Family Health Tips: 3 Strategies For Parents and Families

Being a parent means not only looking after your own health — and we know how hard that can be when you’ve had a few sleepless nights, or your child is always bringing home a bug from school — but also looking after the wellness of your entire family. Use these strategies to boost your family health and keep your sanity no matter what the week brings!

Family Health Tips: Wellness for Frazzled Parents and Busy Families

As we wrap up 2020, we’ll be spending the month of December laying the foundation for better health in 2021. In week one, we talked about senior health. In week two, we discussed health strategies for those in their 20s through 50s. Today, we’re diving into family health. It’s the perfect way to ensure you’re ending this current year healthy and energized, and are ready to embrace whatever adventures 2021 has in store for you and your children. Let’s begin!

1. Get More Sleep

Nine out of 10 parents don’t get enough sleep, reports a study. And while it’s especially hard when your children are very young or are infants, lack of sleep affects all parents.

If you’re a parent who isn’t getting enough shut-eye, you may experience health problems like:

• A weaker immune system
• An increase in weight gain
• Difficulty concentrating or thinking
• And more

There are some things that are simply out of our control, such as a sick toddler or an infant who’s going through a bit of a sleep regression. However, a few strategies can help ensure you’re getting as much sleep as possible:

• Create a bedtime routine to help infants, toddlers and young children know that bedtime is coming.
• Meal plan in advance so you aren’t up late at night (or early in the morning) doing last-minute school lunches.
• Consider make-ahead breakfasts, such as overnight oats, to make mornings less rushed and hectic.
• If you have another parent or partner in the picture, consider creating sleep schedules and child-sharing plans between the two of you. One of you can sleep while the other caregiver takes on the overnight shift with the infant or child.

2. Encourage Your Children to Eat Their Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are foundational for immunity, energy, mental health and general vitality.

And it’s notoriously hard to get children to eat their veggies and fruits.

Try these tips and tricks to boost your family health and wellness:

• Model good behavior: Lead by example and show your children how much you enjoy eating fruit and vegetables.
• Involve the whole family: From choosing veggies in the fridge to making a salad, let children be involved. They’ll take pride in the process and be more inclined to eat whatever they’ve helped create.
• Sneak it in: Add veggies, such as cauliflower or kale, to delicious smoothies or to baked goods. Your kids won’t even realize they’re eating their vegetables!
• Make it playful: Cut fruit and veggies into whimsical shapes, such as your child’s favorite dinosaurs, to get them to see produce in a new light (pun intended!).

3. Manage Stress

Raising a family is stressful. Manage your stress to boost your immune system, balance your hormones, get more sleep, and simply be a better parent:

• Try meditation and other mindfulness practices
• Journal and practice gratitude
• Exercise regularly
• Go on a “stress diet” and try to eliminate things that stress you out, such as reading the news or watching late-night TV

Your kids aren’t immune to stress, either. This year has introduced a lot of changes for many families, whether that’s new routines or school closures. Encourage your children to talk about their feelings, and help them find creative outlets to feel better. Stress has negative impacts on kids’ health too, such as their immune response, and you can help them to experience the calm they desire.

Don’t Forget Your Immune Supplements!

Many of the above family health situations influence your immune system. As parents, we need to be our strongest and healthiest so we can better care for our families. Don’t let stress, lack of sleep, or the germs your toddler brought home from daycare hold you back.

BioProPlus-500 contains five bioidentical thymic proteins to help support your immunity as a parent. Your immune system needs thymic proteins to “train” your immune cells and ensure a quick and effective immune response to bacteria, viruses and other health problems. BioProPlus-500 is one of the best ways to ensure your thymic protein concentrations are at optimal levels throughout your entire parenting journey!

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