Mothers` Day Special: Top health care tips for moms!

Salome Phelamei

Being a mother is simply marvellous! No words can explain the many wonderful feelings that come with being a mom. Of the many `best parts` of being a mother, taking care of the family and seeing the kids grow up to be healthier, disciplined and productive adults are priorities. As being a mother means caring for others, she needs to first take care of herself. Because an ailing mother will not be able to look after her home well. Nowadays, most mothers tend to ignore their health while trying to cope up with the fast-paced world. No matter how busy or how demanding your job might be, mothers should make their health a priority to have a safer and healthier life. Here are a few health care tips that mothers can follow to keep themselves fit and healthy: Healthy diet: It`s so natural for a mom to be conscious about her family’s` health. Often she would ask her kids to eat properly – fruits and vegetables - and would not wish to see them just nibbling their food or eat junk stuff. This advice is good for moms themselves as well. This is what else you should do: Choose a healthy diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, that provides essential vitamins and minerals, fibers and other important substances for good health. Include whole-grains, lean sources of protein like fish. Limit intake of foods and drinks high in calories, fat, sugar and salt. Get moving: Include physical activity in your daily routine to lead a healthier life. This will help you in maintaining an ideal weight as well as lower your risk of diabetes, heart diseases, stroke, cancer, etc. Sleep well: A good night’s rest is important for people of all ages to stay in good shape. Sleep deprivation can result in a number of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and depression. It is recommended that adults sleep for 7-8 hours every night. Manage stress: Mild to moderate stress is considered to be a part of life. But when stress is severe, it can lead to depression and overwhelms your ability to take care of your home. Long term exposure to stress can give rise to serious health problems. Reduce risks: Women with gestational diabetes, high blood pressure during pregnancy have higher chances of developing heart and metabolic diseases later in life. Since, pregnancy problems can cause health issues as you get older, it is important to visit a doctor before getting pregnant for guidelines like preconception health care. Also, make sure that you tell your doctor about any medical conditions you might have. Regular check ups: Have regular health check ups to avoid the top threats to women`s health- from heart disease to breast cancer to depression. While heart disease is the top killer for both men and women, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women ( second only to lung cancer as the leading cause of death in women). Depression affects more women than men. All these are preventable if you know how. Talk to your doctors about your concerns and what you can do to prevent these problems. Know your family history: It is important for all the mothers to know and pass on their family health history. Because family members share genes, lifestyles, behaviours and surroundings that may influence their health and their risk of chronic diseases. Knowing your family health history can help you in managing your and your child`s health risks too.