The nutritional requirements vary on the basis of sex, size, age, and activity levels of an individual. The nutritional needs of women are different as compared to that of men. Women need more nutrition than men. However, the increasing pressure to cope up with the demands of family and professional life makes it difficult for them to maintain a healthy diet. But it’s the right diet and nutrition that can help them to uplift their mood, increase their energy level, and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Women have different nutritional needs at different stages of life. The nutrition needs continue to evolve as the body goes through different changes. This makes it all the more important for women to make changes in their diet to meet the changing body needs.
While women need low calories as compared to men but the vitamin and mineral needs in the women are quite high. Since a lot of hormonal changes take place in women, hence they require a higher amount of natural health boosters like iron, magnesium, calcium, and vitamins.
Why women fail to keep with the nutritional guidelines?
Women tend to neglect their dietary needs. They may be occupied with household chores or may resort to follow an extreme diet that may result in the shortage of vital nutrients in them. Moreover, their habit of putting family on priority often leads them to neglect their diet. Dietary research also ignores the dietary needs of women. All these scenarios result in ignorance of the daily nutritional needs of women.
Hence, it’s important for women to build their diet and nutrition plans based on essential nutritional needs. There are certain nutritional tips that you should follow to maximize your energy levels, cope up with the stress issues, and enjoy a healthy life.
What are the nutrient requirements in women?
The nutrient needs in women depend on the different stages of life. The main nutrition needs of the women are:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
- Calcium
Calcium is required for strong bones and teeth. Calcium ensures proper functioning of the nervous system. Deficiency of calcium may result in anxiety, depression, and mood swings. It may also lead to the weakening of bones which is known as osteoporosis. Hence, it’s essential for women to take enough amount of calcium along with health supplements like magnesium and Vitamin D to keep your bones strong and healthy.
- Iron
Iron creates hemoglobin and is essential for good health, skin, nails, and hair. Women need more amount of iron than men due to the blood loss. However, most of the women fail to get enough amount of iron in their diet thus resulting in anaemia. This may reduce your energy level and you may feel weak and exhausted after indulging in minimum physical activity. The deficiency of iron may also lead to irritation and lack of concentration.
- Vitamin B9
Vitamin B9, also known as folate is another essential nutrient that is required by women. It’s known as folic acid when it is taken as a health supplement. This nutrient minimizes the chances of defects during pregnancy and reduces the risk of heart diseases and cancer. Folate deficiency may result in fatigue, mood swings and irritability.
Nutrition tips for women
Good nutrients are important for maintaining your health. However, your eating habits may not be appropriate due to hectic and fast paced lifestyle. Here are a few nutrition tips that can help you to maintain a healthy lifestyle:
- Eat a variety of nutritious food- You cannot get all the essential nutrients by consuming a single variety of food. Thus it’s significant that you choose different varieties of foods such as vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and grains for a balanced diet.
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables- You should include different types of fruits and vegetables in your diet because they provide a good amount of fiber, Vitamin C, and antioxidants.
- Cereals- Cereals and whole grain products include insoluble fiber, hence it’s better that you eat a lot of cereals comprising of breads, rice, and pasta.
- Meat and fish- These are good sources of proteins. Intake of fish further reduces the risk of heart diseases and improves brain functioning.
- Milk, Yogurt and Cheese- You should take an adequate amount of milk, yogurt, and cheese since these are rich in proteins and calcium.
When you should take health boosters?
Usually, women face deficiency of essential nutrients such as iron, calcium, proteins, etc. So, in addition to your diet you can also take health supplements to cover up the deficiencies. Nutritional supplements can protect you against the shortfall of the nutrients and help you to improve and maintain your health. Moreover, fulfilling your vitamin and calcium needs through supplements allows you to maintain both your long term and short team health. Also, due to hormonal changes women tend to lose their bone density faster as compared to men, so taking the food supplements can help in preventing osteoporosis. In a nutshell, the nutritional supplements help women to meet their dietary needs.