Most American women can expect to live into their 70s or 80s due to the standard of living and advancements in medicine in the United States. However, a long life doesn’t always mean a healthy life.
Since you can expect to live a long time, you should do whatever you can to make sure you’re as healthy as you can be.
Here are some tips for women to stay healthy so they can enjoy a long life to the fullest:
1. Utilize Natural Remedies
Utilizing natural remedies rather than unnatural or unstudied drugs may help women preserve optimal health. While it’s easy and tempting to use chemicals to solve your problems, there are oftentimes natural methods to improve your health and get to the root issue at hand.
For example, before you take over-the-counter or prescription medications to help with sleep, you should first see what you can do to improve your sleep quality naturally. You may want to use screens less before bedtime, exercise more to use your energy up throughout the day, or cut caffeine out if it’s disturbing your sleep.
After all, unnatural or unstudied drugs can sometimes cause adverse side effects. For example, the contraceptive Depo-Provera has been linked to the development of brain tumors while the weight-loss drug Ozempic has been linked to stomach paralysis and other dangerous side effects.
This isn’t to say you should only rely on natural remedies. Always consult with your doctor and if they are adamant that you need a prescription, that might be the best option for you. But, whenever possible, try to solve your problems naturally before you lean on chemicals with unknown outcomes.
2. Exercise
It’s difficult to overstate how important it is to regularly get physical exercise. Women who get exercise usually have healthier cholesterol and blood pressure levels. They also see a lower risk of ending up with chronic diseases like dementia, diabetes and heart disease. As women approach menopause, physical exercise can help to alleviate or curtail symptoms like moodiness, night sweats and hot flashes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that American adults get 150 minutes of moderate cardio and two days of activity which strengthens muscles per week. The cardio recommendation is based upon numerous scientific studies which have found that 150 minutes of moderate cardio per week extends lifespans. An easy way to get this 150 minutes of moderate cardio per week is to simply walk at a brisk pace for 30 minutes per day, five days per week. A brisk pace is three to 4.5 miles per hour. Regular, moderate cardio can help keep your weight healthy, control food cravings, give you additional energy and help you get better sleep.
3. Examine Your Diet
One can become healthier by basically mimicking a diet for those with diabetes. This involves:
- Eating tinier portions which you spread out through the day
- Limiting high-sugar foods
- Eating vegetables, fruits and whole-grain foods each day
- Limiting carbohydrate intake
- Avoiding alcohol
- Limiting fat intake
- Limiting sodium intake
4. Start and End Your Days With Water
Many different bodily functions require water. Your metabolism can get kick-started when you drink water at the start of the day. Drinking water at the end of the day can help your body detoxify while you sleep.
It’s important to drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration. Even being slightly dehydrated can lead to headaches and fatigue, which sap energy. If you don’t like drinking plain water, consider adding frozen berries, mint or lemon for flavor.
5. Get Plenty of Sleep
Sleep deprivation has numerous negative effects on your health:
Circulatory System and Heart
Sleep deprivation may lead to a higher risk of developing stroke, obesity, high blood pressure or coronary heart disease.
Metabolism
Your body’s ability to process fat can be affected by circadian clocks. Sleep deprivation can cause:
- Less insulin response
- Higher levels of hunger control hormones, such as ghrelin and leptin
- Less physical activity
- More eating, especially salty, sweet and fatty foods
- Metabolic syndrome
All of the above contribute to being overweight or obese.
Immune System
A specific kind of immune cell ends up working harder during sleep. Because of this, sleep deprivation can lead to you being more likely to get infections such as colds.
Memory and Thinking Problems
Sleep aids in long-term memory formation and learning. Sleep deprivation can cause problems with thinking clearly and focusing on tasks.
So if you want to cultivate a healthy lifestyle, it starts with healthy habits. Drink plenty of water, do what you can do improve your sleep, be mindful of your diet and try to lean on natural remedies before you reach for the medicine cabinet.
Most importantly, take things one step at a time. If you try to implement every healthy habit you can conceive of at once, you may get overwhelmed and revert to your previous unhealthy habits. Instead, implement habits as you feel capable and comfortable with doing so. With time, your lifestyle will get more and more healthy and you will feel better for it.
Lynn Martelli is an editor at Readability. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and has worked as an editor for over 10 years. Lynn has edited a wide variety of books, including fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, and more. In her free time, Lynn enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family and friends.
