You can’t watch live television without being bombarded with commercials for medication where the adverse affects are worse than the actual illness. We’ve become a society where we reach for a pill for every aliment of headaches to complete exhaustion where we masque only the symptoms and not getting to the root of our real health problem. Unfortunately, we’ve become a society of quick fixes with harsh long term affects. We can’t run to our doctors to slap a band-aid on our heath issues, we need to be acutely aware of our bodies and prepare a plan with You and your healthcare provider

To get the most out of your doctor’s visit YOU must be your own health care advocate! We as individuals need to have an honest conversation with our Primary Care Providers (PCP) especially women. To get the most out of your visits I suggest the following (and yes this is what I did and it has been very eye opening):

Listen to your body: Our bodies will send us signals when it is not operating correctly with headaches, swelling, different degrees of pain, interruptions of natural cycles or extreme exhaustion is our bodies sounding off “something is not right!”. Headaches for example can cause of dehydration, hypertension or a tumor; extreme exhaustion could be a sign of anemia or other aliments. What ever your alarm is screaming, we need to listen our vehicles of life. Unfortunately, many of us will ignore these signals until we can’t anymore and this is usually when some damage has been done. Pay attention to you body, list and monitor your symptoms for a period of time …. if you feel something is “off” then trust your instinct and talk to your PCP. And if you feel like your doctor isn’t listening to you, you look until you find a doctor that does.

Food is Fuel: God has provided everything we need to make sure that we receive all of the vitamins and minerals needed to maintain our temples. Humans have also created some “fuel” that they find essential for our bodies as well. However, not all Fuel is created equal. Just like the wrong fuel in your car can stall your engine so can the wrong foods slow down our bodies. If you take the time to research the essential vitamins we need, you will find that many fruits and vegetable already have what we need. Companies have “added” to what is considered nutritional foods with some good and bad supplements. A good over the counter supplement can aid in the absorption of vitamins and minerals, especially if you’re extremely deficient. However there are foods and drinks that can interfere with the interfere with the absorption of essential elements
Such as milk and coffee. Milk doesn’t “do a body good”; for me personally it causes inflammation and for my sister it causes cold like symptoms. It also also leaches calcium from your bones leading to bone diseases like osteoporosis. Yet, it has been sold as the body building liquid for children by dairy industry and many still believe the hype. Coffee is another culprit ( I know, I love a good cup of coffee too) but can interfere with the asportation of Iron. Sea Food has been linked to high cholesterol (it is also hereditary).

Know your numbers: Before you lay out a plan for your health, you need to know your numbers and this is where that “heart to heart” with your doctor will need to happen. A blood test is a blue print of your health and reveals your levels for your hormones (which could be a cause for some weight gain) vitamin and iron deficiencies, cholesterol, diabetes and so much more. If you know these numbers soon rather than later you can start treatments or even ,in some cases, reverse your diagnoses. Treatments could be a lifestyle change or medications, My personal opinion, opt for lifestyle change before medications (if that is an option)

Family History: In recent months, I’m learning the importance of family history. The genealogy of your family can give you a preview of what may lie ahead in regards to your health. However, this may not always be the option in cases of adoption or just well kept family secrets. Families need to know what is in the gene pool and what is being passed on to the next generation so there aren’t any surprises. DNA kits are making this a reality and we’re getting our unique genetic blue prints that are telling of so much!

Your health like a Boss: The most fashionable thing that we can do ladies (and gentlemen) is to take care of our health. Start with knowing where stand with health risks, know your numbers, eat as much natural and fresh foods as possible (pay closer attention to the labels). If possible, learn your family history. Also, if you have to take you meds…do your research of adverse affects, food and drug interactions of the medication(s) you’re taking.

If you feel good, you will have more energy to participle in this adventure called life.