AFTER I ATTENDED a lifestyle seminar, I went home and turned my kitchen upside -down. Out went the burger, ice cream, chocolates, refined sugar, white flour, margarine, processed foods, candy bars and caffeinated drinks. I put my family on an exercise program and lectured them about health reform.
Most health buffs would applaud me for my zeal, but the way I went about it was anything but healthy. Why? My family became so angry at me for taking away all the "good" stuff and imposing on them a "restrictive" lifestyle that they did not understand, so they turned away in disgust. Just as you cannot come home from church a saved person and require all your family to read the Bible and pray, so you cannot force health reform on people who have not yet caught the vision.
Make health reform attractive. Sweeten it a little. Motivate and make it fun. Persuade, do not push! Here's what I learnt from families who have made this transition successfully:
1. Live what you believe. You cannot expect others to live healthy if you do not! Your actions will speak louder than words. Do your children see you putting on your jogging shoes and heading out into the brisk morning air? Do they see you choose an orange instead of a piece of cake, or water instead of soda? Practice what you preach.
2. Know why you are doing what you are doing. Living healthily should make sense. Keep it simple. If something depresses your immune system, clouds your thinking, or puts you at risk for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes or hypertension- it's bad.
3. Be flexible and balanced. Do not be so health-conscious that you make your family miserable. Do not be concerned about what you put in your mouth that you forget what comes out in terms of criticism and faultfinding (And if you feel a sermon coming on, bite your tongue!)
4. Make changes slowly.
5. Be happy and praise God. A healthy grouch appeals to no one.
Consider one healthy lifestyle change you would like your family to make? What could you do to make it appealing rather than appalling?
Thank you for stopping by and stay tuned for so much more!
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Email: joanaparku16@gmail.com
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