Women's health and food issues
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A woman's body goes through many changes throughout its life. From teenage years to pregnancy to menopause, the need for nutrients changes at every stage! Deficiency of having any crucial nutrient in the body can lead to many health issues like fragile bones, anemia, and so on!
A proper balanced diet is also important in order to maintain hormonal balance in women! Ironically women are often found 'neglecting their own dietary needs while trying to fill others.'
Women’s healthcare sector is buzzing with health issues that are rooted in not having a proper diet. This neglect causes a lot of trouble and puts the wellness of women under risk!
Below are the top three nutrients that are critical for women’s health.
Ensure that they are on your plate, always:
Iron is important!
How much do you need daily: 18mg
Food it’s found in: nuts, beans, vegetables, lentils, raisins, poultry, sea food, red meat
Low level of iron are popular among women of all ages. Young women generally are at a higher risk of low iron levels due to heavier periods or because they are not having a proper diet.Iron plays a significant role in the transportation of oxygen to the tissues, synthesis of some hormones, and growth.
Deficiency of iron can cause anemia, which is basically that you do not have enough red blood cells in your blood to carry oxygen.
Folic Acid for reproductive health
How much do you need daily:400mg
Food it’s found in: oranges, beans, peas, leafy green vegetables
Folate (folic acid) is very important for women’s health who are at a childbearing stage. It helps in decreasing birth risks and helps to form the neural tube that develops into the baby's brain and spinal cord.It is also necessary for the formation of red blood cells.
Calcium and Vitamin D to keep the bones strong
How much you need: 600 international units (IU) daily
Foods it’s found in: fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel, fortified milk, cheese, and egg yolks.
Calcium plays an active role in making your teeth and bones healthy. Calcium helps keep the bones strong and reduces the risk for osteoporosis (a bone disease wherein your bones become weak and break easily).Vitamin D works with calcium to ensure strong bones and promotes cell growth, immunity and reduces inflammation in the body. The need for both calcium and vitamin D increases as women get older.
Apart from the above, make sure that you include food that is rich in magnesium, Vitamin B, Vitamin E, Omega 3 fatty acids, and choline. Additionally, don’t forget to exercise right and sleep soundly to ensure overall wellness of your body, mind and soul.
A lot of women’s health issues arise because they are not following a healthy diet. A rainbow diet which has all the right nutrients, minerals and other vitamins in the right amount can do wonders for your body. And in order to do so, it is important to understand the unique needs of your body.
And not having just any protein powder for women will not work! You need to have a proper diet plan.
If you are interested in switching to a healthy diet, then you can have a look at andMe’s Diet and Health Plans as well. These plans have been especially curated to boost immunity, balance hormones and regulate weight in women.