Take Care of Mom this Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is coming up this weekend and I always find this holiday to be very special and deserving. Mothers are natural caregivers and nurturers. They always put the ones they love before themselves and tend to go above and beyond their families’ needs. Mothers truly are a gift that is hard to replace. Many people do not realize how much mothers do for others, they bend over backward to ensure that everyone is happy, healthy, and comfortable. But while they watch out for others, they often forget about themselves. This Mother’s Day let’s take time to concentrate on the needs of Mom, ensure that she is healthy, happy, and comfortable. Before we get into ways to spoil Mom this holiday let’s talk about a few common health conditions that Moms are susceptible to:
- Heart Disease: Heart disease is the number one killer in America. This disease is becoming more and more prevalent, with one in every four deaths being women. This disease does not discriminate between female and male, however this is the leading cause of death in women. There are many ways to prevent heart disease: clean diet, exercise, no smoking, maintaining your blood pressure and cholesterol and more. To find out if you have any risk of developing heart disease visit your primary care physician.
- Breast Cancer: While breast cancer is possible in both females and males, it is typically found in females. Breast cancers usually originate in the lining of the milk ducts and more often than not, spreads to other areas of the body. Breast cancer is known to be the most aggressive spreading cancer within females. In order to prevent your chance of obtaining and spreading breast cancer, perform daily self breast exams and attend your annual mammogram. If you do find a lump in your breast do not be immediately alarmed, most lumps can just be dense tissue or cysts, but it is still important to see your doctor and rule out what you can.
- Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis occurs when a person’s bone density decreases causing overall bone stability to decrease. Osteoporosis can allow bones to break more easily. There are a number of factors that can lead to the cause of osteoporosis: lack of exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption, age, and more. Talk to your doctor to find out if you are at risk or need a Bone Density Scan.
- Depression: Depression can happen in anyone, however women are more likely to suffer from it. There are several different factors that come with being a female that can derive depression: premenstrual syndrome, perinatal depression, and menopause. While depression can feel like a dead end, it is not; there is alway an outlet for someone suffer with depression. Seek out help if your depression starts to interfere with your ability to do daily tasks or if you are having suicidal thoughts.
- Autoimmune Disease: Autoimmune diseases occur when a person’s immune system—programmed to fight foreign cells, like viruses—starts to attack its own healthy cells. Essentially, this kind of disease happens when your body attacks itself. Autoimmune diseases can be manageable if they are detected early and taken care of properly. The most important thing for people that are suffering from these diseases is that they become aware of not only what they consume but of what chemicals is in their skincare and beauty products. With a proper diet and cleaner beauty care products, autoimmune diseases can become more manageable.
The most important thing to understand is that when it comes to these diseases, there is hope. Many people think that you are bound to get a disease just because it is in your genetics; however, that does not mean your fate is predetermined. The lifestyle habits that you have will alter your fate. If you have a family history of heart disease, yet consume an unhealthy diet, smoke, drink alcohol, do not exercise, etc; the chances of you developing heart disease is higher than those who follow a more healthy path. Moral of the story, your genetics do not determine your fate entirely, it is the things that you habitually do throughout your life that lead up to these issues, genetics can just make it easier to obtain the disease. Diseases can be preventable when you ensure that your lifestyle habits are healthy and positive.
With this information in mind, the best way to spoil Mom is to take the time to take care of her. Not just on Mother’s Day, but all year long. We can not emphasize enough how important our health is. Good posture, a clean diet, consistent exercise, adequate rest and stress management can help prevent or minimize the symptoms of the above diseases. Moms will put the needs of her family above her own, so give Mom the space and time she needs to ensure that she is staying as healthy as possible. By helping Mom consistently, her stress levels will lower and she will have more time for herself for self-care.
We understand that COVID-19 has kept some families from seeing each other, so give your Mom a call and express your gratitude for all that she does—even if it’s not Mother’s Day yet! Ask her about her health and if she needs anything. If you have the opportunity to visit your Mom, do it! Get outside and enjoy the fresh air. Take her and the rest of the family on a walk around the neighborhood. Or cook a heart healthy meal for Mom and gather around the table sharing memories and laughs.
Make this Mother’s Day special by keeping Mom as healthy as she can. She will always look out for her family and she needs her family looking out for her. Happy Mother’s day to all of the moms reading this, thank you for all that you do! And for those that have lost their moms, whether recent or in the past, our thoughts are with you this Mother’s Day.
