Clan plan: families can be a boon or an obstacle to your health. Make sure yours is a boon

Natural Health, July-August, 2008 by Mary Bolster

HAVING GROWN UP in a big family, I know how quickly illness can spread. When I was around 8, four of us came down with the mumps at the same time. Two years later, my brother Tom and I woke up with chicken pox and had to miss our school play. The flip side, of course, is that families can spread health as well. In "Getting Healthy Together," page 63, we profile three families who did just that. We hope they'll inspire you to consider these and other healthy habits.

* EAT WELL. Make a point of setting the table and sitting down for meals instead of eating on the run: See if you can create a peaceful and engaging vibe at the table, instead of a chaotic or rushed one.

* GET YOUR SLEEP. Create a mindful pre-sleep ritual. Turn off the television and computer an hour before you hit the hay, gradually turn down the house (close shades, turn off lights), and spend some time chatting with your family before retiring.

* BE ACTIVE. Get your family off the couch or away from the desk by initiating a postdinner walk or game of charades or Scrabble.

* REACH OUT. Encourage your family to talk openly and honestly about emotional or health issues. Schedule a weekly family meeting or reserve time during a meal. Once everyone is comfortable discussing these important concerns, be sure to keep the lines of communication open.

MARY BOLSTER

EDITOR IN CHIEF