Nutrition for Women

The foundation to good health is good nutrition. For women, good nutrition is important because of the role they play in life; wife, mother, caregiver, nurturer. If the mother breaks down because of bad health, the whole house can grind to a standstill.

Choosing the right foods, and understanding the basics of nutrition will allow a woman to operate at full capacity during her busy day.

The human body is made up of two-thirds water. Water is an important nutrient to the body. Water lubricates joints, keeps skin supple, reduces wrinkles, and carries waste from the body effectively. A woman should drink 8 eight-ounce glasses of water daily.

Carbohydrates deliver energy to our bodies. There are two types of carbohydrates; simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Carbs are plant foods as well as milk products. Fruits are some of the best sources of simple carbohydrates because they are packed with simple sugar or fructose.

Complex carbohydrates include foods that contain fiber and starches. Why are fibers and starches so important? You need fiber to move food through your system and help with waste disposal. Plus fiber retains water, so your stools are easier to pass.

Starches are necessary to bring energy to the body.

Protein is needed for the body to grow big and strong. When you eat foods high in protein, the body converts that food into amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks for protein and protein is the beginning of life essentially. Every living being is made up of proteins. They are a multi-faceted part of the human body. A person who consumes a steady diet that lacks protein will soon be faced with some serious health issues.

Fats- although many experts warn to steer clear of fats, your body does indeed need fat for brain development, energy and to help provide growth to your body. It is when people indulge in to many fatty foods that health issues appear; diabetes, obesity, heart disease to name a few. You should not be consuming more than 25 percent total calories of fats daily.

In addition to the benefits you get from watching what foods to introduce to your diet, you should also be cognizant of the added benefits of vitamins and minerals.  Any drugstore will carry vitamins specifically geared for women.

In a busy lifestyle, your body needs it’s armor, the protection against bone diseases and signs of aging. Vitamins and minerals too keep brittle bone disease and arthritis as far away from you as possible. Those vitamins would be vitamin A- B-C-D and K. 

But before you reach for that multivitamin on the shelf to be your fountain of youth- remember- use vitamins and minerals in moderation. Too much of a good thing, can become a bad situation. Taken in high enough dosages even vitamins and minerals can become toxic in the body and lead to major illness or even death.

The minerals you want to look at are: calcium, Chloride, Chromium, Copper, Fluoride, Iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, selenium, sodium and zinc.

Where your diet is lacking, supplementing with caution the abovementioned vitamins and minerals means you are giving your body a fighting chance to keep up with the active lifestyle that you enjoy.