Mothers are the best caregivers, hands down. From kids, husbands and in-laws to their own family, looking after and

[the_ad id=”6214″]catering to all their needs doesn’t leave them much time to sit back and reflect on their own self, at the end of the day. So much so, that even modern day workplaces have working women who have more on their plate than they can chew. Risking sounding preachy and unnecessary, a woman can sacrifice a lot more as compared to other family members when it comes to her nutrition, health and general well- being.

The score of Mother’s Day hoardings put up along the length of the city, coupled with extensive marketing of the modern marketers and malls, it’s easy to get the impression that probably all your mother needs this time around is nothing more than a nicely wrapped gift. But here, probably there’s this innate tendency in us to skip on the little truth that all your mother needs isn’t an expensive gift, but care, support, empathy and some good advice concerning her health. Because it’s time you gave back something to her for the countless sacrifices she made while you were busy growing up and making other plans.

So this year, decide to talk to her and find out the long standing health issues which she may have been silently sweeping beneath the carpet. Especially in India, mothers, primarily on the turn of 50, tend to suffer from a number of health conditions including Vitamin D and calcium deficiencies that result in weakening of bones and osteoporosis.

Stress, both at work and home, along with the lack of a daily exercise regimen and improper diet contribute to the onset of a number of afflictions. Sudden mood swings, depression and insomnia are some of the common after-effects of changes in the hormone levels. A condition like anemia can easily be mistaken for fatigue and tiredness and thus, ignored. Vaginal soreness, mood swings, palpitations and hot flashes accompany a menopause. One of the most common health scares as she ages is breast cancer and one needs to be extra careful with this potential killer.

What can you do for your mother?

Make sure you are regular with all her health check-ups and tests. Visiting a good gynecologist twice a year would be a good thing to do.

• Take her to the routine blood pressure checks. A normal BP count is 120/80 mmHg. Diabetes and cholesterol management is equally important. Again, the normal range for fasting sugar is 70-110 mg/dl.
• She must know that she needs to look out for sudden soreness of the nipples, abnormal nipple discharge, nipple retraction, formation of lumps in the breasts accompanied by swelling and pain; all these signs could be indicative of the onset of breast cancer. The schedule for tests used to detect breast cancer such as mammography and Pap smear tests should be adhered to.
• Make sure that your mother is sticking to a healthy diet that consists of salads prior to meals. Some of the important diet inclusions are nuts (rich in minerals and proteins), green tea (loaded with anti-oxidants), yoghurt (rich in proteins and a good source of probiotics), flax seeds (rich in good fats and fiber that reduce cholesterol levels), leafy greens, oats, kidney beans (high fiber and protein content) and apple-cider vinegar.
• Keep your mother motivated to stick to a regular exercise regimen. Go on morning/evening walks with her/get her into a yoga class. There are quite a few things you can do.
• And finally, try and be the pillar that she can hold on to. Make some time for her, talk to her regarding her likes and dislikes, what comforts her, her fears and beliefs.

This time around, pamper your mother; show her how much she means to you. And what better way than to start her on a healthy delectable diet!

Make a brunch, apt for the queen. A mother’s day recipe will have to be simple for the cook – and the cook shouldn’t be mum. Look up dishes from online sites or refer to cook-books. If you want to eat out on this special occasion, take her to some place she fancies but try and steer clear of the buffet eateries. It’s always easier to make healthy choices at other places. It is absolutely fine to give the diet a skip for this one time and indulge, as long as she is careful with the sizes of the portions.

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