First Family; First Class Role Models

Inaugural day is a wonderful event in our country: we peacefully place into power the President, elected by the people of our nation. Compared to the rest of the world, it is truly amazing. For a moment, set all politics completely aside...

I really like the people President Barack and Michelle Obama are and the examples they've set. I was listening to the news yesterday and caught a mini run down on the President's itinerary for today. Top 3 items on his to-do list before starting all the inaugural day events:

  1. Work-out
  2. Briefing 
  3. Breakfast with the family
Amazing. I absolutely love it. President Obama is prioritizing his health by taking care of himself before the rest of his day begins. Working out; taking time to exercise. Even on the morning of his big second inauguration. 

And consider the Obama family breakfast. I've heard the President often chooses to join his wife and 2 daughters for dinner, instead of attending various local dinner parties. But, the Obama's also gather together for breakfast which is all to rare in our country today.

Sit-down family breakfasts have been replaced in many households by Pop-Tarts as we fly off to start our busy lives. Unfortunately, this grab and go eating is often detrimental to health. The ritual of sitting down together for meals has been shown to be important for a child's development and for each family member. And, sitting down to eat it plays a key role in maintaining a healthy weight. It provides an opportunity for mindful eating by allowing time to check in with internal hunger cues. Conversations around the table allows for slower eating, allowing time for the "full" message to be heard and heeded. Mindful eating is considered by many experts to be a critical part of both losing and maintaining a healthy weight for each one of us. 

Use President and Michelle Obama as wellness role models. Prioritize your own health. Sit down before you eat. And perhaps the President already understands...if you don't take care of yourself first, you won't be as strong and able to do your best taking care of everything in your world that really matters.