{"id":1568,"date":"2018-05-18T16:22:14","date_gmt":"2018-05-18T20:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/?p=1568"},"modified":"2018-05-18T16:23:24","modified_gmt":"2018-05-18T20:23:24","slug":"during-national-womens-health-week-honor-your-own-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/during-national-womens-health-week-honor-your-own-health\/","title":{"rendered":"During National Women\u2019s Health Week, Honor Your Own Health"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/HiA.org-wtag-4c.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-898\" src=\"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/HiA.org-wtag-4c-300x66.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"66\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/HiA.org-wtag-4c-300x66.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/HiA.org-wtag-4c-1024x226.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/HiA.org-wtag-4c-500x110.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/HiA.org-wtag-4c.jpg 1099w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/em><\/strong>National Women\u2019s Health Week (May 13-19, 2018) is a perfect reminder to female healthcare providers to practice what we preach. As caregivers and as women who serve our communities\u2019 health, we all too often focus on the health needs of others before our own. In the immortal words of every flight attendant, \u201cPut on your oxygen mask before assisting others.\u201d Meaning, of course, that if you\u2019re neglecting your own well-being, it will be difficult for you to help your clients and loved ones.<\/p>\n<p>And as we age, it becomes increasingly important to monitor our health. That\u2019s because older women are more likely than men to have chronic health conditions, including arthritis, high blood pressure,\u00a0and osteoporosis.<\/p>\n<p>Happily, a great deal of what it takes to boost your chances for staying physically and mentally healthy is within your power. Below is what the experts with the American Geriatrics Society\u2019s Health in Aging Foundation recommend.<\/p>\n<p><strong>See your healthcare provider regularly.<\/strong>\u00a0Even if you feel perfectly healthy, get a check-up at least once a year, or as often as your provider recommends.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/resources\/resource:avoiding-overmedication-and-harmful-drug-reactions\/\"><strong>Take medications, vitamins,\u00a0and supplements only as directed<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong>\u00a0When you visit your provider, bring all the pills and other supplements you take\u2014even those you buy over the counter without a prescription. Your provider should check all of your pills to make sure they\u2019re safe for you, and you should check with her before taking any new medication or supplement.<\/p>\n<p>Let your provider know right away if a medication or supplement seems to be causing a problem or a side effect.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/aging-and-health-a-to-z\/topic:prevention\/\"><strong>Get screened.<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0Certain screening tests can help diagnose health problems early. Ask your healthcare provider which tests are right for you.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/resources\/resource:fall-2011-what-you-should-know-about-this-year-s-flu-shot\/\"><strong>Get vaccinated.<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0Check with your healthcare provider to make sure you\u2019re getting:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A\u00a0<u>flu shot<\/u>\u00a0every year in late summer or early fall before the flu season begins.<\/li>\n<li>Pneumonia vaccine: there are two types available now, called pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) 13 and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV) 23. Talk to your healthcare provider.<\/li>\n<li>A\u00a0<u>tetanus shot<\/u>\u00a0every 10 years.<\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0<u>shingles (herpes zoster) vaccine<\/u>: once after age 50 or older.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Reduce\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/resources\/resource:preventing-serious-falls-tips-for-older-adults-and-their-loved-ones\/\"><strong>falls and fracture risks<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong>\u00a0Take 1,200 to 1,500 mg of calcium and 800 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D daily. Do weight-bearing exercises such as walking, jogging, and aerobic dancing. If you\u2019ve fallen in the past, ask your healthcare provider about exercise programs in your area that include strength training, balance and stretching exercises.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Use sunscreen daily.<\/strong>\u00a0As skin ages, it becomes more susceptible to sun damage\u2014and that boosts risks for skin cancer. Use sunscreen all year round on exposed skin, and wear a wide-brimmed hat for added protection.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Quit smoking.<\/strong>\u00a0Tell your healthcare provider about your smoking habits and enlist his\/her aid to help you stop. For additional help, call 1-800-QUITNOW. It\u2019s never too late to stop smoking.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Eat a rainbow.<\/strong>\u00a0Later in life you need healthy foods but fewer calories. Visit the USDA\u2019s updated\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.choosemyplate.gov\/older-adults\">Choose My Plate<\/a>\u00a0for older adults to learn what a healthy diet looks like. Suggestions include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily (less than 1\/3 of older adults do this). Select a variety and choose the deepest colors\u2014dark green leafy vegetables, orange fruits and vegetables, and blue and purple vegetables, too. Choose fiber-rich whole grain breads, pasta and rice instead of the white stuff. Pick lean meats and avoid processed meats and cold cuts.<\/li>\n<li>To keep your bones strong, enjoy two daily servings of low-fat milk, cheese and yogurt.<\/li>\n<li>Try to eat twice-weekly servings of heart-healthy fish, like tuna, salmon, sardines or mackerel.<\/li>\n<li>Use healthier fats, such as extra virgin olive oil or canola oil instead of butter or lard.<\/li>\n<li>Drink responsibly. Some\u2014but not all\u2014women may benefit from one alcoholic drink a day. Check with your healthcare provider to make sure this is right for you. Remember, one drink equals 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/aging-and-health-a-to-z\/topic:physical-activity\/\"><strong>Exercise your mind and body.<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0Regular exercise is essential for good health at any age. It improves heart health and circulation, strengthens bones, helps keep the pounds off, lifts your mood and can help ease depression. Talk to your doctor about an exercise program that\u2019s right for you.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Get involved.<\/strong>\u00a0Social involvement is a key to staying healthy and happy as we age. Sign up for a class, do puzzles, find an interesting hobby or club. Challenge your brain by trying new things.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>National Women\u2019s Health Week (May 13-19, 2018) is a perfect reminder to female healthcare providers to practice what we preach. As caregivers and as women who serve our communities\u2019 health, we all too often focus on the health needs of &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/during-national-womens-health-week-honor-your-own-health\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4,9],"tags":[64,179,180],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1568"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1568"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1568\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1571,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1568\/revisions\/1571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthinaging.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}