With multitasking today a way of life with most women, you can only shape up or burn out. Farah Baria shares her feel-good recipe for living.

Jerry Hall, former supermodel and ex-wife to that Old Boy of Rock, Mick Jagger, once summed up what it took to be the consummate femme. "A woman," sniped Hall, "needs to be a maid in the living room, a cook in the kitchen and a whore in the bedroom." Ouch, that hurts! Still, most of us ladies could probably add about 20 other qualifications to the pithy pronouncement. For starters, what about parent, tutor, resident nag, budget planner, housekeeper, hostess?

All this multitasking qualifies as honorary employment, executed 24/7, 365 days a year (including Sundays, bandh-days and bank holidays), sans salary, pension, gratuity or provident fund. No sweat guys, except that sometimes it feels a bit like cruising on autopilot with the fuel on 'E'. SOS? Shape up or burn out. Here's how.

Food is the body's energy source, providing us with the horse power required to take the kids swimming, fence politely with neighbours, crunch deadlines, or attempt the Kamasutra Position No 108. What's more, nutrients in our diet tinker with the body's delicate biochemistry, wire our brains and determine emotional states. Some foods are 'uppers' - they keep us alert and edgy - while others, called 'downers' leave us slothful and mellow.

Generally, proteins are uppers, so chicken, fish, soya or paneer for lunch will keep those grey cells ticking. On the other hand, carbohydrates like rice, potatoes and pasta all contain tryptophan, a calming brain chemical. These are traditional 'comfort foods', ideal to help you relax and unwind at dinner. Breakfast can include an upper and a downer to keep you both sharp and serene.

If you're the type who's always on the zebra crossing with your foot poised over the accelerator, you might also want to try an adaptogenic (read anti-stress) herb. Ayurveda has several but among the most effective are ashwagandha and tulsi.

But a good diet and supplements are simply not enough. By challenging both muscle and will power, exercise builds body and mind, strengthening the bond between them. The perfect mix is aerobic activity coupled with yoga.