Focus on Women’s Health

As women, we chat about fashion, trends, our kiddos and more; but what’s often left out are health issues that many of us face on a daily basis. From our bones to our hearts, beauty and wellness journalist, Grace Gold, shares a few steps that we can take to stay healthy and feel our best.

• According to the Mayo Clinic, bones reach peak density in women in the early 30s. After that, you have to keep those levels up by being active about your bone health. You need 1,000 mg of calcium every day, which MUST be taken with at least 400-800 IU of vitamin D per day in order to absorb. ANY kind of milk that you drink every day – whether it be dairy, almond or soy, should be BOTH vitamin D and calcium fortified. Also, orange juice and cereals. Vitamin D is also received through moderate sunlight exposure. About 10 minutes of sun per day is needed – and this can help keep your bones healthy!
• While 1 in 31 American women dies from breast cancer every year, 1 in 3 dies from heart disease, according to Go Red for Women! There is a strong correlation between heart disease and high blood sugar / diabetes, as well as with high blood pressure. Here’s what you can do: 30 minutes of physical activity every day has been shown to make the biggest difference in controlling blood pressure. Tip: this can be broken up, like 10 minutes of walking three times a day. Add foods that lower blood sugar levels to your diet, while taking processed sugars out: garlic, onions, avocado, nuts have all been shown to lower blood sugar levels.

A whopping 50 percent of all women during childbearing years experience menstrual-related breast discomfort, yet never seek treatment because they think it’s just something they have to accept. The discomfort is thought to be caused by hormonal changes that occur during a woman’s menstrual cycle, and these changes can actually lead to the buildup of breast tissue, which results in lumps, tenderness, swelling, heaviness and aches. What can you do? Take a supplement that contains iodine to help alleviate monthly breast discomfort, and to also address the build up of breast tissue over time, which can potentially reduce errors in diagnostic breast cancer screenings. Violet Iodine,  VioletDaily.com – Completely drug-free, Violet Iodine uses two forms of iodine to restore the natural, healthy balance of breast cells and relieve monthly breast discomfort.

• We often think of men dealing with thinning hair, but this is a major women’s issue, too – in fact, 40% of women are currently experience thinning hair, according to the American Hair Loss Association – but most are way too embarrassed to talk about it. Common causes of thinning hair include hormonal changes during pregnancy and menopause, illness, crash dieting (like those juice cleanses!) and natural aging.
• Hair needs protein support to grow and thicken. Fish protein and biotin are two of the most clinically tested ingredients for growing healthier, fuller hair. Viviscal, Viviscal.com – Chock full of fish protein, biotin, and other vitamins and minerals that are nutritious for hair. Viviscal helps hair thrive through all four natural stages of hair growth.

To learn more, visit www.GraceGold.com or follow Grace on social media @MsGraceGold.