Take Charge of your Family’s Holistic Health

Family plays an integral role in the health and wellbeing of an individual. However, many times we leave our health and that of our families to fate instead of being proactive. Many times we say, I will start exercising next year or I will improve my family’s diet when I get the chance or we will spend more time together eventually.

These are all essential elements to making our families happy and healthy so don’t put them off for next year or some time or eventually; start incorporating them into your family’s life now.

Quality Time Together

This is important so that your family’s bonds and relationships are allowed to grow through

Don’t delay take charge of your family’s holistic health today.

sharing activities and memories that can bring people together. Whether this is through prayer, playing sports, watching movies with each other, take the time to do things together. This time is proven to be good for the heart and helps to bring balance to your life by taking you out of the stress of a hectic lifestyle to spend time with your support system.

Healthy Diet

It is nigh impossible to achieve the lofty goal of a healthy self on a diet that is not balanced. Rates of chronic diseases that are linked to diet and lifestyle such as High Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure and Diabetes are on the increase. These can be prevented by reducing your high fat, high sugar content and increasing natural and organic elements such as fruits, vegetables and fresh cuts of meat into your family’s diet.

Plan your family’s diets to include more home-cooked meals and less processed and fast foods that while filling are low in nutritional content. This will allow you to ensure your family’s foods have the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it needs to function correctly and remain healthy,

Exercise

Encouraging your family to be active whether it is through playing sports at school or joining a community sports club or gym has a variety of health benefits for the whole family. By exercising your family is being proactive in their health and wellbeing and taking steps to improve their quality of life.

Firstly, exercise fights against diseases such as high blood pressure and heart disease by keeping the heart muscle strong. Secondly it controls weight and releases the pressure being overweight would have on your heart and joints. Furthermore, regular exercise improves mood and leaves one in a more balanced mental state with boosted memory and ability to sleep.

Freedom of Expression with respect

Allow our families the ability to express and be themselves free from judgement within the family setting. If there is correction to be done, surely this will be done with love and respect. Many of the mental and spiritual imbalances seen our people are due to esteem issues that hamper our happiness and the ability to be our best selves. This is manifested also in physical ailments and harmful activities that we submit ourselves to as we search for validation.

All these elements allow your family to grow spiritually, mentally and physically in a way that is encouraging and healthy for them. We all want our families to be happy and healthy. Let’s not delay working for this goal because family is essential to our own survival.

Relationship Conundrums and Simple Suggestions

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” Nelson Mandela

“Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” is an internationally recognised saying used to explain the differences between men and women that make us seem worlds apart. These differences are no more apparent than the reactions males and females have while in relationships. The reasons that elements of the opposite sex drive us up the wall are wrapped up in the physiological differences that are not meant to separate us but seem to have that effect anyway.

No need to yell to get your point across just speak in a way he understands.

Are you confused that your wife continues to bring up issues from previous fights in current arguments? Do you wonder why your husband can’t remember that one thing you told him to get at the supermarket?

Right-Brained vs. Both Hemispheres

Men are modal, women are emotive.  In the initial stages men are going to deal everything from the brain and women from the heart. He will be thinking about all the necessary ways in which to solve the problem while she will be feeling her way through the problem.  Men tend to rely on the right portion of their brain while women more often utilise both hemispheres.  A women’s use of both hemispheres means that she can regularly focus on more than one problem at a time. Women tend to see things as interwoven and connected and therefore have the ability to connect aspects of previous fights with current arguments. Men will compartmentalise allowing them only to focus on one thing at a time. This is why your husband may forget to pick up the bread from the store if he was in “work mode” or watching his game, when you communicated with him.  These details affect the way we think and solve problems in our relationships.

Women, ask for one thing at time and be specific, then wait for that task to be completed before asking for the next. The timeline on his completion may not be the same as yours.  He will get it done but only at his speed. Remembering this will allow for a lot less frustration. 

Communication

Men use speech as the way to negotiate and preserve their independence. Men interrupt women’s desire to talk about problems as a request for help in solving the problem rather than a way to get closer. Women see talking and sharing with their loved ones as a way to solve problems, explore, strengthen and deepen their relationships. Women believe this is a way to build intimacy in the relationship and knowledge of each other. Women see talking about their troubles as a way to forge the connection between her and her partner. You share your problems, I share mine and we grow closer.

Women, if you would like a response equal to one that you would give, ask your man what he is thinking not what he is feeling.  Men ask a woman what she is feeling and you will come out a winner.

Women rely more than men on non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and tone to communicate their feelings and desires. Women communicate to build rapport while men generally do so to report facts therefore, non-verbal cues are often missed as men take language literally and focus on what you say more than how you said it.

Women, tell him want you want.  This way he can and will please you, which is all he really wants to do. He stays a winner and your needs are met.

Decision-Making

Men are said to be more analytical and logical in decision-making. The tendency is to put aside their emotional connections to a situation in forming a decision. It is believed that women tend to be more intuitive and holistic in their approach to decision-making. Therefore, they will consider the full extent of the situation and all its interwoven aspects and trust their instincts in the course of making a decision.

Women don’t try to build intimacy in your relationship with your spouse in the way you would with your girlfriends. Guys understand that when your lady is speaking, it’s not for the sake of it; she is trying to form a connection with you and show that she feels close to you.

We can’t and should not attempt to change our partners.

Men have a completely different language to women and it is in understanding this that we are able to create healthy relationships. When we understand what we have just heard, it no longer becomes personal and we can move forward with the appropriate response or reaction.

The purpose in identifying and understanding these differences is to develop healthy long-term relationships. The sooner we try to understand the differences in communication, the quicker we will be able to build strong relationships.

 We can’t and should not attempt to change our partners. We should however accept and understand who they are, how they operate and their motives.

Are you having relationship issues that seem to be impairing what you believe could be the relationship of your dreams, or turning a relationship with the partner of your dreams upside down?? Why not consider talking to a relationship coach, who will look at the overall situation and give you tools to correct occurring obstacles and give a potentially fabulous relationship the opportunity to blossom. This way everyone in the relationship feels that they are being heard and understood. When each party’s love tank is full everyone gives of their best!!!!

Men are motivated and empowered when they feel needed.  Women are motivated and empowered when they feel cherished.

Have a Happy Valentine’s Day.

First Published in the February Edition of the Better Health Magazine by Nation Publishing Company.