BY Lauren Roberts/reporter
the audience towards a balanced lifestyle on NW Campus March 4. Brooke Baldwin/The Collegian
Every woman wants to live her best life, but some just don’t know
how-to, and a Fort Worth family medicine doctor told women they can start living healthy lives with several simple steps.
In observance of Women’s History Month in March, Dr. Brighton Richie Miller presented Living Your Best Life toward total wellness for women on NW campus March 4. Granting one hour every day to “you” provides a way to feel better daily.
“Do something you enjoy that does not include social media,” she said. “It has to be for you and you only. I got my nails done before coming to give this presentation.”
Restful sleep is essential and requires no screen an hour before bed.
“Put away work-related things and never go to bed angry because you’ll be up all night thinking about it,” Miller said.
To get better sleep, she suggested setting a bedtime alarm and going to bed at the same time every night.
Exercise contributes to well-being, and doing so at night instead of drinking caffeine or coffee is beneficial, she said.
One out of three people in the U.S. is overweight, which causes a lot of health problems. While many people don’t enjoy exercising, she told the participants to try a favorite activity and start
with 10 minutes. “Women’s number one cause of death is heart disease, so it is very important to exercise,” she said.
Miller stressed the need to eat a healthy diet. “Have a rainbow plate, eat something of every color, in every food category,” she said. “Fast food places are starting to have healthy options, so that’s not an excuse. Choose a kid’s meal to reduce portion size.”
Miller said to lose weight, women need to eat 500-1,000 fewer calories for seven days to lose one pound. But she reminded that losing weight did not mean one should starve themselves.
For those things in life a person just can’t control, Miller suggested prayer or meditation. Meditation can be difficult. It’s natural for our minds to wander.
“Just come back to your breathing and focus on that,” Miller said.
“It helps depression, anxiety, internal pain and more. There is evidence that if you meditate, you’ll live longer.”
Miller said that food is the most common drug people tend to lean on when dealing with anxiety, and she emphasized that, “It’s okay to take medications for anxiety.”
Miller warned that as important as it is for women to have a social life, they should not abuse substances when going out and having fun.
“Smoking is the worst thing to do to yourself,” she said. “Quitting isn’t easy, but if someone is ready to quit, cold turkey will help.”
NW kinesiology administrative assistant April Miske told the audience about the free access students have to the campus gym. Intramural sports students can join to get a good workout in. NW student Aldera Amore said she learned a lot from Miller. “It was very educational, and she was very engaging with the audience,” she said.
