POLOKWANE – National Healthy Lifestyles Awareness Day is a day implemented by the government to promote good nutrition, regular physical activity, tobacco control, interventions against alcohol and substance abuse and safe sexual behaviour. The day is celebrated on 22 February this year and Review spoke to residents who live healthy lifestyles to find out how they influence their families to stay healthy too.
Given my current health status, I was driven to eat healthy and exercise on a regular basis. I encourage them to make small differences in their eating habits and now the whole family joined in on my eating plan and exercise routine. They quite enjoy it and if they do not, they hide it well from me.
We did the Banting thing where we cut out all sugar and carbs for six months. We now stay on the basic principal and eat very little carbs and sugar. The children follow the same diet as we do but every now and again, before a sport day, I will make pasta for them to give them some stamina. We encourage each other and sometimes we will cheat by having an ice cream but nothing more. Meal preparation as well as encouragement is important.
For me keeping the family active is easy because we all enjoy riding our bicycles together. This makes for great family time and staying active while having fun. Besides from doing something together, we can have a healthy breakfast before going or lunch when we get back. I order healthy food and my family follows my example.
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