This blog post is part of a paid Megan Media and Florastor Kids blogging #IamBiotic #FlorastorKids program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own.
With cold and flu season threatening to take down entire families at a time, what can you do to keep your family healthy and well? As a Registered Nurse and mother of four children, under the age of eight, I can tell you that there ARE things you can do to keep the germs away and keep your family healthy! Here are 7 habits of healthy families that you should start doing today in order to keep your family healthy and well!
1.) Plan your family’s weekly meals.
This may not be the first thing to pop into your head when you think of healthy habits, however by planning your family’s meals for the week you will be able to ensure that your family is eating healthy, wholesome meals—instead of fast food or convenience foods loaded with unhealthy additives. My family started eating as much fresh, organic, and non-GMO foods as possible and eliminated as many processed foods as we could, and we have seen a huge upswing in our health. We have far less sick days since we started consuming fresh, real food instead of convenience foods. If you aren’t sure where to start you can check out my free weekly meal plans that I share each Monday!
2.) Instill good hand washing habits.
Most germs that cause us to become sick enter our bodies through our eyes, nose, or mouth via our hands. Think of how many times a day you touch germ-ridden surfaces and then touch your face, or eat a meal without washing your hands first. Your hands become the perfect vehicle for illness, causing viruses and bacteria to enter your body. Stop them in their tracks by instilling good hand washing habits in every member of your family. What does that mean? Every time you return home the first thing you should do is wash your hands. Before eating a meal or snack, you need to wash your hands. After going to the bathroom, wash your hands. When you are out and about, use hand sanitizer. We are very good about washing our hands and thus eliminating that route for germs to enter our bodies. Because of this habit our family has stayed healthy. You can go one step further and use Hibiclens soap, which will kill bacteria on your hands for up to 24 hours. We do this on school days when hand washing doesn’t happen as often. for my kids. You should also be diligent to not touch your face often as it’s an easy route for germs to enter your body.
3.) Take a quality probiotic daily.
One thing my entire family does each day is to take a quality probiotic. We take Florastor daily probiotic supplement and my kids take the FlorastorKids daily probiotic supplement. Probiotics have many health benefits and are excellent for strengthening your digestive balance and supporting a healthy immune system. Florastor also helps your body perform two other essential functions: 1) Break down carbs and fiber 2) Absorb water and nutrients. By doing so, Florastor helps you maintain healthy water balance and bowel function. Having a healthy digestive balance supports a healthy immune system because 70% of your immune system is located in your digestive tract. Another key fact to note: if you are taking antibiotics, is that you should continue taking probiotics at the same time. Antibiotics kill both the good and bad bacteria in your digestive system. Since Florastor is naturally resistant to all antibiotics, it can minimize the loss of good bacteria and help you maintain a healthy digestive balance.
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4.) Drink 8 cups of water a day.
This is a healthy habit tip that has been around for ages because it rings true! It is very healthy for you to drink at least 8 cups of water a day. Encourage your kids to drink water as well. I send all of my kids to school with water bottles and they drink water all day. My 2 year old is adept at getting his own ice water from our fridge water in the door system. He loves it! Make it fun for them and instill the healthy habit of drinking water at an early age (of course not before age one). You should be drinking enough that you never feel thirsty and your pee is a light yellow color to indicate that it is not concentrated. The body is made up primarily of water and needs water to function optimally.
5.) Get plenty of sleep.
We live in a society that thrives on less and less sleep as the years go by. Back in our parents’ day and age, eight hours of sleep was the norm. Today five hours is the new norm and our bodies don’t do well on that little sleep. Throw in kids and waking up in the middle of the night and you may be getting by on less than five hours of sleep. Our bodies and brains need sleep to function well. Our immune systems becomes compromised when we don’t get enough sleep. Sleeping has benefits that reach further than just resting your eyes. Your body needs 7-8 hours of sleep (for adults) to function optimally. Kids need even more! Create a habit of going to bed on time and putting the kids to bed at an early hour so that everyone gets an optimal amount of rest.
6.) Stay active!
Many families struggle with being too busy to have an exercise plan. I understand how busy life gets, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have time to exercise. There are plenty of opportunities to be active without committing to a workout plan. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park further away from the door when shopping, clean your house, play outside with the kids and run! There are countless ways to be active and fit, even on a busy schedule. You can also take advantage of short workout plans that are done in under 30 minutes. Staying active and fit helps enable your body to be at optimal health.
7.) Reduce stress in your life.
This is often easier said than done, but reducing the amount of stress in your daily life can significantly improve your overall health and mental well-being. Stress has an incredible effect on the body and when the adults in the family are stressed, the kids sense that too and in turn they get stressed. Begin by avoiding the urge to over-schedule your activities. Simplify your daily activities and allow for time to just be together as a family without all the running around. Next, look at de-cluttering your house. One major connection for me is that when my house is messy and disorganized, my head feels frazzled. Reduce the clutter and you’ll also reduce the stress. Make a commitment to yell less often and instead take a breath and slow life down. It’s good for your overall health and the health of your family. Finally, learn to say “no”. Don’t say yes to every request thrown your way. Put yourself and your family ahead of other priorities and learn that it’s okay to say no and put your family time first.
By starting to practice these eight habits of healthy families, you’ll be well on your way to a healthier lifestyle and will reap the benefits of that lifestyle. My family follows these 7 healthy habits daily and we’ve been doing this for about a year now. Our overall health has improved greatly and we have had far less sick days as a result of these healthy habits.
What healthy habits does your family practice?
This blog post is part of a paid Megan Media and Florastor Kids blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own.
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