Take Care of You!

Taking good care of your body is extremely important on the road to improving your self esteem. We all do the daily routine of taking a shower, doing our hair, brushing our teeth, etc. But, unfortunately, not all of us are good at really taking care of ourselves.

I know a lot of us are doctor shy, but routine doctor visits are so key in maintaining a healthy body. A lot of diseases and ailments can be detected early with regular check-ups. If you know your family has a history of certain medical conditions, it is extremely important that you get checked for those conditions, even at your young age. You should also have routine dental and eye exams. There are also other certain gender specific checks that should be done as described later in this article. You may feel invincible because you are young, but how well you take care of yourself now can determine the condition your body will end up in during your golden years!

Daily routines such as, exercising, eating properly and drinking water, will contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Keeping yourself well hydrated is excellent for healthy skin. As we all know, exercising is key to staying fit and feeling energized. If you are just starting out with an exercise regiment, choose one that you know you can achieve safely as to not injure yourself. Make sure you know your limitations and gradually increase your exercise regiment as you increase your endurance level. Whatever your eating habits are, make sure that you understand that the saying you are what you eat means that what you put into your body will help determine how you feel. If you do not think that is true, pay attention to how miserable you are the next time you over eat! Remember that proportion is key and two pounds of salad with a half a bottle of salad dressing is not healthy eating. If you eat properly and exercise on a regular basis, there will never be a need to binge diet. Please note that binge dieting can be very dangerous and I do not encourage it. It is also important to know that drugs, drinking and smoking can wreak havoc on your body! It is best not to start any of those bad habits!

To my young ladies, if you are 18 or older and/or sexually active, it is time for you to schedule a yearly pap smear. A Pap smear is a vaginal test that detects cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is treatable if it is detected early enough. Be smart about your body. You are old enough now to know when something is different about the way you feel and what your body is going through. If something does not feel right, it probably is not right. If you have a family doctor or a specific doctor that you visit regularly, make sure that you are comfortable enough to discuss your body and anything that might be going on with it.

On another note, looking beautiful does not mean wearing a ton of make up! If you truly take care of yourself, unless you have specific issues that need to be taken care of, your skin will start to look beautiful on its own and will not need a whole lot of cover up. If you do find that you still need to wear make up, tone it down and wear colors that compliment your skin tone. Otherwise, save the make up for special occasions when you really want to get dressed and dazzle the crowd! Let your inner beauty shine and it will reflect in your outer beauty. It is great to be sexy, but be discreet. If you put all of your business out there, there is nothing left for the imagination. Curiosity is a conversation piece!! Learn which colors and styles look best on you and compliment your body type. You do not have to have an hour glass figure to be beautiful or feel good about yourself. If you and your best girlfriend are not built the same, then nine out of ten, you cannot wear the same type of clothes. Always remember that your physical appearance is the first thing that people will notice about you, so give them something positive to say about you!

To my young men, for some reason, it is a little tougher to get you to go to the doctor for check-ups, but there are male medical issues that you need to be aware of, as well. You too need to be concerned about family medical conditions. While some young ladies do like a rugged look, I think it is safe to say that no young lady wants to be around an unclean man! Physical hygiene is just as important for you, as it is for your female counterparts! First and foremost, PULL YOUR PANTS UP OVER YOUR BUTT!! I do not have a clue who started this fashion trend, but it is one of the most degrading ones that I have ever seen. No one wants to see your under garments, with emphasis on the word UNDER!

If you truly want people to respect you, then you must at least look the part, for starters. We all know athletic gear is most comfortable, but enlist a few dressier pieces of clothing in your wardrobe. People take you serious when you look professional. The same principal applies to you that you do not have to have a six pack and bulging muscles to look good or feel good about yourself. You make yourself so much more attractive when you are clean, healthy and have pride in your physical appearance.

To sum it all up, when you feel good on the inside and look good on the outside, you are on your way to a confidence level that will skyrocket a healthy self esteem.