When a woman is aware of the health status of each member of her family, including herself, she can take steps to help them move up the path toward better health. An individual’s health encompasses nutritional, emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects. These parts together make up the whole person. Holistic health care is all about an individual’s whole life. Planning is an essential task for the woman who wants better health for herself and her family.

Personal Story

I was exhausted! I was a young mother of two children who were under eighteen months of age. My husband went to college full-time and worked part-time. Together, we managed an apartment complex which required that we mow lawns, remove snow from sidewalks, and clean buildings and apartments after the tenants moved out. With my husband often gone or studying, I wondered how I was ever going to care for my children and get everything else done. I prayed and God answered! God prompted me to make a list of what I needed to do and plan blocks of time to work on each item on the list. Then I could do what I could during that time block and not worry about the rest. Once I had a plan, I felt hopeful. While I did not complete everything on my list, I could see progress which encouraged me.

Manage Family Health

Managing your family’s health takes planning. Some tasks you may want to put on your list include:

1. Plan your menus each week to help you eat quality whole foods. Aim to eat 80% organic and grass-fed each week. Think about what farmers grew in their garden and the eggs and meat they produced themselves when making your grocery list.
2. Try to eat on a regular schedule, every two to three hours. This helps your metabolism to work properly. Think of how throwing wood on a fire keeps the flame burning. In the same way, your body burns fuel, both food calories and stored fat, more effectively when there is fuel to burn. The key is in eating small amounts of proper foods.
3. Plan a routine that helps you get enough rest. A good goal is about 8 hours of sleep each night.

When I was an exhausted young mother, the following example of a weekly schedule from Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder inspired me to plan my weekly routine to include the things I needed to carry out each week:

“Each day had its own proper work. Ma used to say:

Wash on Monday,

Iron on Tuesday,

Mend on Wednesday,

Churn on Thursday,

Clean on Friday,

Bake on Saturday,

Rest on Sunday.”

I urge you to spend some time to plan a weekly routine which includes blocks of time for preparing quality food, eating regularly, and getting adequate rest. Planning is an important step on your path to better health.

What is your weekly routine? Please encourage others by writing in the comment section.