As a parent, it’s your job to make sure your kids grow up to be fit and healthy adults. You can do this by encouraging them to exercise each day and by giving them a varied, balanced diet. While your children’s health and wellbeing will understandably be a priority, you also need to keep yourself in top form. This is so you can see them grow up and continue to be there for them for as long as you possibly can. We are always hearing stories in the media about ways in which we are reducing our life expectancy.
Whether it’s through sleep deprivation or by smoking cigarettes. While we have no control over how or when our lives will end, there are ways you can add years rather than reduce them. Use the tips that are featured in this guide to start boosting your family’s life expectancy today.
Eat more fruit and vegetables
This might seem like an obvious way to increase the longevity of your family’s life. But many adults and children are still not eating the recommended daily amount of fruit and vegetables they need. People who eat at least 8 portions of fruit and vegetables each day are less likely to develop heart disease and cancer. Both of which are life-threatening illnesses. This is because these foods are full of antioxidants, vitamins, and nutrients that keep our bodies healthy. While also boosting your immune system. Recent studies have also shown that fruit and vegetables are high in bicarbonate and potassium. Both have been proven to reduce premature deaths. You can find out more regarding this from The Alternative Daily.
To get your family to eat more vegetables and fruit, there are a number of things you can do. You can find new and exciting recipes in cookbooks or from food blogs to inspire your meal times. Try to find some child-friendly recipes that your kids can help you make. This will teach them about which food are right for them to eat as well as teaching them valuable life skills. You could also plant a vegetable patch or fruit bush in your yard that your whole family can help to care for.
Socialize with friends
This is probably a very unexpected way to add years onto your life. But social interaction can be of tremendous benefit to you and your family. Research has found that it can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of depression. While also being linked to reducing the risk of alzheimer’s disease< and cardiovascular concerns. All of which have been known to significantly reduce life expectancy. So it’s important for your family to start to interact with others regularly. Especially if you find yourself at home by yourself a lot.
To help your family live for longer, you need to find ways to socialize with others more. You can plan a weekly movie night where you invite family friends over for dinner. You could look for family volunteer programs where you can all work at a local animal sanctuary or homeless shelter. This will not only help you meet like-minded people but will also make you all feel great. Walking or cycling groups could also be potential ways to meet new people while being active. Look on social media or in the local newspaper for possible activities that involve socializing. Your kids will benefit from these interactions in other ways too. It can help to improve their communication, problem solving and social skills.
Start to floss each day
You and your children should be brushing your teeth twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. This helps to keep your teeth and gums in tip-top condition. If you haven’t taught your kids this valuable life skill yet, there are plenty of child-friendly dental tips online< that can help you. In addition to thoroughly brushing your teeth each day, you should also be flossing. Gum disease is a common and progressive condition that can affect all ages. If left untreated, it can cause bone and tooth loss, making it difficult to eat while also being uncomfortable. Advanced gum disease has also been linked to conditions such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
The best thing you can do to reduce the risk of gum disease is by continuing your dental regime and by flossing more. You can use interdental brushes or tape to remove the plaque and leftover food from the gaps in between your teeth. This is what causes gum disease and needs to be removed daily. Talk to your dentist about flossing and other methods you can try to reduce the risk further.
Move around more
Sitting down for hours on end each day, whether it’s at work or home is not good for our health. You might have an office job or your children might spend their evenings sat in front of the TV or a tablet. Studies have found that this lack of motion can cause multiple issues that can cause premature death. These include diabetes, obesity, cancer and high blood pressure. So it’s essential that you start getting your family to move more.
You can buy each member of your family their own pedometer and make it a competition to reach your 10,000 recommended step target each day. Get your kids to help you with your gardening and household chores by turning the tasks into games. Find new ways to add more physical activity into your daily routine to keep your family focused and motivated. Even doing a minute’s worth of exercise every hour can be effective in adding on year to your family’s life.
Introduce these methods into your daily routine, starting today. You’ll start to see improvements in your family’s health and wellbeing almost instantly. They will look and feel better while also being happier all round. It might take some time for you all to get into the swing of things. So it’s crucial that you all remain consistent and be patient. The effort and hard work you put in will all be worthwhile if it keeps your family together for longer. Luckily, for the men, there are things the you can do to take care of your health no matter which age milestone you’ve reached, whether that’s finding a way to become more motivated, or quitting that bad habit you’ve been struggling to let go of.
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