Cheers to Women’s Health!
/Every year for the past 18 years, National Women’s Health Week kicks off on Mother’s Day. The goal of this awareness week is to empower women to make their health a priority and to encourage women to take steps to improve their health.
Did you know... 80% of women make the health care decisions for their family?
But many women go without coverage for themselves or neglect to seek the preventive care they need and deserve. Here are a few suggestions to improve your physical or mental health:
- Visit a doctor or nurse for a well-woman checkup and preventive screenings.
- Be more active
- Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily
- Talk to a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist about whether you're getting enough calcium and vitamin D for your age
- Try strategies that help you get enough sleep
- Try yoga or other relaxation techniques to better manage stress
- Talk with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist about which foods can help lower your blood pressure, cholesterol or weight.
If you’re a woman in your late 40’s or older, talk with your doctor about checking one or more of these:
- Blood pressure
- Cholesterol
- Blood Sugar
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin B12
As women go through peri-menopause and menopause, oftentimes blood pressure, cholesterol and/or blood sugar begin to rise. With the right changes in your diet, all of these conditions can be improved and sometimes medications aren't needed.
Many women also have low vitamin D and/or B12 levels and don’t know it. By getting these tested, you know whether dietary changes or supplements are needed and can monitor periodically to ensure your levels stay in a healthy range to maximize your energy and health. To learn more about specific health steps to take based on your age, click here…
You can also take this short quiz to help you determine which steps are most important for you to choose to improve your health. Taking a few small, manageable steps can lead to big changes, and it's never too early or late to work toward being your healthiest you.
