This month’s episode of Made in Racine featured Pillar Health family physician Dr. Vedrana Jovkovic. We focused on topics such as preventive care, mental health, how changing lifestyles over time have impacted our health as a society, changes in the Racine community, and how healthcare has changed over the past decade.
The importance of preventive care
One of the points Mr. Jovković emphasized was the importance of preventive measures to ensure long-term health. This includes seeing your doctor for annual check-ups, knowing your family’s health history, watching your diet, getting enough exercise and sun exposure, and seeing your doctor if you notice anything unusual.
Everyone’s body is different, so seeing your doctor regularly can help determine if there is anything to be concerned about. It also helps you cope if something about your life changes, such as your lifestyle, environment, diet, work, or exercise.
The best prevention, especially for women, is to see a gynecologist and have your blood pressure checked.
“Blood pressure is a silent killer for women, and people don’t realize they may have high blood pressure unless they get tested. You feel normal, but your blood pressure could be high,” says Jovkovic.
For men, the main ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle are through exercise and diet, as well as annual physical examinations and monitoring of BMI.
Building a healthy lifestyle
From learning about the food pyramid in school to going to the gym and monitoring your BMI, people are being taught to build healthy habits. If life or difficult circumstances make it difficult, there are some important steps that can impact your overall health.
Staying hydrated, eating unprocessed foods, getting at least 150 minutes of exercise each week, spending time outdoors, and being mindful of your choices will have a long-term impact on a person’s overall health.
“Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and stay away from fast and processed foods. That’s where disease processes like diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol begin, all of which accumulate even in young adulthood,” Jovkovic said. “If you’re not careful about what you consume, you increase your risk of getting sick in the future.”
College students are a particularly at-risk population for poor health outcomes due to stressful environments, lack of primary care providers, and education on how to develop healthy lifestyles.
Improper diet, lack of sleep, lack of hydration, stress, introduction of substances and dangerous activities can affect later in life. The best antidote to this is education on preventive measures.
Getting enough sleep, drinking plenty of water, eating healthy food, and being aware of how substances and activities affect your body go a long way.
This also applies to mental health. Everything is connected, and how healthy and active your body is affects your mental health.
“Once it stops moving, it starts to die because the blood stops flowing and all the toxins, cholesterol, blood sugar, and everything else that can build up doesn’t get broken down and stays there and causes problems,” Jovkovic said.
Being active, being social, spending time outside, and getting away from screens can go a long way toward improving your mental and physical health. It lowers blood sugar levels and cholesterol, and improves blood circulation.
“You only get one body,” she pointed out.
rachine medical care
Lincoln King Center is scheduled to open in January 2027. In the future, this will be a one-stop shop for primary care, mental health, pediatrics, dentistry and psychiatry all under one roof. Families no longer need to visit multiple clinics to address each individual’s health needs.
“It gives them access to the community. We want to be a safe place for people to get the help they need and access the health care they need,” Jovkovic said. “It’s not only going to be a one-stop shop, it’s going to be a place for the community and kids to hang out. It’s going to be a positive place where kids can come together and be active outside and be in a safe place and get their heart rate up.”
Steps to take today
Now that the weather is getting warmer, it’s even more pleasant to spend time outside. Take time each day to walk outside a little, stay hydrated on especially hot days, grow or buy local produce if possible, and seek medical attention if you notice anything unusual.
We want to build healthier communities, and that starts with preventive health care.
If you would like to listen to Dr. Jovkovic’s full interview, you can find it here.
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