How to live a healthy lifestyle
Making the most out of preventive screenings and vaccines.
Basic advice for a healthy lifestyle can be distilled into several areas – nutrition, hydration, exercise, sleep and mental health, according to UCLA Health physician Pauline Yi, MD.
In addition to these key pillars, preventive vaccines and screenings can be essential to preventing disease and even death.
“For example, if we screen for diabetes and catch some early flags, we can teach the patient and encourage them on how to alter their lifestyle to where the diabetes may not progress,” says Dr. Yi, assistant clinical professor for the Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics.
Prior to becoming a mother, Dr. Yi says, she tended to her own physical and mental health by running for 20 minutes a day.
“Running is a way for me to clear my mind, but also helps me stay in shape,” she says.
With a young baby at home, she still practices 20 minutes of “me time.”
“Self-care is very important. It’s hard to take care of other people if you’re not taking care of yourself,” Dr. Yi says.
When seeing patients or talking to colleagues about preventive vaccines and screenings, Dr. Yi says, it’s important for advice to be easy to digest. For colleagues, Dr. Yi says, learn the signs of burnout before it’s too late to make any lasting changes.
“I’m not going to ask them to do everything within the next six months,” she says. “I help break it down for them so that it’s easier and tangible.”
Click here for more information on preventive vaccines and screenings.
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