The health of both men and women is vitally important. However, it appears that there is a bit more emphasis placed on women’s health. This is for various reasons like the structure of their reproductive system, fertility, hormonal and emotional factors, etc.

With the genetic, physiological, and nutritional sciences expanding forward in their discoveries, we know today that women’s health includes some different precautions, needs, and characteristics.

However, what we are told as women in the mainstream media is not always for the good of our health. All too often, it serves more the well-being of the pharmaceutical companies and other corporations, who all too often prey on the fact that women do tend to be more proactive about their health, and thus willing to buy or use more products than men while having less quality time for themselves.

Today, I share with you 5 important health tips every woman should know about optimal health from a holistic and natural point of view.

1. Chemical Birth Control Should Never Be Your First Choice of Contraception or Hormonal Regulation

Whether it is the pill, the patch of the injection, all these forms of birth control are chemical in their nature. That is, they use synthetic or artificial hormones that alter our natural, internal hormonal balance.

Whether they choose to ignore it or not, many women all too often know the unpleasant and often long-lasting side-effects of these agents; however, young women often do not. As soon as a young woman/woman comes into the doctor’s office and mentions irregular cycles or needing contraception, the doctor’s first response in most cases is the pill, patch, or needle.

However, these chemical agents are playing with one of the most sensitive and highly regulated areas of women’s health, and the results from using such products can be disastrous. From infertility and cancers to heart problems and blood clots, the list goes on and on.

The safest, healthiest, and most natural solutions for dependable contraception are the LadyComp or Pearly devices, and for hormonal regulation, homeopathic remedies or herbal remedies.

2. You Are Doing More Harm Than Good Taking Dairy or Calcium Supplements

As women, we are always told about the importance of dairy and calcium in our diets to have strong bones and avoid bone loss and osteoporosis. We are not told the underlying mechanisms that govern the balance of both of these substances in our bodies.

Dairy is actually acidic and does not add to the healthy alkaline state of our bodies. Not only that, but processed, pasteurized dairy is loaded with its own problems like hormones, pesticides, sugars (both natural and artificial), additives, preservatives, and insoluble calcium. Let us also add to this that there is no proof that populations ingesting dairy actually have better bones in the long term and large scale studies. A country like the US, where dairy consumption is high, actually has some of the worst osteoporosis rates.

Calcium supplements, especially in high doses, first disrupt the calcium balance in our bodies. When a body becomes dependent on a large, external source of the mineral, instead of balancing its own supply from natural food and the body, it can lead to all sorts of other nutrition and health problems. The strain on the kidneys, kidney stones, and inefficient calcium absorption from natural food, and leaching of calcium from bones are additional problems. Calcium supplements have also been associated with increased heart disease risk.

For healthiest bones, women should avoid all soda. Alcohol and coffee should be kept to an absolute minimum if you cannot avoid them altogether. Emphasis should be placed on eating natural, nutrient-dense, whole plant foods, not processed foods, and exercise should be a daily priority, even if it be a simple 30-minute walk.

3. Keep Your Personal Products To A Minimum and Be As Natural As Possible

If we take the average woman out there, chances are she has drawers loaded with make-up, lotions, powders, creams, perfumes, and other similar products. What is the problem with this? The problem is that these products are one of the greatest ways that we allow harmful chemicals to enter our bodies. Chemicals that are cancer-causing, hormone-altering, neurotoxic, allergy-causing, fertility-disrupting, and the list goes on and on.

We trust companies, governments, and health institutions to allow for the sale of safe products. Still, one look into this industry shows us that regulation is too relaxed in favor of the corporations. It is impossible to test the amounts of chemicals that humans are subjected to today and the combinations they commonly use. Thus we hear about so many chemicals being GRAS – generally recognized as safe. Well, GRAS is not enough when it comes to increasing our chances of having cancers and decreasing our chances of getting pregnant. As long as money and the health of the economy talks first, the citizens’ health sits on a back burner.

The average personal care product for example, has ingredient lists that are next to impossible to pronounce or so long that we get bored reading them. Chemical ingredients like “parabens” are found in almost every commercial, personal product out there as a preservative, and interestingly enough, they are also found in samples of breast cancer tissue.

For the healthiest results, the first and foremost step is to minimize the chemicals we use. Secondly, is to switch any products we feel we must use, to natural options. The worst culprits being deodorants, lipsticks, lotions, shampoos, and perfume.

4. Vitamin D is Your Best Friend, Blocking Yourself with Sunscreen Does More Harm Than Good

Over the past several decades, sunblocks and sunscreens have been heavily pushed onto everyone, including women. We were warned about increased wrinkles and skin damage. And while the sun can damage our skin, the marketing campaigns had a lot to do with vanity, sunscreen profits, and fear-mongering. There is a big grey area in between benefitting from the sun and getting harmed from the sun. We were pushed to one extreme.

We, therefore, saw synthetic sunblock ingredients not only in our sunblock lotions but in everyday moisturizing lotions, face creams, chapsticks, lip balms, lipsticks, etc. At no point did the greater powers that govern all this step back and say, “wait a minute, we are blocking the synthesis of one of the most critical vitamins/hormones in the bodies of all these people.” The results today speak for themselves; experts estimate anywhere from 75 – 90% of the population is vitamin D deficient. And what is the problem with this?

Today we know that vitamin D is responsible for almost all parts of optimal health. From preventing cancers, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis and infections to healing these, and building healthy cells internally and externally – the benefits are many, and we keep learning about more regularly.

For healthiest results, know when to practice safe sun exposure and when to cover up – and cover up with clothes first and foremost, and sunblocks second. Check out the list of the safest sunscreens also.

5. Processed Foods Influence Your Mental and Emotional Wellbeing

As women, all too often, we have too much on our plates. Most women are the primary caregivers not only for their children, no matter how old, but also for their spouses and even elderly parents. Today’s woman is also pushed into the workforce, on top of all of this, to make ends meet and have the status and worth that she desires. All this adds up to a lot of stress, and stress can make us act out in all sorts of funny ways, where our lifestyle habits are concerned. It all results in our health being greatly compromised.

This is why one of the most important things that every woman should know is to treat her body with healing and nourishing foods and not with sugar, synthetic, artificial, or addictive treats. This may not be the most popular approach, compared to getting iced cappuccinos or sugar-laden pastries, but it is the smartest and healthiest long-term approach.

For example, regular coffee throws off our energy levels, sleep patterns and depletes our adrenals, leading many women to suffer adrenal fatigue. Regular sugar consumption from things like cakes, cookies, soda or ice-cream throws off our serotonin balance, meaning we feel worse unless we have some sweet treat. This can lead to depression, anger, major mood fluctuations, and even mental imbalances. Similar problems arise from fat-rich and fried foods.

For the healthiest results, as you take care of others, don’t forget to take care of yourself. Eating natural, wholesome, unprocessed food will not only make you healthier physically, mentally, and emotionally, but it will also make you that much better of a mother, spouse, or friend. From being a great role model for your kids to enjoying great health and long life with those you love, or simply being happier and healthier, it is worth whatever the effort to do so needs to be.

Conclusion

One of the hardest things for most women to do is to take care of themselves properly. That means to love and respect themselves enough only to put the best, natural food into their body and the least amount of chemical substances onto their body.

There is so much “thrown” at women daily, from commercials telling us we need a different hair color, new anti-wrinkle cream, or cleaning product to more responsibilities, tasks, and expectations. But we cannot lose ourselves in this stew of overwhelming choices and expectations. You need to know that YOU matter, and so does your health.

Take a moment for yourself and assess what really is most important to you, reflect on your priorities and just remember that without your health, it is hard (if not impossible) to care for, be, enjoy or do much of anything else that this beautiful life presents us with.