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Meet the Graves Family

 


MEET THE GRAVES FAMILY

Healthy Hoosier Family Spotlight

Family Size: 3
Who's In the Family?
Mom: Anne, works as a Program Coordinator for Clarian Health Partners Health Promotions and is a Nebraska native who has lived in Indiana for about 5 years
Dad: Jeremy, works as a Finance Manager and is a native of Anderson, Indiana
Daughter: Charli, is an active toddler

  1. When did you decide to work towards being healthier?
    My husband and I were both active growing up. I ran cross-country and swam while my husband swam as well. Though I was never the "best" competitive athlete, competing taught me a lot about hard work, dedication, and teamwork; skills I may not have had otherwise. My husband and I work hard to show our daughter the fun we had so that she will hopefully find the same enjoyment in her life.

  2. What things do you do, as a family or individually, to be healthy? What do you eat? How do you get in regular physical activity?
    Most of the time we try to eat at home, even though I am not the best cook. Most of the time, dinner is made up of separate things like a piece of meat or sandwich, with side dishes. I always make sure we have a basket of fresh fruit on the counter and fresh and frozen vegetables to serve with meals. We do eat out sometimes but we try to make healthy menu choices, share meals or get smaller servings.

    As for physical activity, we go for family walks in the evening. I do my exercise in the morning and my husband does his after Charli goes to bed. We have our gym equipment at the house so it makes it very convenient. We encourage Charli to walk when we go out. We rarely use the stroller unless we are going out for an extended period of time. We also try not to turn the TV on during the week until after Charli goes to bed at night.

  3. In your opinion, what is the best benefit of being healthy and working toward a healthy lifestyle?
    My 2-year-old likes to exercise and eats fruits and vegetables. Sometimes she even prefers them to not-so-healthy choices. I don't know that this will always continue, but I am hopeful that she will learn to make good choices from an early age and not struggle with them quite as much down the road. We hope to lay a good foundation for her to continue into her teens and adulthood.

  4. What is the most difficult part of working toward a healthy lifestyle?
    Time is definitely a problem. We try to make physical activity part of our day, not an extra part, so even if we cannot go walking or play outside, we try to be active inside. As for eating healthy, I try to make sure I always have my staples on hand: bread, cereal, milk, yogurt, string cheese, frozen vegetables and fruit, skinless chicken breasts, fresh fruit, etc. This way if I don't make it to the store I can still make a meal from those items I keep in stock.

    We try hard to make sure at least one of eats breakfast or dinner with our daughter everyday. We eat dinner as a family as much as possible, though both my husband and I sometimes work late, so it is not always possible.

  5. What tips would you give other families who are trying to become healthier? Be patient! Don't expect to make things a habit overnight. Expect to have to try different things, even after you get into a routine. People's attitudes, tastes and motivation change constantly, so be creative about the approaches you take. Health is not a race - it's a marathon.

  6. What do you do for physical activity or exercise?
    I run, use the elliptical machine, bike or walk 5 days a week, usually for about 40 minutes at a time. Jeremy runs 2-3 days a week for 2-4 miles each run. Our family usually takes an evening walk of about 15-20 minutes whenever possible. We work out either at home, with our equipment, or in our neighborhood (walks, runs).

  7. How do you fit nutrition, physical activity, and avoidance of tobacco products into your busy life?
    Luckily, neither of us smokes, so we don't have to worry about that issue. I keep meal basics, or staples, in the freezer or cupboard to use in a pinch. Otherwise, we just try to be aware of what kinds of foods we are eating and watching portion sizes when we eat out at restaurants. We just try to do a little bit everyday.

  8. How do you make being healthy a priority?
    I think about the long-term effects for my daughter. I want to enjoy life with her and help her to be healthy

  9. What is your definition of being healthy? Has this definition changed for you and/or your family since you've been working toward being healthy?
    Being healthy means enjoying a lifestyle filled with physical activity and a healthy diet. Yes, I used to think I had to "exercise" everyday - and that meant running even if I really did not want to do it or eating a salad for every meal. I used to take it to the extreme. Since I have had my daughter, I have been able to relax and really fit a proper diet and physical activity into our lifestyles, so hopefully she will find this lifestyle to be something she wants to do, not something she has to do!