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By guest blogger Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN
Women wear many different kinds of hats. There's a hat that says "gatekeeper" and another that says "food shopper" and others for chauffeur, dry cleaner, nurse, teacher, businesswoman, caregiver, psychotherapist and so on. But the one hat that they rarely put on is the one that says "self care." That's the one that gets shoved to the back of the closet and never worn. It's the hat you tell yourself you'll wear "someday."
Well, guess what, ladies—that day will never get here unless you circle it on your calendar and make it happen. While juggling all of the family's activities and demands, a woman rarely pays attention to her own needs, particularly her state of health. Her needs often go unnoticed and get neglected. A pain in the chest, a persistent headache, or gastrointestinal discomfort would bring immediate attention if that distress occurred in her partner, parent, child or friend. But when those medical issues resonate in the body of the woman of the house, a doctor visit is rarely on the to-do list. The women I counsel are more concerned with the way they look than the way they feel.
Although we seem to mega-multitask, it doesn't necessarily mean that we are getting all of our jobs done well. Quality time with friends and family, as well as the quality of our diets, may suffer as we burn the candle at both ends.
Although there probably isn't a story out there that will convince you to lighten your schedule, how about trying to eat foods that multitask? How do foods multitask? By fitting into breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks while providing a multitude of health benefits—all at the same time. It's not easy to fit everything you need into a day's worth of food, so it's smart to seek and enjoy foods that do double duty.
Here's how you can take better care of yourself and set a good example for others with these examples of magnificent multitaskers:
It's also so important to move your body and get some exercise and find ways to de-stress. And please don't forget to pass the word on to your mother, sisters, daughters and friends. Now is the best time to invite better habits into your life without having to change you life to create healthier habits.
Remember, in taking better care of yourself, everyone else that you care for will reap the benefits too.
Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, is a nutritional consultant, motivational speaker and author of Read It Before You Eat It. You can learn more about her here: https://bonnietaubdix.com/ and follow her on Twitter by going to https://twitter.com/eatsmartbd. Bonnie is also a current member of HealthyWomen's Women's Health Advisory Council.