The health of a woman is crucial to the life of her family because of the great influence, and responsibilities she shoulders as a wife and a mother. “Women should desire control over their health care alongside their families. Too often, they have gone without thought of proper medication. Women’s health decisions shouldn’t be made by others but them. For women to be able to take care of families and friends, they have to consider themselves first.
To take up the responsibilities of taking care of her health, a woman must learn to make right choices as to what she eats. It is instructive for the woman to understand that God has given her the capacity to have a good and sound health by feeding well.
As a woman, understand that your diet provides the necessary building blocks for the body to produce energy and maintain good health. To lay a good foundation for good health, therefore, you need a good diet since your choice of food can significantly impact on how well or not your body functions. If there are deficiencies in your body functions, there can be impairment in life processes. In the same vein, the choices you make can increase the risk of diseases in your body and as well control quality of life and life expectancy.
In addition, women should know and go after foods that boost the body system such as vegetables, fruits, fish, nuts and whole grains. While avoiding acid producing foods, eat your food in its natural form. This means fresh, whole fruit eaten raw. Enjoy the abundance of fresh fruits which are, readily available in the market. Eat water melon, pears, apples, grapefruits and oranges instead of fruit juice. Fresh pineapple and papayas are great for digestion. Do not overcook or microwave your vegetables – both methods make your vegetables lose nutrients. Add large amount of garlic and onions to your diet; they have amazing health benefits.
Aside including good foods in your diet, there are some good practices that can help you live a healthy lifestyle. Examples are adequate intake of water, physical bodily exercises and good hygiene principles. Water, according to research findings, is a kind of therapy that helps natural health. Taking two glasses of water first thing when you wake up in the morning helps activate the internal organs. One glass of water thirty minutes before a meal helps digestion, one glass of water before taking a bath helps lower blood pressure, and one glass of water before going to bed helps avoid stroke or heart attack. In addition you are required to take between six to eight cups of water daily.
Bodily exercise also enhances good health. Many women, because of pressures from family, work and the society at large, believe there is little or no time for exercises. This is not true. Aside weight loss, lots of benefits are derived from physical bodily exercise.
Rest is also good for the body because it helps you to concentrate and keep up energy level. It is during rest, especially sleep that the body recovers or heals faster from the damage caused by stress. Besides sleep, there are a number of ways you can give your body occasional rest breaks through the day. (1) Stretch yourself. Stretching helps alleviate tension in large muscle groups. It tones and relaxes the body, helps muscle flexibility and relieves pain in the joints. If you work on a desk, get up for a few minutes every one hour to stretch yourself and breathe deeply. (2) Have a positive mental attitude.
To stay healthy all the time, you must have and maintain a positive mental attitude. The mind has a powerful influence on the body and the immune system. Rid yourself off all negative emotions such as bitterness, anger, hatred, resentment and strife because they contribute to ill health.
Moreover, good personal hygiene is very important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In fact it should be the first step to good health because its not only protects you from poor health, but also shields those around you from suffering illness that arise from poor personal habits. Habits such as washing your hands, brushing your teeth, bating regularly and wearing clean clothes, especially underwear, may all look monotonous and boring, but they all come under important personal hygiene. They make you feel good about yourself, and keep you free of bacteria, viruses and illnesses.
Maintaining hygienic environment is necessary too. Clean up your surroundings regularly by sweeping your apartment/compound, moving the lawn, disposing of your wastes properly and washing your bathroom/toilet. You should also net your windows to avoid mosquito bite.
Women, the family depend on you greatly for survival, you are the pillar that holds the joy of the home, be careful of the lifestyle you display. ###
Edith Nse Friday
08025293937
fridaynse@yahoo.com
