Women's Wellness
It actually takes very little time per day to do the top 10 things all women
should do to stay healthy:
- Get a good night's sleep! Most American women are walking around (and
worse, driving!) sleep deprived.
- Brush and floss your teeth routinely! Good oral hygiene protects your
overall health, not just your teeth.
- Eat a balanced diet that includes 5 servings of fruits and veggies per day
and don't skip the protein! If you want to cut calories, focus on the
carbs. This will give you more energy as well. Don't skip breakfast!
(Coffee and a danish on the run doesn't count.)
- Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water per day. This is good for many of your
bodily functions and may reduce your risk of colon cancer by 40%.
- Think about what vitamins and supplements you should be taking. . . and
take them! Most women ages 20-40 can benefit from a daily multi-vitamin
and calcium supplementation as well.
- If you read SELF magazine, you know how important exercise is. But
if you can't get to the gym or do your regular workout, put a brisk 20-minute
walk on the agenda.
- If you are taking any prescription medicines--including birth control pills--be
sure to take them AS DIRECTED. This can save you a tremendous amount
of time, energy, and aggravation from not having to deal with unwanted consequences.
- If you haven't had your annual physical yet, take the time TODAY to schedule
it. If you are 35 or older, keep track of when you're due for your next
mammogram. All women over 18 should have routine PAP smears as well. Women over 30 should have the HPV test along with their Pap smear as indicated.
- Don't waste time obsessing about any aspect of your health, especially your
weight. If there's a problem, identify it and take the steps you need
to take to deal with it.
- We're so focused on being go-getters that we often forget that to de-stress,
we need to rest! Physically and mentally. Don't forget to take
some time out--even a minute here and there--to focus on clearing your thoughts
and giving your mind, body and spirit a chance to rejuvenate.
Be sure to "hug yourself" at least once a day and ideally, hug someone
else as well.
Created: 6/13/2003 - Donnica Moore, M.D.
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