Healthy Eating: An Essential Part of Well Woman Care

Well woman care is a burgeoning field, and one that emphasizes prevention over treatment. The philosophy is that it is easier to maintain your health than it is to repair it, and that early detection always improves your chances of a positive outcome.

The field of well woman care emphasizes regular checkups for women, and also healthy lifestyle choices that can help women live longer and feel good while doing so. You may think that the only well woman care issue you need to worry about is attending regular medical check-ups, but you can take control of certain aspects of your own health and ensure that those checkups go smoothly. Healthy eating is an essential component of this approach.

It's not about what's on the surface

In a society that can sometimes be obsessed with image, it's important to realize that healthy eating and dieting are two very different things. From a well woman care perspective, it's not about looking good in a bathing suit, but making sure the organs underneath that bathing suit are functioning at their peak ability.

Of course, excess weight can have its own drawbacks when it comes to strain on bones, muscles and organs, but weight itself is a secondary concern.

Your body is a machine, and machines need good fuel

Food is the fuel that keeps your body running, and just like with any machine, the cleaner the fuel, the less chance you have to clog up the works. That's why foods that are high in fat and cholesterol cause such problems. They gum up the inner workings of your human machine.

For proper well woman care, then, pay attention to the levels of these substances in your food. Splurging on a greasy fast food meal every once in a while won't do lasting harm, but the more often you indulge, the more risks you are taking.

It's all about the fiber and vegetables

To keep your eating focused on well woman care and your health rather than the superficial aspects, pay less attention to avoiding the bad and more attention to bringing in the good, and this means vegetables and fiber.

Multiple studies have shown that a high-fiber diet can help you maintain the health of every organ in your body, your heart and your digestive system specifically. Fiber helps you better digest and process the nutrients in your food, so that you are getting the full benefit of healthy eating choices.

Next you have to pay attention to what it is that the fiber is helping you process, and your choices in that area should offer as many nutrients as possible. That means lots and lots of green veggies.

Foods like spinach and broccoli are full of vitamins and nutrients that can keep your body functioning at peak efficiency. Nuts and seeds are great options, too, because they offer tons of protein, which can provide you with great amounts of energy.

Eat what you like, in healthy versions

Only have time for a sandwich at lunch? Make it with wheat bread and spinach leaves. Craving a big plate of spaghetti? Pasta comes in wheat versions, as well, and green bell peppers in your spaghetti sauce enhance both the flavor and the health benefits of your meal.