Dr Lalitha Sekhar
Iron, vitamin and protein deficiency along with stress can lead to serious health concerns for career women. But there is a way out!
In this fast-paced world, work stress, deadlines and family and social pressures result in a majority of working women ignoring their health and suffering from health conditions which can easily be avoided.
The most common problems faced by career women pertain to nutritional deficiencies and stress-related illnesses.
Listed below are few health disorders that women tend to be prone to and how avoiding them requires a conscious albeit doable change in diet combined with a regular fitness regime.
1. Anaemia because of iron deficiency
Common manifestations
Symptoms are vague and include weakness, lethargy, low appetite, giddiness, breathlessness on walking and irritability.
Causes:
- Less intake of fruits, vegetables and salads
- Excessive menstrual blood loss
Remedy:
- Eat dates, apples, bananas and green leafy vegetables.
- Periodic checks by a gynaecologist
Dr Lalitha Sekhar is Director of Medicine and Geriatrics, at Medanta Hospital.
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Career women, beware of these health traps
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2. Calcium and Vitamin D3 deficiency
Common manifestation
- Lethargy
- Body aches
- Low work output
Cause
Poor dietary habits/ dietary neglect
Remedy
Diet should include intake of 300 ml of milk, cheese (50-100g), 5-6 almonds, 2 walnuts and 2 cups of curd every day.
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Career women, beware of these health traps
Photographs: Rediff Archives
3. Protein deficiency (vegetarians are more prone to encounter this)
Common manifestation
- Weight loss
- Muscle weakness
- Swelling of legs
Cause
Poor dietary habits/ dietary neglect
Remedy
- Use protein supplements like soya milk
- Eat dry fruits such as walnuts, almonds and makhana
- Ensure that your diet contains paneer/cheese (supplemented by eggs/ meat for non-vegetarians) and a bowl of lentils or sprouts.
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Career women, beware of these health traps
Photographs: Becky Wetherington/Wikimedia Commons
4. Stress
Common manifestation
- Poor performance at work
- Lack of concentration
- Headaches
- Frequent absenteeism
- Forgetfulness
Cause
Leaving behind children with maids at home leading to constant worry and poor eating habits.
Remedy
Provision of creches at or near work place and health food outlets near or at work.
To sum up, a compulsory workout or yoga programme for 30 minutes daily in the morning/evening will do a lot of good to restore energy levels.
Meditation classes could do wonders for stress management. So go hit the gym or just start practicing deep breathing.
In addition, organisations should facilitate periodic health checks for all women employees provided by a visiting doctor at the workplace.
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