Women have many health needs specific to their gender, including menstruation, reproduction, pregnancy and menopause. Many women put their own health last because they are busy caring for their children and families. Susan Sommers and Theresa Dugwell emphasize the importance of women living a healthy lifestyle in their book, "Power Source for Women: Proven Fitness Strategies, Tools, and Success Stories for Women 45+." Adding a few lifestyle tips can improve your health and help you live a healthier life.
Exercise Most Days
Physical activity aids women in maintaining a healthy weight and may help prevent many illnesses that effect women, including breast cancer, cervical cancer and heart disease. Linda Lewis Alexander, Judith Larosa and William James Alexander, suggest that exercise can prevent many diseases that impact your health in their book, "New Dimensions in Women's Health." Regular exercise will help protect your fertility, will help you deliver healthy babies and will help keep your bones strong so you can reduce your risk of osteoporosis as you age. Regular physical movement will also increase your metabolism and give you the energy you need to meet the demands of home, career, children and family. Jogging, swimming, yoga and weight lifting are all effective ways to stay fit.
Cook at Home
Cooking your meals at home allows you choose the most nutritious ingredients and helps prevent you from consuming too much fat and calories from restaurant food. Sommers and Dugwell recommend choosing healthy ingredients, such as fruits, vegetables, grains and lean meat, to include in your meal preparation because they will help protect the health of your breasts, reproductive system and heart. Sign up on a recipe sharing website or borrow some cookbooks from friends or the library and choose a few new recipes to try. Include your family in the selection process so you can enjoy healthy meals as a family, another practice that can boost your overall health and well-being.
Quit Smoking and Limit Alcohol Use
Smoking and drinking are two lifestyle choices that can negatively impact your overall health. Alexander, Larosa and Alexander strongly recommend that you stop smoking because nicotine and other chemicals in cigarettes increase your risk of stroke, lung cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer and heart disease. Stopping now can improve your health and reduce your risk of these, and other, life threatening diseases. A glass of red wine occasionally can help protect your heart and will supply some beneficial antioxidants, but any more than that can increase your risk of breast cancer and may negatively impact the function of your kidneys as well.
References
- "Power Source for Women: Proven Fitness Strategies, Tools, and Success Stories for Women 45+"; Susan Sommers and Theresa Dugwell; 2010
- "New Dimensions in Women's Health"; Linda Lewis Alexander, Judith Larosa and William James Alexander; 2009
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