This Thanksgiving, you might be focused on turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie, but don’t let food be the only topic of conversation. Since Thanksgiving is also National Family Health History Day, this is the perfect time to discuss any serious diseases that run in the family. Staying informed could help you make wise health decisions to protect yourself from chronic disease.
National Family Health History Day
Thanksgiving is a major national holiday, where people may take the entire week off to be with family. It’s a time where giant meals are had and family time is a must. However, it’s also National Family Health History Day, as declared by the Surgeon General. This is because of the fact that most people are with their families and can learn more about their family history. National Today reports that this day was chosen as a Family Health History Day because it’s a day where “everyone in your family is assembled and [can] discuss the family health history.”
This motion was first created to help families know their risk for colorectal and colon cancers, which affect and kill millions of people. This condition—as well as hundreds of others—tend to run in families. There are 3 simple suggestions with what you can do on this day with your families:
- Make a genealogy tree. This is a great way to map out your family back 3 generations or more. Include all the information you have available for family members, including birth and death days and health conditions they may have had. When chronic disorders or diseases run in families, you can trace the path with a genealogy tree.
- Make up a folder or binder of your family health history. If you create a family health history together, you can print out all the information everyone would need to take to a doctor or other type of medical professional for future treatment or diagnosis.
- Assign family members to write down health concerns. This includes if a family member has a current condition or disease, what their allergies are, their lifestyle and environment, eating habits, questions and concerns that they have. You may share many of the same conditions or questions with family members.
How Does Your Family Health History Affect You?
It can be hard to know where to start when it comes to your family history, especially if you are trying to figure out that history on your own. That’s why Thanksgiving is a perfect time to find out everything that runs in your family! You want to start with your parents and siblings and see what types of things affect them. Does someone have diabetes? Is there a condition that affects every generation? Are allergies the same among siblings or cousins? Your immediate family is the first group of people you want to talk to, and then you branch out from there.
The NIH recommends that you go back 3 generations to get an adequate picture of your family health history. Try to include information such as:
- Current and past allergies of all family members.
- History of drug, alcohol, or tobacco use.
- Chromosomal or genetic mutations that run in the family.
- Your genetic history, as in who your parents and grandparents are according to your birth certificate.
- Current disorders, diseases and health concerns of all living relatives.
- Effective and non-effective treatment methods for living relatives with chronic conditions.
- The environment, lifestyle, nutrition and exercise of family members, if available.
- Your heritability for certain traits or conditions. That means, does every person have the same allergies in your family? Do all of you inherit the same types of traits when it comes to looks, health, addiction, similar health problems?
Similar habits, environments and lifestyles can make siblings and other family members more susceptible to the same type of conditions. Learn as much about your health history as you can to treat or prevent health problems.
Lifestyle, Exercise and Nutrition: How Important Are They?
Your lifestyle, nutrition and how active you are can literally prevent your body from being susceptible to diseases and conditions that affect members of your family. How you eat, sleep and exercise can determine if your body stays healthy enough to be free of chronic conditions.
The American Heart Association recommends that every person get at least 150 minutes of exercise every single week in order to stay healthy and to help prevent disease. This allows proper blood circulation to keep nerves alive and active, and also helps regulate digestion, nutrient absorption, proper sugar breakdown for energy, and more. Sleeping 7-9 hours a day can also allow your body to get rid of waste products and dead cells that can accumulate in your body, which could increase your chances for chronic health issues. Eat a balanced diet low in sugars and fat, which includes the 6 essential nutrients of vitamins, minerals, protein, water and healthy fats and carbs. All of these habits can help you stay free of illness.
Holistic Treatment for Your Health
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