Archive for the ‘International Mens’s Health Week’ Category

Every year since 1948, people worldwide have been observing Human Rights Day on 10 December. Having kick-started with the declaration that all human beings are born with equal rights & fundamental freedoms, this initiative of WHO has taught us to claim what is ours- Right to health.

“The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being…” ~ World Health Organization

What makes your average Indian woman hesitate to grab this right? As women we are guilty of putting our health in the last strung of the priority-ladder. Setting aside the deep-seated conditioning, it is high time we accept that taking charge of one’s health & life doesn’t dilute womanliness in any way. And yes, it is time to scrutinize our mechanical compliance so that health becomes atleast one of the top 5 priority.

“Fish did not discover water. Infact because they are completely immersed in it, they live unaware of its existence. Similarly when a conduct is normalized by a dominant cultural environment it becomes invisible.” ~ Marshall McLuhen

Lets explore some common trends that violate women’s Right to good nutrition & eventually Right to health by women themselves.

• Eating last: It is common, particularly in middle class homes, for women to eat after everybody else had their meals. A double-edged sword attitude it is.

Whys it bad: Not only do they eat much late after repeated growl-alarms from their stomachs, there may not be enough food (especially side dishes) left. A major nutritional compromise! On the other hand when too much is left over, guilty of wasting, they tend to wipe the vessel clean.

How to rectify: Make your mealtimes a family time!

• Eating old food: Another common trend is eating old refrigerated food even when fresh food is available. Again, due to the guilt of wasting food!

Whys it bad: Eating fresh means better nourishment! The longer it takes you to eat that roti sabzi, the faster its nutrients escape from it.

How to rectify: That’s quite straightforward. Eat fresh i.e. eat food atleast within 3 hours of preparation.

• Never opting for their personal favourite food: Post marriage, woman not only change their surname but also eating habits, albeit unconsciously, but also their favourite food cooked in a way they have liked since small.

Whys it bad: Changes in food habits & late-nights after wedding will result in deficiency of your metabolizing and energy-giving Vitamin B stores.

How to rectify: Make it a point to eat your favourite dish atleast once a week.

Simple funda is, if you take complete responsibility for your family’s overall well-being, you need to be healthy. It is your right to health & you owe it your body!

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Stop at One: Make Your First Break Your Last… October 20th is World Osteoporosis Day! Organized by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) every year, it is dedicated to raising global awareness of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease.

The hectic work schedule and at the same time taking care of your dear ones at home can definitely cause you to bend your back more than what you can actually tolerate. If this has become a routine of your life, make sure you are not compromising on your bone health or overall well being.

Your bones stop developing in length in your late teens, but continue to grow in density until the late 20s. Hence to get a better handle in bone health & strength throughout your life, sufficient intake of dietary calcium from a young age is necessary. As you grow older, the aging bones becomes soft and the bone density decreases putting you at increased risk of fractures and fall risks. This osteoporosis condition occurs due to calcium and vitamin D deficiency.

If you have ever had a fracture before, you need to be vigilant as there is a direct association between fractures and osteoporosis. Main lifestyle habits that can directly push you towards getting osteoporosis are sedentary lifestyle and low intake of calcium and vitamin D.

Does your 9-6 desk job mean little exercise & too much bending over your computer for you? Climbing stairs may not be a problem for you, but avoid slippery floors and wet surfaces so that you not land up in having a fall and fracturing any of your bones.

Boost your bone density by including intake of dietary calcium from a variety of food sources such as green leafy vegetables, dairy products, milk etc. It is the surest way to keep your bones strong and healthy at any age. A glass of milk is a basic necessity to keep up with the pace of your hectic work schedule and your busy life at home.

If you have painful joints or abnormal growth/curvature of any of your joints, get yourself tested for bone density with a DEXA scan after consulting with your doctor.

Note: Avoid taking non-prescription calcium supplements as excessive calcium intake can open the doors for kidney stones getting in.

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“Depression: A Global Crisis”…. World Mental Health Day raises public awareness about mental health issues. The day promotes open discussion of mental disorders, and investments in prevention, promotion and treatment services. (Source Courtesy: WHO – World Health Organisation)

Let’s celebrate the ‘World Mental Health Day’ with more sanity and seriousness and try to build awareness, this time around for depression, a commonly prevalent disorder that is making many women lose the joy of living. Yearly, more than 350 million people around the globe report to have depression symptoms. Carrying the burden of disease, many people cannot get access to the treatment of this curable disease. Only 10% of depression patients are known to receive the right and timely treatment.

If you tend to get bouts of depression or mood swings from time to time, it is high time you sit up & do something about it, before these emotional upheavals swallow you whole. Slowly even your productivity in daily tasks may begin to go downhill. No matter what, you owe yourself  happiness.

Depression is a real illness, but it can be prevented. A few suggestions that will help you in this regard are as follows:

• Inculcate some regular exercise in your daily routine.

• Eat healthy. Snack on fruits, salads etc in between meals.

• Try relaxation techniques like deep breathing, yoga and meditation.

• Maintain healthy sleeping habit and get around 8hours of sleep daily.

• While multi-tasking to juggle family & work, keep an open communication with your spouse, other family members & peers.

• Limit alcohol intake or if possible, abstain from it. Remember, you are not the only one dealing with it.

• Being around positive people will help you learn positive ways of dealing with a given situation.

You need to accept that depression cannot be driven away overnight. Expect your mood to change gradually. It is commonly observed that sleep and appetite improves before your depressed mood is boosted.

Please feel free to share how you cope with stress & depression? You may end up helping another suffering from the same.

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When you can stop hard drugs, you do not want to. When you want to stop, you can’t. Say NO to Drugs… United Nations report 1 million registered & over 5 million unregistered drug abusers in India.

The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26 is a United Nations annual observance day that stands for the resolve to build up action and support to accomplish the goal of a global society free of drug abuse.

Drug addiction involves drug or psychotropic substance abuse in spite of its damaging psychological, physical and social consequences. Certain hard drugs like heroin and cocaine are highly addictive and ensure swift emotional, psychological or a physical dependence. Remember whatever the reason is – boredom, curiosity, accessibility, for thrill or peer pressure, there is always a better alternative. Drugs do not solve problems. In fact it adds more to your existing problems.

Today’s youth is more prone to drug abuse than ever due to over exposure, easy accessibility and peer pressure. Parents need to come out of the cocoon of ‘my child won’t do anything like that’. Anyone can fall prey to this menace. Know that your child might try out drugs. So you need to know about drug abuse to talk to your child in an informed way. Don’t just shove vague advices like ‘don’t take drugs, it’s bad’. Be frank and tell how it take control of your brain and makes one dependent on them. If your kid understands that you know what you’re talking about, they WILL listen to you.

Street drugs make life worse, not better

Choose a good time to talk, when your child is relaxed, or when the subject comes up during dinner, TV news or simply regular discussions. Or, if they are using drugs, don’t confront them when they’re high on drugs. Being a good friend to your child’s friend’s help as peer pressure is a strong trigger to drug abuse. This is not for any CID-giri but just to make sure that they are not involved in substance abuse. In case you find that your child is using drugs, don’t panic. Yes, it is hard to contemplate. But you need to face it with a cool head if you want to help. Let them know that you’ll be always there.

Newspapers and TV media highlight cases of drug abuse and trafficking from time to time but the problem is huge and but there’s little action. Country’s entire youth is being crippled of life. Only when social awareness peaks will this heinous crime stop hogging the headlines and ruining lives. We have to combat against this menace in unison and everyone has to bear the responsibility to safeguard our future.

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