It may seem like an overwhelming challenge to protect your family from health risks that seem to be everywhere, but there are simple steps you can take to keep your loved ones healthy. You may be surprised to find out how effective lifestyle changes can be when they’re implemented on a regular basis. This guide will help you provide a healthier way of life for your loved ones and yourself.
Switch to a Plant-Based Diet
Eating a plant-based diet doesn’t mean you give up eating all meat, but it does mean eating more fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts. In fact, these types of food should make up two-thirds of every meal to ensure everyone in your family is getting the daily vitamins and minerals they need. The nutrients provided by larger servings of plant-based foods will help your immune system stay strong and effective. In choosing the foods you feed your family, be sure to select a wide range of colors. The color of the skin of each fruit and vegetable contains specific nutrients, so a diverse selection will give your family a broader range of vitamins and minerals.
Add Fermented Foods to Your Diet
You should also make sure your family eats fermented foods on a regular basis. These foods, which include plain yogurt, cottage cheese, sauerkraut, and kimchi, contain a wide selection of bacteria that will make its way to your gut. There, they form a pocket in the large intestines known as the gut microbiome, which consists of trillions of helpful microbes. Research has found that the bacteria in the gut microbiome helps to positively impact weight control, diabetes, digestion, and even brain function. Ensuring your family gets a broad range of beneficial microbes is as important as eating plant-based foods in promoting overall good health.
Increase Everyone’s Physical Activity
Getting enough exercise is vital to everyone’s physical and emotional health. In addition to promoting weight loss, good heart health, and muscle growth, moderate to high intensity physical activity also relieves stress and promotes the production of mood-boosting endorphins in the brain. While exercise is essential to good health, it doesn’t have to feel like a chore. In fact, it’s better for your health to engage in a broad range of different activities that will exercise different muscle groups throughout your body. You can take your family swimming, bicycling, jogging, or you can all play team sports together.
Alleviate Muscle Pain
Getting more exercise means experiencing more frequent muscle soreness. While it has become a common practice to alleviate this type of pain with medication, physical therapy or chiropractic visits is more effective and eliminates the side effects caused by chemical-based medications. A chiropractor in Stockbridge GA states that “traditional treatments like drugs, shots and surgery only treat the symptoms of back pain; not the underlying cause.” People who see chiropractors typically sleep better, experience better mood control, and suffer from respiratory conditions less frequently. By reducing pressure around the joints and in the muscles, treatments help you focus better, resulting in improved concentration and memory recall.
Improve Everyone’s Sleep Quality
Getting a full night of quality sleep is also essential to overall health. While your body rests, muscle and tissue is being repaired, the brain is rebooted, and bodily functions are rejuvenated. If you’re not getting seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep each night, these processes aren’t completed. Everyone in your family should have comfortable sleeping quarters that promote relaxation. This starts with ensuring bedding is comfortable and sheets are soft and smooth, so this may require investing in more luxurious bedding and pillows. You should also ensure excess lighting and noise is eliminated from these rooms. If you live in an area near busy streets, each family member should have earplugs and sleep masks to eliminate the external stimuli that affects sleep. Additionally, electronic devices should be turned off one hour before bed to eliminate the disruption to the sleep cycle that the screen’s blue light causes. Instead, encourage family members to meditate, take a bath, or engage in a relaxing hobby. This will prepare everyone for sleep at bedtime.
Making lifestyle changes isn’t going to be easy, but, once you implement them, you’ll begin enjoying the benefits of those changes. By getting your whole family on board, you’ll also have the support to promote those changes consistently. Over time, healthier choices will come naturally to you and your family.
