Living a healthy lifestyle and eating a balanced diet will help prevent disease and give you a longer, more fulfilling life. A healthy lifestyle isn't as hard to achieve as you may think.
Food that is "good for you" doesn't have to be bland. Many nutrient-rich foods are delicious, and they have many of the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and nutrients that your body needs for optimal functioning.
When you hear of the term "healthy foods," you may think that this limits your diet. Perhaps the word "salad" or "lettuce" springs to mind, but when you eat a healthy and balanced diet, you can practically eat anything you want – as long as the portion sizes are healthy. Consider eating lean meats, fish, in addition to fruits and vegetables.
You may want to start slow in changing your diet. Choose to have a fruit salad for dessert instead of sweets. During the day, you may want to opt for raw vegetables with dip rather than potato chips. It's generally accepted that it's OK to eat sweets occasionally. For example, chocolate may have some heart benefits to it. Just don't overdo it with the desserts. The refined sugar in desserts isn't good for you. An occasional bar of chocolate is OK.
For an added health benefit, remember to aim for at least half an hour of moderate physical activity every day. This doesn't have to be hardcore exercise. Even a walk or jog around the block may give you an added health benefit.
Try to eliminate unhealthy habits from your diet, such as smoking or alcohol consumption. Smoking is one of the most preventable causes of premature death in this country. Even being around secondhand smoke can be dangerous to your health. If you can, try to stay away from smoking. There are many tobacco cessation programs out there that will help curb your cravings.
In our Diet & Lifestyle section, you will learn about the foods and vitamins that women should be concerned about. You'll also see how certain lifestyle habits, including smoking and caffeine consumption, may affect your health.
Women's General Health
As a woman, you have specialized concerns when it comes to your healthcare. There are certain medical conditions that are unique to you alone, including menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. Though you may share some illnesses and diseases with men, such as heart disease, you often have different concerns when it comes to these shared diseases.
For example, heart disease affects both men and women, however women are more likely to develop heart problems later in life. Unfortunately, they are less likely to survive a heart attack than men. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women over age 65. Consequently, women should be very aware of the early signs of heart disease.
Another disease that can affect both men and women is breast cancer, though breast cancer is more common in women. In 2009, over 40,000 women died from breast cancer. As a result of these high rates, healthcare professionals recommend that you undergo routine breast cancer screening.
In addition to breast cancer, men and women can also get urinary tract infections. However, UTIs are more common in women, possibly due to their shorter urethras. One in five women will develop a UTI at some point in her lifetime. When UTIs occur during pregnancy, it can lead to premature delivery and high blood pressure in the mother.
When it comes to general women's health, there are many other health concerns that are specific to women only. These include reproductive problems, such as endometriosis and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
Endometriosis is a reproductive condition that affects over 90 million women globally, and it occurs when the tissue that lines your uterus grows in other parts of your body. It can cause pelvic pain, heavy periods, and irregularity with your menstrual cycle. Without treatment, symptoms can get worse over time. Endometriosis is a serious women's health complication that can lead to infertility.
Premenstrual dysmorphic disorder (PMDD) is another reproductive condition that is a women's health concern. This chronic condition makes your regular PMS symptoms worse, Symptoms such as oversensitivity, increased appetite, acne, breast tenderness, hot flashes, mood swings, and difficulty concentrating. PMDD can make a woman's life very difficult. Fortunately, there are medications that can treat the symptoms.
These are only some of the many general women's health concerns that you may have. Let Women's Healthcare Topics take care of you and teach you how to be in control of your health with our informative and educational articles on general women's health!
Pap Smear Screening
In the United States, an estimated 20 million Americans are infected with HPV (human papillomavirus), and there are 5.5 million new HPV infections every year. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 50 percent of all sexually active individuals will get genital HPV at some point in their life.
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection, and it is passed through vaginal and anal sex. Although many of the types of HPV are harmless (there are over 100 types in total), about 30 types of HPV can put you at risk for certain cancers, most notably cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer that women contract. Every year, about 11,000 new cases are diagnosed and over 4,000 women will die. If caught in the early stages, cervical cancer has a good five-year survival rate. In the later stages, it is hard to treat and is very deadly.
Prior to routine pap smears, cervical cancer was one of the most common causes of cancer deaths in Americans. However, with routine pap tests (also called pap smears), the death toll from cervical cancer is slowly declining.
Because early detection is key in beating this deadly cancer, many doctors and healthcare providers recommend that women have regular pap smears (also called a pap test), starting at age 21 or within three years of becoming sexually active. A pap smear can save your life, since it can detect the earliest signs of cervical cancer.
In its beginning stages, cervical cancer does not produce any noticeable signs or symptoms. So without regular pap tests, you may not know that you have the cancer until it is too late.
During a pap test, your doctor scrapes cells from the surface of your cervix and vagina and these cells are examined in a lab to find out if they are abnormal. In some circumstances, your doctor may catch abnormal cells before they turn into cancerous cells.
If you are a sexually active woman, you should learn all the facts about cervical cancer - from prevention to risk factors to treatments. You will also want to learn about pap smears and the different types of pap tests, including the self-administered pap smear.
Protect yourself and your health with all the information provided here at Women's Healthcare Topics!
Women's Sexual Health
When it comes to women's sexual health, you will want to avoid pregnancy until you are ready. Pregnancy and parenthood comes with many rewards and responsibilities - including financial ones that you may not be prepared for. It is also a lifelong commitment.
Take to time to learn how to use birth control and contraception correctly to avoid unwanted pregnancies. There are a variety of birth control options available, including birth control pills, condoms, diaphragms, spermicides, birth control patch (Ortho Evra), and birth control vaginal ring (NuvaRing).
Using certain birth control methods, such as latex condoms, can protect you from sexually transmitted diseases, such as HPV.An estimated 13 million people in the United States have a STD. You are at risk of catching a STD every time you have unprotected sex with someone who is infected.
For your own sexual health, you should protect yourself from STDs with abstinence, which is the only 100 percent way of avoiding pregnancy and preventing a STD. If you are sexually active, having protected sex with condoms will also reduce your risk of contracting a STD.
Remember that not all STDs can be cured, such as herpes, HIV or AIDS. A common sexually transmitted disease, HPV, can sometimes cause cervical cancer. For your own sexual health, you will want to avoid sexually transmitted diseases at any cost.
Pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases are only one aspect of women's sexual health. This section also covers vaginal and yeast infections, sexual dysfunction in women, and more!
With the articles in this Women's Sexual Health section, you will learn about what matters to women and how to protect yourself. Being aware of your body, learning what is considered normal and abnormal, and undergoing regular check-ups and screenings is key to good health.
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