Learning you have a chronic disease brings on a wide range of emotions. You might feel worried about the future or be certain that your best days are behind you. In reality, it’s absolutely possible to live a fulfilling and vibrant life after a chronic disease diagnosis. In fact, with a few lifestyle changes, you can even emerge feeling better than you did before you were diagnosed.
Many residents of Lanham, Maryland, rely on Kadie E. Leach, MD for chronic disease management. Dr. Leach views her role as your partner in boosting health and wellness and improving your quality of life. Incorporating healthy habits into your daily routine is an essential part of that process.
If you’re diagnosed with a chronic health condition, the first step is to pursue any treatment necessary to stabilize your health and avoid serious outcomes. This may involve adding one or more medications to your routine or adjusting your existing drug therapy to better align with your needs.
Dr. Leach explains all available treatment paths to determine which approach offers the best fit for your treatment goals. You may need to have more frequent office visits to track your health.
Once your immediate health needs are met, you can unlock a world of benefits by making changes in your daily routines.
It’s difficult to overstate the role that daily habits can play in shaping your current and future health. And nothing is more impactful than the food you choose throughout each day. You’re already aware that food serves as the fuel your body needs to function, but you may not think about the ways food can help heal your body.
Virtually everyone can improve their diet, including people who try to stay healthy. The easiest way to see fast results is by taking steps to reduce consumption of processed foods. Food products like cookies, chips, sodas, fast food, and white bread and pasta go through so many changes in the manufacturing process that they often become nutritionally void by the end.
Strive to replace those foods with fruit and vegetables, lean meats, and healthy fats. There are many online resources that can help you find simple ways to prepare healthy meals, sides, and snacks.
Incorporating more movement into your daily habits is another way to help you feel better. You don’t have to tackle an extreme exercise routine to see results; even something as simple as adding a daily walk can yield noticeable improvements.
Staying active can help you achieve a number of goals at once. Some of the benefits include:
If adding more activity to your routine seems like a daunting task, start small and build from there. A daily walk around the block can help you work toward longer jaunts, and before long you might start planning hikes.
One of the best ways to stay motivated is by tracking your progress as you embrace healthy habits. Some people choose to track one aspect of their health, like weight or blood pressure. For others, keeping a log of how many servings of fruits and vegetables consumed in a week helps them keep moving forward.
Consider keeping daily notes on how you’re feeling. Include things like how well you’re sleeping, your mood, and how your body feels as you try new healthy habits. This doesn’t have to mean making lengthy journal entries every day though. You can note how you feel in an app on your phone, a calendar on your fridge, or in your paper or online agenda.
When you’re ready to get started, consider scheduling a visit with Dr. Leach to establish a health baseline and discuss how to bring healthier habits into your routine. During your appointment, we can set up a schedule of chronic disease management visits to track your progress.
There’s no time like today to begin working on your health and wellness, and no better partner than Kadie E Leach, MD, to offer coaching and support as you move toward new goals.
