A healthy diet can help protect you against heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and other chronic diseases. What you eat now can have a long-term impact on how long you live and how well you age. “Ask your doctor which screenings and vaccinations you should have and make it a point to get them.” “Always remember that the sooner any disease can be diagnosed, the sooner treatment can begin,” Dr.

But these tests and others are essential for detecting diseases in their early stages. If you keep a busy schedule, it may seem difficult to make time for health screenings, such as mammograms, colonoscopies, Pap tests, and prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests. “Seeing your doctor on a regular basis is important so we can check for any changes in your health and take necessary steps to prevent or manage any health problem that could get worse without medical attention,” says Farida Valji, MD, a family medicine physician at Scripps Coastal Medical Center Oceanside. Seeing your doctor on a regular basis can also help you build a strong relationship your health care provider and that can go along way in helping you stay healthy. This why an annual checkup is so important.Īn annual checkup allows your doctor to get a baseline of your health and help prevent any problems. But the best time to schedule a visit with your doctor is well before you develop any symptoms or illness.

Many people see their doctor only when they’re sick and need to schedule an appointment in a hurry.

Tips to live healthier