10 nutrients that women need and the foods that provide them, well really nine nutrients and two non-nutrient essentials.
Protein is available from lean meats, fish, cheeses, soy and nuts and beans, it helps our tissues to maintain and repair themselves on a daily basis and gives us a consistent source of energy.
Carbohydrates are best when taken from high fiber whole grain breads and cereals. The whole grains will help you to maintain your energy through out the day. Eat fruits through out the day for quick sustained energy, look to fruits like berries or apples for an extra boost of antioxidants. Indulge in dark chocolate as it has even more antioxidant power than green tea. Antioxidants can lower your chances for cancer and heart attacks.
Fats should not come from meats, instead look for monounsaturated fats that are found in Almonds. Women's nutrition plan should include almonds, unless of course she is allergic to tree nuts. Nuts are a great source energy boosting vitamins like vitamin B2, vitamin E and zinc and that satisfying crunch is a great wake up if that afternoon slump hits. The cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fat in avocados can help keep your body strong and pain free so use the avocado often. At the University of Buffalo researchers found that competitive female runners who ate a diet containing less than 20 percent fat were more likely to suffer injuries than those who consumed at least 31 percent so be sure to get in enough of these "good fats".
There are several of the B vitamins and they are all important. Vitamins B-1; thiamine, B-2; riboflavin, B-3; niacin, B-5; pantothenic acid, B-6; pyridoxine, B-7; biotin, B-9 Folic Acid and B-12; cobalamins . The B vitamins support and boost our metabolism speeding up our calorie burn. They maintain our skin and muscle tone immunity and nervous system, They help to prevent anemia as they are critical in red blood cell formation. B vitamins have been linked to the prevention of pancreatic cancer but only when taken dietary. Vitamin B is present in potatoes, bananas, lentils and beans, hot peppers, cod liver oil, tuna fish, yogurt, the nutritional yeasts and molasses. It is also present in beer due to the brewers yeast. With the B vitamins present in so many different types of food, it should not be a vitamin that we are lacking.
Folic Acid or foliate comes from green leafy vegetables (e.g. Brussels sprouts, kale, chard and spinach), potatoes, bananas, oranges, strawberries, lentils, beans and peas, fortified grains. It is important in our diets as it greatly reduces the risk of spinal defects in babies. It is also very important for heart health after your child bearing years so keep that folic acid in your diet.
Vitamin D a critical part of our health needs, although typically not taken in with our diet, Vitamin D is crucial to our immunity and our bone structure. Adequate amounts of Vitamin D can be obtained with approximately fifteen minuets of sun exposure. This sun exposure should occur while your shadow is shorter then you are, otherwise your skin will not be able to produce enough of this critical vitamin.
Vitamin C, another critical nutrient, is contained in fruits like apples, bananas, pineapples, grapes, etc. Vitamin C can also be found in liver. Fruits are also an excellent source of many other vitamins and antioxidants. Not only do fruits boost your energy levels but they give your immunity a boost.
Calcium; All youngsters need calcium to maximize their bone mass during their early years and teen years of life. Low calcium intake is one important factor in the development of osteoporosis, a disease in which bone density decreases and leads to weak bones and fractures. Women are at greater risk than men of developing osteoporosis. During their youth, adolescence and early adulthood, young women should include good food sources of calcium in their diets This is when bone growth is occurring and calcium is being deposited into the bone. This is an ongoing process for women until they are 30 to 35 years of age.
If you tolerate them, low-fat dairy products are excellent sources of calcium. Other good sources of calcium include salmon, tofu (soybean curd), dark green vegetables like broccoli, spinach, chard and spinach, legumes (peas and beans) seeds and nuts. If you do not take in adequate food sources of calcium, You may need to add a calcium supplement to your daily routine. Adding Vitamin D helps increase absorption of calcium but it should be noted that smoking and a lack of exercise can deplete the bodies Vitamin D supply. This dilemma encourages us to drop the one but and get the other one up and moving.
Iron; Women who are in their child bearing years need more of this vital oxygen binding mineral because they lose an average of 15 to 20 milligrams of iron each month during menstruation. Without enough iron they may become anemic due to the iron deficiency, some of the symptoms of this anemia are fatigue and headaches. After menopause, body iron requirements generally decrease. Therefore, iron deficiency in women older than 50 years of age may indicate blood loss from another source and should be checked by a physician. Iron supplements should only be used on the advice of a physician after the blood level has been tested.
Animal products, such as meat, fish and poultry are good sources of iron. From plant sources iron is found in peas and beans, spinach chard, broccoli, potatoes, and whole-grain and iron-fortified cereal products. The addition of even relatively small amounts of foods containing vitamin C to a meal substantially increases the total amount of iron that the body can absorb from a meal.
Water, that vital non-nutrient, drink it from the glass, get it in fruits, soups and vegetables but do get enough water. Avoid soda or highly caffeinated drinks for your hydration source. The soda contains many nutrition defeating chemicals that deplete your efforts to get healthy and the caffeine included in many beverages will further deplete your bodies water supply.
We should never forget that other "non-vitamin," vitamin X, this X is for exercise. This keeps our bodies pumping oxygen rich blood to all of our muscles, skin, brain and to our vital heart muscle as well as helping to keep our essential bone mass from deteriorating.