What is family health? It looks a little different for everyone, but the basics are always the same: food, sleep, mental and emotional resilience, and movement. As a parent, how can you be sure you’re cultivating these well? What are some strategies you can use to do even better and shake things up and make it fun? We’re diving into all these questions on today’s episode, so stay tuned.
LINK TO PUBLISHED ARTICLE: https://nwef.org/2023/02/13/four-key-ways-to-cultivate-family-health/
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Noah Webster Educational Foundation collaborates with individuals and organizations to tell the story of America’s education and culture; discover foundational principles that improve it; and advance practice and policy to change it.
Website: https://www.nwef.org
Reach out: info@nwef.org
What is family health? It looks a little different for everyone, but the basics are always the same: food, sleep, mental and emotional resilience, and movement. As a parent, how can you be sure you’re cultivating these well? What are some strategies you can use to do even better and shake things up and make it fun? We’re diving into all these questions on today’s episode, so stay tuned.
LINK TO PUBLISHED ARTICLE: https://nwef.org/2023/02/13/four-key-ways-to-cultivate-family-health/
GET CONNECTED WITH NWEF
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nwef.org/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NWEF_org
Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nwef_org/
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtdHayyOqPftVoiGEqxYdsg
– What is the Noah Webster Educational Foundation? –
Noah Webster Educational Foundation collaborates with individuals and organizations to tell the story of America’s education and culture; discover foundational principles that improve it; and advance practice and policy to change it.
Website: https://www.nwef.org
Reach out: info@nwef.org
Resources.
When we think of resources, a vast sea of options come to mind. Finances, natural materials, time…our minds can run through a personal list in milliseconds.
But what is each individual’s greatest resource?
What if it’s health?
Without good health, how useful are all of those other assets? With poor health, how are those other resources used? We spend our time and our money on supplements, medicines, doctor visits, and procedures in an effort to achieve, restore, and maintain our health. With good health, we can focus the rest of our resources on other objectives.
Gandhi is said to have vocalized this concept. “It is health that is the real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”
Good health is an essential resource for optimal productivity and quality of life. However, would it surprise you to learn that this concept goes beyond the individual?
When we examine family health, we see a world of potential and far-reaching influence. Family health impacts the individuals within the family, and the effects are felt beyond the four walls of the family home.
But what is “family health?” How is it cultivated?
Let’s Explore
Family health can be defined as “a state in which the family is a resource for the day-to-day living and health of its members…it is in families that individuals learn about, and are exposed to, behaviors and patterns of living that may be key to their own health. ”
Encyclopedia.com notes that family health includes:
This simple list covers essential categories like physical needs, mental health, and healthcare. Family health is the overall health of the family unit and the day-to-day interactions that establish life-long habits, self-value, and physical health.
Cultivating a household culture of family health will benefit the individuals and the family as a whole. Keep reading to discover some simple tips to aid your family’s health journey together!
Nutrition
An obvious aspect of healthy living is nutrition. Without proper nutrition, our bodies don’t function properly, and our brains don’t run optimally. According to the CDC, a healthy, balanced diet can fend off disease and help with existing medical issues.
Proper nutrition is essential for growing kids. Proper nutrition is a crucial component of a child’s well-being. Merely ingesting a substance resembling a meal doesn’t necessarily yield optimal results. Food is information for the body. It provides cells and organs with the necessary nutrients to function correctly. Nutrition tells the body what to do, when, and where. Young bodies need a proper, balanced diet to operate and develop properly.
“We know that fuelling children with the appropriate foods helps support their growth and development,” the Eating Healthy Advisory Service notes. “But there is a growing body of research showing that what children eat can affect not only their physical health but also their mood, mental health, and learning.”
Strategies
Some practical, easy tips for optimizing proper nutrition for the whole family include:
Cultivating a healthy diet and proper nutrition can literally change a family from the inside out. From happier kids to fewer visits to the doctor, your family will benefit in every way from a balanced diet!
Sleep
Sleep is an essential process for the health of the body and mind. Our bodies cannot heal, rejuvenate, or regenerate without adequate sleep. Despite the vital importance of proper sleep habits, Americans are chronically low on sleep. Lack of sleep affects everyone in the family and affects health and well-being on an individual and family level.
The CDC recommends seven hours of sleep a night for individuals 18 to 60 years old. Children need even more sleep per night than adults. Children need anywhere from eight to seventeen hours a night, depending on their age.
Nearly half the kids in the US aren’t getting enough sleep. When children lack sleep, almost everything about them is affected, including:
Stratagies
To build healthy sleeping habits for the whole family, try these tricks!
Movement
Our bodies are built for physical activity. Sadly, Americans suffer from a chronic lack of this essential undertaking. In fact, Fox News points out that “New statistics by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that less than one-quarter of Americans are meeting the minimum amount of exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle.”
For children, movement is absolutely vital. National recommendations for children suggest they should have vigorous physical activity for at least an hour a day, amounting to 10,000 steps or more. Unfortunately, according to The National Education Foundation, this is often not the case.
While at home, kids should be active and energetic. Children who attend school often suffer from a woeful lack of physical activity due to the very nature of our model of education. While schools should explore incorporating more movement into the classroom, families must also address exercise and physical activity at home.
Exercise, and the lack thereof, can affect a surprising number of things, including:
Strategies
So, how can you get the whole family at a healthy level of physical activity? Check these ideas out!
Mental and Emotional Well-Being
Mental and emotional health are buzzwords in today’s world, but there’s a reason for that. Whether mental and emotional health is declining in our culture or as a society, or we’ve merely come to recognize their importance as a higher priority, the mental and emotional state of Americans is a big deal.
As a family, addressing these can be a daunting task. They are issues with seemingly endless aspects to them. Let’s address a few common ones:
Strategies
So, are there easy ways to address mental and emotional health at home? We’re so glad you asked!
Healthy Families Create a Healthy World
Healthy families create healthy individuals. Healthy individuals make for healthy communities. Healthy communities make up a healthy world. It all starts in your home!
Start small and watch the difference your efforts make as you nurture your family and cultivate healthy habits together!