We all get busy planning trips, parties, family occasions and work deadlines. The one thing that gets easy to put off is our annual physical! Meeting with your doctor at least yearly is a great way to begin meeting your health goals and making sure you are preventing not only treating disease!
There are two ways to approach your health…retroactively or proactively…meaning wait until a disease develops and then treat it with pills, patches or surgery or we can catch a disease before it develops and optimize your health!
As we age, different conditions become important to monitor such as rising blood pressure, insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and obesity. Simultaneously declining male and female hormones cause symptoms such as lower libido, decreased energy, mood fluctuations, joint pain, thinning skin and increased fat mass while muscle and bone mass decreases.
The best way to be proactive is to prepare for your yearly physical. Here are some important and helpful ways to make the most out of your appointment.
- Write a list of all of your questions or concerns you would like to discuss with your doctor prior to your appointment. This prioritizes your health concerns, which are most important to you, and ensures not forgetting to ask any important questions.
- Bring in a list of your supplements and medications you are currently taking to review with your doctor. Sharing this information is essential to ensure there are not any cross-reactions or contraindications between the medications and/or supplements.
- Bring copies of any recent blood work or imaging you have had in the past year from other providers. Treatments can be initiated or money can be saved by not repeating certain labs or making sure all essential labs have been reviewed.
- Complete a 7-day Diet Diary with all foods, sweets and beverages. This can be great information for a naturopathic or functional health doctor to get a nice picture of nutritional status, areas for improvement and any foods which may be causing or worsening certain symptoms. Don’t worry about the “diet slip ups” just being honest will give your doctor the best information.
For more information on how to live healthy naturally contact Dr. Bridget Anderson, Naturopathic Medical Doctor at HEAL Natural Medicine. 949-476-3278 or Bridget.Anderson.ND@gmail.com