NB: This post was originally authored by me and published on theladysroom.ng an online blog site.
Goodness! I am so thankful for a month that is already nearing its second week while we are still saying ‘Happy New month’.
One of the best ways to show my husband and kids that I love them is by providing them with healthy, nutritious, yummy foods, and helping them stay fit.
How I Show Love
Speaking of loving up, I have realised that one of the best ways to show my husband and kids that I love them is by providing them with healthy, nutritious, yummy foods, and helping them stay fit. As a mom, I take pride in being an ‘Epic Mom-in-Chief’ and as a wife, I love every moment I spend thinking up or cooking. I am very aware of the power I wield over my family’s wellbeing by deliberately running a healthy kitchen. I know that the stuff I set on the table daily has the power to fuel them with life, or hand them over to sicknesses and disease.
It is hard work, but the time and energy expended on my family is worth it, especially as I am the more health conscious partner.
Wives, can I talk to you real quick?
If you are the type who likes to cook, you may know how when you get married, after a couple of months, your husband’s waistline increases and everyone starts hailing you for doing a fine job on the man.
Yes, you deserve the accolades, so take them. But we draw the line when obesity, especially abdominal obesity, is fast taking over and you are still receiving accolades. No doubt, most single men upgrade in the looks department when they get married and start enjoying steady homemade food (did y’all see the #10YearChallange that featured some husbands before and after marriage?). But we need to balance things out.
It Goes Beyond Food
Then, there is the work-out culture in the home, that is working out with your husband right at home, or in the gym if you guys can afford the time and cash for one. Girl, that stuff rocks!
For starters, you both look cool. It’s not every time you see a couple sweating out together.
Then, it is a whole lot of fun, especially when doing workout/dance/aerobic videos at home as you watch each other try to imitate the instructor or get tired even at the warm-ups. Plus, you also get the privilege of being on the same team with a loved one, so you both spur each other on. If you are the competitive type, then you can even try to outlast each other for the duration of the workout. That’s a beautiful and healthy rivalry, especially if the woman is winning.
(Side note: Most guys cannot squat as ladies can so make sure squats feature a lot in your workouts and drop it all the way low as you smirk your way to winning that round)
If you have kids, they can join the party too. You want to introduce your kids to an active lifestyle from an early age.
Create the Time
If the weekday doesn’t afford you the opportunity to work out together, then take long walks on the weekends. When I do that with my husband, it goes beyond the exercise and becomes quality bonding for both of us as we catch up on our lives.
Now let’s get back to the kitchen.
Oil has often gotten a bad rap in the fit-fam world, and as a fit-fam influencer, I now see why, even more.
I have seen an increasing number of women turn up in my email wanting to purchase a cholesterol-lowering nutrition plan for their homes, especially when their partners have just gotten a scary medical diagnosis.
Can I keep it real?
High bad cholesterol can kill via a heart attack and this presents more in men. It used to be a preserve for older people but today, that age bar keeps getting lowered as a result of our lifestyle.
So much oily foods, fried foods, fast foods, and then a sedentary lifestyle.
My sister, don’t kill that man. Adding weight is not always going to be evidence of good living. Sometimes it is just evidence of an unhealthy lifestyle, which thankfully you can curb.
Other Tips
Make smoothies a regular at home as you try to eliminate or reduce fizzy drinks and packaged juices to the barest minimum in your home.
Reduce the amount of palm oil used to prepare your soups and porridges. More tomato and plentytatase (red bell peppers) will do the oil trick too.
Boil, grill, or air-fry more and leave off the deep frying with oil at least 75% or more of the time.
And for goodness sake, save money by drinking more and more water.
PS
We launched a brand-new program for couples who want to rock this fitness groove together. Think tag team workouts, gender-based nutrition plans, accountability and results. The Boo&Bae package is just what you need to bring healthy back in your home. Few things spell love more than an investment on good health and a better quality of life.
Love
Eziaha.