Women’s health

Sugar. Don’t forget that sugar is a source of calories, not nutrients. Therefore consuming too much sugar may lead to weight gain and tooth decay. Contrary to what many people think, there is no evidence linking high-sugar diets to hyperactivity or diabetes. However, high fructose corn syrup, found in most processed foods, is linked with obesity that puts you at risk for developing diabetes and other conditions.
About half of sugar people consume is added into soft drinks, fruit drinks, puddings, ice cream and baked goods. Research from Tufts University nutrition scientists shows that soda and sweet drinks provide more daily calories than any other food. Consuming so much sweet drinks leads to weight gain. Obesity rates are higher for people consuming sweet drinks. Also watch for hidden sugar in the foods you eat. You may find sugar appearing as corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, malt syrup, among other forms, on package labels.

Salt. It is well-known that high blood pressure can be caused by high sodium intake. Following a healthy diet you can reduce the risk for high blood pressure by consuming less salt or sodium. Unfortunately, we often don’t pay any attention how much sodium we use while cooking, as a result most Americans consume much more sodium than they really need. From previous articles you’ve already known that recommended amount is less than 2,300 mg per day and just one teaspoon of salt provides that amount. So one good way to reduce your sodium intake is eating fewer prepared foods. Once you retrain your palate to enjoy foods with lower sodium content, you’ll find it easier to toe this line. And certainly you’ll feel healthier as well.

Alcohol. Memorize that food group doesn’t include alcohol. However, if you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Consuming alcohol is very harmful. Alcohol offers neither nutritional value nor any other benefits. On the contrary, excess alcohol use may lead to serious health damages, causing distorted vision, judgment, hearing and coordination; emotional changes; bad breath; and hangovers. Consuming alcohol within long-term period may include liver and stomach damage, vitamin deficiencies, impotence, heart and central nervous system damage and memory loss. Abuse can lead to alcohol poisoning, coma and death.
Consuming alcohol during pregnancy is contra-indicated at all because alcohol can harm the developing fetus and infant. Even light and moderate drinking can hurt. Influence of alcohol is so harmful that more than 40,000 babies are born each year with alcohol-related damage, according to the March of Dimes.

Reference Daily Intakes for women aged 19-50

Nutrient – Amount
Vitamin D – 5 mcg*
Vitamin E – 15 mg
Vitamin C – 75 mg
Vitamin A – 700 micrograms
Vitamin B6 – 1.3 mg
Vitamin B12 – 2.4 mcg
Calcium – 1000 mg
Iron – 18 mg
Magnesium – 320 mg
Zinc – 8 mg
Copper – 900 mcg
Thiamin – 1.1 mg
Riboflavin – 1.1 mg
Niacin – 14 mg
Phosphorus – 700 mg
Iodine – 150 mcg
Folic acid – 400 mcg
Biotin – 30 mcg
Potassium – 4.7 grams
Sodium – 1.5 grams

Reference Daily Intakes for women aged 51-70
Nutrient – Amount
Vitamin D – 10 mcg*
Vitamin E – 15 mg
Vitamin A – 700 micrograms
Vitamin C – 75 mg
Vitamin B6 – 1.5 mg
Vitamin B12 – 2.4 mcg**
Magnesium – 320 mg
Zinc – 8 mg
Copper – 900 mcg
Calcium – 1200 mg
Iron – 8 mg
Sodium – 1.3 grams
Thiamin – 1.1 mg
Riboflavin – 1.1 mg
Niacin – 14 mg
Folic acid – 400 mcg
Phosphorus – 700 mg
Iodine – 150 mcg
Biotin – 30 mcg
Potassium – 4.7 grams

*In the absence of adequate exposure to sunlight.
**Due to age-related modest decreases in the ability to use the B12 from natural sources, fortified foods or supplements can help to meet the recommendation.

Calcium is the most important element which helps building bone mass. All youth need calcium during their early years as it’s a key period for bones. You should carefully watch for calcium intake. Law calcium intake may lead to the development of osteoporosis, a serious disorder decreasing bone density and as a result leading to weak bones and future fractures. Men are less subject to developing osteoporosis than women. Because of that fact women should include calcium in their diets during adolescence and early adulthood. Osteoporosis occurs in women until they are 30 to 35 years of age. That’s why at 25 to 50 years of age women must eat about 1,000 mg of calcium each day. Menopausal women should increase calcium intake to 1,200 mg daily if they are taking estrogen replacement therapy. About 1,500 mg per day should have women older than 65 years.

What are goods sources of calcium?

Excellent calcium sources are, first of all, low-fat dairy products. Other good sources of calcium can be salmon, tofu (soybean curd), certain vegetables (broccoli), legumes (peas and beans), calcium-enriched grain products, lime-processed tortillas, seeds and nuts. If you can’t regularly consume adequate food sources of calcium, you may replace food sources on calcium supplements to reach the recommended amount. Day norm of calcium must be minimum 1,200 mg per day.              

How to determine how much fat is OK to eat daily?

If you decided to follow the diet, you should thoroughly watch what you eat and control the amount of fat.  The amount of saturated and common fat depends on the foods you eat. No more than 30 percent of the whole calories should be the total fat in your daily diet. As for saturated fat, its total intake should be no more than 10 percent of those 30 percent of calories. If you want to know how to calculate healthy amount of fat and the way how to adhere to this norm, you should consult with the nutrition professional. He will help you to determine the exact amount of fat you should consume coming from your current energy and nutrition needs. 

Good and bad fats – what is the difference?

One of the basics for good health is fats. It is difficult to over-estimate the utility of fats.  Have you ever fall to thinking how tastes food without any dietary fat? It is exceedingly bland. Without fat your skin and hair would become dry and brittle. And what is the main, as such important vitamins like A, D, E and K are fat-soluble, you couldn’t absorb them.
There are three basic types of fats:
1. Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs),
2. Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs)
3. Saturated fats (SATFAs), consisting of hydrogenated and trans fats.
As for monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats they are good for you, saturated fats on the contrary are damaging.
The main question is how to distinguish between good and bad fats? You should know that monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are just like oil flowing through your arteries. Saturated fats are like sludge, sticking to the arteries. The difference between saturated and unsaturated fat is that saturated is solid and unsaturated is liquid at room temperature.
To run smoothly your body needs oil. To hum at peak efficiency it needs essential fats which you can find in the nearest foods store.

Today there are plenty of weight-loss programs, but how be sure which programs are completely safe? Look up through the following features a responsible and safe weight-loss program should have.
All the recommended daily products like vitamins, minerals and protein must be included in your ration. Try to low calories intake but not the essential foodstuffs.
Responsible weight-loss program must direct a person on a slow, steady weight loss unless your doctor feels your particular health condition would benefit from more rapid weight loss. Don’t hope to lose all superfluous weight at once. Expect only about a pound a week after the first week or two.
Before starting any weight-loss program, your doctor should thoroughly examine you. He should also explain you all pros and cons of the program, the appropriateness and sensible weight loss goal.
The program should assist in encouraging healthy lifestyle behaviors such as changing your dietary habits and physical activity level to increase adopting good health habits.
Reliable weight-loss program should always include advice and practical plans how to maintain stable weight when the loss phase is over.

Let’s start from the beginning – what means “healthy diet”? It is well-balanced diet, consisting of different products which completely meet women’s needs for vitamins, minerals and energy. During menstruation women lose iron, so for good health you should pay special attention to calcium, iron and folate (folic acid) intake.  Healthy diet means also minimizing fat and sugar intake. Including high sugar, a diet may provide empty calories, or calories that do not provide any nutritional value.  Diets based on saturated or trans fat are very risky. They can provoke high levels of blood cholesterol and moreover increase the risk for heart diseases.
We can’t give the recipe of a healthy diet for each separate woman. But we can offer you some important steps which suits all women.
The first rule of healthy diet is to help you either lose weight or keeps your organism in the “healthy” range. Healthy diet must be completely balanced with foods from all food groups, with lots of delicious fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products. Healthy diet should consist of a variety of fruits and vegetables (two cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables per day are recommended for a 2,000 calorie diet). Use a variety of grains daily as diet must be reach in fiber and whole-grains are great sources. Try to prepare foods with less sodium or salt (use no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, or about one teaspoon of salt per day).
There are some things that should be avoided. Diet must be low in cholesterol, trans and saturated fats. Total fat intake should vary between 20 to 35 percent of calories.  Avoid eating fish, nuts and vegetable oil because these products are great sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids.
Try to exclude alcohol drinks from your ration. If can’t do so – don’t include more than one drink a day if you drink alcoholic beverages.

Each person has its own lifestyle. Healthy lifestyle consists of two main elements – healthy eating and physical activity. Following the abovementioned two elements while increasing your energy and stamina, you can easily decrease the risk of many chronic diseases – including heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and certain cancers. Healthy eating can even lower “bad” LDL cholesterol as much as low-dose statin drugs.
It will be better for you to develop your own healthy eating plan. Doing this you’ll have a chance to change your ration thoroughly by eating a variety of foods that you may have previously ignored before, for example delicious vegetables, grains and fruits.
Adolescence and early adulthood are periods in woman’s life when it is very important to build peak bone mass by eating foods rich in calcium. In such a way you may decrease the risk of developing osteoporosis, a progressive condition where there is a loss of bone that leaves those affected more liable to fractures.
During menstruation women lose iron, that’s why an adequate iron intake is necessary. The same is for calories which support energy and nutritional needs and at the same time help the body and its organs to function properly.
How to know what amount of calories an individual needs? It varies for each person and depends mainly on your gender, activity level and based on your age. To maintain current energy needs and normal body weight, women between 23 and 50 years of age generally need between 1,700 and 2,200 calories per day. General requirements for older women to support and sustain energy needs account for fewer calories.
But you must remember, even if you want to lose weight, your day calories intake must be no fewer than 1,500. If you do not observe these rules, you may be put at nutritional risk. Probably, it can result in malnutrition and poor health for you.