I believe that the family unit is one of the most important influences that we have in life. Today we need to feel that we have the support of a solid unit such as our families so that we can draw strength from that union of support and encouragement. For this reason and many more, we do need to maintain our health so that we can continue to live as a family and enjoy each other’s growth throughout time. Our families give us so many things in life that we need in order to survive. We receive love and guidance that can be trusted from a family member because we know that their desires for us are sincere and pure. Our family members really want the best for us.
To me, a beautiful family unit is one that constitutes the bringing forward of all those things in life that support the life of the family unit itself, as well as the emotional wellbeing of each individual… Things like prosperity in the form of a warm and loving place to live, the health gained from good life habits that promote living as long as possible, and with the fullest potential; and finally, a family organization brings us peace and comfort, our emotional strength.. We love those warm and wonderful feelings of comfort and acceptance that we get from our family unit. They lift us up and make us feel important to each other and the world around us.
I wanted to share with you an article I read in Health Magazine, it is an article provided by Doctor Oz and written on the topic of quote, “My Top 10 Anti-Aging Secrets.” I really like to watch Doctor Oz, as he provides such great life giving information and in such an enthusiastic manner, you just cannot help but want to emulate his thoughts on a healthy lifestyle. Interesting to me was the fact that this article focused on 10 Anti-Aging Secrets; but the family component was outlined as tools for the accomplishment of Doctor Oz’s Top 10 Life-Giving, Anti-Aging Tips. Here they are:
1) Don’t Go Hungry. When most people want to stay at a healthy weight, they starve themselves. Doctor Oz says, “Don’t starve your self. If you don’t fuel up regularly, you’ll become insatiably hungry, causing the hunger hormone, ghrelin, to spike.” The problem is that it takes a half-hour for that hormone to return to normal once you start to eat, but in that 30 minutes you’ll likely chow through many more calories than that (if you hadn’t eaten on an empty stomach). If you want to avoid excessive hunger, eat small and convenient snacks that provide bulk and are high in protein. I was glad to know that I have been following this kind of idea for quite some time now personally. I eat almonds and nuts for protein and bulk as the protein helps nourish the body and abates hunger. Carry an apple in your car; keep one in your desk, or in your briefcase. Fruits provide bulk, making you feel full; but they also provide natural sugars that can give you energy. When people feel tired they begin to think of food for comfort and energy…I say get ahead of the game and plan your snack schedule to abate hunger cravings.
2) Automate Breakfast and Lunch. How do you automate these meals? You need a healthy “Go To Option” when it is time to enjoy these meals. Without a healthy go-to option for each of these meals, you’re far more likely to make bad spur-of-the-moment grabs which usually are high in carbs and sugars; these make you have craving for more of the same types of foods. Organize these meals through healthy meal planning is what Doctor Oz is recommending. “Having a staple of one or two healthy food choices that are usuals on the shopping list make grocery shopping easier, as you don’t want to reinvent the wheel every day.” So, have one or two healthy choices of foods in your pantry to select from so that you can create a streamlined pattern of eating healthy and adding convenience to your eating structure; this will alleviate stress in your life related to meal purchase and planning as well as freeing up your time during these meals.” Kind of sounds like a Neothink® dieting practice doesn’t it?
3) Exercise 20 Minutes A Day “AT HOME.” Why stay at home? Most people don’t feel they have the time to exercise each day for twenty minutes. Doctor Oz says, “If you have to go somewhere to exercise, you’re automatically going to need more that 20 minutes, and it violates the flow of your day”; (what we call the mini-day schedule). “This makes it less likely that you will receive your needed daily exercise.” An hour is a long time whereas 20 minutes is nothing. Keeping your daily workout goal short and convenient works because none of us want to admit that our lives are so disorganized that we can’t carve out 20 quick minutes of exercise in our day.”
I go to the gym three times a week. I run a mile or two, and spend an hour lifting weights and doing resistance training. On the off days I walk my dog (a large German Sheppard who keeps a fast pace and pulls me along). Our walks are 15 minutes and we usually take two walks a day. Doctor Oz says a good example of a twenty minute exercise routine at home is: Skip rope in your driveway, and alternate with crunches and push-ups; do twenty minutes of a workout video, or walk in your neighborhood. Here is Doctor Oz’s daily→ Quickie Workout
4) Be the Food Decider in Your House. This can be difficult when shopping at the grocery store with the kids; but the big decisions about what to eat must be made you at the supermarket. This is how Doctor Oz explains it. “If you bring chips and cookies home, your kids (and you) will naturally want to eat them. And if you try to restrict them, you’ll actually cause your child to crave them more. But, if you don’t buy sweets to begin with, kids won’t even miss them.” I personally have stopped buying sweets and cookies when shopping with my son at the grocery store. Instead I buy fruit and nut trail mixes, pretzels, and gelatin fruit snacks. I have also introduced my son to things like slightly cooked broccoli with ranch dressing, celery with peanut butter, and fresh sliced carrots with ranch dressing. In the cereal aisle we buy raisin bran and honey nut cheerios. Now my son actually tells me what fresh veggie snack foods he prefers to eat. Doctor Oz closes his ideas on this with, “Parents, don’t be concerned if your children don’t want healthy snacks, they will eat them when they get hungry enough.”
5) Eat Dinner Together Every Night. How does this help us? Today, so many of us are just so busy we don’t even stop to enjoy the family gathered around dinner table for a warm and welcoming meal together. Here is what Doctor Oz says on this, “I can talk about the importance of nutrients for good health all day. But studies show that if you want your kids to have an appreciation of how precious their bodies are, you can’t beat just sitting down together. Studies show this simple ritual improves not just kid’s eating habits but their grades and willingness to open up to you too.” When families come together to eat, they create an emotional harmony that continues to contribute greatly to the overall health and wellbeing of the family unit as a whole. This is a long term outcome.
6) Play Together Every Day. Doctor Oz says, “In our house, we put on 50 Cent and the kids bop around. It’s our very own dance party. Just like with exercising at home for 20 minutes, the key is to carve out a reliable pocket of time when you can actually get active as a family. Working up a sweat together is an anti-aging move too. Using your mind to activate your muscles, either to dance or catch a ball, is one of the best ways to keep yourself young.” I could not agree more; my son and I spend every other night together playing games. He is physically limited so we don’t get to be too physical. Also, I ride bikes and scooter’s with him at least once or twice a week. What I love about this time with him is that we really connect in play with a joyful innocence that can only be achieved through un-inhibited playing together – just for fun. So, make some time to go out and play with your kids.
7) Let Your Children Police You. You can empower your kids, which helps to build their independence through self esteem by talking to them about smart-eating goals. Doctor Oz says, “When you talk to your kids about good eating habits, you should also encourage them to call you out if they see you grabbing junk food. It makes them feel like part of the solution to over all health within the family unit, instead of feeling singled out as the only ones who have to follow healthy-eating rules.”
8) Tell Little Ones a Bedtime Story. Bedtime is the one time in the day that kids let their guard down –when their tired and about to go under, according to Doctor Oz. This is a prime time for you to hear what’s really on their minds, it’s a good time for you to listen and respond and impart some knowledge that pertains to their circumstance. If you have older children, just before bed is a great time to talk with them about their day. If you create a pattern of doing this just before bed with your older children they will begin to anticipate your talks and will think in advance of what they want to talk with you about. This contemplative type of discussion is one that provides the greatest amount of truth and sincerity. My son is 19 and to get him to talk with me I ask him about how his day program went for him that day; and I always ask if he is still happy to be there. It is important for your children, younger or older, and even anyone you care about to know that you want them to be happy in all of their life circumstances.
9) Make Sure You have A Bedtime Routine. A good night’s sleep keeps you young. You need to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Doctor Oz says, “Half of American adults have lost the ability to sleep, and not getting about 7 hours of sleep each night can be a contributing factor to heart attacks and strokes.” You should keep your bedroom cool and dark. Turn off the TV, radio, or any technology that can interfere with your relaxation in preparation for sleep. Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t fall asleep after 15 minutes, try reading a book that you keep handy beside your bed so that you can read to relax; or Doctor Oz says you can also meditate if you are unable to sleep. Try to give your self a mental self affirmation of the beauty in your life. I personally do a mind-body routine where I alternate moving my ankle of the left foot to bring my toes up, and then when I do the same to the right ankle and foot, I simultaneously bring down the left again. I have found that this type of mental activity done in repetition causes me to fall asleep – synchronized mental exercises cause the mind to go into a transient state as the thoughts are occurring apart from emotions. It works for me!
10) For those of you in a relationship, you are sure to like this: Doctor Oz says, “Bond in Bed.” Having regular sex can add an extra three years to your life expectancy. Doctor Oz suggests that you should aim for twice a week, “The love that stems from that blissful moment of being in each other’s arms is crucial for strengthening your relationship – and your health. So for all of you that are lucky enough to have someone to hold in your arms, when you do, make it the most sharing and sensitive, loving moment you possibly can. Sex between lovers is truly beautiful thing
Best Regards to you all, The Undefeated Life
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