Everyone wants to live life as healthily as possible, especially when you are a parent. You realise those small bad habits can turn into bigger ones that your children pick up on. No more weekly takeouts and lazy days infront of the tv. Now it's days at the park and healthy snacks. Here's a few simple changes you can make so you can live that healthier life for your family?

Eating your 5 a day

This might be a simple one but sometimes it is easier to grab a chocolate bar than an apple for that quick sugar fix. I know that preparing fruit can take more time but int he long run the health benefits are so much better. We try and aim to get as much colour in our diet as possible. We like to use the NHS website to help us plan our meals. We also try and pick one new fruit or vegetable a month. This way we get some variety and even find something new! Who knew that sharon fruit was so sweet or that celery soup was really yummy!

Getting active

Kids LOVE to be outside. Rain or shine they love to run, jump and get covered in mud and dirt (at least my one does) so we try and get out for at least an hour each day. On sunny days we pop on our roller quads and go to the skate park. On the raining ones we love a bit of muddy puddles followed by hot chocolates and warm baths. Even a walk in the woods or to the high street means you are getting active.

Quitting smoking

One of the things that everyone promises to do but it's always so tricky to manage. Smoking, like drinking and junk food is a vice that isn't great for us and we all need to curb. Electronic cigarettes like Vype are modern alternatives to traditional quitting methods. Inhaling vapours that are flavoured with tobacco means that you get the hit but not the nasty stuff. Scott used to be a smoker and he said that he would have preferred to have had this method to help than going cold turkey like what he did. 

Doing it together

Having a buddy to help quit with is more than likely to help you succeed than if you do it on your own. Me and Scott love to plan healthy meals together, get active together and set weight loss goals. We're the first to say we need to lose a few pounds (or more) and having each other there really spurs us on. Obviously if you don't have a significant other that wants to help, a good friend to gossip with on a walk always helps!

Laughing and being happy

We always wondered why we felt bad when we were miserable. It made us feel more sluggish. We then realised that by being happy, laughing and joking with each other actually made us feel happier, healthier and more alert. We try and watch funny videos, play small pranks and laugh as much as we can. Try it. I bet you feel better afterwards!