Lead By Example

Some famous writer once noted that children learn more from our actions than our words. Leading a healthy life - full of healthy habits will give our children a foundation for lifelong good health.

If we encourage our children to embrace the same healthy habits they see us choosing then perhaps they will lead much healthier lives! Simple habits - eating healthy foods and getting plenty of exercise - if learned early, will develop into natural parts of their hopefully long lives! Nurture your child's brain with healthy foods and plenty of play time. Let them see you having fun playing sports and getting plenty of vigorous exercise.

Keeping mentally fit isn’t that different from staying in good physical shape. In fact the two go hand in hand. Your mental health can be inextricably tied to your fitness level. In the end – it’s really just about lifestyle. If you exercise regularly, you’re already on the right track! Medical research experts suggest that up to a quarter of the blood pumping through your body is delivering performance enhancing oxygen to your brain as you exercise.

Food choices are vital to your brain’s overall health. Start by cutting the unhealthy fats from your diet. The brain actually benefits from healthy omega-3 fats. Cholesterol buildup can reduce the oxygen supply to your brain by almost 20 percent over time. Load up on foods rich in antioxidants, such as strawberries or red beans, to nurture brain cell health.

Add cold-water, wild caught fish like salmon to your diet. Eating fish helps reduce inflammation, increase memory, and help your brain send and receive messages efficiently. Eat lots of leafy green vegetables like spinach. Spinach is rich in folate which is known to enhance your brain’s processing power! Spinach even provides a little calcium too!

Another way many people stay sharp is to try new things. Learn a new language. Try a crossword puzzle or even Sudoku. Give your brain a workout with new and different mental challenges. Entertain the little ones with fun games they can learn from. Word games and math games.

And play outside as often as you can. Teach them to love nature and have fun in the great outdoors! Kids who play outdoors and get plenty of exercise tend to have healthier self esteem. What better lesson might we share than teaching our children to have fun?

If you are a smoker, quitting smoking will be the best step you can take to improve not only your health but theirs as well.

Give your children the greatest gift any parent could possible teach - show them how to lead a healthy life!