In the midst of practicing yoga, living minimally and going vegan, don’t forget to schedule a physical. Sure, each of the former can help us to live whole, healthy lives, but when it comes to complete wellness, bloodwork, dental care and eye examinations should not be overlooked.

Preventative care is using a set of metrics, such as lab tests, to determine pre-existing conditions or risk factors. These metrics are widely underused by women of color, despite evidence showing that we are at a higher risk of hypertension and other measurable health issues.

On a recent episode of The Real, Tamera Mowry-Housely announced that routine blood work showed that she not only had high cholesterol but was pre-diabetic as well, two conditions that might cause little to no damage if caught early but can wreak havoc if left unchecked.

While we’re here, let’s talk eye exams and dental care. Get them. No really, on your lunch break, in between clients or before sitting down to dinner, find an optometrist and a dentist near you and schedule a visit. African Americans have a higher risk for glaucoma, an eye condition that has no symptoms but can cause blindness if left untreated. And the standard recommendation for seeing a dental hygienist is every six months.

All wellness might not be filter-worthy. Every act of self-care might not warrant a post on Instagram.

But let’s resolve to make each effort to live a life of intention and make it a habit to practice preventative healthcare.

Yoga community