What do you need to know about women’s health?
- Live an active lifestyle to improve overall health
- Eat a nourishing diet
- Women’s vitamins and supplements
- Annual checkups
- Kaalaman sa sexual health
As we progress through the month of March where Women’s Month is observed all around the world, there are many ways to celebrate womanhood and the inspiring people around you. This is the perfect time to be knowledgeable about women’s health in the Philippines as there is an extensive number of factors that come into play when talking about women’s health.
Ipagdiwang ang Buwan ng Kababaihan sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay halaga sa iyong kalusugan. Mas marami ang magagawa mo kapag binigyan mo ng halaga at importansya ang iyong katawan. Ito ang mga maaari mong alamin at gawin sa women’s health:
Live An Active Lifestyle
An active lifestyle is the backbone of your health and well-being. When you do physical activity or take some time in your day to release tension and produce sweat, you will look good and feel great inside and out!
Regular physical activity is crucial for good physical and mental health. It improves your fitness, maintains a healthy weight, lowers your risks for many chronic diseases, and enhances your mood. Let out those happy hormones by doing at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day.
We all know how busy life can get sometimes, and even taking a quick walk makes a great difference. For a more creative way to do physical activity, find an activity that suits your personality and liking and tag along with your best girlfriends and avail some classes together!
Eat a Nourishing and Balanced Diet
Good nutrition is substantially important during the stages in your life where it is easy to get so caught up with day-to-day tasks, career, travel, relationships, and family. Just like living an active lifestyle, eating healthy is equally important in your everyday life and plays a big role in your mental and physical health. You get your essential vitamins, nutrients, and minerals from what you eat and drink. It is also a way to prevent diseases and combat sicknesses. Always ensure that you are incorporating healthy food from all food groups.
- Fruits and Vegetables: Incorporating fruits and vegetables into your diet every day will fill your body with the right amount of nutrition, vitamins, and minerals you need. It also clears up your skin and enhances your mood.
- Protein: Want to feel energized during the day? Add some seafood, lean meats, poultry, eggs, and legumes to your diet.
- Dairy: Studies show that women should get at least three cups of dairy per day to receive the right amount of calcium.
Healthy eating also means avoiding food with added sugar, sodium (salt), saturated fat, and trans fats. Although it is great to munch on your favorite snacks every once in a while, you should be mindful of your intake. If you think you aren’t hitting the right amount of nutrients per day, you can be able to consume these through nutrients.
Women’s Vitamins and Supplements
Some women might need vitamins and supplements to not only provide their bodies with the right amount of nutrients but because they’re at a certain time in their life. For overall health in women, consuming a Vitamin C supplement will benefit your body greatly and give you that extra boost of immunity and energy in your day-to-day life.
If you are a woman who is sexually active, pregnant, or breastfeeding, incorporating supplements such as Folic Acid to your diet helps the body produce and maintain new cells and also plays a big role in the production of breastmilk.
Too busy to have a skincare routine? Taking Collagen supplements will cover your hair, skin, and nails’ needs excellently. You can support the healthy function of skin cells with this supplement and create that glow instantly.
Lastly, if you have super heavy periods, consider taking iron supplements to reduce menstruation complications and reduce your risks of getting an iron deficiency.
Annual Checkups
Healthy habits don’t only consist of regular exercise and eating the right food. For women, scheduling annual and routine health screenings is a habit you should practice. It can help you keep your body in check and detect potential problems earlier.
What checkups and screenings should women be getting?
- Blood Pressure Screening - to avoid cardiovascular disease, get your blood pressure checked per year
- Cholesterol - assess your risk of developing heart disease or stroke
- Pap Smears - cells from the cervix that may lead to cervical cancer are examined. This should be done every 3 years beginning at the age of 21
- Mammograms - some women may encounter breast pain for hormonal reasons, however, ensure that you are addressing this concern by undergoing a mammogram every two years that will screen your breasts for breast cancer
Kaalaman Sa Sexual Health
Para sa kababaihan, ang contraception ay parte ng sexual health. Importante na alamin ang mga safety precautions upang maiwasan ang mga sexually transmitted diseases katulad ng gonorrhea, syphilis, genital herpes, chlamydia, at HIV/AIDS. Ang pagsabi ng iyong mga saloobin at expecations sa iyong patner ay makakatulong sainyo sa pagsanay sa safe sex at mabibigay saiyo ng emosyonal na katikayan.
Key Takeaway
Habang ipinagdiriwang natin ang Women’s Month ngayong Marso, mahalaga na magkaroon ng kaalaman at pahalagahan ng women's health in the Philippines upang makamit ang iyong mga lakas at kakayahan.