THE 3 IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS FOR WOMEN’S HEALTH

March 1, 2019

Trying to balance the demands of family and work or school—and coping with media pressure to look and eat a certain way—can make it difficult for any woman to maintain a healthy diet.

But the right food can not only support your mood, boost your energy, and help you maintain a healthy weight; it can also be a huge support through the different stages in a woman’s life.

Healthy food can help reduce PMS, boost fertility, make pregnancy and nursing easier, ease symptoms of menopause, and keep your bones strong. Whatever your age or situation, committing to a healthy, nutritious diet will help you look and feel your best and get the most out of life.

Why many women lack with their Nutritional Needs?

As women, many of us are prone to neglecting our own dietary needs. You may feel you’re too busy to eat right, used to putting the needs of your family first, or trying to adhere to an extreme diet that leaves you short on vital nutrients and feeling cranky, hungry, and low on energy.

While what works best for one woman may not always be the best choice for another. Whether you’re looking to improve your energy and mood, combat stress or PMS, boost fertility, enjoy a healthy pregnancy, or ease the symptoms of menopause, these nutrition tips can help you to stay healthy and vibrant throughout your life.

Calcium and Vitamin D for strong bones:

Calcium: For healthy bones and teeth, women need to eat a variety of calcium-rich foods every day. Calcium keeps bones strong and helps to reduce the risk for osteoporosis. For adult women recommended daily allowance is 600 mg/day. For pregnant and lactating mother is 1200 mg/day.  Good sources of calcium include dairy products, leafy green vegetables, certain fish, grains, tofu, cabbage, and summer squash.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D is also crucial to the proper metabolism of calcium. Aim for 400 IU (international units) daily. You can get Vitamin D from about half an hour of direct sunlight, and from foods such as salmon, shrimp, vitamin-D fortified milk, cod, and eggs.

Iron-rich Foods

Iron helps to create the hemoglobin that carries oxygen in your blood. It’s also important to maintaining healthy skin, hair, and nails. Due to the amount of blood lost during menstruation, women of childbearing age need more than twice the amount of iron that men do—even more during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

However, many of us aren’t getting nearly enough iron in our diets, making iron deficiency anemia the most common deficiency in women.

Anemia can deplete your energy, leaving you feeling weak, exhausted, and out of breath after even minimal physical activity.

Iron deficiency can also impact your mood, causing depression-like symptoms such as irritability and difficulty concentrating.

While a simple blood test can tell your doctor if you have an iron deficiency, if you’re feeling tired and cranky all the time, it’s a good idea to examine the amount of iron in your diet.

For women recommended daily amount is 21 mg/ day (35 mg if pregnant, 21 mg if lactating).

Folate (vitamin B9) for women during reproductive years

Folate or vitamin B9 is another nutrient that many women don’t get enough of in their diets. Folate can greatly reduce the chance of neurological birth defects when taken before conception and during the first few weeks of pregnancy.

Folate can also lower a woman’s risk for heart disease and certain types of cancer, so even if you’re not planning on getting pregnant, it’s an essential nutrient for every woman of childbearing age. In later life, folate can help your body manufacture estrogen during menopause.

Recommended intake for women is 200 mcg/day. For pregnant lady it is 500 mcg/day and lactating mother it is 300 mcg/day.

Good sources include leafy green vegetables, fruit and fruit juice, nuts, beans and peas. Folic acid is also added to nrich many grain-based products such as cereals, bread, and pasta.

 

As woman’s day is around the corner, we are coming up with a special initiative ‘Meri Sakhi’ for the sakhis out there to create awareness and help them avoid diabetes. More information to follow.