| days, it seems women have more health | | | | body while at work. Go to the ladies room to do |
| concerns than ever. Perhaps they are greater in | | | | it if necessary! Try to make smarter food |
| number than ever before or perhaps we are just | | | | choices, even if it means just eliminating one of |
| more aware of women's issues as women are | | | | your ‘junk food meals' a week. If you're |
| more comfortable having them brought to the | | | | not big on exercise, start with a simple walk a |
| forefront. | | | | couple times a week and go from there. The |
| One issue that continually does get the attention it | | | | sooner you make these changes, the healthier |
| deserves is breast cancer. The breast cancer | | | | you will be and the less at risk for heart disease. |
| statistics are alarming, and almost everyone you | | | | A third issue for women and one that has been |
| know has a sister or mother who has suffered | | | | on the rise for quite some time is obesity. The |
| from this deadly disease. If caught early enough, it | | | | "average" American woman has increased in size |
| does not have to be deadly. In fact, there are | | | | to a size 12 or even a size 14, with many women |
| things you can do so that you don't get it at all. | | | | reaching far beyond that size. This can be |
| Every woman (young and old) should be checking | | | | unhealthy depending on your body fat percentage. |
| their breasts monthly to detect for any strange | | | | While women can take some of the same steps |
| lumps or any unusual signs. This can be done in | | | | as with heart disease discussed above, people |
| the shower, with one arm raised and the other | | | | who suffer from obesity may need to take more |
| performing the checking task. Any doctor can | | | | drastic measures in order to get their weight |
| show you the specifics on how to do this. If you | | | | down. If you are obese, it is definitely time to get |
| do sense something suspicious, make an | | | | your diet in check so that you don't later develop |
| appointment with your doctor right away to have | | | | heart disease, or adult diabetes, or a host of |
| it looked at. The other thing you can do is be a | | | | other problems from being overweight. Eating a |
| conscious consumer; every day the FDA is | | | | lot of processed, artificially sweetened, or sugar |
| coming out with new information as to what may | | | | and fat-laden foods is likely a habit, and one that |
| be potential carcinogens (cancer-causing agents), | | | | needs to be nipped in the bud. Hand in hand with |
| from food additives to plastics to environmental | | | | poor eating habits is exercise habits, and if you |
| hazards. Becoming aware and taking the time to | | | | don't have any it's time to get some! It will be |
| be educated can make all the difference in the | | | | difficult at first, and you are likely to be winded |
| world. | | | | and tired after a very short time of exertion. |
| Another major health concern for women is heart | | | | However, if you keep pushing through the |
| disease. This continues to be the number one killer | | | | challenging times you will soon see and feel the |
| of women, actually, and it doesn't just happen to | | | | difference. You will notice you have more energy, |
| those you would suspect. When people think of | | | | as your workout time may go from ten minutes |
| heart disease, most people think of the severely | | | | on the treadmill to fifteen to twenty. As you |
| obese. However, women can suffer from heart | | | | benefit from this greater energy, it will not only |
| disease, high blood pressure, and clogged arteries | | | | help power you through your workout sessions, |
| from poor food choices, lack of exercise, and | | | | but it will put a brighter spin on the rest of your |
| stress. Believe it or not, if you eat fast food on a | | | | life. You will find you have more energy |
| regular basis and skip the gym in favor of drinks | | | | throughout the day, and chances are you will |
| after a very stressful work day that ends at 7:00 | | | | continue to burn calories because of this. You will |
| p.m. instead of 5:00 p.m., you may be in a higher | | | | probably find an easier time making healthy food |
| risk category than your friend who remains calm, | | | | choices if you incorporate exercise into your fight |
| eats a lot of healthy food choices, and practices | | | | against obesity as well. |
| yoga a couple times a week. If you know you | | | | Women's issues can be the same as men's issues |
| are in the first group, the best thing you can do | | | | or they can be different. The good news is, |
| for yourself is to start making small changes. If | | | | women's health concerns get discussed more |
| you can't get away from a stressful job or | | | | than they used to, and this gives us greater |
| career, make sure to step away each hour and | | | | power in awareness. |
| do deep breathing exercises, and stretch your | | | | |