HEALTHIER YOU: Girl Health Power!
August 13, 2017 by Las Vegas Black Image Magazine
Filed under Health, Highlights
BY DR. ANNETTE MAYES, OB/GYN
DR. ANNETTE MAYE
Having friends is an important part of life. Celebrate female friendship and support your girlfriends by helping them stay safe and live well.
Whether you’ve gathered at home, a birthday celebration, or a girls’ night out, make healthy choices in what you eat and drink. Eat less junk food and foods high in calories, saturated fat, or added sugars or salt. Beverages can be high in calories too — choose drinks with no calories, such as water, sparkling water, or unsweetened iced tea. A healthy weight contributes to good health now and as you age.
Regular exercise can help improve your health, and exercising with friends can be fun. Adults should be active for at least 2.5 hours a week. Kids and teens should be active for at least one hour a day. Talk and enjoy your girlfriends’ company while you walk, bowl, swim, dance, play tennis, and more. If your fun activity is outdoors, be safe and remember to protect yourself from the harmful rays of the sun’s radiation.
Help your girlfriends through hard times. A friend with a chronic or mental illness, abusive relationship, or caregiving issues may lead a complicated life for a period of time. Do what you can to be supportive and encouraging, and recognize that it may be challenging for you and your friend. Be informed and maintain your own mental and physical health.
If you and your friends don’t intend to get pregnant, there are safe and effective methods of birth control. It is important to use birth control correctly and consistently. If you and your friends are thinking about having babies, prepare by taking care of your own health before you get pregnant — to make sure that whenever you’re ready to have a baby, you’ll be healthy for yourself and your child.
Girlfriends are great — but a good girlfriend who helps you stay mentally and physically healthy is a blessing.
For additional information, contact the Las Vegas All Women’s Care Offices at (702) 522-9640. Or visit us at 700 Shadow Lane No. 165 (1st floor) in Las Vegas.
