Your Health Your Way
James Ross M.D. shares insights on health, business, and life
Your Health Your Way
How we are raising a healthy family
We share how a large, loud household moved from junk-food habits to a sustainable, faith-rooted health culture. Homeschool flexibility, dinner rituals, and simple routines helped each child thrive while we learned to prioritize sleep, strength, clean food, and connection.
• flexible homeschooling based on each child’s season
• dinner-table rituals that build listening and trust
• shifting from processed foods to clean eating
• using an 80–20 approach to reduce friction
• addressing eczema, gut issues, and dye sensitivities
• daily routines with shakes, greens, and quality supplements
• strength training, protein targets, and muscle as longevity
• sleep, electrolytes, and recovery as non-negotiables
• faith practices, prayer, and Scripture memory
• modeling marriage growth and seeking help when needed
• small consistent changes over time, not perfection
Make wellness a priority at home. Start small, stay consistent, and build the kind of relationships that help everyone grow.
Follow on us on socials and watch this podcast on Youtube - https://linktr.ee/Dr.JamesRoss
Missy Ross, welcome back to the show. It's already starting off with a chuckle.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, indeed.
SPEAKER_01:Are you happy to be here?
SPEAKER_00:I am. Thanks so much for having me here.
SPEAKER_01:You know, thanks for being here again, really. We're happy to have you. Um thanks for sharing the uh last episode um that we did together. That was fantastic. This is kind of like a part two of that, if you will, maybe a continuation of that discussion where I want to dive a little bit deeper with our audience today, talking a little bit more about maybe our family culture, maybe uh uh you know, making healthy living a lifestyle for your family. And um, you know, we've got a we've got a large family and we've made healthy living um part of our lifestyle. And I'd love to just kind of dive into that, of course, having six beautiful kids, four pain in the butt dogs. But we love them anyway. But why don't we set the stage here? If you could just tell us a little bit about, tell the audience about kind of give them a a glimpse of our kids and maybe the stages of life there and the seasons of life there, and just talk a little bit about our kids, if you will.
SPEAKER_00:I love doing that. So, yes, absolutely. Um, well, our oldest is uh newly married, so we added another kid to our group. And so his lovely wife, Summer, he and um Summer have um been married now a little over a year. This is Noah, our oldest. And then our second child, Nia, she is in grad school, and so she is working and um doing that. Our third son is at in college and doing all the things, college, loving it. Uh, we have a senior in high school, a freshman in high school, and a seventh grader. So, and they all are at different obviously stages, but we also are at different stages um homeschooled now for 22 years almost. And so um we've kind of just you homeschooled from the beginning.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, every every kiddo has been homeschooled to a point, right?
SPEAKER_00:And yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Talk us, talk about homeschooling. That's that's why did you choose homeschooling?
SPEAKER_00:Well, I am actually a teacher by degree, and they're two totally different things. Being a homeschool mom and a teacher in the school system is um extremely different on so many levels. But I knew um when Noah was getting ready to start school that I wanted to be in charge of his education. I wanted to be the one that taught him all the things. And it was, I didn't want to just work on the traditional things in terms of, you know, mat and spelling and reading and writing, but I wanted to instill um values and character and um, of course, biblical values that were really important to us. And so I knew that that would only be done at home. And so we started that journey when he was four. And so, yeah, 22 years ago. And um we've just continued on. We have definitely over the years just stopped to see what each child needs in that season of life. And so some have come home for a few years and then have gone back to school. Uh some didn't come home at all. And the boys stayed in school and you know, were very much uh a part of the sports that they were in in in high school. And then uh more recently, we kind of have a part-time homeschool, private school kid, and then one who has never been to school and is still currently being homeschool in seventh grade. So we've just had a very just gam wide gamut of education, just making sure each kid gets what they need in the season that they're in.
SPEAKER_01:That's the way we've kind of, I mean, is we've practiced what we preach, and it's really not one size fits all, right? We talk about that a lot in health and wellness, but it's true, and every kid's a little different, every kid has different needs. And you know, I love the foundation though that really you being the main teacher. I'm the principal and the superintendent. Indeed. PE coach. But um but really you're extraordinary. Yes. But you have laid an amazing foundation with homeschooling. It's really giving the kids a leg up, not just with their academics, but also just with you know, we're seeing the fruit of that now as our kids get older. And you know, our kids aren't perfect. Sorry kids if you're listening. You're not perfect, but we sure love you, but we're really proud of you. Yes, that's but they really, you know, there is something uh, you know, about them and and how well they're doing in different areas of their lives. And I think that's really because of the foundation that you you laid, you know, from the beginning, and that's that's beautiful. And I I thank you for that. I know the kids do too, and they've talked about it as they've gotten older. But again, it's not been yeah, it's it's not been this one size fits all. Each child has had a little different need. Some kids, you know, we we say we'll homeschool for a while, but we reevaluate year over year. What are you doing next year? Remember the questions you always ask, Well, what curriculum are you gonna use? What are you gonna do next year? I don't know, we're gonna pray about it and see see what we're gonna do next year. Not sure yet. Not sure yet. Maybe it's another year of homeschooling, maybe it's a year now. It's time now, it's time for you to maybe go into a good private school. And that we've been blessed uh and we are blessed in Tulsa to have some amazing private schools that have been really great partners in education and and training. I've been very grateful for that. Um you know some kids needed school a little sooner than others. One in particular, one in particular. Some kids were a little maybe a little more challenging to homeschool, and but really began to thrive and put in in in school, just what they needed at that season of their lives. And again, you mentioned some kids going to being homeschooled and then trying to school out and then coming back to homeschool and then going back to finishing out and doing well and thriving. And again, that's the beauty of being able to be flexible and and to do what's best for each child in each season and each circumstance. Um how would you describe our life? I mean, even just kind of from the over the last 30 years or kids, you know, 26 years of kids. And how would you just I mean, take a snapshot now? How would you describe our life now?
SPEAKER_00:Like from the beginning of the city. Or just how would you describe our life?
SPEAKER_01:If you were if someone said, Hey, tell me, tell me, describe your life to me right now.
unknown:Wow.
SPEAKER_00:Well, when you talk about when they were small and all homeschooling, um, gosh, that was a whole lot of grace. Yeah. God's grace for sure, because that was, I mean, we had all ages and these, you know, older kids trying to do math and little babies screaming in the background. And um, those were fun times. But I think back to those times, those were times where it was like a one-room schoolhouse. So we sat and um did devotions together every morning. And, you know, honestly, they prayed for each other and they um had prayer requests and they prayed for one another and they just um learned how to, I mean, live together. And I mean, there was no, there was never any room for strife, which was a big one in our house, which is probably a whole nother podcast. But um we just we they just learned how to get along and they uh waited um in the mornings for everyone to wake up before they all sat together and ate breakfast together. They ate lunch together, we had dinner at the table every night. Family dinner. Family dinner. Uh, and I think those are those were pivotal times. We would read books, we would do devotions, we would talk about our day. Um back then we'd do highs and lows, and they're like, we didn't have any lows today. And then there'd be other days we're like, oh, there were fights all day. And so it it was just it was a fun experience. Now we do something. Um, we do different things at the table, but we still manage. Uh that's one thing that I I love is that we still manage to sit and eat dinner, even in the busy schedules, uh, together at the table and have conversations, and everyone has an opportunity to listen and and talk. And they now we call it Hi Ho Buffalo. So they talk about their highs of the day. High of the day and um what they're looking forward to. What they're looking forward to. And then Buffalo is more of like what was something that interesting that happened, or something you something weird, funny, something you learned, or whatever. So it's just any time. So it's kind of fun because now I feel like our house is so much more it was full when they were little because we always had neighborhood kids over. Now we have everybody's friends and college kids.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, all that's pretty chaotic. It's probably an understatement at times. Uh even now juggling what you're doing between kids in different seasons. We got kids that are our oldest obviously looking to buy a looking to buy a house and kids, you know, grad school, college, high school, you know, to junior high, and then, you know, running businesses and and just all all the different things. So life's, you know, it's safe to say I'm sure everyone's everyone's busy. I mean, we live in a culture and in a society that's just fast forwarding just on just crazy fast, you know, and and we're we're seeing that the the effects of that, you know, all over.
SPEAKER_00:And I think that's what people like to I mean, it's almost like a badge that is worn, like, I'm crazy busy. And you know, I think it's more of yes, our life is full. It's it's a good full. There's always something going on, and there's always seasons of more fullness than others. But um it's learning to just set those prior those priorities of things that are most important in that season and um growing. But it is a juggling act sometimes with so many different things and different different things.
SPEAKER_01:Life is busy, life is crazy, busy, easy. People say I've used that phrase myself and hey, how are you doing? How are things? Oh great, just busy. That's kind of common. And it's true, but but even so, it amidst the chaos sometimes and the and the f the imperfections, you know, of of just the season of life. It's I like to describe it kind of as a beautiful chaos. You know, it's it's still you have to embrace the season. I mean, it yes, it's chaotic, but it's still beautiful at the same time. And it's just being, you know, recognizing the season you're in and the and this part of the journey.
SPEAKER_00:Um and loving that season because you'll not get that back. That's why I feel like that's one thing I always, you know, tell moms just in general, is embrace the season that you're in, because I feel like it goes so quick, and then you're like off to another season, you're like, I miss that season, but there's so many other things ahead for that the new things that are, you know, you get to experience.
SPEAKER_01:It's true. I mean, even as we're talking about this, I don't know if our viewers can hear this, but our dogs are going crazy out in the yard, and you know, the male man's just going by and you know, life when you got kids probably are running around this house somewhere. But it's it's true, you know, and it's like, well, these are still these are precious times, you know. Kind of talking, bringing it back a little more full circle, kind of we were talking about, you know, healthy living and and and clean eating. And how would you I want to talk about a little bit of a metamorphosis kind of in our family, in our family culture. Talk about kind of what we're doing now and what was it like? What was our nutrition like? What would you say the kids' nutrition was like uh before? How did they eat? And kind of how does it look now? Let's compare and contrast.
SPEAKER_00:Well, back in the day, um, you know, we would all take the whole trip to Sam's together, and um, they each had their buddy and their cart, and it was a great time for them to go and choose the foods that they wanted to eat. And boy, they chose all the things that now would horrify me.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, it's true.
SPEAKER_00:Um, but yeah, I from you know, definitely back to the Pop Tarts and sodas to um their favorite cereals, little cookies, um, donuts. They love those powder donuts and the little chocolate donuts in the bag and the powdered ones, the white powdered ones. Uh, there was just so many things that, you know, I I mean I grew up that way. So I thought, you know, why wouldn't I why wouldn't I give that to my kids? Right. Um so yeah, and ramen was a favorite. Uh I haven't.
SPEAKER_01:I lived on ramen in college.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Maybe that's what's wrong with me.
SPEAKER_00:So how they um so they just did. They just they they loved food and we ate all kinds of foods that were not good for us. And so when we started to make this transition, or at least when I did, uh, I started buying different things. And I honestly did not change uh that was one thing we didn't talk about before, but when I started this journey of just the 30 days to healthy living and eating clean, I did not make a separate meal for everybody. Like I just I made if if I was doing brown rice noodles, everybody got brown rice noodles. Yeah, that's right. I made a salad with a special dressing, everybody got that, you know.
SPEAKER_01:And there was some weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth when they're like, what is this? It doesn't taste the same.
SPEAKER_00:Can I just have a big thing of ranch? I'm like, no, we're not gonna do that. Of course, I learned how to make ranch, but yeah, it was it was uh uh for the most part, they did really well. I mean, we were eating normal, real food. It was just um, it was different than what they were used to. But you know, I always said, hey, you can eat it now or you can eat it in the morning whenever I remember those times too.
SPEAKER_01:And this this would be a whole other conversation. You mentioned Sam's and all the adventures of taking, you know, six kids to Sam's or you know, and and the fun and the joys and the discipline of that and the chaos of that, and uh also just all these other, you know, transitions that they got to experience. But they were troopers about it. They really didn't think the kids are pretty, they're malleable, they're adjustable, they'll yeah, they'll be okay, you know. And like I loved how you you didn't cater to one's deal or the other. You just said, hey, this is what you're gonna get. You get what you get and you don't throw a fit.
SPEAKER_00:You don't throw a fit.
SPEAKER_01:If you don't like it for dinner, you can have it for breakfast. And there was a time or two someone tried us on that, but it maybe just like once. They learned their lesson.
SPEAKER_00:They had it for breakfast and never did that again.
SPEAKER_01:I know that sounds harsh, maybe to some people that are listening, but you know what? Hey, it's it's effective and it and it worked.
SPEAKER_00:It went in the fridge. I mean, it was totally, it's totally legit. Um, but yeah, yeah. I mean, it was kind of a slogan. We're like, hey, it's not Burger King, you can't have it your way. So we're gonna sit and eat and we're gonna enjoy it. So they did learn how to make those. Um, they watched us do it, and I think that that was really key is just being able to see the example, like this is what we're gonna do and choose as a family. And I think that's another value we've really instilled is like we do things as a family, like we are a family, and this is how we roll, whether it's showing up to everyone's games or it's um supporting someone else and a different journey, or you know, like we show up. And so if we're gonna make this transition, we're gonna do it together as a group. And so they did. I mean, it was it was hard.
SPEAKER_01:And then the kids have had some, you know, I think when we look at where they were, where they are now, we talked about clean eating before, what that looks like and avoiding certain types of maybe inflammatory foods and things of that nature. And then, you know, living on a, you know, trying to live on an 80-20 principle. We'll talk a little bit more about that, you know, 80% of the time eating, eating as clean and healthy as you can, and 20% of the time, you know, you gotta, you gotta let loose once in a while, you know, you have to you have to enjoy uh there's nothing wrong with enjoying a piece of cheesecake once in a while or or having something like that. But speaking of the kids, you know, the kids had some some some had actual food allergies and had food sensitivities. I we could probably go down the list, you know, like with our oldest, with Noah, you know, he you know, he's he's had some some gut issues over the years, and you know, seeing how maybe this could be a a benefit to him and and maybe you know how that transition helped some of his gut issues. And and interestingly, when we get off track, all of us, anybody, you know, those things will rear their ugly heads again, you know, when it comes to irritable bowel or it just comes to you know back uh dysbiosis or bacterial overgrowth. Um, and we look at our oldest daughter, Naya, she's she's had eczema. I remember she used to have eczema really bad prior to clean eating. And then as we as she started learning and we started learning about how to eat cleaner, those things, you know. Um skin cleared. Yeah, skin cleared right up, acne and and eczema.
SPEAKER_00:She had like a different, she had discoloration of her skin, like it was turning white. We're like, we couldn't figure it out. And she we realized, and that was one thing too about just the program in general. It it yes, you're substituting, you're taking out all of those things that you're not supposed to be eating, but you're putting in the foods that are whole foods that are actually going to nourish you. And and you start to discover in the process those foods that were sabotaging you. And so we discover we we discovered, at least in her case, uh, she actually I kind of helped her, you know, with her diet, and she started eating the way I was eating, and we watched her just well, her skin clear, like it it her her pigment came back, and she when we started to introduce things back into her diet, we knew, oh, it's definitely it was a gluten and it was a dairy issue for her.
SPEAKER_01:And to this day, if she accidentally eats something she shouldn't, or there's like when she went overseas, you know, there was she couldn't have she had to eat what they had, and and you know how that created some flair. So really, I mean there's there's truth to this, you know, sensitivities and food allergies are are real. Uh with Nate, our our third child, he was very sensitive to dyes, red dye, and make him more wild than he already was. He was our wild man.
SPEAKER_00:And uh which they disband, hello.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's finally exactly right, finally, right? They but it's like we know we knew these things before. Why does it take the FDA and government and other that's another podcast?
SPEAKER_02:That's a whole other podcast.
SPEAKER_01:Better be careful. We don't want to get censored. But uh, you know, we look at Nina also's and you know, different gut issues as well. Uh Naomi, where she found, you know, we found gluten and dairy kind of being a culprit for her significantly, and and how that impacted you know, concentration and other things of that nature. Interestingly, our youngest has been the rock star. You know, she's we we've chosen some different paths for our younger kids than we did our older kids, and then we would love to visit that topic uh down the road on on vaccinations and other things of that nature. Um but we've had it, you know, our younger kids and our youngest has had the really the benefit of years of of wisdom and years of of um you know trial and error, right? Figuring out, but she's she's not had any of this issues that um you know that our other children uh have had. And um so it's it's pretty remarkable um how it's a testament to, you know, uh a healthy lifestyle. Um I'd love tell me a little bit about um what does your nutrition look like? Tell tell us tell the audience kind of what you know what's tell me what what you like, what you do, what works for you. And I'll share maybe what works for me, but but tell me like kind of what are some of the important things in in your day-to-day healthy living that you model for our family.
SPEAKER_00:One is um, well, I think one that's kind of been implemented across the board uh when I first started this journey, it was kind of the implementation. We were kind of already doing like smoothies and things like that, but um an actual protein shake that was uh nutritious and had the right protein to carb ratio that um for me was really important that it was vegan, um, just because it was, you know, I was trying to eliminate whey and things like that in my diet. And uh so implementing that, I think, in in the daily has been transformational. You know, uh, I think we were reading something when we first started with most nutritionists uh at the very beginning of all the diet changes and things we're saying, like it is uh imperative or at least helpful at that that you drink one of your meals uh a day because it actually gives your system a chance to digest. Like it gives your digestive system a break, but you're still pouring in all the nutrients, the dense nutrients that you need to sustain your body, but it gives your body a chance to just not have to work so hard to digest things. And so I definitely start the day with a protein shake. Well, first I start with my greens. So I have um a product that I use that has psychic kind of five in one pro and prebiotics digestive enzymes. It has um vegan collagen that helps to um boost your own collagen. And um it's so good. And um, it's got 13 non-Jumo greens. And so it's like in one power pack, like I can throw it in water and drink it first thing. And it gives my system just what it needs to kind of get going in all of those areas. And then I followed up with my protein shake, and then I try to have like a light protein snack in the middle of the morning. And then just depending on lunch, if I'm on the go, the the my two faves are um my protein is a full meal in a glass. It actually is has avocado oil in it. So it's a full meal in a glass, so I can throw water in with it and it's a full meal. And so I love it because it's on the go. So if I can have a well-balanced lunch, I'll do that. If not, I'll just drink another protein shake and eat a clean dinner. But um, I try to at least drink at least one protein shake. And then I have some teas that I drink and um other supplements that we take.
SPEAKER_01:What's your favorite supplement? Do you have a do you have a favorite supplement? And that's kind of a strange question.
SPEAKER_00:A favorite supplement. Uh well, this year I kind of had some different health um issues. Uh, were we talking that too? You want me? I mean, I can. Um, I had actually hurt my back, which was random. We actually had all these big goals at the beginning of last year, and I was I hurt my back, and then shortly after that had a horrible bout of vertigo. And so turmeric became my best friend in terms of just kind of lowering the inflammation. Um that's one of my faves. And then um, I feel like magnesium has helped too a lot for me at least, and uh along with all of our other ones, I think those two are my my go-to faves for sure. And I do have to remind myself to do the D, the D vitamin D, yes, because D3. Yeah, D3, because that actually helps me um feel better. I'm like, why am I so tired?
SPEAKER_01:So that's amazing how that gap with energy levels. Yeah. So important to so many other metabolic processes, obviously, bone health. Um, you know, uh, that's it's so key, helps with hormone synthesis. There's so many things that vitamin D is good for, as well as magnesium is such an important cofactor for a lot of other processes in the body as well. So it helps with your brain, your muscles, which is your back injury, the muscles. Um, it helps to relax you, it helps your gut, you know, helps your heart. You know, patients that have heart palpitation, sometimes I'll recommend a little extra magnesium, magnesium glycinate, it can be awesome. Magnesium L3 and eight for sleep. You know, there's so many different types of it. It's it's uh that's probably my favorite. I think magnesium's my favorite supplement if I had a favorite.
SPEAKER_00:Well, and then finding the right one, because sometimes they don't even like you just need to make sure you find a whole food uh solid one that will actually your body will actually digest and abuse because we've had the opposite to For me I'd say I'd say that you know I start my day also with a with a protein shake.
SPEAKER_01:Um love the greens. I'm not always good about doing that first because I'm usually like running out of here. But I'll do the greens maybe sometime mid-morning. I kind of do mine a little different. It's a good idea to do the greens first, just from your digestive standpoint. But I like to mix the greens in whenever I can, and then usually mid-morning. Um I've been working really hard since you know our detox. And in the last, really in the last we did another detox about a year ago. October, was it? November?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, a little over a year ago.
SPEAKER_01:That was really a pivotal time for for for me to really work on my consistency and my goals. And as we get older, you know, you you can't cram for the test when of aging. You have to start sowing seed earlier in your life, as early as you can. That's never too late. But you know, for me, I've been since then I've been really conscious. Uh, I'd lost weight on that detox. Again, I needed to. Um, but then I've been working really hard on gaining muscle, working out, increasing my protein intake, trying to get um as much protein as I can throughout the day. And there's different people that talk about you know protein requirements when you're trying to build muscle. And there's a lot of functional medicine doctors that say that that muscle is the organ of longevity. You know, it's really important to build muscle, particularly with women who don't probably think about resistance training and building those muscles. It's so important. And I I know you've been doing that from an exercise standpoint. You've been working hard and I've been working hard. And so as we've looked at our body composition, we've lost, you know, fat and gained muscle, and that's that's been really important, which is why my protein intake is always really high uh compared to everybody else. I'm always trying to find extra protein, you know, extra healthy, you know, beef sticks, you know, 10 grams here, 10 grams there, and you know, I do an after-workout shake, you know, I'm working out, lifting weights, and uh doing cardio at least four or five times a week. I love it. It's become a habit. Um and like anything lifestyle, really, habit is a big, is a big part of this. And I think that when you know you have a habit when when you don't do it, you feel like you feel like, oh my gosh, what I I what am I missing? Or you you you know you're missing it. So that's why cultivating good habits is so important. Um taking my supplements, you know, every morning and evening, uh, throughout the day, you know, turmeric as well as part of my regimen, magnesium, uh, omega-3s, um, vitamin D, I take a ton of supplements, coQ10, um various things that can help. Um, I do creatine powder every day, five grams of that every day. Um and um that helps to to build muscle mass as well. And so to me, that's that's been kind of my journey in that regard, getting getting more fit, maintaining muscle health and wellness, gaining as much muscle mass as I can while I'm uh you know in this season of life uh is important. Um I think electrolytes too. Oh electrolytes, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, we've been doing a lot more of that, which I didn't realize we needed so much, but I think too, just what even there that has been a really important thing for us is like seeing what are in the products. Like I'm not just gonna go into the store and find, oh, this this looks good. And so knowing exactly where your products are coming from and huge sourcing is important. Where the sourcing is, and I mean that I clean organic clean products, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:You know, in our clinic and the different products that that you've introduced me to over the years, you know, I've been been passing that litmus test of purity and and more importantly, the the efficacy, they're they're really good for you. It works. Um other things in in a lifestyle of of wellness as we we promote obviously exercise. We go on as families sometimes at the gym, we all go. Yes. We encourage people to go, you know, for our homeschoolers PE, you know. But uh, you know, but then on on top of that too is is resting and sleeping. Um are you getting enough sleep, Missy Ross?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, jeez. I knew that was gonna come up. Um no, actually. I've never I've always been a night owl. And so when I started on this health journey, I started trying to, you know, when it was easy to get things done when all the kids were asleep. And so I could work, work, work and then not wake up or wake up just a little bit before they did. But now with everybody in school, I'm like, oh, I've got to get up way early. And so when I started to make the the lifestyle change, I, you know, started getting up earlier. And and that was a new thing for me. That was a major shift. Um, you know, getting up at 5 30 or, you know, before everybody was, but I'm like, oh, I get I'm so much more productive when that happens. And so um, however, I don't always go to bed uh that early.
SPEAKER_01:And so we can all make it definitely it's a process, right, Missy?
SPEAKER_00:It is a process, and I'm definitely not um getting enough sleep.
SPEAKER_01:I've been letting it slip probably too in the last maybe month or so. I've been I've been during the holidays. Yeah, during the holidays, I kind of stay up a little later. Everyone's home, everyone's yeah, and so that's something we need to get back track of. I used to be the the sleep sheriff, right? I was very like Indeed. And I know that was kind of chiving everybody else. Lights out for me at nine o'clock and I'm up at five.
SPEAKER_00:Nobody talking. Quiet. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:But uh, but but there's something to be said for that, right? Science is really showing and proving out that sleep is restorative. It's it's it's it's our body needs it, right? And and I think that it's something that's that's vital. And really the the adage of eight hours, you know, it's really still seven to eight hours, but I encourage people to push for eight hours. You know, kids, teenagers need more sleep than that. But for for adults, eight hours is awesome. If you can hit eight hours, go to bed at the same time if you can, wake up at the same time every day. I think that's really important. Of course, things like stress management, stress reduction. You know, that's that goes without saying. And we'll go deeper on a lot of these subjects as as we go on in future podcasts, but I think it, again, this is part of the things that kind of made up our family culture, our family lifestyle, and kind of, you know, things that we've done to really enhance and contribute. What are some other really important things though, culturally in our family that you think are contributing to to just our health and wellness?
SPEAKER_00:Like different habits or different things.
SPEAKER_01:You do a beautiful job of modeling and that are important for for for our children to follow.
SPEAKER_00:Well, it's actually really cool. Most of our kids, um, well, when you talk specifically about exercise, like they are they all exercise together or like do a family walk or um go to the gym together. And so that has definitely been one. I would say the habits that we've created, obviously we've had this conversation of just ongoing conversation about eating and making healthier habits. A lot of the older kids were not as compliant. And now that they're older, they're starting to see the value in what they eat and what that looks like. I think also it's just been our family, it's been our culture of just being together and making uh really God a priority, uh, reading together, doing devotions. Um we make it a point to pray every night together before bed. I think that's really important. And even memorize different passages, I think, uh something that's really important to me in terms of instilling that word that um that is not return void, but will accomplish what it says it will. And that has been pivotal. Uh, I think the other day we were having a conversation and all the kids were home for the holidays, college, and everyone. And uh there was one particular scripture, and one of the older kids were like asked the youngest, like, do you know this? And she's like, No, I don't. And they're like, She doesn't know this? Like, like, mom, you have failed her. I'm like, what in the world? So we just started at nighttime, just reciting it because everybody else knew it. And so, of course, she caught on. But it was that that culture of where your values are and and and how important things are to you, it is instilling that culture in them. That now they even if we have kids that are traveling or something and we're on the phone, they're like, okay, we gotta pray. Where's dad? And so, you know, put it on speakerphone. And I think that those kinds of things are things that they can, you know, they're gonna take, you know, all the other habits alongside with them. But I think that that's always been the most important thing for me. Uh, they have, you know, quality time together, but in the word and getting to know. And they do that too. Like they were you gonna say something about that? Like they do, they just they get up and have their own quiet time and devotion time and they, you know, they don't have to be told what to do, are they?
SPEAKER_01:Just it's beautiful to see if you come out and then different kids is kind of having their own chair time, quiet time, you know, reading the Bible. And even beyond that, too, in addition to cultivating spirituality, just the other things they read, you know, they'll read other types of of books that are, you know, inspirational or historical or that that help, you know, enhance who they are as well. And so truly trying to incorporate that holistic approach, right? We talk about mind, body, and spirit. And I think that's really the the endeavor. Again, not perfect, but really trying to have that mind, body, spirit thing. And you mentioned something about, you know, showing up for each other, about relationships and and obviously the the most important relationship in any family is between a husband and a wife. And and you know, marriage, marriage is tough. It can be hard, you know, and we've had we've had our share of of of really difficult times, you know, ups and downs, and and um but we've managed to hang in there, you know, and and even you know, we've done counseling and not ashamed to say that, and we've been through some intensives over intensives over the years, and you know, when life gets challenging, life gets hard. But I think our kids have seen, you know, the good times and the bad times, and and you know, they they learn from that too, you know, that we're we're modeling for them and they're seeing and they know mom and dad aren't perfect, and we've had those talks, hey, you know, dad's not perfect, you know, mom's not perfect, sorry. You know, but they appreciate you being real and and us being real and living our lives in front of them and and endeavoring to say, look, it's never too late to to grow and and get better, you know, and yeah, we've made mistakes, but you know, what do we do about that? Do you want to live in the mistake? Do you want to live in the past? Do you want to live with the shame, or do you want to, you know, do you want to move forward? You know, and I think that's something that they've been able to see too at the heart of what we've done. You know, you being a tremendous example. I mean, truly you um you inspire all of us, Suddy. You've really done an amazing job um with just being who you are, with um, you know, your example of just you're consistent, you're steadfast, you know, you're tough and you're loving. You know, it's like you, you, you're just you're just, man, you're always consistent, and I appreciate that. You know, when I'm on my highs or my lows, or I got ideas and delusions of grandeur, or I'm just, you know, whatever. You you're always able to kind of be a steadying force for us. And so we thank you for that. You've been such a great example on all levels. Uh a true Proverbs 31 example, I would say. So I want to wrap up um, you know, this episode. I know we went a little bit long, but this is good. I think this is good insight into sharing kind of what works for us. What works for us may not work for s other people. And again, that one size fits all. But I think that, you know, there's severing several ingredients to uh a healthy family lifestyle, you know, and I would say that it really, as I just, you know, mentioned it starts with mom and dad. It starts, it starts right there with mom and dad taking care of themselves, setting an example, you know, uh, as you did. You were a great example for me in so many areas, in all those areas, but you really helped me. And it's it's it's paid off for me, it's paid off for our kids and even patients and families that that you know that we're able to help. Um, you know, it's it's about making wellness a priority. And I think that's some a big important thing that we can take on. Make wellness a priority in your home, right? Make wellness a priority at home and and make progress. It's not about perfection, it's not about being perfect. We talked about the 80-20 principle. Hey, okay, so you it wasn't it was 80-20 the other way. Okay, well, you know, so that you got to shift it back. But you you just make adjustments, you know, about clean eating, exercise, reducing stress, proper sleep, supplementation, all of those things. But I think a real key to in all of this is building healthy relationships. I think that's the key. And it's been said, and that's a quote that I love, that the quality of one's life is directly proportional to the quality of one's relationships. Okay, so our quality of life is also determined in large part to the quality of our relationships. So making relationships a priority is huge, making time for each other, showing up for each other, encouraging each other, building one another up. And I think that's something that is that is uh tremendously needed and helpful in building and cultivating a family culture of a healthy lifestyle. So I just want to say that it it I promise that if you commit to some small healthy changes uh consistently over time, the small changes consistently over time, it's gonna add up to some significant healthy results. Right? You don't have to swing for the fences right out of the gate. Just make some small steps, some small changes, some little things that you can do every day in your family, with yourself and with your family. And I promise that when when you do those things, you're gonna be able to live your best life. You're gonna have your best health, and most importantly, you're gonna discover how to do that and live your best life your way. Thanks for joining us today.