Being a working mother myself, I know how there are days when I have to rush to work with wet hair, for lack of time to use a hairdryer and comb. I have watched myself gain weight and have achy joints from lack of exercise. I now realize that I cannot do justice to my home, family and job – if I do not do justice to my own body.

Every day I meet bright and talented mothers who tell me that time and responsibilities have made them lose track of their own health, looks and physical fitness. They speak with nostalgia of a time when their skin glowed, their hair was bouncy and their bodies were slim and agile. This article is dedicated to all those women who have sacrificed their own needs, for the sake of their family’s well-being. However, I feel that women are often misguided in their notion of service towards family. A woman who is not physically strong and emotionally happy can never fulfil her potential in any area of her life. Most middle-class women do not have a full time maid or the support of a joint family system. This leaves them with too many responsibilities and very little time for luxuries. Many other women do not have their own income and do not want to burden their husbands with additional expenses. However, the key to good health and great skin is not in spending fat wads of money on sporadic occasions. It is about being consistent with a basic regimen on a daily basis. Start early, start young, be disciplined about time management, and ask your husband (and older children) to extend a little cooperation. That is all you need.

“Express Beauty Tips”

Bright eyes, clean teeth, healthy hair, supple skin and neat eyebrows – This is all you need to look presentable at all times. And these simple beauty goals are easy to achieve within minutes.
Invest in a good moisturizer that suits your skin. Olay, Neutrogena, Cetaphil, A-Derma and Loreal have a range of reasonably priced moisturizers to suit all skin types. If you are still unclear, then consult a dermatologist for advice. If you need to be out and about in the sun, then get a moisturizing sunscreen, which saves time as well as money. Cetaphil and Aveeno sunscreens protect your skin from sun damage, while hydrating it.

To get an instant glow and to lighten freckles and age spots, use a hydrating Vitamin C serum at night. Vitamin C moisturizes your skin, reduces pigmentation and has anti-ageing benefits as well.

If you have puffy eyes or dark circles, use caffeinated green tea bags on your eyes for half hour. Place the tea bag in hot water, then take it, let it cool, and place it over your eyes. The caffeine improves blood circulation around your eyes and reduces puffiness. The antioxidants in green tea will rejuvenate the skin around your eyes.
Yellowing teeth can make you look old and unattractive. Speak to your dentist about the do-it-yourself teeth whitening kits. You may need to spend some time and money to get the dental cast made by the doctor. But once your cast is ready, you only need to buy the teeth whitening paste every 6-8 months, and you can brighten your teeth from home.

If you do not have the time or the money for makeup, but would still like to look ‘made up’ when you drop your kids to school, then there are ways to achieve that. Buy a good BB cream. These are basically tinted moisturizers which have a little foundation/concealer in it. It can moisturize your skin, cover freckles, mask those under-eye dark circles and even out your skin tone. The Garnier Ambre Solaire BB cream is easily available and is inexpensive. It even has an added sunscreen. Buy a nice colored lip balm and mascara. The lip balm can be patted into your cheeks to give it some color. So there you go – a little BB cream, colored lip balm and some mascara, and you will look fresh yet natural. In fact, it is neither expensive nor too complicated to make your own cosmetics at home. Do refer to my blog on recipes for home-made cosmetics.

To relax at the end of the day, I add a few drops of rose hip oil (or lavender) to my warm bath water. It leaves me smelling nice and feeling rejuvenated after a hard day at work. I generally do my beauty routine (foot scrub, body scrub, face masks or hair oiling) after 10 pm when my family goes to sleep. At this hour, I finally have the time to pamper myself. Besides, face masks give you the best results if you sleep right after it. Your skin repairs and replenishes at the fastest rate when it is at rest.

Some other tricks which have helped me save time are the use of eyebrow razors and dry shampoos. You can purchase them from Amazon. It has helped me groom myself during my lunch hour and even while I am travelling.
A busy mother must get herself a shorter, wash-and-go haircut, which is easy to maintain. This is obviously easier if you have straight hair. Buy a good creamy conditioner if you no longer have the time to give your hair a hot oil massage.

Fitness On the Go

Nothing replaces the benefits of joining a good gym or Zumba class. But if you simply do not have the time, then rely on squats and stretches to build your core strength and keep your joints supple. You may need to join a yoga or pilates class for at least some time to understand the basics of stretches and squats. Go cycling or swimming with your children. Always take the stairs. Make it a couple’s ritual to go on a brisk evening walk with your husband. You can both get some exercise, while you connect over good conversation. Always find 5 minutes in a day to do your Kegel’s exercises. These are pelvic muscle strengthening exercises. You can do these while you are sipping your tea or watching TV. These exercises prevent incontinence issues in old age, and they are good for your sex life too!

The Basics of a Balanced Diet

Do not fall into the trap of stress- eating and “finishing off’ leftovers. Almost every mom I know is guilty of these. Stress-eating is the tendency to snack on sweets and fried food when you are feeling anxious or tired. You are not eating to satisfy your hunger. Rather, you are eating to calm yourself down or experience a rush of happiness.
Never skip breakfast, no matter how busy you get. You will be irritable and craving for food for the rest of the day. Have 4 small meals a day. Do not indulge in “between meals snacking”. Never get into the habit of late-night snacking. The key is to eat (almost) everything you desire but in smaller portions.
As we grow older, our metabolism slows down, and we start to put on weight. To balance this, it is important to cut back on salt, sugar, white rice, refined flour, coconut, animal fats, potatoes and red meat. Eat legumes, soya, fish or egg whites on a daily basis for protein. Aim to eat a bowl of sprouted vegetables every day. This is a good habit for everyone at home. You can add your sprouts to your salad as well.
Add more fish to your diet. Have a few almonds every day. Add a teaspoon of flaxseed to your porridge. Eat a bowl of probiotic yoghurt every day. And increase your intake of salads and greens. You should aim to eat 5 different kinds of fruits and/or vegetables in a day (not including onion and potato). You can achieve this by having freshly prepared mixed fruit and vegetable juice every morning on an empty stomach. I drink juice made out of beetroots, tomatoes, oranges, lemon, gooseberry and ginger.
Switch from coffee to green tea. I also add a little pepper and lemongrass to my green tea.
Drink at least 3 litres of fluid on a daily basis. It keeps your body healthy and hydrated and reduces hunger pangs. It is very important for women to take nutritional supplements like omega 3 fatty acids, Calcium and Vitamin C.
Do not starve yourself. This is not healthy for your body or your mind. It is okay to cheat once a week to manage your cravings. A slice of pizza or a little ice cream every once in awhile is perfectly alright. When it comes to your diet, just as in real life, do not be too tough on yourself.