Can the world get better if I’m healthy?

Sometimes I feel a bit guilty about my commitment to my own health. There, I said it. My family isn’t exactly sad, dirty or hungry because I go to the gym; but there are a million things I could be doing at home instead of working out. And I know the kids aren’t always thrilled with my insistence that we add veggies to everything.

My single and kid-free friends don’t have this exact form of guilt – but they are stretched. They want to maximise their time, and helping others can come second at times  – which causes them angst too.

Yes, I know that I can’t look after others unless I look after myself and that if I get sick, I’m no use to anyone. But I often wonder how I can help others or do good while I look after my own health.

If you juggle loads of things, we’ve put together a list of suggestions on how you might help others while staying healthy:

Raise money for charity and boost your health

A good example of this is Dry July (starts soon – gulp!). While abstaining from drinking you can raise money to provide invaluable services to cancer patients. Some of the more sobering (pun intended), facts are:

80% – the percentage of Australians over 18 who drank alcohol in the last year

1.9M – the number of Australians drinking more than 6 standard drinks per day

$32.25- the amount the average Australian household spends on alcohol per week

17% – the percentage of Australians drinking at levels that put them at risk of alcohol-related disease

If you’d like to sign up for Dry July you can sign up here

Make over your home in a day

We love the idea of decluttering, but the reality seems completely overwhelming. That’s why we love the idea of decluttering your home in a day. This website has a fantastic game plan for dealing with decluttering. They suggest you draw up a game plan and tackle what you can in a day. Involve everyone who lives at home.

The health of your home or workspace has a big impact on our mental and physical health. Of course, the spinoff is that you can help others with all the goodies you donate. Make sure the stuff you take to the local opp shop is in good condition. Otherwise you might need to call the council to come and collect any rubbish.

Get adventurous in the kitchen

Some of the world’s best chefs have been busy making videos and sharing their craft online. We’ve found some fantastic online cooking classes that are free of charge. We’ve taken a few of these classes and I’ve found my knife skills in particular have really improved! The way to make this healthy and benefit other people is by sharing what you cook!

We’ve recently made this Nigella Lawson pasta recipe for a few friends. But we made a healthy switcheroo – instead of using linguine, we used Slendier’s Angel Hair pasta. No one would believe us that it was only 10 calories. We literally had to show one friend the packet!

By sharing new recipes and switching some of the ingredients to a healthier option, you can really help others to improve their health too.

Stay well.