A caring human being, a nurturer, a beloved- there are a great number of roles you play as a woman.Being a multitasking homemaker, a loving mother and a busy working woman define you. You go to yoga classes, drink fresh juices and eat a fibrous diet. You consider yourself absolutely healthy. Well, it may not always be the case. There are other factors that define your health too like your hormones and your overall mental and emotional well being.

Here is a list of things you should know as a woman that define your wellness:

1) Keep a tab on crucial numbers:

The number game starts right off in your teen years and carries throughout the life. If the weighing scale tips in your favour- you are healthy, thin and fulfill the parameters of physical beauty. God forsake, if you weigh or tilt towards being chubby – then you are bombarded with all the advice to lose weight.Viewing after the slender figure despite your body frame and genetics, is a constant battle. All the weight loss diets and sweating is not worth the mental stress that you take.

Make peace with your body type and exercise to keep your body and mind healthy. Discipline and consistency go a long way in maintaining your health and wellness. Never let the weighing scale and obsession with thinness rule YOU!

Keep up with your numbers- Body mass index, blood pressure and cholesterol levels at all ages. They will give you a fair idea about your health status. If there is anything amiss with your body, these numbers will indicate it. So, go for regular health check ups without fail irrespective of your age.

2) Know your genetic history:

It is very crucial to know your family’s medical history. You may be prone to certain conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure etc. if your parents or grandparents had them. Your doctor will advise you to adopt a suitable lifestyle keep these family illnesses at bay.

Also, you are more prone to depression and more likely to die from a heart attack than men. Men have more chances of a heart attack but women have more chances of dying after a heart attack. Women are also doubly likely to suffer from symptoms of anxiety, depression and mood swings than men. This is because women’s hormones vary more than men’s.

So, you have to take good care of your mind and body through proper diet, exercise and practicing meditation.

3) Your diet affects your fertility:

Yes, the food you eat definitely makes a difference to your fertility levels. If you follow diet fads and cut out important nutrients from your diet, then it can adversely affect your hormones. This tends to lower your chances of having a baby even at a young age.

Therefore, eat healthy to provide your body essential micro nutrients like calcium, iron, potassium etc. If you plan to have a baby at a later age, then it becomes all the more essential to follow a healthy diet as advised by your doctor to keep up your fertility levels through food.

4) PMS indicates imbalance in hormones:

If you regularly experience symptoms of PMS like bloating, breast tenderness, cramps, feeling low pimples and acne etc. then it is not normal. Your body should follow the natural rhythm without feeling such discomfort.

PMS indicates an imbalance in your estrogen and progesterone levels. This can be easily corrected by taking micronutrients like vitamins, minerals and amino acids through food and supplements.

5) Your body changes after puberty, child birth and menopause:

Accept the fact that your body is not going to be the same after hitting puberty, after pregnancy and after menopause. Hormonal transitions happen and change your body chemistry. You may gain weight, have skin allergies or lose bone density but know that it is normal.

Get regular health checkups and follow your doctor’s advice to deal with them.

6) Your fertility goes down after thirty:

You may plan to have kids at a later age, but do remember fertility goes down post the age of thirty. After menarch or the start of menstrual cycle in teenage years the female fertility starts increasing, hits the peak in mid twenties and starts declining after that. After thirty your biological clock starts ticking and after thirty five years of age your fertility declines rapidly with each passing year.

Post the age of forty, only 2 in 5 women are able to have a child. For purely biological reasons, it is best to plan your family before you hit thirty five to avoid complications in pregnancy and to have a healthy baby. Early and mid twenties is the most fertile period for conceiving. Menopause or cessation of menstrual periods generally happens in late forties and fifties.

Keep your wellness on the highest priority to attain the mind body balance and live a healthy and active life! Remember your health is always your priority!