Nutrition for Women

LIFELONG HEALTHY EATING

Eating well is one of the best ways you can take care of yourself—and those who depend on you. Women have special dietary needs during each stage of their lives, including adolescence, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and menopause. Regardless of the stage of life you’re in, committing to a healthy diet decreases your chances of developing obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Eating healthy increases your energy level which makes it easier to juggle the variety of commitments you deal with every day. Read on to learn how to maintain a healthy diet, it’s easier than you think!

Basic nutrition for women

Good nutrition starts with the basics. A well-rounded diet, consisting of lean protein, complex carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, with an emphasis on using the right kinds of fats, is a great way to stay healthy and prevent disease.

The difference between good and bad fats

Dietary fats are necessary for good health. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble therefore, without fat in your system you wouldn't be able to absorb these important vitamins. Also, food would taste exceedingly bland, and your skin and hair would become dry and brittle.

There are three basic types of fat: monounsaturated fat (MUFA), polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) and saturated fat (SATFA), which include hydrogenated and trans fat. MUFA and PUFA are good for you; SATFA is unhealthy. How do you tell a good fat from a bad one? The degree of saturation is the tell-tale sign. A saturated fat (like lard), is solid at room temperature; an unsaturated fat (like olive oil) is liquid at room temperature. However, even good fats can turn bad. Exposure to air, light, and heat changes the composition, rendering them unhealthy.

Just like a car needs oil to run smoothly, your body needs essential fatty acids (EFAs) to hum at peak efficiency. The two EFAs your body can't make on its own, linolenic acid (omega-3) and linoleic acid (omega-6) are the ones being promoted in flax oil, evening primrose oil, borage oil, and similar EFA products you'll find in the supplement section of your natural foods store.

Calcium, vitamin D, and nutrition for women

Calcium is important for women of all ages. It has been shown to help alleviate PMS symptoms, support a healthy pregnancy, and prevent osteoporosis and bone loss after menopause.

Calcium is absorbed slowly; your body cannot take in more than 500 mg at once. Also, calcium from naturally occurring sources is absorbed better than calcium supplements.

Women under the age of 40 need 1,000 mg of calcium daily. After age 40, you need between 1200-1500 mg a day. To boost your calcium intake:

Start your day with a calcium-fortified whole grain cereal and low-fat milk.
Choose high calcium snacks such as yogurt, calcium-fortified orange juice, canned sardines with bones, and almonds.
Pick hard cheese over soft. An ounce of cheddar packs 200 mg, versus a meager 60 mg in a half-cup of cottage cheese.
Understand food labels. If a label says a serving supplies 25% of daily calcium, simply add a 0 to the percentage to decipher how many mg are in that serving. In this case there are 250mg which is 50% of 500mg, the maximum amount the body can absorb at one time.

Many health conditions can affect calcium levels. Be sure to talk with your doctor about your calcium requirements and whether you need a bone density evaluation.

Calcium can’t work alone – for your body to utilize and absorb the calcium you need Vitamin D and magnesium as well. You can get Vitamin D from direct exposure to sunlight, and also from foods like fortified milk, egg yolks, saltwater fish, liver and supplements. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, adults under age 50 need 400-800 IU of vitamin D3 daily (the best form of vitamin D for bone health), and adults over 50 need 800-1,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily. Magnesium is usually found in green vegetables, nuts and legumes, and you should aim for about 320/mg per day.