You have the power to give yourself the best chance for good health by making healthy choices in the way you live, what you eat, and how you take care of yourself.

Although there are some basic tenets everyone can follow that will lead to better health, the best way to achieve optimum wellness is to make it personal. Take an honest look at the unhealthy aspects of your lifestyle, and then proactively make changes that will maximize your health and well-being.

To do so, ask yourself the following questions; then honestly provide the answers.

Have I made self-care a priority?
Self-care is about the choices you make every day that promote better health. It encompasses the foods you eat, the amount of exercise you get, and the habits you have that either help or harm your health, such as taking prescription medications as directed or maintaining an unhealthy weight.

If you determine self-care hasn’t been one of your primary concerns, consider this: According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, outside of genetics, 90 percent of your risk of developing the three major killer diseases—heart disease, cancer, and stroke—is well within your control and can be reduced if you make healthy lifestyle choices.

What habits do I have that are harming my health, and what can I do about them? Everyone has habits that impact their health in less than positive ways. They range from minor slipups to the truly damaging, such as smoking or being sedentary.

Once you’ve identified a harmful habit, come up with a plan for changing your behavior.

Am I proactively responding to my family health history?
While there are risk factors you can’t change—your family history or age—the ones you can change can make a significant impact on whether you develop conditions that run in your family.

For example, not smoking can reduce your risk for heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure; exercise can reduce your risk for diabetes.

Ask your doctor to help you identify your health risks and suggest ways to change them.

Could I improve my diet?
The best way to get a clear picture of your diet is to keep a food diary for a week or so that contains a list of what and how much you eat or drink.

When your diary is complete, analyze it with a critical eye toward patterns of less-than-healthy choices. When you find areas of concern, consider healthier alternatives, such as substituting side salads for French fries at lunch. Strive to make one change for the better every week going forward.

Am I getting enough exercise?
In the long term, regular physical activity can reduce your risk for heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, depression, and premature death. In the short term, it can help you sleep better, manage stress, and have more energy.

How much is enough? The American Heart Association suggests adults get a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week.

Am I getting enough rest?
You may not be getting enough sleep if you have concentration and memory problems or feel tired much of the time. Getting to bed earlier and cutting back on caffeine, late dinners, and alcohol can improve your rest.

Achieving good health and remaining healthy is an active process and can’t be found in a pill, but in making health-promoting choices every day.

By Barbara Floria, the editor of Vitality. For more information, visit Family Doctor at www.familydoctor.org and search for “healthy living.”

© StayWell Custom Communications. Information is the opinion of the sourced authors and organizations. Personal decisions regarding health, diet, and exercise should be made only after consultation with the reader's own medical advisers. This material may not be reproduced for redistribution without written permission from StayWell Custom Communications.