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Taking steps to ensure your health can make a big difference in preventing chronic disease.
Chronic diseases affect 6 out of 10 Americans every day. With these alarming statistics, it is time to raise awareness and educate the population about prevention. It is essential to prepare to combat the ever-increasing problem of chronic diseases.
Taking steps to ensure your health can make a big difference in preventing chronic disease. Staying active, maintaining your daily vitamin D intake, and improving your mental health are all steps you can take to help eliminate potential illnesses. Additionally, getting tested regularly and knowing your family’s medical history can be an essential part of identifying possible illnesses.
Stay active
It’s important to keep your body in shape to reduce your chances of getting a chronic disease. Taking your physical health for granted can be detrimental because physical inactivity is one of the main causes many chronic diseases.
So what does it mean to stay active? How long should you exercise? Physical activity can be different for each person. Some may go to the gym, while others may play a game of tag with their children. However you decide to move your body, remember to maintain 150 minutes per week moderate to intense activities.
Maintain your vitamin D intake
It is common knowledge that taking vitamins daily can greatly improve your health. However, did you know that vitamin D in particular can play an important role in reducing the risk of chronic disease? New studies showed that “vitamin D is closely associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and others,” according to Aging and Disease.
Take the initiative today to ensure you’re getting enough vitamin D. Consider including foods rich in vitamin D, such as milk, oranges and eggs, in your diet. Another great way to get vitamin D is to spend a little more time outside enjoying the sunshine.
Improve your mental health
Being mentally healthy can improve overall well-being, but it’s something that can be easy to overlook. Recent studies have shown that approximately a third of chronic patients suffer from depression. Many may think that depression is the result of chronic illnesses; However, those with mental illness tend not to be as active or eat healthily, which we now know is crucial for preventing chronic illness.
There is no one way to improve your mental health. Try some techniques that Mental Health America recommended :
- Take time to laugh and have fun.
- Sleep in cool temperatures.
- Take a relaxing bath.
- Play with your pet.
- Express gratitude.
Improving your quality of life can be as simple as a few laughs or notes of gratitude. Make taking care of yourself an important part of your day.
Be screened regularly
Last but not least, it is important to have regular examinations by your doctor and dentist to detect any abnormalities. There are many different screenings and times to consider when monitoring chronic diseases. Here are eight screenings UT Southwestern Medical Center suggests and when is the best time to start being checked:
- Cholesterol should be tested every five years starting at age 20.
- Colonoscopies should be done at age 45 and how often they are done after that will be determined by a doctor.
- Diabetes should be tested at age 45 unless the BMI is high and there is a family history of diabetes.
- Depression should be tested annually.
- Mammography should be performed every year from the age of 45.
- Obesity should be tested annually.
- Pap tests should be done every three years for women aged 21 to 65.
- Test for viral respiratory infections seasonally.
Taking time out of your busy schedule may seem like a chore, but your health is worth it. Invest in your long-term health by scheduling necessary checkups with your doctor, staying active, taking recommended vitamin D, and staying on top of your mental health.
Lindsey Certonio is a project manager at Stage Marketing, a full-service content marketing agency based in Provo.
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