Three Ways To Feed Your Family Healthier Food

May 13, 2022 By Anne

Are you trying to eat healthy but having trouble getting your entire family on board? If that’s the case, you’re not alone.

Many hurdles might stand in the way of better behaviours, ranging from stress and hectic work schedules to budget limits and limited food availability.

Furthermore, family members might not always agree on what to eat.

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Parents who adhere to a specific diet may eat differently from the rest of the family. Meltdown prone toddlers may refuse to eat while crossing their arms in disgust at mealtimes. Teenagers may avoid family supper by stopping at the drive-through on their ride home.

It is feasible to get the entire family on board with healthy behaviours with a combination of thoughtful planning and a willingness to be flexible.

Here are some easy ways to make the family eat healthier:

You Don’t Need To Be Perfect

Despite what social media may well have you believe, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to eating healthier. This means that your meals don’t have to be costly, complicated, time-consuming, or photogenic. Instead, be realistic and do your best to assist your family in making healthy choices. Furthermore, by removing the pressure to have a flawless diet, you are more likely to find a healthy style of eating that works for your family. For example, a nice vegan pizza is bound to go down well.

Don’t Have Off Limit Foods

While some foods are undoubtedly more nutritious than others, it is critical to cultivating a good relationship with food by avoiding words like “bad” or “off-limits.”

Furthermore, being overly restrictive might lead to stress and tension during mealtimes.

Don’t consider any meal off-limits. All meals, in moderation, can fit into a healthy lifestyle. Consider using the terminology ‘always foods’ and sometimes foods.’ Fruits and vegetables are usually a good snack option, while birthday cake is only served on special occasions.

Make Sure Meal Planning Is Simple

Meal planning is an excellent time-saving method because you just have to go food shopping once or twice a week. Choosing which recipes to create, on the other hand, might be difficult. While there is a time and place for testing out a beautiful new Pinterest recipe, it’s best to stick to simple meal ideas during the week.

One approach to speed up the process is to plan meals around what you already have on hand. Using what you have on hand not only saves you time and money, but it also decreases food waste.

Another suggestion is to make meal preparation a collaborative activity by having a sheet of paper or a whiteboard board in the kitchen to keep a running list of food ideas to which the entire family can participate. Tired of preparing the same dishes week after week? Revisit old cookbooks that may be collecting dust in the basement or attic and save recipes that you’d like to make as a family.

These three tips should help feed your family healthy meals easier. Do you have any other tips that could help? Please share them in the comments below.

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

How To Talk To Your Doctor About Your Mental Health

May 5, 2022 By Anne

Talking to a doctor about your mental health can be hard, but you can use this practical guide to know what to expect and get the care you need. Mental health should be taken as seriously as your physical health, so you should be able to approach your doctor with confidence.

Image – free for commercial use

Finding The Best Doctor For You

You can change doctors whenever you want. You might think about changing to a new doctor for a few reasons:

It might be more convenient to find a practice that offers specialized services, such as for postnatal depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia. Phone the practice to ask what they offer.
If you feel that you have a bad relationship with your practice or do not get along with your doctor, you might want to look for another practice in your area which offers better or more friendly service. You can look for reviews online to find a practice who might suit you better.

You can ask the receptionist at the practice if there is a doctor with a specialist interest in mental health, and ask to see them instead of your usual doctor. It might also be possible to ask to see a male or female doctor if that makes you more comfortable. You don’t need to tell the receptionist why you want the appointment. If they ask, tell them you would prefer not to say.

How long you will have to wait for your appointment will vary, and will depend on how busy the practice is. If you need to see someone urgently, then you might be able to arrange an emergency appointment through the reception. If you want to see a particular doctor, then you may have to be prepared to wait until that person is available.

Preparing For Your Appointment

Before your appointment, it might be helpful to write down what you want to talk about to make sure don’t forget anything that you want to bring up. Take a few minutes before your appointment to write down a quick list of the things you want to bring up.

Write down any symptoms of how you have been feeling, and how your mood is affecting your daily life. Make a note of any key personal information that might be useful for your doctor to know, such as upsetting events from your past or current stressful events.

Make a list of your medical information, including any other physical or mental health conditions that you have, and the names and amounts of medications, herbal remedies, or supplements that you take. You can take a friend or family member with you for support if this would make you feel more comfortable.

Write down some questions you want to ask, such as:

What type of mental health problem might I have?
Why can’t I get over this problem on my own?
How is this illness treated?
Will counseling or psychotherapy help?
Are there medications that could help?
How long will treatment take?
What can I do myself?
Do you have any printed material that I can have?
What websites do you recommend?

As well as the questions that you have prepared, don’t be afraid to ask more questions if there is anything that you don’t understand.

During Your Appointment

A typical doctor’s appointment is around ten minutes long, which a lot of patients (and even doctors) feel is not enough time to communicate everything that you need to. You can ask to book a double appointment if you feel you will need more time to discuss what is worrying you.

Try to be as open and honest with your doctor as you can. They will ask questions to get a clear picture of your health, so give them all the details about your symptoms. Use the notes that you have prepared to help you if you need them.

Opening up about your feelings can be hard to do, especially with someone that you don’t know. However, remember that doctors are trained to deal with sensitive issues in a professional and supportive way, so there is no need to feel awkward or embarrassed. Everything that you tell them is confidential unless you are worried that you might be a danger to yourself or others.

Your doctor might make a diagnosis and can suggest some treatment options that might help you, such as a prescription for medication, making a referral to a talking therapy service, referring you to a specialist mental health service, or giving advice on maintaining your own wellbeing.

Anne

Understanding Digital Marketing and How It Can Help Your Business

May 5, 2022 By Anne

Nowadays, advertising for commercial purposes has shifted from print and television to the digital age because of cultural changes. Almost everyone these days has a digital imprint, whether they’re casually using e-mail to interact with family or are a member of a social media site to keep up with their favourite celebrities and athletes. Consequently, how can you leverage digital advertising to benefit your company?

https://unsplash.com/photos/DfMMzzi3rmg

Social media is here to stay, so embrace it!

Social media is something that a large number of people use to interact with one another and to keep up with current events. Numerous social media platforms have altered our interactions with one another and our reactions to the news. This may be a great method for companies to connect with their customers on a more personal level. Promoting your products and services to the general public as well as those who follow you directly is easier when you leverage social media platforms as a form of free advertising. So sign up for these online social networks and, if you don’t already have one, set up a website for yourself. You may then cross-promote across all of your online characteristics.

Make Use of a Professional Agency

Because of the rapidity with which technology evolves, navigating the digital world may be challenging. Some companies, especially smaller ones, may find it difficult to keep up with something that is essentially a twenty-four-hour job in and of itself. Consequently, it may be worthwhile to consider hiring a performance marketing agency that can help you with all areas of your company’s internet presence. It’s good to have them on board, whether you opt to hire them on with a formal contract in place or if they just help you with odd hours here and there. It’s also beneficial to have the assistance of those who are well-versed in digital marketing, especially if you don’t have much previous expertise.

Press Releases Can Be Used To Your Advantage

Sending out press releases is a good idea if you’ve accomplished something noteworthy or if you’re introducing a new product or service that you believe merits media attention. Because there are so many unique networks and organisations out there, it’s really worthwhile to set up contact lists that you can use to distribute them to various recipients.

Focus on SEO

You should be familiar with search engine optimization (SEO) when it comes to your website. The better your website is optimised for search engines, the more effective it will be in promoting the products or services you are attempting to provide. The SEO on your website is yet another area where it can be worthwhile hiring an expert, however there are a few actions that you can do to boost the ranking of your website on search engines on your own. Condensing images and increasing the performance of your website are both excellent tips. In addition, you should be providing new material on a regular basis to increase your website’s visibility on Google.

The digital world is always evolving, and although it may seem like you’re always one step behind, it’s important to stay on top of things so that you can take advantage of the best possibilities to advertise your company online.

Anne

Healthy Eating – It Needn’t Cause Stress

May 3, 2022 By Anne

Pixabay CC0 License

Let’s face it; we could all benefit from adopting healthier eating habits. Unfortunately, it’s not always as easy as finding the motivation. For most people, making a conscious effort to improve their approach to nutrition will be a very stressful situation.

However, with the right strategies in place, it is possible to remove those sources of stress. Here’s what you can do to make healthy eating far easier on all the family.

Master healthy drinks

Before implementing new foods into your diet, it is possible to see big changes through your drinks choices. Simple steps like not having sugar in your coffee or trading soda for water can make a big impact.

If you are struggling to get enough fruit and veg in your diet, smoothies are ideal. It does mean that you’ll need to take the natural sugars and calories into account. Still, it is a great way to fuel your body with the right vitamins and nutrients.

Besides, it’s likely that those beverages will help you feel fuller for longer. As such, they are the perfect starting point for a new approach to eating.

Look for quick healthy foods

When looking to adopt a healthier approach to eating, cooking from scratch is an ideal solution. It encourages you to track what you’re eating and make smarter food choices. Sadly, it does also require more time.

In today’s fast-paced society, this can cause issues. Thankfully, focusing on ideas like this simple chicken paillard recipe allows you to create healthy meals in next to no time. Meanwhile, batch cooking sauces can be another wise move.

You might spend a few hours making the sauces today, but they can last for weeks. Better still, you will avoid the preservatives of store-bought items.

Don’t sacrifice taste

Staying motivated during the first few weeks of a diet is easy. If you don’t enjoy the foods, though, you will struggle to maintain that motivation. If you have spent a lifetime bouncing between diets, this is probably why.

While the chicken paillard, for example, is a great choice, you must also consider treats. Low sugar desserts and snacks can become a central ingredient in the recipe for success. Alternatively, you can simply learn to focus on portion control.

One way or another, you should be able to enjoy food. When you do, your hopes of sustaining your success are greatly improved.

Make healthy eating cheaper

Finally, there is no question that perceived costs are a major stumbling block for many families. It will be an even bigger issue now that living costs are noticeably higher. But healthy eating can be affordable.

There are many ways to reduce your costs. Bulk buying dry ingredients, managing your food waste, or growing fruit and veg will work wonders. As well as reducing your food bill, it can add to the direct enjoyment of healthy eating.

Above all else, you must stay consistent. Otherwise, doing great things during the weekdays could be undone by poor decisions at the weekend.

Anne

5 Tips for Planning a Successful Moms Get-Together

May 3, 2022 By Anne

Moms love getting together! Whether it’s for a playdate, a birthday party, or just to catch up on each other’s lives, we enjoy spending time with our friends. Planning a successful mom’s get-together can be tricky, but don’t worry – we’ve got you covered! Here are five tips to help make your next event a hit.

mily

Via Pexels

1) Choose a date and time that works for everyone:

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s essential to pick a date and time that works for all of the moms you’re inviting. Keep in mind different schedules, nap times, and bedtimes. Try to pick a time when most kids are awake and happy. Late morning or early afternoon usually works best. If you have friends with young babies, be mindful of their feeding and napping schedules as well. It might be easier to host at your house so they can leave if their baby gets fussy.

2) Keep the guest list small:

It’s tempting to invite every mom you know, but sometimes it’s better to keep the guest list small. If you have a lot of friends, try planning regular get-togethers, so everyone has a chance to participate. Smaller groups are usually more relaxed and intimate, which can make for a better conversation.

Plus, it’s one less thing to worry about – fewer people means less food, less mess, and less stress for you!

3) Make it potluck style:

One of the best things about a potluck is that everyone can contribute, and no one has to do all the work. Ask each mom to bring her favorite dish, dessert, or drinks. When deciding about drinks, follow this tequila mule recipe to a T, and you’ll have everyone hooked! This way, everyone feels like they’re part of the event, and you get to If you’re feeling extra organized, you can assign specific items, so there’s less duplication. Just be sure to take into account any dietary restrictions or food allergies.

4) Set the tone with your invitations:

Your invitations are the first impression guests will have of your event, so make sure they’re on point! Whether you send out paper invitations or use an online service like Evite, be clear about the purpose of your gathering. Moms’ night out? The more specific you are, the better. You can also get creative with your invitations by adding personal touches like photos or fun designs. Whatever route you choose, just be sure to include all the essential details like date, time, and location.

5) Relax and have fun!:

The most important thing to remember is to relax and have fun! These get-togethers are meant to be a time for you to unwind, catch up with friends, and enjoy some delicious food. If something goes wrong, don’t sweat it – just roll with the punches and know that everyone is there to have a good time.

In conclusion, following these tips will help ensure that your next mom’s get-together is a success! Just remember to relax, be yourself, and have fun. After all, that’s what these events are all about.