5 Easy Tips for a Healthy Family Lifestyle

Health and wellness is SUCH a huge topic in the media right now. And seriously, who doesn’t want to feel great? Creating good habits for yourself and your family can help keep your family healthy.

Monkey see, monkey do! Did you know that your kiddos are constantly picking up on your mannerisms and habits? Or that family members (especially spouses!) can become so similar from spending time together that they start to look more alike? 

Practice healthy habits in front of your family and make an effort to get them involved to form healthy habits for everyone!

Keep reading to find out 5 tips (recommended by functional medicine experts!) on how to keep your family healthy and prioritize wellness for everyone!

Eat (and cook!) dinner together!

One incredible habit to support a healthy family lifestyle is family meal times! Sitting down for dinner together offers a great opportunity for family time! Avoid distractions like television and practice mindful eating while enjoying each other's company!

Having a home cooked dinner is a great way to get a well-balanced meal for everyone! AND, if you have younger kids, getting them involved in choosing and cooking meals is actually linked to less picky eating and more willingness to try new foods!

Quality family time + good food = a perfect match!

Find healthy alternatives!

This one can be tough sometimes. Who doesn’t love ice cream and potato chips? While these things can absolutely be a part of a balanced diet, limiting intake of processed foods and foods high in fat, sodium, and added sugar can definitely boost the health of every family member!

Finding healthy alternatives to some not-so-nutritious foods is a great healthy lifestyle habit. 

Maybe instead of potato chips, you try popping your own popcorn! Popcorn is a whole grain so it’s full of fiber (great for gut health!) and this way, you can control the amount of fat and salt you’re eating!

One of our favorite ways to get more fruit in is to make a yummy fruit dip! 

Use low-fat, plain greek yogurt and add some flavored protein powder and a drizzle of honey! Get creative; you can add peanut butter, chocolate chips, cinnamon, you name it! 

This can make fruit more appealing because you can change up the flavor of the dip AND it’s a great source of fiber, probiotics, and protein!

Also, having whole foods prepped and ready-to-go can be super handy! Many times, the chopping, cooking, and prep work it takes for healthy meals and snacks is half the reason we reach for a package of cookies instead!

Try prepping fruits and vegetables by prechopping and putting them at the front of the fridge where they can’t be missed!

 

What about supplements?

Adding supplements to your diet can give you just what you need!

The best family supplements depend entirely on each individual and everyone’s unique needs, but we have some recommendations!

First, probiotics! Probiotics are a great way to get your gut health in check! GutPersonal offers 3 probiotics so that we can cater to your individual needs!

Probiotics are the PERFECT supplement for kids (especially picky eaters) and adults alike! Not only do they provide good bacteria for the gut, probiotics also help support healthy brain development, help prevent infections like strep throat, and can prevent allergies!

If you and your family live somewhere that’s not always super sunshine-y, chances are you have insufficient vitamin D levels! 

Vitamin D can be kind of tricky to get into your diet unless you drink milk and eat fish regularly. 

GutPersonal offers The Sunshine+, which can be taken as drops or capsules, is great for the entire family

When taking any vitamin D supplement, be sure to get your levels checked to make sure you’re getting the right dose!

Do you and your family deal with annoying allergies from pollen, dust, and more? This can be SO frustrating, especially when your kiddos are up all night coughing and sniffling or falling asleep in the middle of the day from a “non-drowsy” antihistamine!

Our FAV supplement for the whole family is The Rescue! This supplement offers natural allergy relief without any of the drowsy side effects! 

This supplement is so great for everyone that we actually created a version with kids in mind, The Rescue Jr! This offers the same benefits as the capsules, but in the form of a delicious, lemon-lime chewable!

The best thing about all of these supplements? They’re effective, safe, and science-backed, so you can be confident you’re giving your family the best!

Always talk with a health professional before starting children on any supplements to ensure the dosing is correct!

Get moving together!

Getting moving and staying active is essential for overall health! Encouraging fun physical activity can create a great habit for your kids to carry with them throughout their lives! 

Daily movement supports maintaining a healthy weight, and getting your blood flowing helps promote good digestion, releases endorphins, promotes growth and maintenance of muscle, and supports bone health!

Find fun ways to incorporate physical activity! This can be playing kickball in the backyard, having a dance party to your favorite songs, or going on family hikes! 

An added bonus of practicing this healthy family habit outside – sun exposure can help set your circadian rhythm and gets you some vitamin D!

It’s super important that getting moving should feel good! Don’t force yourself or anyone to exercise in ways that aren’t enjoyable at all or feel too straining!

Spend relaxing, quality time together!

Coming home should mean letting go of all of the stress of the day! Encourage healthy, stress-relieving habits for everyone by finding ways to relieve stress together!

Adults get stressed from their day at work, teens from their day at school, and even kiddos from their time at daycare! Create a safe and welcoming environment where everyone can decompress together.

This can look like so many different things! Maybe your family loves board games! Have a game night where you can let all your worries slip away and just have fun!

Try out yoga! Everyone can participate in yoga and stretching, which is always a great stress reliever!

Practice meditation or breathing exercises before bed! If your kiddos are young enough that they still get tucked in, show them how to do breathing exercises to get their body relaxed! 

Talking with older kids about the benefits and joining them in relaxing breaths can help calm the mind and you and your partner can do the same together!

Get Your Healthy Family Lifestyle Started!

Giving your family a foundation of healthy habits is great for every aspect of their lives! Whether this looks like spending extra quality time together, getting in some extra movement, or having family dinners, the benefits are amazing!!

If you’re interested in starting your family on a supplement routine or need some help finding a balanced diet, GutPersonal’s functional medicine dietitians are here for you!! We want to support you and your whole family in any way we can!

We LOVE that you’re prioritizing wellness for your whole family and hope these tips helped!