Maintaining your family's health and well-being

When you're a parent, maintaining your family's health and welfare is your highest priority. But whether you have one child or six, it's often tough to stay on top of the things that keep your kids fighting fit - whether you're too busy to cook a healthy meal or too tired to play football after work. However, if you make sure that you stick to the three main elements of a healthy family life, you could see the benefits in your child's health long after they've left home.

Perhaps the first and most important aspect of family health is maintaining a good diet. As a general rule, try to cut out salts, sugars and fats from everyday dining and replace them with fruits and vegetables. The 5-a-day rule is a good measure to stick to, so make sure that you and your children eat plenty of fruit and that green vegetables are part of every meal. It's also important to ensure that your family consumes plenty of fish from an early age, as fish is a vital provider of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, and helps maintain good cardiovascular health. Try looking for low-GI alternatives to staple foods as well - such as sweet potatoes instead of the ordinary white variety - as these will provide longer, more sustained bursts of energy. And don't overfeed your children either: instead, serve manageable portions that get slightly larger as they get older.

In addition to eating well, staying fit and active is crucial to encouraging your family's general health and well-being. Experts recommend that children get 60 minutes of exercise each day. On weekdays, some of this quota may be achieved at school as a result of running around the playground or school PE lessons. However, try to encourage your children to stay active outside school as well - for example, through regular swimming lessons as well as other activities like football, gymnastics or even dance classes. At weekends, organise active days out as a family so your children can see that you value physical fitness as well. Playing rounders or frisbee in a public park is a great way to stay fit as a family and if you've got a dog, taking it on regular walks or playing catch will also help keep you and your family in shape.

The third element to maintaining good child and family health is to create a good level of home hygiene. This will limit the spread of germs in your home and could help diminish the chances of you and your family contracting infectious diseases. This can be done through instilling basic habits in your children, like washing their hands after using the toilet and covering their mouth with a tissue when they cough or sneeze. As well as following this advice, parents should also maintain home hygiene by regularly cleaning and disinfecting bathrooms and the kitchen (particularly if you have pets) and frequently dusting, mopping and sweeping floors and surfaces. Following these basic rules will not only promote general health and well-being but limit the number of times you need to see your doctor, as well as promote good hygiene and health habits in your children for life.

About the Author

The author of this article is a part of a digital blogging team who work with brands like Bupa. The contents of this article are of a general nature only and do not constitute specific advice.  This article does not take into account your circumstances or needs and must not be relied upon in place of appropriate professional advice.