Don’t
you just want to feel energized, alive, healthy, and good about yourself on a
daily basis? But still the house chores, making school lunches, getting the
kids ready for their winter sports games, and work have you sinking slowly
without a chance to get healthy this New Year.
Start
making time for yourself, your family, and make getting healthy a priority. You
don’t have to exhaust yourself searching for ways to diet, encourage your kids
to eat the right, or look for activities during the cold winter season.
Instead
institute your own healthcare reform in your household this new year as a
mother.
1. Find an Indoor Community Garden
Even
if you think there’s no shot at joining a community garden during the cold
winter months, there are more opportunities for fresh produce than you could
imagine.
Other
healthy eating advocates encourage parents and individuals to join community
gardens to raise their food awareness. The concept of eating local aims to
limit the number of miles their food travels from the farm to the table, the
chemicals or pesticides used, and the possibility of any other unnatural
modifications produce may undergo.
Don’t
give up on healthy eating by stuffing yourself with warm carbs, processed
foods, and the excess of leftover sweets from the holidays. It’s tough not
gorging yourself with the chocolate and candy from stockings, Christmas
cookies, and dwindling slices of pie in the fridge.
Instead
conduct a little research to see if there are any indoor community gardens
available close to your home. This time investment proves extremely valuable to
encourage healthy eating and living during the winter months. Don’t let your
seasonal depression take control, but rather the physical activity, fresh
produce, and increased food awareness will do wonders for your health.
2. Join Winter Sports Leagues
It
is of the utmost importance for parents to take that extra step and get their
children involved in winter sports. Yes, every child loves playing outdoors
during the warmer months, but winter is often a time where everyone stays
indoors, watches more television, spends more time on the computer, and eats
more.
Physical
exercise and activity is essential during this season. Parents, search for
youth basketball leagues, indoor soccer, wrestling for the boys and maybe the
girls, and even winter outdoor sports as well.
Winter
sports such as skiing and snowboarding are great ways to teach your children
coordination and new skills without trying to avoid the cold. If you invest in
these sports, make sure you and your children stay warm with the right gloves,
beanies, goggles, snowboarding pants,
and coats. Your children will never get sidetracked or discouraged with the right gear and winter clothing to keep them warm.
Don’t
let winter sports be only for the children. There are countless adult sports
leagues for all skill levels. Also, skiing and snowboarding are great ways for
parents to exercise and spend time with their children on a weekend getaway to
a ski resort.
3. Create a Dinner Schedule
Adding
structure to your meal plan for yourself and the children gives everyone
incentive to cook and eat better. Sit down with your children once a week to
discuss the possible weekday menu.
Make
this a fun activity for kids by asking them to brainstorm for breakfast, lunch,
and even dinner ideas. Spend 30 minutes exploring the pantry and refrigerator
with them accounting for forgotten, potentially bad, or rotten food. With
numerous daily tasks, parents often forget about what food they actually have
at home.
Treat
the menu planning as a creative activity for family. Also, assign the children
to either cook meals themselves, contribute in small ways, or give them each
specified tasks that change daily. Don’t let cooking dinner become solely mom
or dad’s responsibility. Everyone eats and should contribute as well.