You will be knowing about the balanced diet for women, as the dietary requirements of women are quite different from men and children.
Why a balanced diet for women?
Balanced diet plays an important role in every individual’s healthy life. But we all must agree that the lifestyle of women is much trickier than men. They have got so many things to manage. They have to manage between home, work, school and family. As their life is different from men so is their requirement for a healthy lifestyle and hence there must be a balanced diet for women. The pressure even exists for women how they should look and what they should eat.
As a child, the requirement for both a girl and a boy are almost the same. As they grow up requirements of their bodies tend to change. Girls face a lot of hormonal changes as they hit the puberty. The females need to face a lot in their entire lives like menstruation, childbearing and menopause, these all events make women even more prone to deficient diseases such as Anemia, Weakened bones, and osteoporosis. This develops the need for a higher intake of nutrients and vitamins like calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin D and Vitamin B9.
These all state that there is a specific to need for a balanced diet for women which women should follow to live a healthy, active and fabulous life.
What is a balanced diet for women?
Nutrient-rich foods are the must to provide energy to the tricky and busy lives of women and keep them healthy and going. The balanced diet for women must include iron, calcium, Vitamin B9, Vitamin D, and along with this, they should have fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fat, low-fat dairy and lean protein.
Iron
Iron is a must for good health, although the amount required by the body is different at different stages of the life of women. The requirement of iron is higher during the pregnancy but it is lower after menopause. Iron-rich sources of food include- red meat, spinach, chicken, kale, fish, beans, lentils, turkey, pork and ready to eat cereals. Plant-based iron is easily taken or absorbed by the body when taken with vitamin C. Try some fortified ready to eat cereals with strawberries on top to enjoy both the nutrients at the same time.
Vitamin B9( Folate or folic acid)
When a woman reaches the stage of life where she bears a child, she requires Vitamin B9 or folate or folic Acid in the balanced diet for women. This particular B vitamin is important during pregnancy to reduce childbirth defects. The requirement for a woman who is not pregnant is 400 microgram(mcg) per day. The natural sources of this vitamin are oranges, green leafy vegetables, beans, peas and some other sources include breakfast cereals and some rice and bread.
Calcium
Calcium is required for maintaining healthy bones and teeth. Calcium keeps bones strong and reduces the risk of osteoporosis and other bone diseases which make bone weak. Calcium-rich food sources are low-fat dairy products like milk, yoghurt, cheese, sardines and fortified foods include beverages such as juices and cereals.
Vitamin D
Vitamin requirements increase as they get older. Good sources of Vitamin D are fatty fish such as salmon, eggs, and ready-made foods beverages like milk, yoghurts and their plant-based alternatives.
Women need fewer calories to maintain healthy body weight and more nutrient-rich food for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The balanced diet for women must be followed by women to live a healthier and better life.
Along with following a balanced diet women needs to be engaged in some physical activities for proper muscle growth, building flexibility and also for maintaining healthy body weight. Eating a nutrient-rich diet is important but having proper vegetables, whole grains, dairy and healthy fat is also important.
What happens if a balanced diet in women is not followed?
Poor nutrition or lack of balanced diet in women can impair the health of women and reduce the activeness of the life which is required to lead an enjoyable life.
It can cause several diseases like anaemia, osteoporosis, some type of cancers, depression and eating disorders. These are internal effects improper eating and not following the balanced diet for women can have on one’s life but other than this there are certain physical changes it can bring on one’s life. This includes obesity, being underweight, high blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and many others.
It can also cause stress, tiredness, unstable moods, improper menstrual cycles and much more.
Some diet plans to be followed for having a balanced diet for women
- Include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products in your diet. Also add colours to your plate like green vegetables, pulses, fruits and healthy herbs.
- Eat fruits like apples, bananas, pineapples, kiwi, avocados, berries, etc.
- Include calcium-rich foods, like dairy products- yoghurt, milk and cheese.
- Include iron-rich food like spinach, meat, chicken, fish, etc.
- Go with low-calorie high nutrient content food.
How to make a balanced diet for women interesting?
Yes, I agree consuming healthy food can be boring sometimes, we all crave for our favourite dishes be it pasta, Chinese, our favourite drinks or something else. But consuming all these can impair our health in the long term.
To make a balanced diet for women interesting, I have some tips for you all.
- Try all new recipes more often and this will make your food interesting instantly. Give new twists to existing recipes which would not only enhance your food but also your mood to cook.
- don’t completely give up on your favourite food but you can have them sometimes as a cheat meal. This would surely satisfy your cravings from time to time.
- You can consume your diet in the form of liquids this will again make your food interesting.
Trust me following a balanced diet for women is not that difficult as we think of it to be. It is just a step you need to take to bring a change in your existing lifestyle and then you will be habitual of this change in the long run. This is not much to ask for a better life.