Your Prescription for Health
Eat Right – 5 a day of fresh fruits and vegetables, lots of fiber, lean meats, chicken, turkey and fish. No junk food, no fast food (salads are a great substitute for French fries). If you do not feel well, chances are you are not eating well!! Do not underestimate the power of healthy eating, or the ability of eating the wrong thing to make you feel badly!! Please visit Healthy Approach Market for nutritional counseling with Bryan Bradford CN (817-399-9100)
Drink lots of water – it should be your main beverage of the day. Limit caffeine to one a day if you must. Avoid artificial sweeteners, they are thought to increase PMS as well as other health problems
Weight loss – If you are doing the top 3 you WILL lose weight. In a nutshell, eat protein at EVERY meal, moderate carbohydrates and fats, and fruits, veggies and water at EVERY meal. If you can do this, you will lose weight.
Exercise – 30 minutes of cardio a day to maintain weight, 1 hour a day to lose weight. Pilates and Yoga are great for sculpting and toning. Exercise On Demand with cable and satellite – lots of great options for quick workouts.
Safety – wear your seatbelt, drive the speed limit, wear sunscreen, pick good friends, no drinking and driving, no smoking, don’t walk alone at night
Safer Sex – abstinence is best, but use condoms every single time if sexually active. Remember, you are with every partner your partner has been with, and every partner they have been with and so on. ….That’s a lot of exposure to warts, herpes, chlamydia, HPVand don’t forget HIV!!
HPV – Human Papilloma Virus. It is sexually transmitted. Over 100 strains of the virus. A few strains cause abnormal pap smears, a few strains cause genital warts. Guys pass it to you not knowing they have it. A vaccine for the four main strains of the virus is available for women ages 9-26. It takes 3 injections over 6 months total. It provides 99% protection in preventing pre-cancer and cancer of the cervix and 100% protection against genital warts.
Pap smears – every year once sexually active or age 18 whichever comes first. Papsure it optional, it allows us to see your cervix with a special light and microscope. It can pick up things a pap can miss. Probably worth the money.
Birth Control Options – The pill, patch, ring and shot can be used for birth control or to help control heavy or painful periods, or acne. This is a personal as well as medical decision. Side effects also can include weight gain, breast tenderness and headaches. The weight gain is caused from increased eating, so if you eat right, you won’t necessarily gain weight. If you are on Depo Provera you must take Calcium every day to prevent bone loss.
Vitamins – a good multivitamin, calcium 1000mg a day total (diet and supplements in divided doses), Fruits & Veggies if not obtained from diet (Juice Plus, Nature’s Way). B Complex for energy, essential fatty acids (fish oils) for helping with brain function, Vitamin C 1000mg a day for anti-oxidant.