How to Put Yourself First and Become Your Own Health Advocate

Written by Cheryl Conklin

It’s easy to place our health in the hands of the healthcare professionals. After all, doctors, nurses, and other medical specialists know what they’re doing and should have our best interests in mind. Yet it can sometimes feel impossible to get ahead of health concerns.

Becoming an active participant in your own healthcare is essential for ensuring you receive the best possible wellbeing. To that end, explore these tips from SIMPLE to help you take control and advocate for yourself!

Make Healthy Lifestyle Changes 

Your lifestyle is one major contributor to your health that you have complete control over. By adopting healthy habits such as regular exercise, eating a balanced diet, choosing healthier snacks, getting enough sleep, and avoiding harmful substances like tobacco and excessive alcohol, you can significantly reduce your risk of illness and disease. In addition to improving physical health, healthy lifestyle changes can also have positive effects on mental health by reducing stress and anxiety. Embracing a healthy lifestyle is the best thing you can do to take charge of your own health.

Go Sugar-Free  

Sugar and refined flour are linked with a wide range of health issues, such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. It also contributes to chronic inflammation, headaches, and obesity. Instead of choosing foods with added sugars, reach for healthy snacks based on whole foods, such as SIMPLE bars. This non-GMO, gluten-free, low-carb option is a healthy, convenient, and yummy go-to.

 Snag a Daily Walk

You may have heard the expression, “Sitting is the new smoking.” Too much time sitting is linked with obesity, cancer, heart disease, and a number of other health conditions. It’s even connected to a decline in mental health. Simply taking a daily walk can improve health, though. In fact, people who live in walk-friendly areas weigh 6 to 10 pounds less than their counterparts.

Take your dog for a morning stroll, grab a walk during your lunch break, or hit the pavement after work. With just 20 minutes or so a day – 10 minutes out and 10 minutes back – you can be well on your way to feeling and looking better.

Make Your Home Healthier

If you’re like most people, you spend a lot of your time at home. Is your home helping or hurting your health? From clutter and disorganization to indoor air pollution and lack of natural light, there are likely many physical and mental health hazards lurking under your roof. Making a few simple changes to your home environment can help you lead a healthier life so you can reduce your reliance on the healthcare system.

Even something as seemingly insignificant as purchasing houseplants or replacing dark drapes with airy curtains can have a significant impact on your overall well-being. At the very least, spend 30 minutes decluttering to reduce unnecessary stressors from your home environment.

Go for Regular Checkups

Prevention is the best medicine. Going for regular medical checkups is important because it allows you to detect potential health issues before they become more serious. Catching health issues early will increase the chance of successful treatment and management of your condition. Regular checkups also allow you and your healthcare provider to track your overall health and any changes that may be occurring over time. This can help identify areas where you may need to make lifestyle changes or receive additional treatment.

Seek a Second Opinion

If you ever feel dissatisfied with the care or treatment you receive, you can always seek a second opinion. HealthPartners recommends first asking your doctor to go over your diagnosis again and explain anything you don’t understand. It may be that your dissatisfaction is caused by a communication failure and can be rectified by asking questions. If you’re still unhappy, you can ask your doctor to refer you to another professional.

Taking an active role in your healthcare is essential for preventing disease and maintaining good health throughout your life. Make lifestyle choices that are meaningful and promote your wellbeing. From going for walks to cutting sugar, these important steps will help you become your own best health advocate!