Celebrate National Women’s Health Week

We nationally celebrated Mother’s Day yesterday to show our appreciation to all of the caring women who either brought us into this world, helped raise us or have made a marked difference in our upbringing and health.

It’s also the day that kicked off National Women’s Health Week as a way to empower women to make their own health a priority. Women often get so involved in helping others, that they make their own health a lower priority.

Throughout the week, we’ll be showing our appreciation to those special women in our lives and bringing concerted attention to their wellness.

Here are 3 main topics for women to keep in mind about their health:

Prevention

Schedule an annual physical with your health care provider, receive preventive screenings and get regular checkups.

• According to experts, 70% of women ages 40 – 60 have at least 1 risk factor for heart disease.
• Make sure to share your family history and personal habits to help your provider understand your complete health profile.

Wellness

Don’t smoke, eat healthy foods as often as possible and get adequate sleep.

• Smoking causes 80% of lung cancer deaths in women.
• Eat a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, approximately 20 grams – about 4 ounces – of lean protein and complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice or whole-wheat pasta at each meal.
• Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sound sleep per night.

Safety

Remember to be safe by wearing a seatbelt and refraining from cell phone use while driving.

• Wearing seat belts reduces the risk of death by 45% and cuts the risk of serious injury by 50%.
• Using phones while driving triples your risk of a car accident.

For more details how women can increase their health and wellness, visit the National Women’s Health Week website.

Consider sharing this article with women you care about, who have made a difference in your life.

Sources

http://womenshealth.gov/nwhw/learn/index.html

http://womenshealth.gov/nwhw/infographics/safe-behaviors/index.php

http://womenshealth.gov/nwhw/infographics/mental-health/index.php

http://womenshealth.gov/nwhw/infographics/well-woman-visit/index.php

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