The New Nation - Internet Edition

Farizaa Sabreen

From career to families, women today don't always have the time to eat healthy, even though they want to. While doing multiple roles, many workingwomen ignores their health or the signs that indicate that they are not in good shape. They suffer from gastric and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Most go to a doctor only when they become seriously ill.

According to Gynecologist Ashrafunnesa, " Many working women suffer from urine infection, as they drink less water during office hours."

The reason for such problems is the changing lifestyle of working women, who neither eat enough nor eat right.

Before you leave home don't forget to eat a good breakfast. Eat some egg whites or some cereal and milk along with some fruit. Carry salads, curds and some roti and vegetables for lunch if possible. Snack on fruits or vegetable sandwich. Once you come home have some vegetable soup and then follow it up with your regular food along with salads and curds. In office try to take a stretching break - just stand up and stretch your body - every 1/2-hour

Parsa Sanjana, 33, an architect, didn't carry tiffin to her office. She felt tired every day after coming home. She leaves home at 7.30 a.m. and return at 7 p.m. Then she consulted with doctor and she strictly advised to carry tiffin box with homemade food with her.

Cafeteria has become a place of too many choices. From franchise fast food offerings to the usual stuff we grew up with, most career women don't know how to pick a healthy lunch. The alternative is packing your lunchbox and it is probably one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself.

Don't skimp on the fruit. Bananas are great for lunchboxes. They are convenient, a great source of potassium, and come in their own carrying cases. Pack it on the very top though, and wrap it in a couple of napkins for protection. There is nothing worse than a bruised and mushy banana.

With the workingwoman stressed out with taking care of the family and work, she must do her best to find time to care for herself and maintaining a healthy diet all through the year.

The food you eat should be energizing, not drag you down to the point where you need coffee or pop to make it through the day.

Hot Lunch Tips

You can peel or cut a few oranges and a banana in the evening and making a quick orange, banana yogurt smoothie in the morning.

A hearty soup can be extremely filling and healthy and keep you alert and full at your workday. Add a whole wheat bread or roll along and you have the required calories for the day.

Got some great leftover? Wrap them with some greens in whole-wheat bread, a few sprinkles of your favorite dressing.

Cut some salad (few tomatoes, carrots, cucumber etc.) in the night and keep them covered in the refrigerator. In the morning rush to pack lunch, prepare a wrap or a sandwich using the cut salad, mayonnaise, light cheese - garnish with salt and pepper, wrap it or keep in a sandwich box and you are ready to go.

And don't forget that important mid-afternoon snack - take with you a fruit or grab from the office pantry instead of getting attracted towards the few pieces of cake or biscuit left at the office kitchen counter. A handful of nuts would do great too!

Noodles is a better option.

During the 3 O'clock break, many of us reach for the convenient yet deadly Snickers bar in an attempt to give a boost to our vanishing energy. The sugar fix is a temporary solution to depleted energy.

Fruit is a wise choice, as it will release energy at a slower rate sustaining you properly instead of giving a quick and deadly jolt. And fruit is loaded with fiber, and vitamins and minerals, which provide the right kind of energy you need.

Other good snacks - Yogurt, dried fruit (sulphate-free), nuts, seeds, homemade healthy trail mix.

Salads are great because you're getting raw vegetables loaded with enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Make sure you're including more than just lettuce - add carrots, beets, mint, peppers, broccoli or cauliflower. And make sure you add a protein source such as nuts or seeds, hard-boiled egg, chicken or raw cheese. And most importantly, make your own dressing. Leftover pasta makes great salad beginning, noodles with sesame oil and veggies, veggie or meat sandwiches on breads.

Some women don't have time to cook. But eating healthy takes effort. And if you come home from work exhausted at the end of the day, a nutritious meal is the first step to giving you the extra energy you need to take those extra steps.

A little advanced pre-planning can go a long way. If you're not organized, take 20 minutes the night before to make a lunch will save you 20 minutes of wandering around a cafeteria.