Some conditions are more common in women. Generally, as you age you become more susceptible to some serious health conditions. Let’s first take a look at the most common health conditions among women and then we’ll cover some tips to avoid them.
#1 Heart Disease
Heart disease is the number one killer of women. Of course, it’s a disease that both men and women. However, women suffer from different symptoms. This means it’s easy for women to mistake heart disease with something else.
#2 Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a condition where your bones lose calcium and minerals. The result is a weakening and actual thinning of your bones. This makes them brittle and fragile. They’re prone to breakage.
#3 Cancer
Breast cancer gets the most attention. However, it’s not the number one killer. Lung cancer is actually the biggest cancer killer. It’s followed by breast cancer and then colon cancer.
#4 Diabetes
Like heart disease and cancer, diabetes isn’t just a woman’s disease. However, it is very common in women and particularly older women. Diabetes can have significant effects on your health and longevity not to mention your quality of life.
Preventing These Common Conditions
There are three biggies when it comes to preventing disease. They include:
Diet – Eat a diet rich in whole grains, lean protein and lots of fruits and vegetables. Skip processed foods, high glycemic foods, and alcohol. (A little red wine is okay – even good for you.)
Exercise – Exercise is something that’s important throughout your life. It’s important when you’re young and when you’re older. Regular exercise is the key to a long and healthy life. Strive to include cardiovascular and strength training into your daily life. Walking for fitness is an ideal way to get and stay in shape.
Stress Management – Get plenty of sleep, take vacations, meditate, socialize, and express gratitude. They’re all important steps to help your body and mind manage stress. Stress has been shown to be a significant contributor to cancer, heart disease, and even diabetes. People tend to eat when they’re stressed and they don’t make smart food decisions.
Taking great care of your health is the first step toward preventing disease. A healthy diet, regular exercise and stress management techniques can all help you live a disease free life.
Step By Step Prevention
Step One: Journal. Spend a week or two simply journaling what you eat, when you eat it and your activity level. You may also document how you feel each day including your energy and stress level.
Step Two: Short term and long term goals. Once you’ve spent some time evaluating your lifestyle, take a look at where you can make changes. Create goals for each area of your life that needs improvement.
For example, if you notice that you’re regularly stressed out you might decide to take up meditation. Your goal might be to meditate five minutes every day for a month. This short term and the completely realistic goal will help you succeed.
Step Three: Plan for success. Before you dive in and try to make a bunch of changes consider focusing on one change at a time. Experts say that it takes about three to four weeks to make something a habit.
You might decide to make one change each month. After a year you will have a dozen new and healthy lifestyle habits. Habits that prevent disease and will help you live a long and happy life.
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