My Reasons to Live a Healthy Lifestyle Have Names

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of American Heart Association. All opinions are 100% mine.

In my life there have been a lot of reasons I’ve chosen to live a healthy lifestyle. Before I had kids, it was for myself and my happiness. When I was making healthier choices, my life changed for the better. Now that I’m a mom, my reasons to live a healthy lifestyle actually have names.

They’re Weston and Carrigan. And they’re two of the best things that have ever happened to me.

My Reasons to Live a Healthy Lifestyle Have Names

I want to live a healthy lifestyle for myself. I made that change about ten years ago and I need to get back to living that healthier lifestyle. But I want to be around for my kids for as long as I can. Because life can be short.

I know people like to throw that saying around, but I’ve lived through it. When my sister passed away unexpectedly when she was only 23 years old, I realized just how true it can be. And now that I’m a mom, another saying is proving to be true.

The days really do feel long sometimes but the years are short. It’s hard to believe that Weston is already five and Carrigan is two. Where did my babies go? Knowing that our days are numbered and we never know how many we have, I try to focus on the moments I have with my kids. Watching Weston play baseball, going to swim lessons with Carrigan, and taking them both on vacations and experiencing the world through their eyes.

Those memories are the ones we’ll all hold onto forever. The memories with my sister are the ones I cling to these days. My kids will never know their aunt but I have plenty of stories to tell of the things we did together while she was with us.

So I’m working hard to live a healthy lifestyle so I have more time to make more memories with Weston and Carrigan. And also to model for them the way I would like for them to live. It’s really all about them.

To make sure that I get to experience more and more moments with my kids, I need to be healthy in heart and in mind. That’s where we hold all of our memories. And the choices I make affect my family so I have the power to make a huge change for my family.

So what am I working on to live a healthier lifestyle?

• Increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables we eat
• Reducing the amount of sodium we eat
• Reducing the amount of sugary drinks
• Increasing our physical activity
• Keeping tabs on my health and things like blood pressure

February is American Heart Month! So if you need resources for healthy living like recipes, tips and tricks, or information on brain and heart health, visit the Life Is Why website from the American Heart Association. You can also find some great ideas on the American Heart Association Pinterest page!

Then tweet to me @thesimpleparent or visit us on Facebook and share your reason why! We’d love to hear who is important in your life because Life is Why!