It’s a good time to consider new choices for a healthier you. Take a few minutes to read our healthy tips for the New Year, and learn about our new program Cooper for Women:
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Get regular exercise, particularly aerobic, which can lower blood pressure and cholesterol, boost your immune system (who wouldn’t like to have fewer colds?) and help you alleviate effects of stress or depression. Consider making physical activity a priority by scheduling time during your daily routine, such as first thing in the morning before everyone in your household wakes up or pencil in some time during your lunch hour for a walk. As little as three 10-minute sessions of exercise a day is beneficial to your health.
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Maintain your weight. Many physicians suggest we should focus on avoiding weight gain because it’s often harder to lose.
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Lose weight. Reducing your body weight by just 10 percent can substantially decrease the risk for osteoarthritis, heart disease, diabetes and other conditions. Start by eliminating a few hundred calories a day and slowly increasing exercise. Studies show that adding 60 to 90 minutes a day of activity, which can include doing the laundry, taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking further from an entrance, can help you lose weight.
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Eat a healthy diet. The U.S. Department of Agriculture generally advises women to get 2½ cups of vegetables a day, 1½ to 2 cups a day of fruits, 3 cups of dairy foods, 5 ounces from meat and beans, and 5 to 6 ounces of grains. Women need 400 micrograms of folic acid, which can be obtained through a multivitamin.
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Tune into your hunger cues and eat until you feel full. Pack healthy snacks to keep with you during your day. By minding your body’s signals, you’ll also be able to sustain energy throughout your day.
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Schedule regular screenings. They can help save your life. When you schedule doctor appointments for your children or husband, use this as a reminder to make your own as well. Or use your birthday to help you remember. A list of regular screenings can be found on our Cooper for Women web site:
www.cooperforwomen.org.
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Be aware of breast health. Through regular breast self-exam, you will learn the feel and look of your breasts and be able to detect something unusual. Annual mammograms starting at age 40 and breast self-exams can provide early detection.
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Consider the cervical cancer vaccine. GARDASIL® is for girls and women ages 9 to 26 and works when given before any contact with human papillomavirus types 6, 11, 16 and 18. It is the newest tool in the fight against cervical cancer.
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Know your numbers. Routine checks of your cholesterol and blood pressure can guide you and your doctor in monitoring your health. Even better, this knowledge can help motivate you to care for yourself and can help you avoid or reduce the risk of complications.
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Know your family history. Certain conditions such as diabetes and some cancers run in families. You may need to be screened earlier in life or more often. Consider talking with family members to create a family health tree so that everyone can share this vital information with their physicians.
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Be a role model. Studies show modeling good eating habits for your children can help them understand their own nutritional needs and habits.
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Relax. Turn off the TV a few minutes earlier so you can relax before bed – read a book or take a bath. Pay attention to your breathing. Scientists have found that when we are under stress, we unconsciously breathe less often. Practice diaphragmatic breathing – slow, deep breathing using your abdominal muscles – while sitting at a traffic light or at your desk.
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Prioritize your activities. Deciding on which projects can wait allows you to prioritize healthful activities such as playing Frisbee in the park with your family and taking a walk after dinner.
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Seek medical attention for depression. Women experience depression twice as often as men. Many hormonal factors may contribute to this higher rate; however, depression is highly treatable.
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Appreciate your body. Your body is amazing, performing an astounding number of functions. Your entire blood supply makes a complete circuit from your heart, lungs and vessels in 60 seconds. Nerve impulses carrying images from the eyes to the brain travel at almost 400 feet a second. Take care of your body by making healthy decisions.
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Visit Cooper for Women. This is
a unique health and wellness program just for women. This program is specifically designed to meet the needs of women at different stages of life and is unlike any other in the region. The program provides access to the network of world-class doctors at Cooper so women and their families can get expert medical attention, enroll in comprehensive educational programs and seek wellness guidance from recognized leaders. We are located at 1011 Main Street Promenade in Voorhees, New Jersey. Check out our web site at
http://www.cooperforwomen.org.