid-morning hunger pangs and help you think more clearly.
#8 Try to Eat Together at the Table as a Family
There are many reasons for this. Turn off the electronics and have conversation as you eat. This will build healthy family bonds that are not easily broken. Slow down as you eat and allow your food to digest. Eat together at the table as often as possible, you will, however, have to allow for some exceptions to the rule.
#9 Keep the Generations Together
Spend time with loved ones to maintain strong relationships. Schedule regular time to spend with one another. You can even do this virtually, which makes traveling unnecessary. Make sure to plan this into your calendar schedule.
#10 Add Strength Exercise
Here is a set of cast iron dumbbells in three weight categories. They are color coded as 2 lb., 3 lb., and 5 lb., with an easy to assemble weight stand included.
Walking is also a fantastic exercise, and adding muscle-building workouts into your routine several times a week should be included. You don’t need to join a health club or even leave home, to get a full body workout. You can use weights or consistently add body weight exercise. like sit-ups, lunges, squats, pull-ups, and planks to your routine and your body will be in decent shape.
#11 Add Berries to Your Diet
Antioxidants help to protect your body from free radicals that may cause chronic diseases. Berries are a super-food when it comes to antioxidants.
The elderberry has been recorded since 4 BC by the famous physician Hippocrates. He called this berry his “medicine chest” for the medicinal properties of its leaves, bark, and berries, for sickness and wounds.
Unsweetened cranberries, small wild blueberries as well as the cultivated variety found in your grocery store are full of antioxidants. Raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries are excellent to include in your diet as well.
The polyphenols in the berries produce the deep color and account for their high level of antioxidants. Studies show that the darker the berry, the more antioxidants it contains.
#12 Fresh Air and Sunshine
We all need Vitamin D and can get it in several different ways. We can take it by tablet, by fish oil, or we can go out in the sun for awhile.
According to Dr. Roger Seheult, Vitamin D is perhaps one of the safest fat-soluble vitamins that you can take. You can have your Vitamin D levels checked by your doctor if you have any concerns.
An open window in your home allows for the circulation of fresh air for ventilation. Enjoy the fresh air when you meet in large gatherings. That is a simple way of preventing the spread of viruses.
There are many good immune supplements you can include in your diet.
#13 Good Immune Supplements Can:
- Fight Inflammation
- Strengthen the immune system
- Help prevent the development of viruses
- Shorten the duration and severity of the cold or flu
- Decrease the severity of upper respiratory symptoms
#14 Saunas
The health benefits of saunas are well known by the Finnish. They sit in a hot sauna for perhaps 15 minutes, then go jump in one of their nearby cold lakes.
Saunas are becoming more common worldwide. In lieu of a sauna, Dr. Roger Seheult takes contrast showers, standing under hot water, then cold water, then hot water, then cold water. You can learn more about that by listening to the YouTube above.
#15 Nudge, Don’t Nag
- Take baby steps.
- Introduce new healthy habits gradually.
- Start with one healthy change at a time.
- Don’t try to overhaul your family all at once.
- Keep healthy food (a bowl of fruit) in plain sight.
- Work to get them to come on board by seeing your example.
In Conclusion
Let’s get healthy together. It is easier if everyone is on board. Meal planning and exercise will be fun and not a chore.
Good nutrition, exercise, fresh air, and sunshine are all important as you strive toward good health. Saunas are a great idea as well.
Change is never easy, so make changes in baby steps so everyone is more likely to come along on the journey. It can be a challenging but satisfying task to keep the generations together. It is much simpler, today, with virtual technology.
Please Leave a Comment
I would love to hear from you. How do you and your family make plans for a healthier lifestyle?
Disclaimer: If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. No content on this site should be substituted for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare practitioners. The information contained here is for informational purposes only. It is from my research and personal experience.
Thank you very much for your post. This pandemic has taught me how fragile we are. And how a healthy diet and a boosted inmune system can really help during times of trouble. I am currently trying to slash sugars and processed foods. I admit that it’s not easy because that’s what’s most common around us.
We have learned, and are still learning many things from the pandemic. It is always the best for us to take care of our health as much as possible. Research is showing how white ingredients often used in processed foods do harm to our bodies. It is best to do what we can to stay healthy.
Hi everyone
I found the article great, especially the part that refers to bad and good habits, to implement them calmly and gradually, which is essential to establish the basis of a healthy and happy life.
I suppose that because of a cultural issue it seems very strange to me that eating protein for breakfast, but if it is good who am I to judge it?
Thanks for this great job!
Hi Antonio, and thanks for stopping by with a comment. I imagine different families and different cultures have different practices. The “word of the day” in North America is that protein “sticks to your ribs”, and keep your blood sugar levels stable, so you are not hungry and want to snack. Eggs for breakfast type of idea. You can also eat things like quinoa, which is a complete protein. Rice and beans, eaten together also make a complete protein. All the best!
Hi Carolyn. I loved your article and I totally agree with the tips that you have given. What I don’t understand is why do we come down with some horrible ailments even if you have stuck to a healthy activities all your life. I have always eaten good foods, worked and exercised outdoors, taken supplements when necessary, had a great family life etc, but I still suffer from chronic back pain, Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis. It seems that nothing I do helps. Do you have any ideas on what I might do to control these debilitating issues? Thanks Jim
Hi Jim, Thanks for stopping by with a comment. Your question as to why some people live a healthy lifestyle yet still get sick baffles even the medical community. Just recently I heard of a study they wanted to conduct to see if they could answer that question as well.
We do the best we know how then leave the rest to God, is all I can answer. I don’t like the answer that “It builds character” but it seems to if we allow it to.
Very well-written article, it is just long though haha. I am very health conscious. I pay attention to what I eat and what I do so thank you for this. It is always good to see people who share the same interests as you. I will most certainly bookmark this article.
Hi Daniel, thanks for stopping by with a comment.
Good nutrition, exercise, fresh air, and sunshine are all important to your health. You need to eat healthy food and move to keep your muscles strong and your joints well lubricated. Walking is one healthy way to do it. It is great if you can do it together as a family. Children often imitate what they see their parents do, and follow their example.