Women’s Health
by Angel Marlow
Without health, what do we have? The average woman has so much going on in her life on a day to day basis. I know, I work a demanding work week, shuffle kids from school to practice, take care of my personal relationships and make sure dinner is on time. A woman is relied on because she is intelligent, dependable and responsible. Isn’t it only right that she put herself first to make sure she can keep up with her heavy demand? Absolutely!
A healthy lifestyle is the first step in implementing a healthy life. We all know that physical health is important, but I believe not many of us take our mental health into account as much as we should. According to the National Institute for Mental Health more women are affected by depression then men. A healthy body isn't complete without a healthy mind. By taking the time to assess our mood and energy we begin to connect with ourselves. This allows us to notice when our mental state is not at its peak, teaches us to be conscious of the stresses in our life and things that make us anxious. Some potential modalities to help us are yoga, breathing techniques, or meditation. With practice and guidance from a trained professional we can help our mind return to a healthy mental state. We can get so caught up in our lives and sometimes forget to take care of ourselves. Ladies, assess yourself regularly and keep tabs on your health not just for the people you love but for you as well!
Internal health is so important for everyone. Women’s internal layout is quite different from men and our bodies are designed to do some pretty amazing things. Our bodies, with aid, produce life and help provide nutrients to that life once born. Our breasts are a very important part of the body. About 1 in 8 women will develop cancer. This statistic is scary and is why doing self-breast checks and visiting your doctor on a regular basis is so important. Staying in tune with your body helps identify any abnormalities. A woman's breasts will go through many stages during her lifetime. As you progress through life, you may notice your breasts start to change, most of these changes will be healthy and normal. For example, when we begin to approach menopause, the breasts start to feel tender and lumpier than they did before. This change tends to be normal for most women.
A major part of why we can do everything that we do is because of the cardiovascular system. This system is made up of the heart. The heart pumps blood throughout our body, to our lungs, the arteries, and the veins. It is an important system in the body. We should treat this system like gold as it provides us with life. In the U.S. 1 in 4 women will die from heart disease. In fact, coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death of both men and women in the U.S. However, we should note the symptoms of CHD can be controlled. Making healthy lifestyle changes, exercising, medicines, and different health procedures can lower a woman's risk of CHD. It’s important to monitor our heart health many women go undiagnosed with issues.
Nutrition and digestion: What we put into our bodies lays the foundation for how our bodies will respond to everyday life. We have all heard, “you are what you eat.” Think about it. If you feed your body processed foods high in salt, fat, and sugar compared to the clean foods like leafy greens, vegetables, and protein, what do you think will happen to the body? The body was not meant to process all the unnatural things we tend to put into it and the rise of heart disease, obesity, and other ailments are on the rise. Nutrition for women is especially important to help keep hormone and pH levels balanced. We can do this by eating plenty of fiber-rich foods and fluids along with probiotic-rich foods that have healthy bacteria in them. These foods will help the body stay regular in our elimination process. A plant-rich diet can contribute to longevity and good health because plant-based foods are protective and offer so many nutritional benefits. Supplements can also provide extra support in areas that you may miss in your diet: calcium, Vitamin-D, omega-3 fatty acids, and probiotics will all benefit and lead to a healthy body. It is all about finding balance in what we eat. Begin slowly, such as a week of clean eating (no processed foods) and see how you feel. I always suggest journaling when you make changes in your lifestyle.
Exercising is an important tool when it comes to maintaining a healthy body and mind. This, coupled with a good diet, can help us go farther in extending our life. Many of us implement a workout regimen to lose extra weight, stay at a current weight, or to just de-stress after a long day. Whatever your age, weight, or health situation may be, engaging in any type of exercise can help your body function closer to its potential. Exercising could be power walking, jogging, biking, swimming, lifting weights, yoga, pilates, the options are endless. Exercising does not have to be a chore. Just 20-30 minutes a day can help the body in so many ways. Exercising releases endorphins from the brain and produces an energy surge that helps you feel good and can help lower the risk for some diseases. I promise your body and your mind will thank you for it in the end.
Thermography, a process that was approved by the FDA in 1982, is used to screen various parts of the body to detect possible imbalances. The process is non-evasive and painless. It works by using infrared thermal imaging to discover any possible physiological or functional process rather than an anatomical presence. Through this method the imaging will detect processes that are causing temperature changes inside the body, shedding light on a possible disease before it becomes anatomical, and then proper action can be taken to try to reverse the abnormality in the body. Scanning areas include cardiovascular inflammation, breast anomalies at the earliest stages, possible thyroid dysfunction, immune system response, hormonal imbalance, and much more. Thermography provides a practical, useful, and helpful process to help people discover possible imbalances and reverse them before they become a problem.
All of the topics discussed above are in direct correlation with one another. Health has many layers to it and one can never have too much knowledge on the many aspects this topic engages in. I encourage you to explore the topic of women's health and research any questions or concerns that you may have about any of the levels it covers!
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