Are we keeping ourselves healthy with the right balance in our lives? This is the one of the most important questions women should be asking themselves when it comes to their health, according to Nurse Barb Dehn, a well-known practitioner and author of The Hot Guide To A Cool Sexy Menopause. In honor of National Nurse Practitioner Week, I interviewed Nurse Barb, and we talked about everything from health questions millennial women should be asking to the importance a practitioner plays in the medical field.

In terms of maintaining balance, she is referring to nutrition, exercise and sleep. In today’s fast-paced world it’s not easy to unplug and get the rest we need. The sad truth for many women—including myself—is that feeling rested is a luxury, not a necessity. When we’re constantly on the go, cramming as much as possible into our schedules, we forget to set aside time for the one who matters most: ourselves.

When it comes to keeping up with your health, many women aren’t fully informed about preventative healthcare. In a shocking statistic published by The National Business Group, only 39% of millennials believe preventative care is important to staying healthy.

When you talk to your primary care doctor, Nurse Barb encourages women to ask these three questions:

1. How often do I need to come in?
2. What kind of screening test do I need?
3. What’s new about long-acting reversible contraception?

She explains that with fertility everything changes at different ages and stages in a women’s life. In recent years, there have been numerous developments with reversible contraceptive methods, and women should be aware of their options in order to figure out what works best for them.

While this can be overwhelming for both parents and young adults, Nurse Barb recommends that parents should start educating their children early on and make sure to ask open-ended questions. “Ask, don’t tell when it comes to your kids,” she explains. The goal is to make them feel comfortable to approach you with any questions or concerns they may have.

Rose Caiola
Inspired. Rewired.