Father’s Day 2019
This year in the UK Father’s Day is being celebrated on 16 June 2019 – but did you know that a woman was behind the creation of this day?
The Mother of Father’s Day1
Sonora Smart Dodd and her five brothers were single-handedly raised by their father, William Smart, after their mother passed away. Sonora felt it was unfair how there was an official day to honour mothers but there was no equivalent for our fathers. Inspired by the success of the American Mother’s Day, and determined to show her father the respect and appreciation that he deserved, Sonora launched the first ever documented Father’s Day in the US in June 1910. Since then, other countries around the world have adopted this tradition into their cultures and made it their own.
Get active this Father’s Day
Now that it is (hopefully) bright and sunny outside, we’ve come up with a small list of outdoor activities we think are perfect for Father’s Day:
- Mini golf –if your dad considers himself a golf pro but like many of us at Love Your Gut you’re quite the complete opposite, why not settle for something in between like mini-golf. This is a perfect activity for everyone in the family from the kids to the grandparents. It’s a great way to get a little bit of exercise in, encourage some friendly competition and also challenge your strategic thinking. Trust us, when you get to those harder levels where there’s multiple hills and ramps, the hole is on a different floor to where you teed-off, or when you have to get the ball through a giant dinosaur’s mouth and out the other end, you’re going to need some sort of a strategy!
- Bike rides –going for a leisurely bike ride is a great way to clear the head, and it gives you the chance to explore new trails that perhaps you wouldn’t have had access to if you were driving a car. For new dads out there, it may be worthwhile investing in a child bike seat so that your little one can come along and enjoy the outdoor adventures with you too.
- Beach day –there is a growing body of evidence to show that people who live in green spaces tend to have a better wellbeing than those in urban settings2,3. More recent research has shown that this benefit can be extended to coastal environments too4! Whether you just wanted to sunbathe and relax, go for a dip in the sea or play frisbee, the beach is a great place to spend the day with the family.
Have the family around
Instead of having the usual Sunday Roast, why not spice things up a bit? Check out some of our tasty gut-friendly recipes that you can cook for – if you’re feeling generous – or with your dad this Father’s Day!
Here’s a couple to get you started:
Roasted Parsnips with Lentils, Zhoug and Spices Prunes
While it is great that there is a dedicated day to honour our dads, don’t forget that you can celebrate him every day by showing him the respect, appreciation and love that he deserves. If you’re not someone who usually tells their parents that you love them out loud, maybe today is the time to try it! They’ll sure be in for a lovely surprise. Sometimes it’s nice to actually hear the words being expressed to you rather than just reading it from a card.
For more gut-friendly recipes please visit: https://loveyourgut.com/getting-gut-healthy/recipes/
References
1https://abcnews.go.com/US/mother-fathers-day-raised-single-dad/story?id=48006449
2Aspinall et al. (2015) The urban brain: analysing outdoor physical activity with mobile EEG. Br J Sports Med, 49: 272-276
3de Vries et al. (2003) Natural environments –healthy environments? An exploratory analysis of the relationship between greenspace and health. Environment and Planning A, 35: 1717-1731
4White et al. (2013) Coastal proximity, health and well-being: Results from a longitudinal panel survey. Health & Place, 23: 97-103