OK, so you’ve asked all the questions about your drugs and hopefully addressed any concerns… what now?

Over to you.
This site is all about you and you looking after yourself – so you can THRIVE.

Sometimes we are all so busy with our daily lives, we take our general health for granted … but why not take some time out to focus on number one and do a “body maintenance check”?

Have a heart¹²

There is a lot of information out there about looking after your heart – and it’s all useful stuff. It’s not a bad idea to have routine checks done on blood pressure and cholesterol levels whatever age you are. Smoking¹³, drinking alcohol and eating fatty foods can all contribute to future heart problems.

Diabetes can start to become more common as you get older too – particularly if it runs in the family or you’ve been putting on a bit of weight. It’s worth having your blood sugar checked once in a while. Your doctor will be able to advise you on this.

Can you still fit into those old lycra pants?!
Exercise¹⁴ is genuinely good for you and releases natural chemicals known as endorphins which elevate your mood and make you feel better. It seems odd but if you feel really tired, exercise will generally always give you a buzz.

It helps keep your metabolic rate up and keeps fat off, reducing the likelihood that you’ll build up layers of abdominal fat. And, the easiest way to check out whether you’re getting a bit overweight, is get a tape measure¹⁵ and take your waist measurement (on your belly button). If it’s over 94cm talk to your doctor and if it’s over 102cm talk to your doctor immediately!

Looking after your heart, exercise and generally eating a balanced diet go a long way to putting you on a healthy platform.

There’s lot of great advice on-line as to what to eat¹⁹ (and what not to eat) – and if you like cooking, lots of recipes¹⁶ too.

Happy or sad?
Everyone has ups and downs but if the downs are starting to feel more frequent than the ups, talk to your doctor or your support network or both – there are lots of resources¹⁷ available to you. If you don’t feel like it – ask a friend to help you.

If you feel up to it counselling¹⁸ can often help you start to open up about what you may be feeling – and counsellors are experts trained to help.

And lastly, your bones
As people get older, bones start to thin (it’s often referred to as osteoporosis). When this occurs, bones lose calcium and other minerals and become weaker. It can affect anyone and it’s worth being aware of.

There are things you can do to help prevent osteoporosis;

1. Get your daily recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D
2. Do regular exercise with weights.
3. Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.

Bone mineral density (BMD) is a test that measures the density of minerals (such as calcium) in your bones. This information is used to estimate the strength of your bones. Speak to your doctor if you have any concerns – add it to your check list.

There is more to life than just surviving – THRIVE