How Motherhood Gave This Woman A New Muse In Her Life!

Highlights

People carry their opinion about mothers and motherhood.

Why women are expected to pause their career after becoming a mother?

Neha Vinayaka, a New Jersey-based photographer, shares her experience.

Equal parenting matters and should be for everyone!

How COVID-19 impacted her whole life?

Her message to other working mothers.

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What’s the most beautifully unexplainable thing in life? Something that has all the logic behind it but yet it seems to be so much indescribable!

It is probably the journey of motherhood — the beautiful transformation of a girl into a woman and then a warrior who fights all odds to bring a new life to this galaxy!!

Now, this could be really subjective — people carry their opinion about mothers and motherhood. While some believe that it puts an end to a woman’s career, others think that a woman herself should pause her career for her kid. From different myths to societal barriers, there are so many things that a woman comes across — only to find a better life for her kid — a better place for herself — where she’s not expected to make any sort of sacrifices, and she gets to choose her own way to live the life.

Sounds fictitious? I would have said yes if I was writing this half a century back — but the 2000s era have shown me some of those gritty women who fought odds to follow their dreams while raising their kids in the best possible way!

This Mother’s Day, one of those gritty women shared her experience with me — the journey of her motherhood and the tactics which she adopted to ensure that her kid grows up in a safe and beautiful world!

Neha Vinayaka is a New Jersey-based photographer who recently moved back to India. While being a full time working professional and a 5YO kid’s mum, and of course the coronavirus pandemic, she did a lot of juggling.

After getting married, the Indore based woman moved to the USA with her husband. While she had an MBA, travelling and photography was her real call!

Soon she became a suggested Instagram user, and after becoming a mother, she got her muse. She started capturing every moment of his son’s life — from his newborn moments to his sitter milestone, to when he started walking — and she still captures it.

Neha’s entire motherhood became so rewarding that it helped her get into her dream job, and she finally started her photography venture.

“It wasn’t easy! In the US, we didn’t have any support system. So it was my husband who supported me, and that’s how I balanced my motherhood duties along with my work!”
says Neha, who has a 5YO kid son, Nivaan

While the work eventually got smooth, she got in a process, and it was her own mental and physical health that she had to take care of! “I have come out of two chronic lifestyle impacting diseases, Cholinergic Urticaria and Dyshidrotic Eczema, which debilitated my confidence and social presence for almost six to seven years. But I didn’t give up, I changed my entire lifestyle to an organic and sustainable one, and this became one of the biggest reasons why I started going outdoors and doing photographing in the first place…because it got my life back, I was appreciated as a person, and that made me happy,” she shares.

So while it wasn’t easy to fight back, Neha never really gave up! After becoming a mother, one thing that she realized was there is a need for equity in the division of labour between husband and wife, especially after they become parents — equal parenting matters!

And while the pandemic impacted her parenting life, it also impacted her professional life. Being a mother, she says, it’s not easy to manage kids, work, home and yourself! “I lost many clients and projects which not only impacted my professional but also my financial life. I innovated and pivoted to a different style of photography (outdoor newborn photography – contactless newborn session) to get my business on track,” she continued.

And now that she is back in the homeland, she is looking forward to gradually converting her current business model to a more sustainable one. “I want to bring a change in the photography domain so that there is a better and more environmentally friendly way of doing business. I would like to educate my clients that less is more and what matters in photos is the emotions and not the fancy or heavily decorated prop based setups that will eventually land in our landfills and cause earth more harm,” she says.

“During our college days, we had a very limited scope that went beyond formal education. Talent was not a primary aspect of living, and therefore coming from that background, it took me a while to figure out my passion, that my heart lies in this creative genre. I would soon be hitting 40, and my business is still just a few years old. So this whole loss of time is my biggest regret. People often say that age is just a number. But ask a working mother, and she might tell you that better!”
Neha says on asking her if she holds any regret!

Neha believes that there is no end to a mothers’ love and commitment towards her child, but it is equally important that she builds a strong support system around her that can alleviate her stress and bring holistic happiness to herself, her kid and the family. She should not shy away from delegating duties to her partner, friends or any close member of her family!

This #MothersDay, Infano sends a warm hug to all those parents, especially mothers, who are fighting the pandemic, managing the work, raising their kids — all well beautifully and graciously!

Let us tell you that you are a warrior, and you deserve all the love and happiness around you! #HappyMothersDay

Image Copyrights: Neha Vinayaka Photography

Highlights

Protein is made up of smaller molecules called amino acids forming the building blocks of your body.

It plays a vital role in almost all biological processes of the living organisms.

It contributes to maximizing breast milk production during lactation.

To maintain proper functioning of your body, protein in your diet is a must.

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Are you conscious about your protein intake and wondering how much protein is enough for your body? Or you belong to the category of not knowing about how essential protein is for your health. If you are planning a well-balanced diet, then don’t miss out on your protein requirements. It is a well-debated question of how much protein is needed by women. Let’s take a look and find out.

If your body does not get enough protein then you may suffer from muscle loss, fatigue or weakness. On the contrary, if your protein intake is too much then that may result in weight gain, kidney issues or irritability majorly to people who are predisposed to kidney disease. The amount of protein required by your body depends on your overall growth, body shape goals, age, muscle mass and overall health. Our body cannot store protein, therefore, recommended amount of protein supply is essential to your body regularly.

What is Protein?

Protein is made up of smaller molecules called amino acids forming the building blocks of your body. It plays a vital role in almost all biological processes of living organisms. To maintain the proper functioning of your body, protein in your diet is a must. Protein has keratin, it is good for skin, hair, nail and helps in the development of all these. Therefore, the consumption of protein is extremely important for maintaining muscle mass and the overall growth of your health.

“Protein is a macronutrient that every cell in our body needs. Proteins are made up of building blocks called amino acids, and is found in every cell throughout our body, so an adequate amount of protein intake is important for keeping our muscles, bones and tissues healthy,” says Kristen Smith, M.S., R.D.N., a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The functions of protein in your body are immense, including building muscles, transporting nutrients, fighting infections, some are enzymes, some are hormones, etc.

“Our body is in a constant state of turnover and growth when it comes to muscular tissue, and we need those individual amino acids to go in there and repair,”
says Alex Caspero, M.A., R.D., author of The Plant-Based Baby and Toddler.

Ketogenic low carbs diet - food selection on white wall Free Photo

While a good amount of protein will boost your body and muscles, lack of it can be equally detrimental. Its deficiency can lead to multiple health problems causing subtle changes in your body leading to severe concerns. Protein’s insufficiency in children can result in stunted growth, major characteristics of Kwashiorkor caused due to malnutrition and several other diseases.

Why is protein essential for women’s health?

According to a study, women who consumed about 110 grams of protein per day were at lesser risk of heart attacks. Sufficient intake of protein decreases the risk of heart attacks and coronary disease in women.

Bone loss happens naturally as women age and it is quite prominent after menopause with very low levels of estrogen, a hormone essential for bone growth. Including enough high-quality protein contributes to the maintenance of sufficient muscle mass necessary for the overall improvement of bone density and strength. Protein contributes about 50% of the volume of bone and about 33% of its mass.

“Protein increases the feeling of fullness and when combined with a reduced-calorie diet and exercise, leads to body fat loss while muscle mass is maintained.”

Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers must prioritize their nutrition. A balanced diet containing all macro and micronutrients, particularly protein consumption is crucial and improves the growth and development of the fetus and the mother. It also contributes to maximizing breast milk production that is why breastfeeding women require nearly two times as much protein as non-nursing women.

How much protein do women need?

A survey reports, 50% of women are not aware of the protein requirement of their bodies. The protein requirement of every individual is not similar and cannot be calculated collectively. It depends and may vary on factors like muscle mass, level of activity and overall health. According to several studies, it is prominent that protein deficiency can adversely affect your health.

Protein needs are crucial for women’s health. Its deficiency can adversely affect the overall quality of life. Awareness is essential with regard to common accessible and affordable sources of protein (both animal and plant-based).

Official nutritional organizations say women should intake approximately 46 grams of protein a day, but this can vary depending upon the health concerns. Though there is no predetermined value and it can vary with changes in your health, you can use this online protein calculator to have some idea about your protein requirements.

How do I get protein in my diet?

Generally, all essential proteins are present in animal protein, therefore, meat, fish, eggs, or dairy products are rich sources of protein and are enough to provide all essential amino acids in the right ratio. If you are a vegetarian and follow a vegan diet then you can mix and match lentils, legumes, nuts, soya milk, tofu, chia seeds, fruits and vegetables in your daily diet as much as possible.

It is not only the quantity but the quality of your protein that holds utmost importance, so be sure to look for lean cuts of meat and forgo pre-made items, such as already marinated meats, as their sodium levels may be high. You also need to watch out for the amount of cholesterol and saturated fat you consume and make sure to vary your protein sources throughout your diet.

Develop a holistic nutritional diet plan for your health and well-being. Don’t forget to include your protein sources carefully.

If you’re looking for more food and nutrition tips from Infano, check out our other blogs here.