HEALTH CHECK ALERT
WORK OUT YOUR HEALTH NUMBERS
Your 30s is a good time to start monitoring blood
pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar numbers to
identify the need to take action to improve your heart
health. High blood pressure and/or high cholesterol
often have no symptoms, so you may not realise you have
a problem until something serious happens, like a heart
attack. Have a chat to your doctor who can organise the
necessary checks and give you advice – from simple lifestyle
changes to medication – to keep those key numbers at healthy levels. »HOW TO EAT...
Dietitian Bronwen Greenfield says:
» In Australia, it’s becoming
more common for women
to have a baby in their 30s, so if you are looking
to conceive, good nutrition is a must for
increasing fertility at this age. Ensuring that you’re
supplementing with foate and eating plenty of
foods rich in iron, zinc and antioxidants is a must. It’s
also important to avoid alcohol and high doses of
caffeine if you are trying to conceive.
» Your 30s is also the age at which peak muscle
mass is achieved, so ensure that you’re continuing
with strength training and eating adequate
protein and carbohydrates to fuel and replenish
muscle stores.KEEP BREATHING
You’d be surprised how many
of us don’t breathe in a healthy
way – either holding our breath
or shallow breathing – and the
negative effects are cumuative,
so it’s worth paying attention
to it now. Pace coloured sticky
dots around your house as a
reminder to breathe. You might
be surprised how often you hold
your breath. Boost the benefits
by stopping to breathe from
your diaphragm a few times a
day, particuarly when you’re
feeling tired: put your hand over
your belly button and, as you
inhale, focus on making your
stomach and chest rise. This
will automatically expand your
lower lungs so you take in more
air with each breath. It’s an
effective fatigue buster, too!G d nutrition is a must for increasing fertility
each day. For at least 15 minutes every
day, stop everything and read a book,
listen to music, have a bath, meditate,
go for a walk, or whatever you find
comforting and soothing. Just be sure it
doesn’t involve your computer, phone or
reading the latest news headlines.
Know your health history. Taking
responsibility for your own health is a big
step towards self-care. Start with asking
close family members about any health
issues and record their responses, then
build your own records from that. Record
your medical history to date, any risk
factors and medications you’re taking.
This system will help you (and your
doctor) understand any problems that
come up in the future, prevent errors in
treatment and diagnosis, and help decide
what preventative tests you may need.
be informed
Good Health
handbookREMOVESUPTO OF STAINS
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