Day 12, 11, 10 We Played Knick Knack Over Again

Sorry.  I missed some days.  Give a dog a bone.

 

I hope none of you - The Devoted Readers - binged on chocolate or anything.  Then I would feel guilty.  Right now, I don't feel guilty.  I had a busy weekend reading and writing papers (Did I mention I am going to school for my masters? They never tell you how much work it will actually be.), crazy-coupon shopping, spending time with my family and the best part...wait for it...we got a puppy! 

  
Say Hello Dolly!  She is the sweetest little dog ever and we are having so much fun with her.

My husband and I are in the tradition of eating dinner together, and tonight, Dolly joined us (what can I say, she just loves to be around us).  I am going to call it our first family dinner.  We sat her and her food bowl on a chair next to us, and she had her dinner too.  For this post I want to focus on something that will not only help us be healthier, but it will help us have better family relationships: Family Meal Time.

In April of this year, Time magazine published an article called Why Families Who Eat Together Are Healthier.  After reviewing data, researchers have found evidence to support the idea that having familiy mealtime has a wealth of benefits.  "Children tended to eat more fruits, vegetables, fiber, calcium-rich foods, and vitamins, and ate less junk food...Teens were more likely to show fewer signs of depression and feel that their family was more supportive...Children in families who frequently shared meals also tended to have a lower body mass index than those who didn’t." 

"Researchers found also that it’s not just the time spent together or the act of consuming food simultaneously that matters. The quality of the interactions are important too. The data showed that families who spent time watching TV together or ate fast food out together did not have the same improved dietary intakes as families who ate meals together at home...'We believe that spending that family time together may provide a platform allowing parents and children to interact and for parents to teach children healthy habits,' says Martin-Biggers."

 

The long and short of it:  A family that eats together gets healthy together.  And who wouldn't want a healthy, happy family?  So just do it; eat a healthy meal with your family.  Pick whichever works best for you (for us, it's dinner), and make a habit out of it.  Your family and your health are worth the little bit of time and organization you need to make it work.

Current Total Holiday Weight Loss {7 lbs}