Women are often the cornerstone of health within their family and community. Yet with their focus on their children, partners, parents and/or siblings, they often forgo their own well-being.
Ladies, at the cusp of this New Year, it’s time to regain control of your health and dedicate 2017 to yourself. At Montefiore Health System in Bronx, New York, I advise my patients to follow these seven ways to stay healthy and prevent future illnesses. Some items are easy; others might take more time or practice. But all will set you on a path toward better health in 2017.
1. Get screened.
Preventative or annual screenings ensure you’re aware of all health concerns and help outline ways to stay healthy. Screening tests include: pap smears that check for abnormal cervical cells; mammograms that look for breast changes or cancer; colonoscopies that evaluate for colon cancer or polyps; bone density tests that assess bone strength and risk of osteoporosis; and various other tests that check for anemia, cholesterol levels, sexually transmitted infections or abnormal sugar levels.
Selection and frequency of each test is usually based on age, activity and family history. Your doctor can help figure it out with you.
2. Protect your heart health.
Cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attacks and stroke, is the No. 1 cause of death among women. There are more deaths every year from cardiovascular disease than from lung cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer and accidental deaths combined. Know your risks, and learn how to decrease your chances of this happening to you. The best way to optimize your heart health is to quit smoking. Within one year of quitting, you’ll have improved your health and lowered your risk of future heart disease to half that of someone who is still smoking. It’s also important to gain control of any other medical issues, such as diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol or high blood pressure. And lastly, get moving! Exercise — even if just a 30-minute walk most days of the week — can decrease your chances for heart disease by almost half.
[See: 17 Ways Heart Health Varies in Women and Men.]
3. Know if or when you want children.
Health is more than check-ups and blood levels. Another important factor to know is when or even if you want to have children. Do you want two kids five years from now? Are you trying to get pregnant today? Whatever path you choose, your doctor can help you navigate it by finding the right birth control for your body, your plans and your health. If you want to be pregnant in the near future, talk with your obstetrician to get a head start on healthy pregnancy living (i.e., starting prenatal vitamins, avoiding unpasteurized or under-cooked foods, and making sure any existing health problems are controlled as best as possible).
4. Pay attention to your mental health.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget about yourself when caring for other people, especially in regards to your mind and emotions. The holiday time is stressful for everyone, and occasionally feeling sad can be normal. But if you find that your sadness is becoming more frequent, or that it’s getting in the way of your ability to care for yourself or others, reach out to your doctors for help. Depression and other forms of mental illness can be hard to talk about but are very common. In fact, more than 8 in 100 women will experience depression during the year, and up to 1 in 4 women will experience depression at least once in her lifetime. Getting help doesn’t necessarily mean taking medication — your doctor can work closely with you to figure out what’s best for you.
[See: Am I Just Sad — or Actually Depressed?]
5. Know your history.
Knowing your family’s health history is essential to knowing your risks for potential future illnesses. We may not always have a full picture of what has happened to everyone in our family, but the more information we have, the better. Certain diseases can be genetically passed, including: cancers ( breast, ovarian, uterine or colon); heart disease or stroke; mental illness; and diabetes. Explore your family tree to learn about your past, and share this information with your doctor. Just because a family member was sick, though, doesn’t mean you will be, too. But it can help your doctor order the right tests for you, or even start screening earlier than usual.
6. Build your health.
Health isn’t just a yearly doctor’s visit, but rather what you do for yourself every day. Healthy habits improve well-being and help sustain it for years to come. Such activities include exercise, getting sufficient sleep and eating well, along with preventative measures such as calcium supplements and vaccines. Regular physical activity has been shown to improve heart health, control weight, strengthen bones, decrease stress levels and even improve mental health. Ensure your diet also has a variety of fruits and vegetables, a balance of carbohydrates and protein, and plenty of water.
[See: The Best Foods for Lowering Your Blood Pressure.]
7. Show your courage!
We all have questions about our bodies and our health. Many of these questions can sound funny in our heads or seem scary to ask aloud, but those are often the most significant ones, so speak up and ask your doctor. If you’ve thought about it more than once, it’s important to ask. And trust us, we’ve probably heard it before. One way to help ask these difficult questions is to write them down; make a list and let your doctor know at the start of the visit that you have some things that you’ve been wondering about. Don’t wait until the end of the visit to pose your concerns — your questions deserve thoughtful, complete answers and should be asked as close to the beginning as possible.
Hopefully you’re inspired to regain control of your health this year. You’ve done much for your community; now, let them help you — talk with your family, your friends and your doctors about reaching your health goals. And remember, these aren’t all easy or quick fixes, but each step gets you that much closer to achieving better health.
More from U.S. News
16 Health Screenings All Women Need
A Tour of Mammographic Screenings During Your Life
17 Ways Heart Health Varies in Women and Men
The Woman’s Guide to Better Health in 2017 originally appeared on usnews.com
