Health and Wellness – Women’s Health

Common Sense Tips for Good Health

1. Schedule Your Check-ups
Have you been dragging your feet about those routine checkups? For example tests for blood pressure, mammograms, uterine cancer, skin cancer checks, colonoscopy, PSA testing, bone scans? If you have not been doing these check-ups, you are simply rolling the dice on your life. I can cite you numerous examples of people who were too late – especially testing for cancer. Ever seen someone die of cancer? Cancer is not a pretty way to go and can often be caught early by screening tests and routine check-ups.

2. Take Your Vitamins
How about those vitamins or medication which the doctor has prescribed for you or recommended, and you just do not bother to take, or just second guess the doctor and think the prescription is unnecessary? If you do not trust your doctor’s advice, get a new one.

3. Use your FSA
Out of pocket health care costs getting you down? Do you have a Flexible Savings Account (FSA) at your workplace and do not bother to use it? Well that is just throwing money down the drain. Now is the time to enroll in your FSA for next year and get all those out of pocket medical expenses tax-free. The numbers of things, which are eligible, have increased this year to include over-the-counter medications. This way, when you spend the money on healthcare items, it will not be such a deep bite on the pocket book. With a doctor’s prescription you may find many of the items in AllergyBuyersClub.com store eligible for your FSA or partially refundable by insurance.

4. Have Fun
My husband is the person in our family who is the keeper of the fun side of our life. If you do not have a little fun and take time off once in a while, you are really depriving yourself of a balanced life and will become tired and crabby and not much fun to be around. Find something you like to do and schedule it in your calendar. My husband and I play tennis and golf together and Wednesday night is “date night”.

5. Laughter
While we are on the subject of fun, remember laughter is the best medicine. I married my husband because he makes me laugh – every day. What a gift that is in my life. Ever noticed how good you feel after reading something very funny or seeing a movie that has tickled your ribs? We need to see more of the humor in life. Laugh a little, it is good for you.

6. Pets
Pets are wonderful because they give unconditional love to their owners. Last year during the holidays, I adopted a Siamese female cat from a shelter to add to my existing two male cats. Now one year later, that little cat hurls herself at me when I come thought the door at night, she is so happy to see me. It brings a smile to my face.

7. Keep in Touch
Life gets so busy sometimes we forget to keep in touch with those we love most, whether it is family or close friends. That is a sad commentary on our lives, and I confess I am as guilty as the next person but in 2004 I mean to rectify that.

8. Do Not Suffer
I know people in my life who are determined to be martyrs and in the process make those around them miserable. For instance, I know people close to me who go through the tortures of the damned when it comes to seasonal allergies and moan and groan about it. One such individual got a gift from me [really a gift to his wife] of an air cleaner. The grateful spouse wrote to me about the difference it had made last pollen season. We offer many healthy home products on our website to help allergy sufferers live, breathe and sleep better.

9. Get Some Sleep
A very large percentage of Americans are suffering from sleep deprivation. When you are suffering from a lack of sleep everything in life seems a bit more difficult and at times overwhelming. When I am well rested, I can deal with whatever life throws my way. Every year, I run an unwitting experiment when I go away for golf vacations. On the last one I woke up so many times in the night and awakened stiff and cranky that my husband was advising me to enroll in a sleep clinic on my return from vacation. When I came back from vacation, I returned to my Royal Pedic latex bed and then bingo – slept though the night and woke up pain free! So much for sleep clinics!

10. Take Vacations
I know many people who have not taken a proper vacation in years. Their excuse? They do not have someone to go with or they do not have the money. Be clear that is simply an excuse. With a little bit of imagination, a really nice vacation does not have to cost a fortune. There are amazing vacation deals out there if you care to do a little research and other people like you who would welcome a traveling companion. One of my favorite places in Florida offers a room overlooking the golf course, breakfast and a round of golf and golf cart on a Donald Ross course for $45 a day. This does not break the bank. There are many such affordable vacations to be had, especially if you are prepared to go at the last minute.

11. Tell your Spouse, Companion or Children that you Love Them
Do you forget to do this? My husband and I tell each other we love each other at least once a day. Certainly we never go to sleep at night without saying it. When I hear those words “ I love you Honey”, somehow my world seems a little brighter. What are the words of the old song? Love makes the world go around?

So take care of yourself this holiday season and share your love with others. Those are the most valuable gifts in life.