A healthy, balanced diet is the cornerstone of leading a healthy lifestyle for both men and women. As children, boys and girls generally need the same things from their diet. But, as puberty begins, bringing with it changes to the body and hormones, women have different nutritional needs to men. On this page, we will look at nutrition for women, including key vitamins and minerals and how a nutritionist can help you maintain a balanced diet and prevent hormonal imbalance.
Calorie consumption.
Nutritional requirements for women
As well as needing fewer calories than men, women have some different nutritional requirements to men. This is mainly because of the hormones women produce.
The following vitamins and minerals are particularly important to include:
Iron
When women reach childbearing age, blood loss through menstruation can lead to iron deficiency or anaemia. For this reason, women will usually require more iron than men.
Iron can be found in a range of foods, including meat, fish and poultry and non-animal products such as spinach, lentils and fortified grains. Vitamin C will help your body to absorb more iron, so you should also look to include foods that are rich in this vitamin, such as broccoli, tomatoes and citrus fruits.
As well as upping your intake of iron-rich foods and sources of vitamin C, it’s also important to consider your current diet and what could be reduced.
Calcium
Another key mineral to consider is calcium. Both men and women (over the age of 19 and not breastfeeding) are recommended to consume around 700mg of calcium. This should be easily acquired from your diet.
Although the recommended intake of calcium is the same for men and women, as women consume fewer calories, the proportion is larger. Women start to lose bone density from age 35 onwards, and are thought to be more prone to developing conditions such as osteoporosis. This is especially the case after the menopause, as calcium requirements typically increase.
Foods that contain calcium include dairy products, green leafy vegetables, nuts, soya beans and fish where you eat the bones (i.e. sardines). Vitamin D helps the absorption of calcium from foods. While most of this comes from sunlight, you can include vitamin D in your diet. Vitamin D rich foods include oily fish, eggs, dairy and foods fortified with the vitamin.
There are certain aspects of women's health, including if you've been diagnosed with a medical condition such as endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), when you might benefit from further nutritional support. Also, certain life stages like pregnancy or menopause, bring with them their own challenges. Having the dedicated support of a qualified nutrition professional can help you cater your diet to suit your individual needs.
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