Family traditions are usually defined as a combination of social ideals, personal attitudes, ideas, and environment derived from your parents or relatives, while family values usually refer to how you frame your personal life in the context of political and social issues. Family traditions include honoring the people and places from which they come from.
Tradition and values can vary from family to family, but what doesn’t change is the effect these traditions and values have on your body, seeing as most traditions include unhealthy meals. You can have it all: tradition, values, and healthy living. It is about living your life in balance or moderation.
You should always eat a balanced diet. Diet extremes harm your body rather than provide balance. Even eating the same foods over and over again are not necessarily good for you on a daily basis. If you have broccoli one day, have string beans another. If you have good, down-home cooking for one meal, make sure that one of your other meals is filled with fiber, whole foods, little sugar and little fat. Life is about many choices. Make your choices wisely.
Weight – You need to find your ideal body weight. Being overweight or underweight can cause health problems. Underweight people usually have a more difficult time fighting off serious diseases like cancer and balancing their immune system. Overweight people often suffer from high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes or heart problems. Genetics can play a major role in your health, and it is possible to live a healthy lifestyle being under-or overweight, but no one can predict if you have won this healthy living lottery. Every person is different; one person who carries extra weight may really suffer, whereas another person who also carries extra weight has no issues at all.
Refined or Fast foods -If you are trying to be healthy, are overweight, or trying to lose weight, and have any kind of health issue, fast or refined food is probably one of the worst things you can eat. Fast food is usually filled with fat, refined sugars, gross amounts of sodium and countless carbohydrates, all of the things that are poison to your immune system. Many desserts, sweets or snacks are loaded with bad carbohydrates, ones high in sugar, saturated fat, and sodium, which can increase your bad cholesterol, blood pressure, harm your heart and can lead to diabetes. However, if you have to have one of your family recipes filled with sugar and fat, try melsLaw: If you eat too much of one kind of food, balance your diet by eating an equal amount of an opposite kind of food until you can eat a proportionately balanced diet. For example, if you are a fast-food junkie, rotate your meals between grains, leafy vegetables and fruits, and fast food, which usually consists of refined foods, fat, salt, and sugar. This is not a perfect diet, but it is a start on your road to healthy living. High-fat foods contain more calories than low-fat foods, fruits, vegetables and grains, and are not as satisfying as the latter.
Exercise. Next to diet, exercise, or physical activity, is critical and probably the most important thing you can do to achieve optimal health and feel better. Nutrition and physical activity are interactive; each influences the other. Exercise and physical activity both involve body movement, muscle contraction and energy release. The difference between exercise and physical activity is that exercise is usually considered to be more strenuous and structured. For our purpose, exercise and physical activity are the same.
Exercise:
o Improves nutritional health
o Reduces stress
o Improves your self-image, outlook and mood – spiritual happiness
o Lowers risks & combats chronic diseases – cancer, diabetes, heart, high cholesterol, hypertension, immune system
o Helps you to manage your weight
o Strengthens your body & improves body composition – helps prevent injuries
o Helps improve your sleep
o Enhances immunity
o Improves quality of life
o Increases your energy and relieves fatigue
o Can be entertaining and fun – exercise with a friend or people-watch while you run
o Increases your life span
o Is free or inexpensive
Blue-collar ethic. Blue-collar ethic usually means working class people performing manual labor, earning an hourly wage, and having a sense of family values. If you are one of these people and you prefer fast food and like to have a beer after work, do so, but only in moderation. (See melsLaw above) If you choose to drink, drink a light beer or have a glass of wine. If you eat fast food every day, make sure one of your meals is very high in fiber and whole grains. Studies have shown that nothing good can come from smoking if you are trying to improve your health. If you smoke, try and cut down slowly with the ultimate goal being to stop smoking.
Religion. Whatever your religious or spiritual beliefs are, treat your body like a place of worship. It is the only one that you have, and you need to take care of it and honor it.