Think Healthy

As I rush to catch the elevator, trying to get to my office, I wonder, why am I so tired? The day has just begun, and here we go again, another bustling morning.

And now, late as usual, my aching body struggles to start a new day. But why am I not renewed, refreshed with the birth of this new day? How can I as a pediatrician promote health to children and their families without being healthy myself? I come to think about the women I know, are they healthy? How are they taking care of their health?

With determination I reach for my laptop, eager to learn how to lead a healthy life. I found the statistics chilling…

*Heart disease is responsible for more deaths in women than all forms of cancers combined, causing 350,000 deaths in women each year.

*More than 70,000 women in the US die of lung cancer each year.

*Breast cancer is responsible for 40,000 deaths each year.

*The third leading cause of cancer death for women is colo-rectal cancer.

* Nearly 160,000 people in the US die of stroke each year; almost two-thirds of them are women.

The list goes on…diabetes, chronic lung disease, Alzheimer’s…and more. My God! But the good news is that most of these diseases are preventable.

So what to do, where do I start? I know my body is a trust given to me by my Creator. What have I done to preserve this trust?

After long research, I made a list:

1.Eat Healthy

2. Keep a healthy weight

3. Be active

4. Be smoke-free ( I know a friend or two who smoke)

5. Get regular check-ups

6. Get vaccinated

7. Manage stress

8. Know myself and my risks

9. Be safe, protect myself

10. Be good to myself

Long list, but do-able God willing… I will learn more about each step and spread the word. Until next time, Think “ Healthy”.

Leina Wahba

Leina Wahba lives in Northern Virginia with her three children and husband. She’s a full-time pediatrician, home-schooling mommy and MAS Cub Scouts leader.