Focus on Women's Health By Kim Goletz
Attention, Ladies! It's Time to Take Care of YOU!
It is always a good reminder to take a moment and focus on your health. So many women are busy juggling careers, children, homes—and that’s just scratching the surface. Unfortunately, some of us tend to get caught up in the day-to-day grind and push our health and well-being aside. It is vitally important for women to take care of themselves—it's the only way to ensure we have the energy to give all we need to give!
The following are 9 tips for women to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
The following are 9 tips for women to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
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1. Keep up with your screenings.
Routine medical exams and screenings by a physician are recommended to screen for diseases and disorders. Some of these include monitoring and screening your heart, blood pressure, cholesterol and thyroid, to name a few. According to the American Heart Association, “Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, killing more women than all forms of cancer combined.” These general screenings will detect any abnormalities that put you at risk for heart disease. Many women are also concerned about breast cancer, and rightfully so. Women with an average risk of breast cancer (most women) should begin yearly mammograms at age 45. According to the American Cancer Society, Women should start the screening as early as age 40, if they want to. It’s a good idea to start talking to your healthcare provider when you turn 40 about the best time to begin screening. At age 55, women should have mammograms every other year—though women who want to keep having yearly mammograms should keep doing so. Regular mammograms should continue for as long as a woman is in good health. Breast exams, either from a medical provider or self-exams, are no longer recommended. Still, all women should be familiar with how their breasts normally look and feel and report any changes to a healthcare provider right away. |
2. Maintain a healthy weight.
This is probably the MOST important thing you can do for yourself to live a longer and healthier life. Being overweight increases your chances of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, breathing problems, and osteoarthritis, to name a few. In my years in practice as a physician assistant, I personally see this on a DAILY basis. I’m not saying that all overweight people have these problems, but it certainly increases the risk, if not now, then eventually. Because I deal with this daily, this is one of the primary reasons I created Refine YOU, an online fitness and nutrition company. 3. Drink plenty of water. Stay away from artificial sweeteners, sodas, etc. Everyone should be drinking at least half their body weight in ounces of water daily. A tip I like to tell my clients: Every time you pick up that water bottle you should take 8-10 gulps of water before you put it back down again. 4. Maintain a healthy body composition. This is along the lines of maintaining a healthy weight, but takes it one step further. Maintaining a healthy body composition means less fat and more lean muscle. This is for adults of ANY age. There are many benefits of having more lean muscle mass with strength training. Having more lean muscle improves your metabolism, which means you will burn more calories at rest. For every pound of lean muscle that you gain, your body can use about 50 extra calories per day. Building muscle also protects you from injury to your bones and your joints. Not only does a lean, toned body look better, but it also allows you to live a longer and more independent life as you age. |
5. Eat clean.
Refined grains (processed food, bread, chips, crackers, wheat) are unnecessary in our diet for fiber or nutrients. We can get all the fiber that our bodies need from fruits and vegetables. Refined grains are made up of lectins, gluten and phytates, which cause mild to severe inflammatory reactions in our bodies. These reactions can affect our thyroid, digestive tract, immune system and liver. Gluten is the one we hear about the most, but they are all unnecessary and can be harmful. If we cut refined grains out of our diet it decreases our risk of problems such as diabetes, heartburn, hypertension, and helps us get rid of pesky, stubborn fat. Dairy products commonly contain hormones, pesticides, antibiotics and GMOs. They also contain a high amount of carbohydrates and lactose that can cause sensitivities. 6. Your nutrition should focus on the macro nutrients and portion sizes. In my opinion, this is the KEY to maintaining a healthy weight and body composition. Your body composition is 80% what and how you eat and only 20% exercise, sleep, stress and other factors. Overeating and eating foods that are not nutritious will cause your body to feel sluggish, and increase your risk of health problems. Eating the right amount of food and the right kinds of nutritious foods will help your body run optimally. Think of this as putting the right kind of fuel in your vehicle. You want to put the right kind of fuel in your body and in the right amounts. It is not just counting calories—it has more to do with what makes up the calories you are eating, that is, the amount of carbohydrates, protein and fat (macro nutrients). Your body needs the right kind of calories (macro nutrients) to run optimally. |
7. Get enough sleep.
The lack of enough sleep may affect your body in more ways than you realize. It puts you at risk for weight gain and puts more stress on your body. It can increase your hunger by affecting your hunger hormones (ghrelin and leptin) and affects your mental state by increasing risk of depression, impairing judgement, making you forgetful, and making you “foggy.” The lack of sleep will also cause you to look older—and none of us want that!
8. Keep your mind active.
Studies have shown that you may delay the development of dementia and memory loss as you get older by keeping your mind active. Having a hobby that you enjoy, doing stimulating puzzles, playing games, reading books and learning new skills are great ways to keep your mind active and healthy.
9. Keep the stress low.
Stress has a negative effect on your mind, body and spirit. The American Psychological Association (APA) states that the more stress you have and the longer it lasts, the worse it is on your body. Reducing your stress levels can not only make you feel better now, but helps protect your health long-term. Some strategies the APA suggest to reduce stress are: identify what’s causing the stress and get rid of any tasks that are not essential, build strong supportive relationships, walk away when you are angry, rest your mind by participating in yoga or relaxation exercises, and get help if needed.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is a good reminder for all women to always focus on their mental and physical health and well-being. It is a great time to take a look at some tips on how to live a healthy lifestyle. Refine YOU shares tips on a regular basis on their blog and social media accounts which include health, recipes, and workouts. For more articles by Refine YOU and information on The Refine YOU Program, a customized nutrition and fitness program with daily support and accountability, visit www.refineyou.co.
The lack of enough sleep may affect your body in more ways than you realize. It puts you at risk for weight gain and puts more stress on your body. It can increase your hunger by affecting your hunger hormones (ghrelin and leptin) and affects your mental state by increasing risk of depression, impairing judgement, making you forgetful, and making you “foggy.” The lack of sleep will also cause you to look older—and none of us want that!
8. Keep your mind active.
Studies have shown that you may delay the development of dementia and memory loss as you get older by keeping your mind active. Having a hobby that you enjoy, doing stimulating puzzles, playing games, reading books and learning new skills are great ways to keep your mind active and healthy.
9. Keep the stress low.
Stress has a negative effect on your mind, body and spirit. The American Psychological Association (APA) states that the more stress you have and the longer it lasts, the worse it is on your body. Reducing your stress levels can not only make you feel better now, but helps protect your health long-term. Some strategies the APA suggest to reduce stress are: identify what’s causing the stress and get rid of any tasks that are not essential, build strong supportive relationships, walk away when you are angry, rest your mind by participating in yoga or relaxation exercises, and get help if needed.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is a good reminder for all women to always focus on their mental and physical health and well-being. It is a great time to take a look at some tips on how to live a healthy lifestyle. Refine YOU shares tips on a regular basis on their blog and social media accounts which include health, recipes, and workouts. For more articles by Refine YOU and information on The Refine YOU Program, a customized nutrition and fitness program with daily support and accountability, visit www.refineyou.co.