Old Time Health Secrets

Even with up-to-date health news, we can learn from generations past. Stay current with these secrets your grandma already knew:

Daily kickoff. Eat a big breakfast. Research shows consuming most of your calories — as many as 600 — at your AM meal and making it protein-heavy will fuel your body for optimum energy, fat-burning, and brain power. So the traditional 1950s bacon, eggs, and juice wasn’t far off. Modern-day revision: Use smoked salmon in place of bacon and add veggies (like diced peppers and spinach) to your eggs.

Nightly gathering. Supper used to be a sit-down experience everyone attended. Food was prepared in the kitchen; eating out was reserved for special occasions. But in the past 6 decades family dinners have declined, with as little as 33% of families eating together regularly in the 1990s. Fortunately that trend is shifting. Studies show that mealtime togetherness prompts happier, healthier, and less stressed families than those who don’t gather for grub.

Weekly retreats. For much of modern history, Sunday was reserved for faith and family. The gradual dissolution of “blue laws” — regulations banning commerce on Sundays — and the advances in information technology encourage obligation overload. But there’s wisdom in taking refuge for a day, regardless of your religious beliefs. Impose your own blue law on your week, focusing on more important things than email or text messages.