General Health Articles

Women's Health : Through the Decades

Women of all ages need to make sure to stay healthy and most experts break down women's health routines by their age.  Here are some different checks and measures that should be met as women age, through their 60s.

Women and aging

In your 20s,

Kick your unhealthy habits.  Sure we all drank too much, ate too much, and maybe smoked too much during our college days, but those days should be left at college. Many habits that you form in your 20s stick with you throughout your life, so let go of the bad ones!

Plan for an annual physical.  Schedule an annual check-up into your life and stick to it.  You will thank yourself and will be assured that you are doing as well as you feel.

Get your fill of calcium and vitamin D.

In your 30s,

Keep an eye on the scale as many women begin to deal with weight struggles in their 30s.

Get your sleep : all eight hours : if you can!

Pay attention to irregular periods as they can be telling you something about your ovaries or thyroid as you age.

In your 40s,

Get a mammogram.

Have a diabetes screening done, as your chances of having Type II diabetes is more common in your 40s.

Try to get at least 20 to 30 minutes of exercise in per day.

In your 50s,

Pay attention to your heart and your risk factors like cholesterol and blood pressure.

Schedule a colonoscopy.

Get the flu vaccine every year.

In your 60s,

Have a bone density test done.

Make sure to increase your intake of vitamin B12, which helps to produce healthy red blood cells.

Inquire about getting a shingles vaccine and be careful of your risk factors for catching pneumonia.

Spring 101: Gear Up for the Season

As the ice and snow start to melt and the mercury starts to rise again, everyone starts to think about getting back in shape for the spring and summer seasons.  Instead of hitting the exercise hard, many experts suggest easing back into your springtime routine

Healthy Spring Tips

Start Slow.  Take the time you need to jump start your spring diet and exercise plan.  By easing into your regimen, you will be more successful in keeping with your diet and exercise plan.

Plan a New Menu.  You need to really look at your diet and the number of calories you are consuming daily.  Choose foods that are low in calories but are filling to help you fight off the hunger throughout the day.

Get outdoors.  Now that the weather is breaking, mix up your exercise routine and enjoy the weather outdoors.  Walk, hike, bike, run , enjoy yourself and the beautiful season. 

Heart Awareness Month: Obesity and Your Heart Health Risk

It's a well-known fact that being overweight increases your chance of being at risk of a number of chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.  But research shows that even a small amount of weight loss can lessen your risk of falling victim to these deadly diseases.

Heart Awareness Month

Research also shows that, unfortunately, eating just 100 more calories a day than you should, can cause your body weight to be in the obese category and not just the overweight category.

To determine whether or not you are overweight or obese, use a BMI Calculator.  A BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight; a BMI between 30 and 39.9 is considered obese.

If your BMI is greater than 25 and you are older than 30 years old, you should strongly consider losing weight to reduce your risk of heart disease and other life-threatening conditions.

In recognition of American Heart Month here are some important statistics regarding heart health:

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.
• Approximately 1.5 million heart attacks and strokes occur every year in the United States.
• The average age for a first heart attack for men is 66 years.
• Many cases of heart disease can be prevented. Learn more at cdc.gov.

Healthy Living: Resolve to “Be” Better in the New Year

The easiest way to kill your New Year's resolution sometimes is to make one at all.  So, why not make the switch in 2020 to not make a resolution, but choose a way to be a better person by making some inward and outward changes.

Better New Year

Some suggestions include:

Get more sleep.  Besides helping you to feel energized during the day and improve your mood, getting more sleep can also aid in losing weight.  Your body repairs and rejuvenates during sleep, even calcium is added to your bones while you sleep!  Getting adequate sleep is the best way for your mind and body to be the best it can be.  While optimum sleep time varies from person to person, the average is 4 to 11 hours each day.  While getting to bed earlier is easier said than done, you should also avoid food for at least 2 hours prior to bedtime and eliminate all sources of light in your bedroom while you sleep.

Eat a fruit or a vegetable while every meal.  Studies show that Americans eat fewer fruits and vegetables than other countries, and disease prevention is directly linked to consumption of fruits and vegetables.  It seems like a no-brainer to get healthier through eating more fruits and vegetables, but for some it may be best to start small.  For example, add a banana to your morning cereal or make sure to eat a salad prior to dinner.

Cook more at home.  While relying on fast food can be a fast fix, it will have far more consequences on your health than benefits.  Restaurant foods tend to be unhealthier and portion sizes way off than the norm.  Cook healthier meals at home and leave restaurant meals to date nights or social nights.

Don't be so hard on yourself.  Resolve to change the way you think and talk about yourself this year. If you constantly put yourself down the more you will feel that way and act accordingly.  Turn things around with positive thoughts.

Healthy Living: Reasons You Might Be Gaining Weight

So, you have been working out and eating right, but you still can't get that scale to move in the right direction?  Well, there may be a “strange” reason why you are gaining weight instead of losing weight.

Reasons for gaining weight

Here are three strange factors that could cause you to be gaining weight, even though you are doing everything you can to lose weight:

• If you are depressed and taking medication for it, you can expect to see about a 5 to 15-pound weight gain, with accumulated weight gain the longer you are on medication. Even if you are not taking medication, if you are depressed you can still be causing unnecessary weight gain because people that are depressed typically turn to “comfort” foods like foods high in fat and calories or they may cut back on physical activity.
• If you have digestive issues, like having slow bowel movements, you may be gaining weight from that.  Ideally, you should eat and then in an hour or two, have a bowel movement.  To be considered “regular” you should have one to two bowel movements per day.  Staying hydrated is important to become regular and having a diet rich in fiber is also important.
• If your body is low on vitamin D, magnesium or iron, then your body's immune system can be comprised, your energy levels may be decreased, or your metabolism may be altered in a way that makes it much harder to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  You can increase your red meat and spinach intake to help improve your iron levels and improve your magnesium levels by eating more almonds or Brazilian nuts.  Add a supplement of vitamin D to get that all-important vitamin.