Calling All Seniors

This week, I’m in Boston visiting my baby girl at Tuft’s Physicians Associate School with my oldest daughter and her two littles. It is times like this that I am reminded of how grateful I am for the life I have led that allows me to eke every bit of joy possible at this phase of being.

Turning 60 this past spring, I am now taking full advantage of senior discounts offered without hesitation. No matter your age, there are repercussions to our behaviors, and while in our senior years we might consider “giving in” to our current status of health and ability, now is your time, and it is never too late to get healthy.

As a young wife, mom, and business owner, life was ever-changing and exciting. As we grew to a family of six, life was crazy and wonderful, and for years my hubby and I were just holding onto the roller coaster of life.

Both triumphs and tragedies marked our life path, but while I understand there are some circumstances that are beyond our control, most of our choices are within our control and will affect our futures.

Most focus on college funds, retirement accounts, and planning their next vacation, while too many ignore lifestyle behaviors that show up right about when that senior discount comes into effect.

I want to help you change your focus, but this requires learning how to advocate for yourself starting with your primary care provider and beyond. To help you learn how to begin a different kind of relationship with your health care providers, I want to offer a few thoughts on how and why you might consider this self-advocacy.

Preventive Care Screening services have been established to prevent illnesses, diseases and other health issues, and/ or allow early diagnoses, which can save lives. These services are typically free when you get your care from an in-network provider, and the benefits of these screenings are literally life-saving.

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I want to encourage you to partner with your health care providers, participating in “shared decision making,” not just assuming they have your best interest at heart.

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BY GINA COUSINEAU

A quick internet search will provide many options; check out healthcare.gov, cdc.gov, and hhs. gov, to name a few. There are guidelines based on gender and age, along with other conditions that might warrant earlier screening, but your provider can help guide you.

This list of screenings should be taken with you to your primary care provider, and checked off one by one at your next annual exam to make sure you are taking full advantage of these services.

While my primary role is a nutritionist who helps clients get into a healthy eating pattern, paired with some basic exercise, helping them achieve both weight and health goals that change their life trajectory, my skill set has grown over the years as my patient population gets tangled in the web of confusion that is our health care system.

Too many people tell me they “love” their providers, but after extensive conversations with them, many aren’t getting the care needed to prevent, halt

With the lack of time allotted to each patient, you must take the reins and ask questions that can literally increase your years of longevity and decrease your years of disability. DP

Gina Cousineau, aka Mama G, is your local nutrition expert, chef, and fitness professional, with her BS in Nutrition and MS in functional and integrative nutrition. She uses a food-as-medicine approach for weight loss to health gain, and everything in between. Follow her on social media @ mamagslifestyle, and check out her website mamagslifestyle.com to learn more about her programs and freebies offered throughout the year. PLEASE NOTE: In an

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Dana Point Times, Vol. 16 Issue 24. The DP Times (danapointtimes.com) is published weekly by Picket Fence Media, publishers of the SC Times (sanclementetimes.com) and The Capistrano Dispatch (thecapistranodispatch.com).

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