Put all of these tips into a jar, and pick one to focus on each week!
- Make sure everyone eats breakfast everyday
- Eating breakfast is associated with a lower incidence of heart disease, better blood sugar levels, and lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Eating breakfast has been found to improve cognitive function which will assist with memory and test taking.
- Cut down on salt
- The recommended intake of salt is less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, but the majority of Americans consume 3,400 milligrams every day.
- Too much sodium puts you at increased risk for high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.
- To cut down on sodium, avoid processed food and cut down on restaurant meals. Watch out for these foods that often contain large amounts of sodium:
- Canned soup
- Frozen pizza
- Salad dressings
- Snack foods such as chips and pretzels
- Instead of adding salt while cooking, first taste your food at the dinner table and then determine if you need a bit of salt.
- Try different seasonings such as pepper or garlic
- Exercise together as a family or plan fun activities that will keep everyone moving
- In the warmer months, go hiking, walking, or to the park.
- When it’s too cold out, do simple 15-30 minute workouts as a family.
- Cut back on TV
- The average American watches more than 5 hours of live TV every day.
- Turn the TV off, and get some movement in instead!
- Buy/make healthy cleaning supplies
- Most of our cleaning supplies are filled with chemicals and toxins that are terrible for your health. They can actually cause damage to the brain and nervous system, disrupt your hormones, and cause cancer cells to increase.
- Try buying all natural products from a health store or making your own.
- Keep the playroom clean!
- Kids can spread so many germs, between coughing, sneezing, and picking their nose. Use those healthy cleaning supplies and keep that playroom as spotless as you can. If your kids are old enough, have them help you! Great way to get them moving as well ;)
- Eat dinner together every night
- Put the cell phones away, turn the TV off, and take this time every day to focus on each other. Spend this time talking about each other’s days, and really enjoying each other’s company.
