Taking Care Of Your Tribe: The Best Family Health Tips

Taking Care Of Your Tribe: The Best Family Health Tips

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Are you always rushing around after other people? Do you devote a lot of time to looking after children or caring for your parents or grandparents? For many of us, there’s nothing more important than taking care of our tribe. Good health is something none of us should take for granted. It’s not always possible to keep illness at bay, but there are certain things you can do to boost your family’s health and happiness. Here are some simple tips to protect those closest to you.

Self-help tips

It’s very easy when you’ve got a large family or you have children or parents who rely on you to put your health at the bottom of the list. The reality is that we should all make a concerted effort to make positive lifestyle choices. The decisions we make now can impact us for years to come. Take time to look after yourself, and make choices that will benefit both your body and your mind. We tend to think about physical health when the word health comes up in discussion, but mental wellbeing is equally important. If you’re keen to improve your health, there are some very simple steps you can take.

Your diet is an excellent place to start. Our bodies rely on the food we eat to provide essential nutrients and vitamins. If your diet isn’t brilliant, it’s time to focus on nutrition. Try and cook at home so that you have control of the ingredients. When you buy fast food or ready meals, there are often hidden sugars and additives, and you may be surprised when you check the salt content. You don’t have to give up everything you love to be healthy. There’s nothing wrong with having a bar of chocolate or a doughnut once a week, just don’t make treats the staple of your diet. Make meals that are packed with nutrients, keep an eye on your sugar and salt intake and try and cut out processed foods. Aim to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables every day.

Another easy step you can take is being more active. The CDC recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. Start walking or cycling to work, take the stairs instead of the elevator and make time to go to classes, hit the gym, take your bike out or go for a hike. If your body is moving, you’ll enjoy a wide range of mental and physical health benefits, including reduced levels of stress and anxiety, a lower risk of diabetes and heart disease and improved strength, flexibility, and endurance.

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Looking after older relatives

If you have aging parents, you may have reached the point where you provide care or you’re looking at options such as home care services or facilities that offer medical treatment. It can be very difficult to accept that your parents now rely on you for help when they have spent so many years looking after you. If you are in a situation where your parents need help, and you can’t provide them with the level of attention or care they need, it’s wise to explore the options that are available. If you’re looking for a care facility, use the Internet to locate homes and centers, click on the our services tab to find out more and arrange visits. Take a look around, see what kinds of services are provided, and take time to make a decision. If you’re not at the stage where your parents need to move out, but they need a bit of help around the home, you could consider liaising with your siblings or close friends to provide assistance or look at home care services, which can help with tasks like getting dressed and preparing meals. A growing number of people are also choosing to have their parents live with them. If you have space, and you’d like to take on that role, this is a scenario that can prove mutually beneficial. Your parents have the support, care, and companionship they need, and you have peace of mind that they are safe.

Many illnesses are more common in older people. To lower the risk of conditions like heart disease, strokes and type 2 diabetes, encourage your parents to eat well and stay as active as possible. Socializing can also be an incredibly powerful means of preventing depression, isolation, and loneliness.

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Caring for your kids

If you’re a parent, there’s no doubt that your kids come first. When you become a mom or a dad, you assume responsibility for that tiny bundle in your arms, and you make it your mission to try and ensure that they’re as healthy and happy as possible. Children are prone to minor ailments, like coughs and colds because their immune systems are underdeveloped. It’s not possible to prevent every bug that flies around, but adopting healthy habits can improve immunity. Try and encourage your children to eat well from an early age. It can be a struggle to get those greens to vanish off a plate, but if you can get kids to try vegetables and different types of fruit at a young age, this can help to instill habits, which will benefit them throughout their lives. If you do have arguments at dinner time, it’s a good idea to hide vegetables in meals like pasta with sauce and homemade soups or to try and be creative when it comes to presentation. If you can turn a stick of celery into a lizard or a crocodile, for example, this may be more appealing.

Inactivity is a major hazard for today’s children. In the US, child obesity is the most common health concern for parents. Children should be active, and ideally, they should do around 60 minutes of exercise per day. You can encourage your kids to be more active by playing with them in the garden, taking them to after school clubs and spending your weekends having fun doing activities like walking, going for bike rides, swimming and playing games at the beach or the park. Try and set a good example for your children, and use exercise as a means of spending quality time together.

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Whether you’re single, married, you have kids, or your parents are aging, it’s likely that you want to look after those around you. Hopefully, this guide will help you take care of your tribe.

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