by Heather Cone

Created on: May 17, 2009   Last Updated: May 22, 2009

Did you know that, according to the health guidelines established by the U.S government, we all should be eating at least seven to thirteen servings of vegetables a day? And that's just vegetables, we should also be eating seven to thirteen servings of whole grains, two to four servings of fruit and two to four servings of calcium rich foods.

Is that realistic? Even assuming that you are one of the few women NOT on a diet, consuming that much food, much less that much variety, is almost impossible. Women are especially effected by this anomaly, because their bodies have vary specific nutritional needs.

So, what nutrients do you really need and how can you get them without breaking the diet?

Most doctors agree that there are ten main nutrients women should be taking in daily:

Calcium:

Calcium is critical for women due to degeneration of bone mass over time. Women are more susceptible to diseases such as osteoporosis thanks in large part to dropping hormone levels experienced after menopause. In the younger years, these hormones help keep our bones strong and resistant to injury. After menopause, however the levels drop drastically and the only hope is that your bones were fortified with calcium.

Women under the age of 25 should be getting at least 1,200 mg of calcium a day and women 25 to 50 should be getting at least 1,500 mg per day. Dairy products tend to be the best source of calcium. Milk, yogurt and cheese are usually rich in calcium and the vitamin D in milk is helpful for the absorption of calcium in the body. Dietary supplements are also useful, just don't overdo it, because too much calcium can result in kidney damage and soft tissue calcification.

Vitamin E:

Vitamin E also has wonderful antioxidant properties and is useful in fighting free radicals, Alzheimer's disease and some forms of cancer. Almonds and sunflowers are the best natural source of this vitamin.

The medical community has still not determined if supplements of Vitamin E are more beneficial than harmful. So it is best to get this nutrient naturally. Women over the age of 15 only need about 15 milligrams a day.

Folic Acid:

Folic acid is often seen as a pregnancy nutrient and while it does help to safe guard against birth defects it is also quite useful in preventing heart disease and cancer.

Most women should consume roughly 400 micrograms a day (and pregnant women should consume about 600 micrograms). Unfortunately it can seem a little difficult to get the

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