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September 26, 2024
A woman’s life is demanding, balancing the demands of a family and work. Right from attaining puberty, a woman wears many hats in her life, trying to meet the expectations of various people as well as society. On top of this, the fact that a woman is supposed to look a certain way adds to the pressure. Of course, a woman’s body is controlled by hormones quite different from a man’s.
Nutrition plays a crucial role in this entire mesh of things. The right kind of nutrition can not only help you to have more energy and live a healthy life, but it can also help balance out the hormones.
And that’s what we are going to discuss today.
Hormones are chemical messengers that have an intense effect on your physical, mental and emotional health. They play a vital role in controlling your weight, appetite and mood.
Certain hormones gradually decline with age with some people experiencing a more dramatic decrease than others. A sedentary lifestyle can also play a major role in the hormone condition of your body.
The right kind of food can boost your energy, improve your mood and at the end of the day help you maintain a healthy weight. It can also support you through different stages of life.
While attending to different aspects of life, women often neglect their own dietary needs. They may feel too busy to eat well, or too tired to whip up a meal only for themselves, after attending to the dietary needs of the rest of the family. Women are also prone to trying out extreme diets, which restrict their food choices, often leaving them hungry and low on energy.
Every woman’s body is unique – what works for one woman may not always work well for another. Moreover, women deal with different physical issues too such as pregnancy, menopause, PMS, PCOD and others. Diet plays a pivotal role in supporting their health while dealing with such issues.
The dietary needs of a boy and a girl child are quite similar. However, it starts to get different when puberty begins. As a girl grows up, her body goes through various physical and hormonal changes, thus demanding different kinds of nutritional attention.
In general, women require fewer calories to function than men. However, their requirements for certain vitamins and minerals are much higher. The entire process of menstruation, pregnancy and menopause brings with itself various hormonal changes, making a woman’s body more susceptible to anaemia, weak bones and osteoporosis than a man’s. Hence, women need a higher intake of nutrients such as iron, magnesium, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B9 (folate).
Oftentimes, women tend to focus on supplements for their vitamin and mineral needs. With the increase in social media influencers sharing advice on such supplements and these supplements being available over the counter, they have become extremely popular. But it is important to remember that not all advice is correct.
Moreover, while supplements may be useful to safeguard against nutrient shortfalls sometimes, they are in no way replacements for a healthy diet. There’s no substitute for the nutritional benefits of vegetables, fruits, quality proteins and healthy fats.
Let’s talk about some vitamins and minerals that are most important for the human body.
Calcium is essential for having healthy bones and teeth and keeping them strong as a woman ages, regulating the rhythm of the heart and the proper functioning of the nervous system. The lack of calcium can lead to depression, irritability, anxiety and sleep difficulties.
When there’s a lack of calcium in the diet, the body takes calcium from the bones to ensure normal cell function, which is the root cause of weak bones or osteoporosis. The risk of osteoporosis is higher in women than in men, which is why it is important to obtain plenty of calcium along with magnesium and vitamin D.
Iron produces haemoglobin, which carries oxygen to your blood. Iron is also essential for maintaining healthy skin, hair and nails. As women lose a lot of blood during menstruation, they need twice the amount of iron than men. However, most women do not take sufficient iron in their diet, which increases the risk of anaemia.
Anaemia can make you feel fatigued and exhausted and hinder your daily life. It can also hinder your mood making it difficult for you to concentrate. If you are feeling tired all the time, without a proper reason, it can be a good idea to check your haemoglobin levels.
Vitamin B9, also known as folate, is a vitamin that most women do not get enough from their diets. When taken as a supplement, it is known as folic acid. Taking folate before conception or the first few weeks of pregnancy can reduce the chances of neurological birth defects. Folate also reduces the risk of certain types of cancer as well as heart disease. So, if you are planning on getting pregnant, this is one of the most essential vitamins you need. Folate also helps your body create oestrogen during menopause. Deficiency of folate can also impact your mood, affect concentration and lead to frequent headaches.
Let’s look at a few tips specifically about women’s diets.
Consumption of sufficient amounts of proteins is one of the most crucial aspects of women’s diets. Protein is a trusted source of amino acids, something that the body cannot make on its own, it also helps in producing certain hormones called peptide hormones.
These amino acids are used by endocrine glands to make these hormones. Peptide hormones regulate various physiological processes such as energy metabolism, appetite, growth, reproduction and stress. Eating enough protein decreases the hunger hormone as well as stimulates the production of hormones that make you feel full.
Another important aspect is to cut down on sugar intake. Reduced sugar optimises hormone function by avoiding diabetes, obesity and many other diseases. High sugar intake can disrupt the gut microbiome as well as lead to hormonal imbalances. Sugar also disrupts the production of the fullness hormone leptin, thus decreasing the calorie burn and increasing weight gain.
Sweetened beverages are a major source of sugar in your diet while fructose is commonly used in fruit juices, soft drinks and various energy and sports drinks. Reducing your sugar intake can improve your hormone health.
It is important to remember that all fats are not bad. Including certain kinds of fats can reduce appetite and insulin resistance.
One of the unique fat groups is medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are less likely to be stored in fat tissue and more likely to be absorbed by your liver for immediate use as energy. MCT also do not promote insulin resistance as much as other fats.
Another healthy fat is omega-3 which increases insulin sensitivity as well as prevents the rise of cortisol levels during stress. Sources of healthy fats are MCT oil, avocados, olive oils, coconut oils, almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts and fatty fish.
An important aspect of a healthy diet is fibre. Fibre increases insulin sensitivity and stimulates the hormones that make you feel full. Both soluble and insoluble fibres have been found to play a role in reducing hunger. Hence, include high-fibre food such as oats, bananas, carrots, beets, broccoli, pears, strawberries, avocados, apples, raspberries and others every day in your meals.
Planning for a pregnancy? Here are some diet tips that can help boost your fertility:
Cramping, bloating and fatigue during your periods are common due to hormone fluctuations. Sometimes these discomforts can start a few days before you get your period and continue after a few days of it ending. Do you know your diet can play a pivotal role in reducing these issues and provide you relief?
Consuming food high in iron and zinc such as red meat, liver, leafy green vegetables, eggs and dried fruit can ease the symptoms of menstruation. You should also increase your calcium intake during this time by including food such as yoghurt, milk and cheese in your diet.
Another important mineral to include for this time is magnesium as it regulates different biochemical reactions in the body and helps ease mood swings and cramping during PMS. Unfortunately, most women do not get enough magnesium in their diets. Make sure to include magnesium-rich foods such as whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, avocados and dark chocolate in your daily meal. Avoid deep-fried food and sugar during this time to avoid making the symptoms worse.
Let’s talk about some diet do’s and don’ts during pregnancy.
If you are breastfeeding, here are some tips that can help:
Your reproductive function starts declining about a decade before menopause and as a result, the production of hormones changes in your body. Eating well when you start getting into the menopausal years can ease the symptoms.
Hormones are an indispensable aspect of a woman’s health. They are required in very specific amounts for the optimal functioning of the body. An imbalance of hormones can increase the risk of diabetes, obesity, heart disease and other health conditions.
While you cannot really control the hormone production of your body, you can take several steps to manage your hormone levels. While diet is one of the most important aspects, other aspects include regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and getting enough sleep.
At the end of the day, focusing on overall health can promote your hormone health.
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