How to take care of your family: 12 tips to improve your life
A "healthy diet and" the adoption of correct lifestyles are two fundamental aspects for living peacefully and in health. Especially if you have children, it is good to give them a good example and raise them from an early age with particular attention to what you eat.
Teaching them to introduce fruits and vegetables, limit heavy and fatty foods and choose natural products will make them more aware, alert and healthy adults. Here, for example, are some foods that should never be missing on your table.
Below we suggest twelve tips to introduce good habits and virtuous behaviors into your life and help your children to grow in a more conscious and mature way.
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1. Fruit, always welcome!
Many children (and even adults) find it difficult to eat fruit because of its texture, taste, or simply because they find chocolate, snacks or chips more palatable. However, it is very important to introduce fruits and vegetables for our health.
It is best to eat whole fruit, but if your children are struggling, you can also choose to make a fruit smoothie. Take care to keep all the pulp to keep all the properties of the fruit intact. Natural juices are suitable, but they should never replace the consumption of whole fruit, as some of the fruit components are lost in these. And, of course, avoid packaged fruit juices, because they are ultra-processed and loaded with sugars, which are of no benefit to your health.
2. Sport, start with the family!
Computers, tablets, iPads, it is clear that the childhood of today's children has little to do with ours. We must, however, prevent them from leading a sedentary life by teaching them to love sports from an early age. But how do you do it? everything, as already mentioned before, setting a good example and proposing sports activities that involve the whole family.
From walking to skiing, to group sports, such as football or basketball. Choose the activities you prefer and accustom your children from childhood to devote themselves to sports with passion and constancy. A sedentary life does not help physical well-being and counteracts childhood obesity, one of the most delicate issues involving the world of " childhood.
3. Encourage family reading
Exercising your intellect, stimulating your imagination and critical thinking are fundamental aspects of raising a curious and aware adult. For this reason, encourage reading from an early age.
Both in the form of e-books and on classic paper books. Try to carve out a moment every day to dedicate to reading, start with easier and more accessible readings, such as Harry Potter or other sagas loved by the little ones. If your children are very young, it is best for adults to get into the habit of reading stories to them before going to sleep.This way, reading will be a part of their life forever and you will share more moments with your family.
4. Cook healthily
As already explained, a good diet is an essential point for living healthily. It is best to try to cook in the healthiest way possible. Limit the fried foods and prefer the use of extra virgin olive oil. Be careful also to minimize industrial baked goods, packaged foods and sauces (in particular mayonnaise and its derivatives. It is important that you encourage your children to follow a a healthy diet from an early age to ensure they become attentive and healthier adults.
Prefer steaming, in the oven or on the grill, and of course, stock up on fruit and vegetables. This does not mean eliminating all less healthy foods, but always trying to keep a balance to allow your body to stay healthy. Here are some tips to do this:
- Make a shopping list, always giving priority to healthy food (vegetables, fruits, vegetables, white meat, fish ...)
- When shopping, take your list with you so you can be more rigorous and aware and avoid running into unhealthy products.
- Organize the purchase as a family so that all members are involved in this household chore.
- Plan the menu for each day of the week: in this way you will be much better organized.
- Cook as a family whenever you can to make it more fun; you can also cook together on Sundays and prepare food to eat later throughout the week.
- Reserve cheats for when you go to eat at the restaurant, so you have less junk food on hand and fewer temptations.
- Teach your children from an early age to taste the cuisines of other countries, because not only will you be able to enjoy new tastes and textures, but you will learn from other cultures and expand your vision of the world.
5. Less TV and more conversation
Conversation is key to enriching yourself and getting to know your family members thoroughly. Engage in meaningful conversations with your loved ones, ask them how they are, take an interest in their feelings and make sure they are okay, offering help and support when needed. A good idea to help with this is for example to have lunch and dinner with the TV off, so that you can talk freely. This also gives you more attention to what you eat and what family members say at the table. Listening and paying attention is also a form of caring for our loved ones.
6. Family getaway
Get used to "escaping" with your family whenever you can. Spending a few days at the seaside, in the mountains or simply in a nearby town for a weekend will help you strengthen your bonds and feel closer. This type of travel is perfect for getting to know different places and broadening your horizons, so it's especially beneficial for children.
There is nothing like traveling to experience and learn from life.
7. Positivity, the key to success
One other thing that you and your family should strive for is to see the glass always half full. Positivity is something that is transmitted, and let's remember that children are like sponges, so they will learn to deal with life in a similar way. they see at home, so it is better to set a good example for them.If you want them to grow up happy and confident, try to convey joy to them and handle the problems that arise in their life with optimism.
It is not a question of ignoring negative emotions, but of having a positive attitude towards events and understanding not so much what happens to us, but how to deal with it.
8. Small healthy habits
To lead a healthier life, you probably don't need to drastically change your lifestyle. Start with small actions like the ones we propose below:
- Make your bed every morning
- Take an afternoon walk
- Go up the stairs instead of taking the elevator
- Keep the house tidy
- Walk with your back straight
- Replace the salt with the spices
- Eat and drink consciously
- Breathe deeply every night before going to sleep
- Leave your cell phone behind when spending time with your family
These are small changes but they will make a big difference and being simple, it won't cost you much effort to include them in your routine.
9. Embrace your loved ones and be loving to them
Hugs have been shown to help reduce anxiety and, of course, make us feel good. Don't forget to hug your loved ones whenever you get the chance. Some children (and many adults too) dislike cuddling and cuddling. hugs, but even if they don't tell you, they will surely appreciate your affection.
We also want you to remember how important it is to help and love others and to let ourselves be loved and helped in turn. We all need the love of those we love, so don't just give, but allow yourself to receive the love you need.
10. Learn every day
Do you know the saying "you will never go to bed without learning something new"? Well, make it real! Learn something new every day. Do not let school or high school be the only window on the world for your child. Communicate, deepen and expose your curiosities and the notions you have learned by chance: this way of living life will help you and your children to be more curious. and attentive, stimulating thought, imagination and creativity. It is a virtuous behavior that will bring you many benefits.
11. Light dinners
Dinners should be light to promote good sleep and avoid overweight. Of course, it's okay to take a break every now and then and eat a pizza or burger, but it's best to leave these types of dishes for lunch or special occasions.
At dinner it is much healthier to eat a salad, some vegetables or fruit, some fish and white meat, such as grilled chicken and turkey.
It is also important to establish a time that allows at least two hours to pass between dinner and bedtime.
12. Organize household chores
Yes, there is a long list of things to do in a home. For the harmony and well-being of all family members to reign supreme, organization is indeed an essential aspect. No matter how many family members there are and whether or not there are children, the important thing is that everyone is clear about what tasks need to be done, by whom and at what time. The simplest thing is for each family member to do what they like best, and if there is a task that no one wants to do, you can take turns. One way to make sure everyone is clear is to create a specific calendar to make this commitment as a fun, shared activity.
