Those family traditions aren’t just fun, they have health benefits!
When it comes to living a healthier lifestyle, it’s not just about what’s on our plate, it’s also about who you’re sharing it with. From Easter brunch traditions to passed down recipes, those meaningful connections and traditions can play a big role in helping you build healthy habits.
Studio 5 Health Contributor Miki Eberhardt shared her family Easter tradition, and benefits families get from these longstanding traditions.
The Frampton Family Easter Egg Roll
One of Miki’s most cherished traditions is the annual Frampton Family Easter egg roll. This event has been a staple in her family for generations. “It’s something that started before I was born,” Miki said. “ I have memories as a kid growing up, being excited to dye my hard boiled Easter egg and show up at Grandma’s house.”
The family starts by drawing numbers to determine matchups, bracket style, and then competes by rolling hard-boiled eggs against each other. “You go right up against them, up to that masking tape, and you go ‘1, 2, 3,’ and you let your egg go and they crunch in the middle,” she explained. The winner is determined by whose egg stays intact.
Building Connections and Healthy Habits
Family traditions like the Easter egg roll are more than just fun; they foster deep connections and healthy habits. Miki emphasized the importance of these gatherings: “You connect, you bond, you laugh.”
These moments of joy and togetherness contribute to our overall well-being. “We see health as a whole, right? Something that you look forward to. You’re connecting. You have this family unity, you’re deepening these relationships,” she emphasized.
Exposure to New Foods
Family gatherings often involve sharing meals, which can introduce new foods to picky eaters. “It takes eight to 15 times for a kid to be willing to try something new. They have to see it. They have to see other people eating it,” Miki noted. This exposure can help kids develop a more varied and healthy diet.
“Maybe even you’re around peers, a cousin or something, that’s like, ‘oh, this is so good. You’ll love it.’ That’s a different spin than mom saying, ‘try this, you’ll like it.'” Trying new foods is important for kids, and a large family gathering is a great way to help them branch out from the regular offerings in your own family.
Practicing Intuitive Eating
Holiday meals and family traditions are an opportunity to practice intuitive eating. “It is a great opportunity to challenge yourself to stop when you’re satisfied and not keep going, going, going,” Miki explained.
This mindful approach to eating helps to maintain a healthy relationship with food. “ It’s easy to honor your hunger and fullness when you have control over all of the food, but when you open it up to lots of different things, maybe things that you really like and don’t get all the time, it’s a great opportunity to challenge yourself,” Miki emphasized.
Heart Health Benefits
The connections formed through family traditions can also benefit heart health. “ When you have those connections, it feels good to your heart. But also there is this benefit of lowering blood pressure and reduced risk for heart disease when you have these family traditions,” Miki said.
She acknowledged that some family dynamics may raise the blood pressure. “ But the reality is, the more traditions there are and those opportunities to connect, there is this benefit for your heart health,” Miki emphasized.
Lessons from the Blue Zones
Miki drew parallels between family traditions and the lifestyle habits of people in the Blue Zones, regions known for their high longevity. “These places have more… people that live to a hundred than anywhere else in the world, there’s these seven spots, they’re all over,” she explained.
These people do have certain foods they’re eating, but they also have family connection. “They have strong family and connection ties. The sense of belonging, which is important. They spend time in nature,” Miki explained.
Seeing these correlations in the Blue Zones show that family traditions can promote a long and purposeful life. “ That is such a benefit that we’re not just living long, but there’s purpose to our living as well,” Miki emphasized.
The Effort is Worth It
Despite the planning and logistics involved, Miki believes that maintaining family traditions is worthwhile. “It’s worth the effort. I have dear relationships to my cousins to this day because of some of those traditions,” she emphasized. The lasting bonds and health benefits make these traditions important in our lives.
Find more health advice from Miki on Instagram, @nutritionbymiki.
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