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When you’re living life as a family, many of your habits wind up being the same. And, as most people are health conscious and most parents want to raise the healthiest, most well-rounded children, we’re very aware of what we let our children consume. Moderation is key to everything in life, but things get out of control due to many different circumstances. It’s times like this where we step back and think about ways we need to detox in certain areas of our family life. This is a good practice to think about somewhat regularly to keep everyone on the same page as to what matters when it comes to the household’s mental, physical, and emotional health.
Another reason why detoxing and being aware of our overconsumption of things is it helps create that sometimes elusive balance we all need in our lives. Whether someone in your family suffered an injury and needs to recover quickly or your kids are spending too much time in front of the television, let’s explore different ways to detox together.
Too Much Sugar
We all know the dangers of sugar. It can increase blood glucose levels to dangerously high levels if over consumed, leading to a host of health issues. From diabetes to inflammatory problems all over the body, it can affect children’s ability to regulate mood – too much sugar is something we as parents owe kids to detox from. It may seem like the battle for sweets is never-ending in your household. Additionally, you may feel guilt for at one point using sweet foods as bribery to get your children to do things you asked of them. But, there are easy ways to get your children to kick the sugar habit.
One way is not to incentivize sugar so much. When you serve dinner, serve dessert alongside it, and don’t make such a big deal. If your child goes for the dessert first, that’s fine, but they still need to eat the healthy portions of their meal. Another option is taking advantage of all the low sugar or sugar-free sweets out there on the market, so your children can still have sweets, but they’re healthier versions. Fruit makes a great substitute as well. While you and your family are kicking the sugar habit, it’s also a great idea to incorporate a supplement that will help your body, like activated coconut charcoal, which helps reduce the acidity in the body and supports a healthier gastrointestinal system.
Unplugging The Devices
Another area we see in our family’s overconsumption is in the amount of time we spend with our electronic devices. Whether it’s their iPads, the television, or their telephones, kids are spending too much time interacting with the digital world versus the one around them. Studies have shown this is to their detriment, as well as to our as adults. This is another area where you may feel that parental guilt sinking in as you too are guilty of being glued to your phone around your family.
So whether you limit it to certain times of day, not at the dinner table, not in their bedrooms, or entire days of the week, it’s essential to take steps to detox from the amount of social media we’re seeing. The human brain was not designed to receive information from so many different sources at one time. Commit to spending time outdoors as a family – going on walks, exercising together, and learning more about nature. You can also bring back traditional family fun like game nights and movie nights. These are not only healthier habits; they detox the brain as well as create lifelong memories your family can cherish together.
Moving Away From Toxic People
Lastly, it’s worth mentioning the importance of detoxing from toxic people in your life. While this may not be an issue for your very young children, it’s an important lesson you can teach your pre-teens and teenagers and one as an adult, and you can lead by example. We all have or have had people in our lives that were so obviously toxic, but we didn’t walk away for whatever reason. These people harm our mental health, and it’s critical we guard that health as closely as possible. So make sure you recognize toxic behavior in others and start the process of eliminating them from your life.
It’s crucial to take stock of what’s going on under your home’s roof often; as parents, we have a lot to worry about – so addressing issues before they spiral out of control is key to everyone’s well-being. Here’s to your health!