Owning Your Body

     All of us want to make sure we’re in good health and good spirits. It is difficult to do so when you don’t have adequate information. There are several books and programs out in the market detailing how to take care of yourself. Quite a few of them are directed at women and hold a hidden agenda to promote a fad diet or health plan. Often, the basic information that we need can be buried under this agenda and the book finds its way to the coffee table or bookshelf, never to be opened again. In this article, we’re going to look at a few major health factors that are often misrepresented by popular convention and how to handle that age old question: Is the doctor always right?

Know Your Body

     Despite the efforts of the public educational system here in the United States, a shocking number of women are unfamiliar with their bodies. Knowing what your body looks like and becoming familiar with it on intimate terms does more then just give you greater depth of wisdom regarding yourself. It also allows you to recognize potential problems quite early on. Simply looking your body over can be an excellent tool for becoming familiar with your physical self. Using a full length mirror, after your next bath or shower, take a good look at yourself both front and back.

     Make a mental note of distinguishing features such as moles, birthmarks, and scars. Becoming aware of what your skin looks like allows you to note changes to your skin, which can indicate anything from hormonal changes to warning signs of cancer. It is also wise to use this opportunity to perform your breast self-exam. Changes to a woman’s hormone levels as she progresses thru her menstrual cycle (which is on average 28 days long) will have corresponding changes to her breasts. Changes to sensitivity or feeling of lumpiness can occur as a result of these hormonal fluctuations. Knowing when the feeling of lumpiness is the least can help to determine the best time to do your monthly self-exam.

     Using a hand-mirror, take time to familiarize yourself with your external genitalia. Many of the women that I have known over the years are mildly scandalized and stunned when I have informed them that I have looked at my own genitalia. The first thing you must keep in mind in all of this is that this is your body and you have the right to know and understand all of it. The second thing to remember in the face of any feelings of squeamishness is that the human body is a wondrous and beautiful thing. Your sexual organs are serving the same function as the blossoms that are gathered to make a bouquet.