Healthy woman equals healthy family

Wellness for women includes both physical and mental well being as well as the willingness to read up and educate ourselves on the subject. At the end of the day, businesses prosper when women do. “She Matters Redefining Health and Wellness for Women” an initiative of CII’s Indian Women Network (IWN) explores the multi-dimensional aspects of women’s health at a recently held conference in Mumbai. This is the first part of the series

Everyone realises that health is important. Unfortunately, this realization does not translate into practice, especially where women are concerned. Outlining the link between gender roles and the low priority placed by women on their own well-being, Kashmira Mewawala Chairman, CII Maharashtra State Council and Head, set the ball rolling in her welcoming remarks about the need to have a conversation around women and health that preceded the recent seminar on ‘She Matters: Health and Wellness for Women’. “As women, we keep worrying about the health of our loved ones, husband, children and everyone else. But when it comes to ourselves, we draw a blank,” she said. “Here’s where events like this one hope to make a difference and remind us of how important we should be to our ownselves, not once in a way, but every single day. The focus should be on our ownselves because we matter.”

“Stop glorifying multi-tasking”

What’s more, most studies point to the susceptibility of career women to assorted health conditions, particularly lifestyle disease and stress related disorders. Yet, none of them is setting the alarm bells ringing, as they should. “Putting others before self is our self-conditioning. What we forget is that a healthy family and a healthy society depends upon the well-being of the woman. If we are not healthy ourselves, we won’t be much use to others,” she said

The modern day woman particularly prides herself on taking on more and more. “Work, cooking, the kid’s Math homework, planning for someone’s 50th anniversary it seems like we are stretching ourselves beyond our limits all the time. At some level, we need to stop glo rifying this multi-tasking and ask ourselves do we really need to do so much? Pause. Prioritize and Plan.”

Urging women to stop and take a toll of just how unhealthy, our lifestyles and schedules happen to be, she said: “Most of us don’t live well. We do not sleep enough, even though a basic lesson in high school biology says that the most fundamental way cells repair themselves is overnight, in our sleep. When we do not give ourselves that space, nothing will go right. And yet, how many of us are kind to ourselves on this score? We skip meals and deprive ourselves of crucial nutrition even as we methodically devise healthy and tasty meals for our kids and husbands. Yet, when was the last time you took a moment to assess the contents of our own dabba? We don’t exercise enough and that includes me. I too am guilty of not being active enough,” she said.

“Prioritise. Plan. Take stock”

Naturally, in such a scenario, obesity, vitamin related deficiencies and all sorts of major and minor disorders are common. Gradually, this grows bigger and bigger and turns into heart ailments and cancer. “If this sounds terribly depressing, remember that there is indeed a way out of this vicious circle,” she assured the audience.

Illustrating the above with an example, Me reminded everyone of the ubiquitous instructions on an aircraft before every flight

The flight attendants take us through the whole grind of what to do in case of bad weather and other emergencies. They urge us to use the oxygen masks provided in times of danger,” she said. “And what’s the most important take away from this example? The fact that they ask us to secure the O2 mask on our own faces before attempting to help anyone else. This fundamental learning is as true in life as it is on a plane. Please take care of yourselves before others. Everything will then fall into place. Healthy woman equals a healthy family and a healthy environment.”

When it comes to mental health, there is more of a need than ever before to have a productive and detailed conversation on the subject, she said. “Communication is the key to everything. It will definitely go a long way in upping the happiness quotient,” she said. “In the same vein, it is important to smile more, read about what is happening around us and educate ourselves on the subject.”

“As women, we keep worrying about the health of our loved ones, husband and children. But when it comes to ourselves, we draw a blank. The focus should be on our own selves because we matter”

“We skip meals and deprive ourselves of crucial nutrition even as we methodically devise healthy and tasty meals for our kids and husbands. Yet, when was the last time you took a moment to assess the contents of our own dabba?”

“Respect your own home-grown wisdom”

Consider this: India is the land of Ayurveda and Yoga, two of the world’s most venerated and widely regarded exports. Thirty-two million people across the globe practice Yoga. The brand Ayush exports naturopathy products to the tune of INR 120 million annually. India is the world’s second-largest exporter of Ayurveda and alternative medicine. We have over 8,000 medicinal plants in the Himalayan region and coastlines of India. There are 9,000 units in India dedicated to the making of these products. In the days to come, this has the potential to generate over three million jobs. “Quite simply, we are the epi-centre of where wellness began.”

And yet, lamented Mewawala, “how much of our own home-grown wisdom and desi way of life do we really imbibe? Do we respect it enough? No, we need the West to validate our heritage and legacy for us!”

To support her argument, she cited the example of the famous speaker and spiritual leader Sadhguru who is embarking on a hugely ambitious tour of the US to teach people meditation. “In a widely circulated video, he said that he was headed to the US because he had already done enough of it in India. But if he went to the US and popularized meditation, it would come back to India in a big way again,” she said wryly. “Please note, I am not saying this, Sadhguru is. It may evoke much laughter in all of us, but there is a kernel of truth in it. And I hope we imbibe that.”

She further stated that “it is only when women achieve parity in business will the world’s economy take a fillip by trillions of dollars. Mankind will benefit, and the progress will be by leaps and bounds. Hence, the need to take stock of the issues that affect women. Fifty per cent of the population cannot be left behind, either at work or in the parliament. A conversation around women’s health is a step forward in the right direction at the right time and the time happens to be now.

‘Connect the micro to the macro for success in life and health’

Each micro aspect of an individual’s life is linked to the macro issues faced by society. Nowhere is this fact more visible than in the case of health-particularly women’s health

Setting the context for the first-ever CII (Western region) conference organized on the topic “She matters: health and wellness for women,” Dr Aneeta Madhok, Chairperson, CII Indian Women’s Network Maharashtra & MD, Open Spaces Consulting Pvt Ltd” stressed on the need for women to “rediscover the josh within, redefine health parameters and understand their own transformation.”

The conference was organized recently in Mumbai at the Hotel Taj Palace, Mumbai.

“The mind and the body are a unit.”

Pointing out that as a psychologist she believed the mind and body are one, she urged the audience to take care of the mind in order to take care of the body. To that end, she outlined the history of the Indian Women’s Network established in 2014 in New Delhi, which subsequently went to establish itself across the country creating a sisterhood for women. “Our members range from diverse backgrounds, industry, academia as well as individuals and with good reason. We are here to be a voice for women, to help them be the force they ought to be. Women are 50 per cent of the population, and despite this, are underrepresented in society and at work. Health, especially that of women, is one aspect that takes a backseat.”

Even as the IWN tries to find out why this happens, it organizes painstaking research into various issues concerning women apart from conducting events like the hugely successful edition of the Womenation Seminar that help create networks of support.

“When I was told of CII’s intention to have an event dedicated to building a conversation around women’s health, it struck a chord deep within me, perhaps because I myself am going through a journey of health restoration,” she expressed. “This conversation is more relevant than ever before given the changing roles of women and demands on their time, well-being and overall health.”

“How the micro and the macro are inter-linked and inter-connected.”

Continuing further, Dr Madhok said: “I believe that if an individual were to look within and take an action that rings true in her mind at the micro level, it will succeed on the macro level. The two usually correspond and co-relate. Take for instance, the campaigns backed by the government such as Swasth Bharat. And now, look around you. Obesity, pollution and lifestyle related diseases abound. With as many as 30 to 40 million diabetic patients, India is inarguably the diabetes capital of the world. By 2030, the number is slated to increase to 98 million,” she said.

Similarly, the World Health Organization or WHO is pointing to rising cases of depression, cynicism, loneliness and stress. It goes without saying that physical and mental disorders go in hand. This is the macro picture.

“Now, let me come to all that’s happening in my area and in my life as an individual. Just the other day as I was taking a walk in Bandra, I counted as many as five to six wellness bars and health food restaurants including options like vegan, keto and organic,” she said. “Then I took stock of the ads surrounding me: everything was about buying or selling property, health, fitness, gyms. After this, we come to an even more personal space: your family and your everyday struggle to put healthier food options on the table. Finally, look at yourself and your own health; all the dots connect. That’s how whatever is happening around you at the macro level connects on the micro level.”

Dr Madhok expressed the hope that the two-day conference would leave the participants with a sense of having learnt something valuable.