As women, we sometimes don't take our health and wellness seriously. With all our responsibilities with raising our children, working outside the home, and keeping up our home and all that entails, we sometimes don't make ourselves a priority. But, if we don't take care of ourselves, we may not be able to do our best in taking care of all those other responsibilities. We must make our health and wellness a priority so that we can live a full and wonderful life.
Here are some areas to keep in mind in making ourselves a priority.
1. Eat healthy-Eat a well-balanced diet and don't giving in to the latest fad diet or supplement. Many times we want to have a quick fix and don't pay attention to our day in, day out eating. Eating the right foods and in the right portions, can and will lead to a healthy weight which takes excess strain and wear and tear off your body. If you aren't sure of what healthy choices and portions are, an app such as www.myfitnesspal.com and www.livestrong.com can help you find out how many calories you should consume. Then you can track your progress.
2. Exercise-Exercise helps reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis. It reduces stress and depression, increases energy, and helps you attain and maintain a healthy body weight. Start with short walks around your home, then as that is easier for you, add more time or try other types of exercise. The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes five or more days a week, but remember, any movement is better than doing nothing at all. Another benefit to exercise, you are setting a healthy examples for your children and spouse.
3. Get an annual exam-There are so many reasons to see your doctor for your annual exam, screening for high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, thyroid disorders, anxiety and depression, addictions, skin cancer, breast cancer, and other health conditions. Your doctor can find things that you may not even have thought about, and he/she can help you with ways to increase your health and wellness. If you haven't had an annual exam within the last year, schedule one soon!
4. Learn to say no-It is so easy for women to over-schedule ourselves and be pulled in every direction. This can cause stress, anxiety, and affect our general well-being. Prioritize, making time for what is most important. Say "yes" only to things that are most important and "no" to what you would rather avoid. Don't feel the need to make excuses or feel guilty for your "no". You are making yourself a priority, and if you don't, who will.
5. Avoid risky behavior-
1. Stop smoking, stop smoking, stop smoking! Lung cancer kills more people in the US than any other cancer. Why then, would you continually do something that can, and probably most surely will, cause a cancer that robs your body of oxygen and life? Not only does smoking increase your chance of lung cancer, it dramatically increases your chances of heart attack and stroke.
2. Limit alcohol consumption-Any more than seven drinks of a drink containing alcohol is considered at-risk drinking. If you are consuming more than this amount per week, make a conscious effort to cut back.
6. Make your mental health a priority-Different stages of our lives bring on a variety of different stressors. Stress, anger, and other emotions can affect your body physically. If you are experiencing recurrent headaches, fatigue, heart palpitations, stiff neck and shoulders, irregular bowel habits, and frequent pain or illness, these may be signs of increased stress and anxiety. If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor and be candid with him/her about things going on in your life that may be affecting your health. (As a side note, women who are in pari-menopause, a wonderful supplement that will balance out hormones and help with mental stress, is Barleans Essential Woman. I began taking these over two months ago, based on a recommendation from a good friend, and it is amazing how much they have helped my mood swings and depression that I was struggling with. These can be purchased on www.soap.com for the best price we have found so far.)
Remember, you are the only one that can make your health and wellness a priority. The better health you are in, the better you can take care of your loved ones.
(Based on "Wellness for Women" by Sheryl Cowan, MD-Connection magazine)
