Nutrition

Good Nutrition for Women

Eating a variety of foods and appropriate amounts of the six nutrients can boost energy, improve mood, control weight, prevent disease, and improve overall health. Nutritional tips for women of all ages include the following:

• Eat predominately plant-based foods and avoid processed foods. Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables.
• Eat foods rich in calcium to support bone health, such as dairy products and leafy green vegetables. Choose fat-free or low-fat milk products.
• Eat lean protein. Excessive amounts of protein can cause calcium loss, which can lead to osteoporosis.
• Eat foods rich in iron. Iron is especially important during menstruation.
• Limit alcohol and caffeine. Caffeine can interfere with hormone levels and increase the loss of calcium.
• Eat whole grains. Whole grains contain the entire kernel and can aid in the prevention of some chronic diseases.

Women's bodies are especially sensitive to nutritional requirements because of hormonal fluctuations that occur during a woman's life. These fluctuations take place during a woman's monthly cycle as well as throughout her life as she moves through adolescence, puberty, reproduction, and menopause.

Puberty

Federal guidelines indicate that dietary recommendations are essentially the same until puberty. The age at which girls enter puberty has dropped over the years, which has been attributed to nutritional factors connected to childhood obesity. Girls with a lower intake of protein and dietary fiber have been associated with a slower onset of puberty. During puberty, there is an increased need for iron, as the girls will begin menstruating during this time. Good sources of iron include lean meat, fish, poultry, spinach, beans, and lentils. Women build bone into their 20s and need to eat a calcium-rich diet. Good sources of calcium are low-fat milk, cheese, yogurt, broccoli, spinach, kale, and oranges.

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