#YOUR100WORDSTORY: October 2020 | What's your Secret of being a Healthy Mom?

I daily trust these sentences in mind.
I
- am the most important person on this earth for my family
- work out of my passion and not because I am compelled
- earn respectfully and feed my family with pride
- need to ensure good food habits and proper relaxation for myself along with my family
- am not perfect,so my loved ones may get angry on me.They can correct me
- am not inferior to anyone else,so all in the family will have same standards
- Forgive but never forget,because mistake is always negative
- definitely need Me Time
- need to express my desires,fears and achievements with my family without any restrictions
Then I will be the real Me who need not act in life but live life healthy and happy reflecting my Successful Family

When lock down began, nothing seemed like a big change except for having the kids at home to be tutored, monitored. Meanwhile we forgot how important it was to wake up on time, bath and eat breakfast every day. So, if you think that you can skip a meal because you are inside your home, think again. Health concerns are on the rise due to less nutrition intake. My healthy life plan includes, eating and sleeping on time and not being hard on myself when I am unable to do certain tasks because of this.
Thank you for taking your time to read this.

Everyday I make it a point to start my day positive . So it starts right from my thinking. I refresh and do one hour of yoga which is my space between 6-7 am in the morning. I do it on alternative days and the other days either skip or walk. But I make it a point that there shud be a space for self care and health . Then my routine starts the whole day running around with my toddler, of course everyday she makes me creative and the challenge in what I can make creatively for her like some activities . One hour of play with her in the evening where at times I also jog with her or run and play around with her along with the other kids and their parents having good time.
I would say now yoga has become a part of my life and it keeps me active and flexible throughout and bring more inner peace .
Stauy helathy , stay positive ,stay strong even though we will have to travel through life with all its challenges.

Happy mom healthy mom!
Its human nature to take out frustration on the ones that are vulnerable and dependent. So it becomes extremely important to keep a mom happy. Im blessed with family that can give moral support, timely advice and unconditional love. All the resources that are available today for moms to learn and grow in the parenting journey are also very helpful.
Apart from a healthy routine with exercise and healthy diet, I include praying, chanting, and humour as much as possible, which also help to enrich the environment in the house. In my experience, faith and trust are very important to be happy, which in turn help to maintain a healthy body, healthy mind, and see life in the right perspective.

I believe that the lady of the house is the most important pillar of strength for her entire family. She is the one who with her love and hardwork, converts the brick and mortar house to a HOME. Her fitness is most important, because if she is unwell, the entire family suffers.
Hence,I give piriority to my own health also, as much as I do for my family.

I cook healthy food incorporating as many fresh and healthy ingredients as possible. We consume not just fresh foods and vegetables, but i ensure that i cook fresh meals everyday, and avoid leftovers/ stale food from the fridge. Junk food and hotel food is allowed just for special occassions.
Now since the start of the pandemic , we have begun consuming immunity boosters too, regularly.
Morning walks in the park have been stopped now due to the risk outside, but sweeping and swopping the house in the absence of a maid has become a good compulsory workout. I have begun doing 15 mins of deep breathing exercises too.

For the body to be healthy, it is necessary for the mind to be healthy. This i achieve by positive thinking, no matter how bad the situation or circumstances are ! Everybody at home has learnt this attitude and thats the reason my home is always filled with positivity and laughters, even in unfavourable circumstances. We avoid negative talks and discussions.

God has been my best friend all my life. I enjoy my prayer time of half an hour every day. The smell of incense and camphor during prayers, drives away all negativity from my home and keeps it germ free too. Evening time again i light lamps and listen to soothing bhajans. This again brings purity, calmness and tranquility and has a soothing effect if the mind is stressed.

Before retiring to bed, i make it a point to thank god for the blessed day . I thank all those who are a blessing in my life and forgive all those who have knowingly or unknowingly hurt me.This attitude of gratitude gives me peaceful sleep at night. A good sleep is very important for a healthy body.
I avoid popping pills for small ailments like headaches, body pain etc and rely on home remedies instead.
This is how, i lead a simple life following simple and easy routine that helps me remain healthy. When I am healthy and energetic, I have all the energy to keep running around to fulfill the needs of my family, thereby ensuring their good health

Healthy eating, exercise, and self-care often top my priority list with an actionable plan. Rising and retiring early, yoga and meditation are the mantra. Making them a family event adding an element of fun, always yielded fruitful. As a passionate cook, I enjoy serving nutritious food, while making it tasty and mouth-watering resulting in my family enjoying each bite. A golden rule for a happy and healthy mom is to take time for myself, and do what I love. As a passionate reader and writer, this passion keeps me healthy in mind. Last but not the least, not be hard on myself and make my goals flexible and fluid.

It practically seems an impossible task to be a healthy mom despite running household, taking care of kids and professional goals. Yet, with right mindset and mastering them by applying simple habits on persistent basis that aids from over-scheduling task stress to happy and healthier mother.

Here are few secrets of my healthy lifestyle:
First, I prioritise the work. For me, my child is my priority. Out of innumerable work, I organise the daily task by listing down in my journal and acting upon it.
Second, Allot ME Time. My ME time is Writing, journalising, Reading and completing daily, weekly, monthly writing challenges.
Third, Three Ps in action. Patience, Perseverance and Practice helps me in not being hard on myself and keep working towards my goal at a steady pace.
Fourth, Simplicity as a key. Its easy said than done. Yet its possible to be simple, leaving behind all the expectations. My mantra of living is Simple Living with High Thinking.
Fifth, Being original and unique. I am the mother who dare to be different from the society norms. Small talks, gossiping, judgments, controlling, focus on outsiders are waste of time for me. I utilise my energy in more productive work such as understanding and controlling my thoughts, feelings and emotions. This aids me to come closer to my soul and serves my purpose of being alive.

All in all, above few secrets I daily put them in actions in order to live a healthy and happy mindset life.

BOOSTING UP HEALTH & FITNESS REGIME IN AN ORGANIC WAY: AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH DURING COVID 19 PANDEMIC

Dr. SUFIA ZAMAN

The health and fitness regime in the period of COVID 19 pandemic is a concern for all age groups. We all need to be fit and healthy with a proper nutritious diet plan and regular free hand exercises. Organic diet and health drinks are recommended for a healthier life. I am an environmental scientist and presently associated with Techno India University, West Bengal as a Head and Professor of Oceanography department. Preparation of organic food products, health drinks and preparation of herbal sanitizers are some of the researches we are at present carrying on with our scholars and research scientists.


Fig. 1: 1: 0th to 5th days grown wheat grass; 2: 6th and 7th days grown wheat grass; 3: Wheat seeds, 4: 3rd day grown wheat grass after germination at Techno India University, West Bengal Campus


Health drinks from wheat grass, preparation of snacks like samosa and kachori from mangrove associate plant species (like Suaeda maritima and Salicornia sp.) are some of the cutting-edge researches extended from our department by the research scientists. Both wheat grass and the mangrove associate species have considerable nutritional values and are rich in protein.


Suaeda sp. grass (Nonia shak)

Fig.2. Preparation of snacks from Mangrove associate plants
We have also prepared hand sanitizer from Aloe vera and neem extracts in an organic way.

Fig. 3. Preparation of hand sanitizer from Floral extracts
My fitness regime envisages drinking health drinks which are organic along with organic dietary intakes. I would also like to recommend doing free hand exercises after meals for reducing bloating of abdomen. Jogging early in the morning for getting fresh air and to increase the muscle power is very essential part of fitness. An evening stroll in an open area is essential just before dinner to gear up the digestive system and get a good sleep at night.
Drinking of 6-7 glasses of water per day is very good for digestion and metabolic activities. Few drops of lemon juice in luke warm water after rising from bed often helps in reducing excessive body fats. Green tea without sugar just before breakfast is good for slimming out. Breakfast must be completed with fresh fruits, a glass of milk, bread and an egg. Lunch can be done with one cup rice, 2 chappatis, boiled mixed vegetables and chicken or fish curry. Snacks items with junk foods must be avoided for indigestion. Dry fruits and green sprouted grams/chana is recommended in the evening diet. Overall rich, spicy, oily food items along with desserts with loads of sugar content must be avoided. At night for my family I usually prepare soup/broths of either chicken or vegetables along with sandwiches.
The diet plan and food regime which I recommend for my family health and fitness may vary from others as diabetic patients and patients with other chronic disease or ailments can have different diets as prescribed by the doctor. For my kid of 4.5 years I usually make her drink 2 glasses of milk per day along with two fruits. Also I give her soups, sandwiches, pizzas, cakes but all homemade. So lets all be fit.
The Mangroves are gems of bioresources so Lets Go ORGANIC and keep our selves fit, healthy and fine.

My fitness story always i eat healthy food. I will sleep with my son whenever I am getting time. I avoid stress because of yoga and meditation. I always smile that makes my mind and heart very active. I like to see comedies in television. If I get bore I will dance with my son. That is my boosting energy. Meditation makes our life beauty. Yoga makes our body fit. Healthy foods makes our body healthy. Dance boost my energy always. If my son is there he makes me smile always. If we are spending time with kids. That was amazing moment. I like to spend more time with my son. But obviously I got pandemic situation. I am spending whole time with my family members. I was very happy. To share this parent circle. Always our mind has to be empty. We should not put stress into the mind. If we do like that it will change to negative mind. And also I like to hear melody songs another one thing if I feel happier I will sing a song together while playing song .that makes me very happy. Meditation if don't know means no problem. You can do hereafter just close your eyes. You need not to open your eyes for five minutes. If you have any goal or any career challenge just think it for five minutes next day change the time for ten minutes. You can increase the timing day by day. You can achieve a lot. Whatever you need as a ambition you can think and you will get in a months or years but surely you will achieve. That is true one. You have to get yoga from yoga teacher. Without knowing the steps you should not do. If you have any stress the better decision is doing yoga and meditation. Or you can sleep or you can dance for any tune. You can do singing too. If know the lines. You will get a better experience in your life

Both mentally and physically it's exhausting for a housewife. Running around and work piling up right from early hours of morning till bedtime.I know that I cannot afford to fall ill. Getting up early, a habit since childhood I start my day with a half an hour walk followed by a few minutes of exercise before house wakes up. Keep myself active throughout the day by doing something or the other and that's what does away with lethargy.Set timings for meals mostly simple home cooked food though weekends
are exceptions.Cleanlinesss and hygiene is most important to keep my family away from illness.There are times when I need to deal with mood swings or basic tantrums which do affect me. So I take out time to play with kids, listen to music or paint and write. These really help me in reducing stress and tension as I cannot sit and meditate with so much going on. So however busy I am I do strike a balance to relax myself physically and mentally which keeps me moving.