Brett Blumenthal - 52 Small Changes for the Family: Build Confidence * Deepen Connections * Get Healthy * Increase Intelligence

To my familyDavid, Alexander, Mom, Bill, Philip, and Leslie.
All of you are cherished and so greatly appreciated for all you do
to support me. I love you.
B. B.

To my boysErol, Evren, and Aydinyou are my everything.
Your sacrifices to make this book happen will never be forgotten.
My heart grows bigger every day for you.
D. S. T.

Text copyright 2019 by Brett Blumenthal and Danielle Shea Tan.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.

ISBN 978-1-4521-6958-3 (pb)
ISBN 978-1-4521-6965-1 (epub, mobi)

Design by Anne Kenady Smith
Typesetting by Howie Severson

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IN OUR COMBINED thirty-plus years in the wellness industry, time and time again weve seen the proofsmall changes work. It makes sense: small changes are more realistic and less overwhelming, and they provide us with a quicker sense of accomplishment. Regardless of the change a person wants to make, three things remain true: any major change actually requires many smaller changes; taking an all-or-nothing or extreme approach doesnt work; and small changes that we can manage and master feed our desire to succeed.

Research shows that in order for people to make lasting change or adopt new habits, they must dedicate time to the process. In a study conducted by University College London psychologist Phillippa Lally, individuals who tried to learn new habits, such as eating fruit on a daily basis, took an average of sixty-six days before the behavior had become automatic. This philosophy was the basis for Bretts first two books in the 52 Small Changes series: 52 Small Changes: One Year to a Happier, Healthier You and 52 Small Changes for the Mind.

After giving birth to our sons, and speaking with other parents with children of various ages, it became all too clear to us that many parents are eager to raise happy, healthy children and are looking for guidance on how to do so. Raising a healthy, balanced, and resilient family may be a common goal, but weve both found that parents struggle with where to begin and what to focus on to best support a child. So it seemed like a natural collaboration to tackle this topic in the 52 Small Changes series, which was originally started by Brett only a few years ago.

52 Small Changes for the Family uses the approach of making small changes over the course of a year and applies it specifically to the family unit. It provides parents and caregivers with a detailed guide for improving the health and happiness of their children. Each week for 52 weeks, you are prescribed one habit to incorporate into your familys life, ultimately leading to significant change by the end of the year. Prescribed changes are holistic, addressing multiple areas critical for helping you and your children develop a foundation for optimal health and well-being:

Sharp mind Changes to support healthy cognitive development and intellectual curiosity

Healthy spirit Changes needed for emotional balance, inner personal strength, and emotional intelligence

Resilient body Changes required for a strong body and immune system, including nutrition, physical activity, and overall health changes

Deep connections Changes to develop interpersonal skills for development of strong relationships and community.

Over the course of the next 52 weeks, we hope you and your family find the changes to be fun and relatively easy to implement. But even more important, we hope you all enjoy the process together and that the journey brings you closer together as a family.

Brett Blumenthal
Danielle Shea Tan

THE 52 SMALL CHANGES FOR THE FAMILY program is designed to encourage small yet meaningful changes that will ultimately lead you and your family to enjoy a happier, healthier lifestyle. The idea is simple: make one small change per week for 52 weeks, and at the end of the year, you and your children will benefit from increased mental clarity, curiosity, and focus; better emotional balance and strength; improved physical health; and deeper connections with friends and family and, most important, with one another. This book is designed with two things in mind:

Giving you and your family a year to make changes enables you to slowly integrate them over time, so they are more likely to stick for the long term.

Although there are countless changes you can make, the changes presented in this book are small enough that they wont be overwhelming, yet will have significant impact.

Each change comes with an explanation as to why the change is important, as well as a Path to Change, which provides tips and recommendations to help you successfully implement the change. With each weeks success, you and your family will be inspired to move to the next weeks change, so that, within a year, youll have mastered all 52 changes.

To best support you in your journey to a healthier, happier family, weve supplied tools, worksheets, and other resources in ; we highly recommend you use these to stay motivated and on track throughout the program.

The program outlined in 52 Small Changes for the Family takes an integrated approach. At the beginning of each weeks chapter, youll see an icon signifying which of the four areas the change addresses. The changes have been organized so all areas are addressed throughout the 52 weeks, instead of one at a time. This will keep you engaged, interested, and motivated, and allow you to comprehensively make progress. The icons are as follows:

Every twelve weeks, youll see the Quarterly Changes Checklist, which lists the changes youve made up until that point so you can keep track of your progress and be sure to keep integrating the changes into your lifestyle.

Once you and your family complete the 52-week program, the hope is youll have increased mental clarity, curiosity, and focus; greater emotional balance and strength; improved physical health; and deeper connections with friends, family, and one another than you do today.