It has been said that behind every great man there is an even greater woman, but who is behind every great woman? Yourself.
Women are the backbone of society – we are the mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, homemakers, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists, just to name a few. It is our innate burden to nurture and care for those in our lives. But how many times do we sacrifice our wellbeing to ensure our loved ones are taken care of?
This feat in itself is admirable and it is the embodiment of pure selflessness, but once in a while women must be more dedicated to their own health.
Therefore, join me in celebrating National Women’s Health Week (NWHW), which kicked off on May 8th and runs through May 14th. Women’s Health Week is an initiative led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to empower women to make their health a priority by educating them on what steps to take to lead a healthier life.
The NWHW suggests taking the following steps to improve physical and mental health:
- Visit a doctor for a well-woman visit and preventive screenings such as a blood pressure test, bone mineral density test, breast cancer screening, and cervical cancer screening. Click here for a complete list of screening tests.
- Get active. Walk, run, bike, or swim, but just get your body going. According to womenshealth.gov, an active lifestyle can lower your risk of early death from a variety of causes such as a stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure, and many other diseases.
- Eat healthy. Limit the amounts of foods you eat that contain saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, and added sugars.
- Pay attention to your mental health. Get enough sleep, practice healthy coping mechanisms to manage stress, and get familiar with resources and organizations that deal with mental health illnesses.
- Avoid unhealthy behaviors. Lead a healthier lifestyle by avoiding risky behaviors such as smoking, excessive drinking, texting while driving, and unprotected sex. Keep it healthy and classy.
Ladies, we need to prioritize our health because if we cannot take care of ourselves, who else can possibly don the many hats we wear? Happy health week! #NWHW
