Celebrate Your Strength for Women’s Health Week

Did you know that next week, May 10^th-16^th, is Women’s Health Week? Women’s Health Week was started as a way to celebrate women and remind them to take care of themselves. Making your health a priority can be difficult, especially during these uncertain times. Often women put their health on the backburner to take care of the ones they love. That’s why next week is more important than ever, put yourself and your health first!

Making your health a priority is not always easy, the key is to find out what works best for you. Say no to dieting and adopt a lifestyle that gives you the freedom to choose what you put in your body. This pandemic is placing enough restrictions on what you can and can’t do, you do not need more restrictions with food.

There are other ways you can make your health a priority in addition to incorporating the principles of intuitive eating. Leading a healthy life has many components, such as regular doctor’s appointments and movement. Don’t forget to prioritize mental health too!

Saying NO to Dieting

Diets and quick weight loss tips are often targeted to women. With all the screen time lately, you are probably seeing a lot of advertisements for weight loss at home. While these diets may seem attractive, they are full of empty promises and add unnecessary restrictions to your life. Say no to dieting, not just during this pandemic, but always. Here are just some of the reasons you should ditch dieting:

It adds more restriction to your life; your body intuitively knows how much food it needs. Your body does not need a rule book to tell it how to eat.
It will compound the stress that you are already feeling. During these times, most people are experiencing some degree of stress, don’t add any more to it than necessary.
It can lead to self-neglect instead of self-care. When starting a diet, often self-care is really put on the backburner to make room for all the diet rules and restrictions.

Putting Your Health First

Your health is more than what you put in your body, it’s about the overall picture. There are certain steps you can take to ensure that you are putting your health first. Here are some ways to get started:

Get Recommended Screenings and Preventive Care: Women are more prone to certain diseases like breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Try to schedule yearly appointments to know your risk factors for these diseases.

Prioritize Mental Health: Take a mental break and do something you love, like reading a good book, practicing self-care, or getting into your favorite hobby. Find something that you enjoy to give your mental health a break.

Get Moving: There are so many different ways that you can get moving during this pandemic. For example, you can go for a social distancing walk, stretch, take a yoga class on zoom, or watch YouTube workouts. It’s important that you find an activity that you actually enjoy doing.

Practice Good Sleep Habits: Practice good sleep habits to improve your mental and physical health. A good night’s sleep can also help boost your immune system. Follow a routine for going to sleep, be consistent with the time you are going to bed and getting up, even on weekends. Try to get at least 7 hours of sleep.

Grab all the important women in your life and celebrate their health and your own. Be sure to celebrate National Women’s Health Week starting Sunday, May 10th!

Your Turn to Action: How will you be celebrating National Women’s Health Week? Let me know in the comments below.