When creating a healthy eating plan for women, here are some things you must include in a balanced diet for women, to prevent disease and stay healthy.
Having a balanced, healthy diet plan is important for any woman that truly cares about her health. The nutrition you provide your body will determine the level of health you’re able to enjoy over the course of your life.
While most people would consider exercise to be just as important, it’s a fact that what you eat significantly affects your health in ways that you may not have considered.
Speaking purely from a biological standpoint, there are certain things that women need to consider when it comes to their diet that men do not necessarily have to follow.
One of these factors is menstruation, which is a perfectly natural biological process, but does have an impact on female health and is something that should be factored into your diet since you need to account for the loss of so much blood on a regular basis.
There is also the fact that men and women have different illnesses they are more prone to. There are obvious candidates like breast cancer for women and prostate cancer for men, but there are other things that you need to consider when creating diets that work for women.
For example, women have a higher risk of diseases like osteoporosis, as well as a wide variety of other kinds of bone-related disorders, all of which need to be factored into a healthy eating plan for women.
Balanced diets that work for women will include the right kinds of foods to prevent such diseases. Making sure that you follow a balanced and healthy diet can help you prevent a lot of health issues that we commonly associate with growing older.
What To Include In A Healthy Diet Plan For Women
When creating a healthy diet plan, here are some things to keep in mind for a balanced diet and healthy eating plan for women.
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Calcium and Vitamin D Maintain Bone Density
There are two main nutrients required for women trying to improve their health and start a healthy eating plan. The first of these is calcium, which is essential for bone density as well as durability.
Vitamin D is the second of these two nutrients, and it also impacts the strength of your bones along with having a positive impact on various aspects of your body such as your skin.
There is also scientific evidence that Vitamin D and its metabolites can prevent various types of human tumours including breast cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, and some haematological malignancies.
The traditional method for obtaining both calcium as well as vitamin D is through milk or other dairy products such as yoghurt, cheese and the like.
Dairy products are perfectly good ways of getting the nutrients you need, but there is one major problem with them – they are usually high in fats.
That’s why it’s important to get the low-fat options whenever you’re out buying dairy products during your daily grocery purchases. Low-fat options will give you the nutrients you need without adding on the kilos.
However, one thing to keep in mind is that getting calcium from milk and dairy products is not the only option available to you, especially if you want to follow a vegan diet.
If you want to increase your calcium intake and prevent osteoporosis, which is common in older women, so you can remain healthy as you grow older, you can use this reference guide for foods that can provide you with the calcium and Vitamin D you need.
Fish, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and certain fortified foods can all provide a lot of other nutrients as well so you can follow a balanced, healthy diet plan without having to take supplements.
Another excellent advantage you can gain by including these foods is that you’ll be able to get all of the nutrients that you require while consuming fewer calories and keeping your weight down.
However healthy fats, such as omega-3 fats, are important for overall health, so it’s never a good idea to avoid fats completely. Just make sure you get your fats from healthy sources.
If you eat fish, it can be a good source of omega-3 fats. For vegetarians or vegans, flax seeds can provide an excellent source of omega-3 fats.
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Micronutrients Are Essential For Overall Health
Vitamins and minerals are essential for optimal health. For women, the importance of minerals is even more important as with minerals such as iron are essential for replenishing iron lost during menstruation.
To get your daily required dose of iron, you can eat apples daily. Having an apple in the morning can really improve your energy levels throughout the day and can even be better than drinking coffee.
Other micronutrients, such as selenium, can be obtained from nuts and from following a healthy eating plan for women.
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Water May Not Be The Best Way To Hydrate
Keeping yourself hydrated is essential. You’d be surprised at just how many women that make the mistake of not drinking enough fluids.
But according to experts, “plain water has a tendency to slip right through the human digestive system when not accompanied by food or nutrients. This is especially true when people drink large volumes of water on an empty stomach.”
In fact, researchers found that milk, tea, and orange juice (but not sports drinks) were more hydrating than plain water.
They recommend ingesting water along with amino acids, fats and minerals to help your body absorb and retain more water and maintain better levels of hydration.
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Changing How You Eat
As you may know, not fueling up with the right nutrients can affect how well your body performs and your overall fitness benefits. Even though healthy eating is important, there are myths that hinder your performance if you listen to them.
Here are some myth busters for healthy eating:
1. Working out on an empty stomach
If you hear a rumbling noise in your stomach, the rumbling is trying to tell you something. Without listening to them, you are forcing your body to run without any fuel. Before you exercise or do any physical activity, always eat a light snack such as an apple.
2. Relying on energy bars and drinks
Although they are fine every once in a while, they don’t deliver the antioxidants you need to prevent cancer. Fruits and vegetables are your best bets, as they are loaded in vitamins, minerals, fluid, and fibre.
3. Skipping breakfast
Skipping breakfast is never a good idea, as breakfast starts the day. Your body needs fuel as soon as possible, and without it, you’ll be hungry throughout the day.
4. Low-carb diets
Your body needs carbohydrates for your muscles and the storing of energy.
5. Eating what you want
Eating healthy and exercising doesn’t give you an all-access pass to eat anything you want. Everyone needs the same nutrients whether they exercise or not, as well as fruits and vegetables.
6. Not enough calories
Although losing weight involves calories, losing it too quickly is never safe. What you should do, is aim for 1 – 2 pounds a week.
Always make sure that you are getting enough calories to keep your body operating smoothly. If you start dropping weight too fast, eat a bit more food.
7. Skip soda and alcohol
Water, milk, and juice are the best to drink for active people. You should drink often, and not require on thirst to be an indicator. By the time you get thirsty, your body is already running a bit too low.
Changing how you eat is always a great step towards healthy eating and it will affect how your body performs. The healthier you eat, you better you’ll feel. Once you give it a chance, you’ll see in no time at all just how much it can change your life – for the better.
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Eating Healthy On The Run
Whether your travelling on the go or around the home, you don’t need to give up healthy eating simply because you are on the run. The fact is, healthy eating is even more important when you’re trying to keep up with a busy schedule.
Having a good diet will help your body to handle stress better. As you hustle about, a healthy meal is probably the last thing you think about. The following tips can help you eat when you’re on the go.
Restaurants
With tempting menus, large portions, and a festive atmosphere, it’s easy to skip healthy eating. It’s okay to splurge every now and then, although you’ll pack on a lot of weight if you make it a habit. When you eat out at restaurants, always be smart about it.
Airports
An airport can be a very stressful place, although you shouldn’t scrap your diet because of it. Eat because you are hungry, not because of stress, boredom, or to kill time.
In your car
Keep some healthy snacks in your car at all times, so that when you get hungry – you have them.
At home
Evenings and mornings are busy times in most homes. Making the time to eat can be hard, although you shouldn’t run out the door without eating breakfast first.
Cereal with milk, a banana, muffin, or even a bagel is a great way to start the day. Anytime you’re on the go, make sure you make the right food decisions. You can take healthy food with you if you need to.
Eating healthy on the go is easy to do, once you know how to do it. Never sacrifice healthy food for junk, as your body will regret it later. If you’ve thought about making your life better, healthy eating is just the place to start.
If you’re one of those women who hate to cook, you can look at this site to order healthy meals and follow a healthy diet plan.
Disclaimer: The information contained on this web site is presented for the purpose of educating people. Nothing contained on this web site should be construed nor is intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider. Should you have any healthcare-related questions, please call or see your physician or other qualified health care provider promptly. Always consult with your physician or other qualified health care provider before embarking on a new treatment, diet, or fitness program.
Author bio:
Priya Florence Shah is the Group Editor at SHEROES and author of Devi2Diva, an emotional self-care book for women.
Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate or sponsored links. For more information, read our disclosure.
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