3550: Why Your Child's Health Starts With You by Crystal Karges on Healthy Habits

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[00:01:00] This is Optimal Health Daily. Why your child's health starts with you by Crystal Cargis of crystalkargis.com. And I'm Dr. Neal Malik. Hey there, and welcome to another bonus Sunday episode where I share an article from one of the other podcasts in our network. Today's post comes from Optimal Relationships Daily, where articles covering all types of relationships are read to you every day. So with that, here's an article from Greg as we optimize your life.

[00:01:32] Why your child's health starts with you by Crystal Cargis of crystalkargis.com. As mothers, we are often able to do for our children what we cannot do for ourselves. No matter how many times you feel you may have failed in the past, mothers have an incredible, God-given strength when it comes to our children. In the midst of all of life's demands, we make it a point to take care of our children and their health.

[00:01:59] We get them to their doctor's appointments, make sure they brush their teeth, and worry if they're eating enough vegetables. We scour parenting books, blogs, and research to stay on top of the latest and greatest. But what if in the process of caring for our own children, we've neglected to take care for ourselves? Prioritizing self-care in motherhood Learning to care for yourself in the trenches of motherhood is a complex thing. After all, there are tiny humans who rely on you completely.

[00:02:28] So it's easy to let your own needs go to the wayside. Mama, you are doing such a great job nurturing your children. Why is it difficult to give this same level of care and attention to yourself? For most women, it's counterintuitive to put self-care in front of the needs of loved ones, including children and spouses. Generally speaking, mothers are nurturers and givers. But this can easily become a situation where mom's own needs become neglected.

[00:02:55] While it might seem like this is just how things are and that there is little that can be done to change this, this is simply not the case. A mother who doesn't prioritize her own health and wellness risks damaging not only her own well-being, but the longevity of her own children and family. Mama, you are the gasoline that keeps this car or minivan running. If you're not taking care of your vehicle, everyone riding inside is going to suffer when it has a breakdown. Don't let yourself get to the point of a breakdown.

[00:03:25] You can do everything possible to keep your children healthy and thriving, but if taking care of yourself is not part of the equation, your efforts are nulled. In an effort to offer your best to your children, it's important to make taking care of yourself a priority. While self-care is an overused, trendy phase, in my opinion, I think it's important to reframe the ways you can care for yourself in a busy season of motherhood. What are life-giving activities that fill you up and bring you joy?

[00:03:54] What are ways that you can replenish yourself during a time where you are constantly pouring yourself out for others? Here are some ideas. Learn how to say no. Take an honest look at your schedule. What is filling your time that causes you to feel burned out or drained? What's on your calendar that doesn't bring you joy? Do yourself a favor and find a way to remove it. Your time is too precious to say yes to everything. Choose activities that help you thrive and learn to say no to things that don't.

[00:04:24] You deserve to eat too. For many moms, mealtime becomes eating whatever leftovers are available on your kids' plates while you simultaneously pick up the house and answer emails. Mama, if you're not nourishing your body well, your health will suffer. Your kids will be better eaters and understand the importance of taking time to feed themselves if they observe you doing it for yourself.

[00:04:47] Schedule a pause in your day to sit down at the table with your kids, eat your food, and enjoy the opportunity to feed your body well. Move your body in a way that feels good. For many women, exercise doesn't count for anything unless it involves burning a certain amount of calories. But where's the joy in that? You could choose activities and movement that you enjoy and don't dread doing.

[00:05:11] This can be anything from gardening to playing tag with your kids in the park to wearing your baby and taking a stroll around the neighborhood. Activity should serve your body, not feel punishing or burdening. Put yourself on the schedule. You schedule out important appointments for your kids and make time in your calendar for things that need to get done. Why not do the same for yourself? It's easy to feel guilty for taking time away from your family for things you enjoy.

[00:05:39] But ultimately, you will come back feeling refreshed. Make some time for things that you enjoy, even if it's only for a couple of hours every month. You deserve it, Mama. Quiet the diet for good. Women who continue to chronically diet will often have a chaotic relationship with food, struggle with body image, or even battle eating disorders. But that's not even the worst part.

[00:06:03] Mamas, if we don't put a stop to the cycle, dieting can become a generational problem, passing on problematic eating behaviors to our children. Cultivate a positive understanding of health and what it means to care for and nourish your body and your children, diets not included. Helping your children grow into healthy, contributing individuals will naturally come when your own well-being is made a priority. Does this have to be perfect to be meaningful?

[00:06:29] The motherhood journey is never about perfection, but rather learning in the process and giving yourself grace upon grace along the way. You just listened to the post titled, Why Your Child's Health Starts With You, by Crystal Cargis of crystalcargis.com. Thinking about refreshing the carpet in your home? Now's the time to do it.

[00:06:54] For a limited time at The Home Depot, get 10% off installed carpet projects on trusted brands like LifeProof, LifeProof with PetProof Technology, Home Decorators Collection, and Traffic Master. Plus, with installation starting at just 49 cents per square foot, upgrading your space is more affordable than ever at The Home Depot. Offer valid September 24th, 2026 through October 4th, 2026. Exclusions apply. For licenses, see homedepot.com slash license numbers. This episode is brought to you by PayPal.

[00:07:23] You know how a mom's bag has everything? Sunscreen? Snacks? A stapler? The new PayPal app is like that, but for your money. Shop, pay, manage your account, and earn rewards all in one place. And with purchase protection on eligible items, biometric security, and pass keys, you're protected at every step. Download the new PayPal app to get started. See paypal.com slash protection terms. And thanks so much to Crystal for this post.

[00:07:52] Definitely a motivating piece for mothers and fathers alike, I'm sure. And I would say that just as health is something we'd like to see our children do well with, we can apply these same principles to any value that we want to exhibit to them. For example, if you want your children to grow up and be kind, how can you break kindness down into different subcategories the way that Crystal has with health, and then seek to exemplify them for your children?

[00:08:20] We're ultimately talking about setting a good example, which is such a meaningful part of parenting. You hear it come up over and over again. So use this episode not only to learn about how you can do that health-wise, but follow the same structure and let it help you with other important areas of life too. That's it for me today though, everyone. Thanks a lot for listening to the end and definitely come back tomorrow where we will have another parenting post, this time from Healthline.

[00:08:46] Looking forward to seeing you all there, where your optimal life awaits. Let's see.