3 Family Health Tips for a Happy Home
If we let it, family health can fall by the wayside in the hustle and bustle of being an entrepreneur family. In order to thrive in this wonderful yet busy life, I have come to see that I am the one who has the most influence over our health and so I make it a priority to build healthy habits.
With all the different requirements of my time, I need to stay healthy, so I have the energy I need to do all of what life demands of me. When I am focused on my health, it spills over our whole family. For my family, a healthy mom equals a happy home.
Here are the three main areas I focus on to keep family health a priority.
Food
What we eat fuels us. Our time is precious so it’s important to choose our food wisely. For my family, we live by an 80/20 rule when it comes to food—80% of our meals are plant based and the other 20% leaves space for some fun and treats. Will you catch my kids eating meat? Yes, at your house when you cook amazing burgers for them. In that situation they will definitely take part, and it falls under the 20%. At home we stick to mostly plant-based meals. This style of eating is what we’ve found works best to keep our family healthy and energized, but health is a journey and so we are always learning and adjusting.
Over the last seven years I’ve tried many different vegetarian and plant-based recipes, making tweaks here and there to ensure they are filling and delicious. Just ask and I can share some of our favorites. My kids are honest about when I have succeeded or failed—I love their candor! Personally, I enjoy cooking and baking so it’s easy for me to incorporate healthy food and plant-based meals into our diets. If the idea of cooking and baking makes you want to cry, enlist an expert’s help to keep you on track; I believe what you put in your body is far more important than who prepares the food.
When I’m eating healthy, I have more energy, I think more clearly, and I sleep better. Here’s how I see it: healthy wife, healthy life.
Exercise
Exercise, oh how I love thee...but if this is not you yet, stay with me! I believe exercise is a key to success in all aspects of life. Depending on how old your kids are this may not be a problem for you, maybe you’re chasing a toddler around or practicing soccer with your pre-teen. Over the years I found many different ways of getting exercise in, from doing Jillian Michaels workouts in my basement—no I do not have any videos of this thankfully—to classes at the local recreation centre and personal training.
These days, my exercise happens at the gym. Although I love the gym, I don’t have the time, interest or mental capacity to structure workouts for myself, so I enlist the help of experts. Personally, I need three good hard workouts at the gym a week, and then on a couple of other days I’ll add in a run or walk with a good friend, or a family swim or hike. Exercise helps me feel great and gives me more energy. And my pants fit better, it’s a thing.
Oh, and if the pant size weren’t enough motivation, exercise has another amazing benefit—it makes my mind clear, focused and positive. I call it my happy mommy fix. This benefit alone will help us succeed with much of what life throws at us. So, find an exercise routine that you will enjoy and commit to. There are so many great apps, gyms and programs to fit just about any kind of life now.
Rest
Rest is an often-overlooked area by us entrepreneur wives and at certain seasons in life, like in motherhood or when building a business, getting enough rest can be especially difficult.
Nap time is long gone from my life for the most part, but rest remains, thank goodness. Many studies have shown us just how important it is to get a good night sleep. While we preach it to our kids, we can sometimes take better care of them than ourselves in this area. If you haven’t gotten a good night sleep for whatever reason—insert sick kid, animal, parent, the holidays, etc.—a timed 20-minute nap in the early afternoon can work wonders. Nowadays there are even apps and oils that can help you with this.
We know about the negative effects on our family health when we don’t get enough sleep, so I want to encourage you to develop a good bedtime routine.
I have read many articles on the negative effects of looking at a screen before bed, so I’ve been making an effort to read printed books before bed instead of on my iPad or phone. I also have a pen and paper beside my bed for list-making or thought-dumping so I can rest easy without worrying I might forget something. I know I sleep much better if I read and write out my final thoughts before sleeping than if I watch a show. There is one other way I have discovered gives a great night sleep and contributes to strengthening your marriage, but I will leave that one for you to think about.
Family health doesn’t happen overnight. Start small—little changes in eating, exercising and sleep habits will make all the difference in being able to have the energy to thrive in this wonderful, yet busy, life!