Becoming a Woman Impact of Nutrition
The very nature of a woman is strength and compassion and the essence of her being is to nurture. A woman takes a long journey in her entire life fulfilling myriad roles in the society. Little does she realize that the vision she holds so dear can only be brought to reality if she has nurtured her own body well with good thoughts, lifestyle and above all, good nutrition.
After a galloping phase of infancy and early childhood, where the nutrition is completely taken care of by the elders around the child, comes the most crucial phase in life. This is the phase of adolescence (which is Latin means to grow up), which is the period between the onset of puberty and full maturity (i.e. 10 to 21 years).This is the time when child begins to see himself / herself as an individual and exercise his/ her choice for everything. The influences experienced by an adolescent often make a template for shaping the life of an adult. While trying to keep pace with the rapid physical changes and peer pressure, intense concern with appearance and weight and an active lifestyle, the adolescents often neglect the importance of nutrition. This is more observed in girls as they focus on their appearance more than what could make them a healthy individual. The biological, social, psychological and cognitive changes that occur during adolescence can significantly affect nutritional health.
Nutrition for adolescent girl:
The biological process of puberty is characterized with rapid growth in height and weight, changes in body composition and tissues and acquisition of primary and secondary sex characters. The average duration of puberty in girls is 4 years, with a range of 1.5 to 8 years. Nutrition needs parallel the rate of growth with the maximum nutrition demands occurring during the peak velocity of the growth. Sex hormones estrogen and progesterone contribute to changes in body composition which cause fat deposits. Research has shown that pubertal girls experience 44% increase in lean body mass and 120% increase in body fat.
The changes in the body composition have important implication for nutritional needs especially with respect to energy, iron and protein.
Importance of Breakfast
Eating a good breakfast increases thinking power and helps maintain a healthy body weight. Eating at breakfast time helps to stop snacking on high calorie bars and confectionery at break time and so can help keep the total calorie intake also low. Having a fortified cereal for breakfast helps to meet the adolescent calcium and iron needs.
What should an adolescent girl eat more?
This is the age when the body demands more of calcium and iron. Lack of calcium intake can have a detrimental affect on bone growth as this is the age when the gain in bone density is maximum (up to 90%). Milk, cheese and yogurt are the best sources of calcium. Teenagers also need equivalent of a pint-and-a-half of ordinary milk or a pint of fortified milk each day. This can be made up of milk on breakfast cereal, milk in tea, coffee, milkshakes or smoothies.
Iron is another nutrient which is to be taken regularly. Iron is found in plant foods which need to be combined with vitamin C rich foods, for example a glass of orange juice (vitamin C) with beans (iron) on toast. Other vitamin C rich foods are citrus fruits (orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit), kiwi, nectarines, mango, blackcurrants and drinks based on these fruits. Potatoes are also a good source of vitamin C. Alternative good sources of iron are eggs, fortified breakfast cereal, whole meal bread, broccoli, spinach, prunes and apricots.
Adolescent girls should also eat diet high in protein in order for proper muscle growth. Some of the good sources of protein are cheese, yogurt, milk, eggs, beans (all types such as kidney beans, butter beans, beans in tomato sauce), peas, chick peas, lentils and peanuts. Vegetables are rich source of vitamins, including vitamin A and C, and folate, minerals, such as iron and magnesium, and fiber. Besides, they are low in fat. One should have 2 to 4 servings of vegetables each day.
In summary, the best nutrition advice to keep your adolescent healthy includes encouraging her to:
* Eat a variety of foods
* Balance the food you eat with physical activity
* Eat plenty of grain products, vegetables and fruits
* Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol
* Eat a diet that is moderate in sugars and salt
* Choose a diet that provides enough calcium and iron to meet the growing bodys requirements.
Nutrition for the Young Woman:
diet-for-young-womanYoung women undergo dramatic changes while moving from adolescence into their early twenties. These include physical, social, cognitive, and emotional development. At a time when nutrient requirements peak, the lifestyles of young women may compromise their food intake placing them at risk for many nutritional imbalances.
Most attention directed to this age group tends to be on issues of weight including obesity, dysfunctional eating, and eating disorders. Although these are important, this emphasis completely ignores the nutritional health concerns that face young women. Dietary deficiencies most notably iron, calcium, and folate are commonly related to inadequate energy intakes or the omission of whole food groups Lifestyle trends can also influence young womens diets. Lack of discipline in eating and the shift in food consumption from meals to snacks becomes the order of the day. Scientific reports mention that as the number of eating episodes increase so does the mean intake of energy, total carbohydrates, and sugars.
Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency among older adolescent girls and young women due to iron losses during menses and poor dietary intakes. The consequences of iron deficiency are subtle but serious, including decreased work performance, impaired body temperature regulation, and altered intellectual performance. Young women should also eat foods rich in iron as mentioned for the adolescent girls.
There is also a concern about calcium intake of young women because of its association with bone health in later years. Maximizing peak bone mass during the first two to three decades of life can prevent osteoporosis. Dietary calcium improves bone accretion, but 60% of females aged 13-17 years are reported to consume less than the recommended intake of milk and milk products, the best source of calcium. Vitamin D is needed along with calcium to build strong bones while excess sodium, protein, caffeine, and phosphorus may compromise bone health.
Another critical nutrition concern, relates to the inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables. These food groups are sources of key vitamins, such as folate, which is linked to the prevention of neuro-tube defects in offspring, and heart disease and cancer in later life. The antioxidant and photochemical content of fruits and vegetables also have a role in preventing heart disease and cancer. Consuming fruits and vegetables daily with particular attention to adequate folate intake should be a nutritional priority for young women.
Nutrition for the Pregnant and Lactating woman:
diet-for-pregnant-women1When a young woman is getting ready for bearing a child and nurturing it, she needs to prepare her body well in order to provide adequate support to another being growing within her. In this phase of her life she needs to pay attentions to;
* Maintain a healthy weight.
* Engage in physical activity regularly.
* Gradually lose body weight
* Women who are trying to become pregnant and ordinarily drink alcoholic beverages, should stop drinking or cut back on the amount drink.
* Quit or cut back on smoking to improve health.
* To minimize the risk of having an infant with a neural tube defect, eat a highly fortified breakfast cereal. Choose foods that provide 100 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for folate.
* It is advised to include in daily eating pattern:
o At least 3 servings of low fat milk and milk products as a source of calcium - a must for bone health.
o At least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
o Two to three servings of meat or alternates a day.
o Five or more servings of grain products depending on energy requirements.
* Pregnant women should try to eat a well-balanced diet including foods naturally rich in folate, such as orange juice, strawberries, cantaloupe, dark green leafy vegetables, asparagus, broccoli, and cooked dried peas and beans. Pregnant women are also likely to need greater amounts of foods fortified with folic acid, such as breakfast cereals or enriched bread, rice, or pasta, or they should take a vitamin supplement.
Nutrition for the Elderly Women:
The aging process is associated with many changes in hormonal and physiological function, some of which are gender related. In women, one of the most dramatic hormonal changes is the striking reduction in estrogen production that accompanies menopause. This period of life and the later, has special nutrient requirements.
Nutritional status has an enormous effect on health throughout life and has no less impact in the elderly. With increasing age, body requires less energy because of a decline in physical activity, a loss of lean body mass and a fall in the metabolic rate. Raising the activity level will increase the need for energy and help avoid gaining weight. Weight gain often occurs in menopausal women, possibly due to declining estrogen.
The food guide for older women, includes information about:
* Whole, enriched and fortified grains and cereals such as brown rice and 100 percent whole wheat bread.
* Bright-colored vegetables such as carrots and broccoli.
* Deep-colored fruit such as berries and melon.
* Eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grain cereal products, especially those high in vitamin C and carotene. These include oranges, grapefruit, carrots, winter squash, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, and green leafy vegetables. These foods are good sources of vitamins and minerals and the major sources of dietary fiber. Fiber helps maintain bowel mobility
* Low- and non-fat dairy products such as yogurt and low-lactose milk.
* Dry beans and nuts, fish, poultry, lean meat and eggs.
* Liquid vegetable oils and soft spreads low in saturated and trans fat.
* Fluid intake.
* Physical activity such as walking, housework and yard work.
Although researchers have been addressing the special nutrition needs of menopausal and older women, it is generally agreed that a diet rich in vegetables, grains, fruits, and calcium and lower in fat, alcohol, calories, and caffeine is a wise choice for these group of people.
Although, nutrition is an important component of human development at every stage of life, its focus changes with age. This is more relevant for women for they undergo many physical, biological and psychological changes as they age.
After a galloping phase of infancy and early childhood, where the nutrition is completely taken care of by the elders around the child, comes the most crucial phase in life. This is the phase of adolescence (which is Latin means to grow up), which is the period between the onset of puberty and full maturity (i.e. 10 to 21 years).This is the time when child begins to see himself / herself as an individual and exercise his/ her choice for everything. The influences experienced by an adolescent often make a template for shaping the life of an adult. While trying to keep pace with the rapid physical changes and peer pressure, intense concern with appearance and weight and an active lifestyle, the adolescents often neglect the importance of nutrition. This is more observed in girls as they focus on their appearance more than what could make them a healthy individual. The biological, social, psychological and cognitive changes that occur during adolescence can significantly affect nutritional health.
Nutrition for adolescent girl:
The biological process of puberty is characterized with rapid growth in height and weight, changes in body composition and tissues and acquisition of primary and secondary sex characters. The average duration of puberty in girls is 4 years, with a range of 1.5 to 8 years. Nutrition needs parallel the rate of growth with the maximum nutrition demands occurring during the peak velocity of the growth. Sex hormones estrogen and progesterone contribute to changes in body composition which cause fat deposits. Research has shown that pubertal girls experience 44% increase in lean body mass and 120% increase in body fat.
The changes in the body composition have important implication for nutritional needs especially with respect to energy, iron and protein.
Importance of Breakfast
Eating a good breakfast increases thinking power and helps maintain a healthy body weight. Eating at breakfast time helps to stop snacking on high calorie bars and confectionery at break time and so can help keep the total calorie intake also low. Having a fortified cereal for breakfast helps to meet the adolescent calcium and iron needs.
What should an adolescent girl eat more?
This is the age when the body demands more of calcium and iron. Lack of calcium intake can have a detrimental affect on bone growth as this is the age when the gain in bone density is maximum (up to 90%). Milk, cheese and yogurt are the best sources of calcium. Teenagers also need equivalent of a pint-and-a-half of ordinary milk or a pint of fortified milk each day. This can be made up of milk on breakfast cereal, milk in tea, coffee, milkshakes or smoothies.
Iron is another nutrient which is to be taken regularly. Iron is found in plant foods which need to be combined with vitamin C rich foods, for example a glass of orange juice (vitamin C) with beans (iron) on toast. Other vitamin C rich foods are citrus fruits (orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit), kiwi, nectarines, mango, blackcurrants and drinks based on these fruits. Potatoes are also a good source of vitamin C. Alternative good sources of iron are eggs, fortified breakfast cereal, whole meal bread, broccoli, spinach, prunes and apricots.
Adolescent girls should also eat diet high in protein in order for proper muscle growth. Some of the good sources of protein are cheese, yogurt, milk, eggs, beans (all types such as kidney beans, butter beans, beans in tomato sauce), peas, chick peas, lentils and peanuts. Vegetables are rich source of vitamins, including vitamin A and C, and folate, minerals, such as iron and magnesium, and fiber. Besides, they are low in fat. One should have 2 to 4 servings of vegetables each day.
In summary, the best nutrition advice to keep your adolescent healthy includes encouraging her to:
* Eat a variety of foods
* Balance the food you eat with physical activity
* Eat plenty of grain products, vegetables and fruits
* Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol
* Eat a diet that is moderate in sugars and salt
* Choose a diet that provides enough calcium and iron to meet the growing bodys requirements.
Nutrition for the Young Woman:
diet-for-young-womanYoung women undergo dramatic changes while moving from adolescence into their early twenties. These include physical, social, cognitive, and emotional development. At a time when nutrient requirements peak, the lifestyles of young women may compromise their food intake placing them at risk for many nutritional imbalances.
Most attention directed to this age group tends to be on issues of weight including obesity, dysfunctional eating, and eating disorders. Although these are important, this emphasis completely ignores the nutritional health concerns that face young women. Dietary deficiencies most notably iron, calcium, and folate are commonly related to inadequate energy intakes or the omission of whole food groups Lifestyle trends can also influence young womens diets. Lack of discipline in eating and the shift in food consumption from meals to snacks becomes the order of the day. Scientific reports mention that as the number of eating episodes increase so does the mean intake of energy, total carbohydrates, and sugars.
Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency among older adolescent girls and young women due to iron losses during menses and poor dietary intakes. The consequences of iron deficiency are subtle but serious, including decreased work performance, impaired body temperature regulation, and altered intellectual performance. Young women should also eat foods rich in iron as mentioned for the adolescent girls.
There is also a concern about calcium intake of young women because of its association with bone health in later years. Maximizing peak bone mass during the first two to three decades of life can prevent osteoporosis. Dietary calcium improves bone accretion, but 60% of females aged 13-17 years are reported to consume less than the recommended intake of milk and milk products, the best source of calcium. Vitamin D is needed along with calcium to build strong bones while excess sodium, protein, caffeine, and phosphorus may compromise bone health.
Another critical nutrition concern, relates to the inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables. These food groups are sources of key vitamins, such as folate, which is linked to the prevention of neuro-tube defects in offspring, and heart disease and cancer in later life. The antioxidant and photochemical content of fruits and vegetables also have a role in preventing heart disease and cancer. Consuming fruits and vegetables daily with particular attention to adequate folate intake should be a nutritional priority for young women.
Nutrition for the Pregnant and Lactating woman:
diet-for-pregnant-women1When a young woman is getting ready for bearing a child and nurturing it, she needs to prepare her body well in order to provide adequate support to another being growing within her. In this phase of her life she needs to pay attentions to;
* Maintain a healthy weight.
* Engage in physical activity regularly.
* Gradually lose body weight
* Women who are trying to become pregnant and ordinarily drink alcoholic beverages, should stop drinking or cut back on the amount drink.
* Quit or cut back on smoking to improve health.
* To minimize the risk of having an infant with a neural tube defect, eat a highly fortified breakfast cereal. Choose foods that provide 100 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for folate.
* It is advised to include in daily eating pattern:
o At least 3 servings of low fat milk and milk products as a source of calcium - a must for bone health.
o At least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
o Two to three servings of meat or alternates a day.
o Five or more servings of grain products depending on energy requirements.
* Pregnant women should try to eat a well-balanced diet including foods naturally rich in folate, such as orange juice, strawberries, cantaloupe, dark green leafy vegetables, asparagus, broccoli, and cooked dried peas and beans. Pregnant women are also likely to need greater amounts of foods fortified with folic acid, such as breakfast cereals or enriched bread, rice, or pasta, or they should take a vitamin supplement.
Nutrition for the Elderly Women:
The aging process is associated with many changes in hormonal and physiological function, some of which are gender related. In women, one of the most dramatic hormonal changes is the striking reduction in estrogen production that accompanies menopause. This period of life and the later, has special nutrient requirements.
Nutritional status has an enormous effect on health throughout life and has no less impact in the elderly. With increasing age, body requires less energy because of a decline in physical activity, a loss of lean body mass and a fall in the metabolic rate. Raising the activity level will increase the need for energy and help avoid gaining weight. Weight gain often occurs in menopausal women, possibly due to declining estrogen.
The food guide for older women, includes information about:
* Whole, enriched and fortified grains and cereals such as brown rice and 100 percent whole wheat bread.
* Bright-colored vegetables such as carrots and broccoli.
* Deep-colored fruit such as berries and melon.
* Eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grain cereal products, especially those high in vitamin C and carotene. These include oranges, grapefruit, carrots, winter squash, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, and green leafy vegetables. These foods are good sources of vitamins and minerals and the major sources of dietary fiber. Fiber helps maintain bowel mobility
* Low- and non-fat dairy products such as yogurt and low-lactose milk.
* Dry beans and nuts, fish, poultry, lean meat and eggs.
* Liquid vegetable oils and soft spreads low in saturated and trans fat.
* Fluid intake.
* Physical activity such as walking, housework and yard work.
Although researchers have been addressing the special nutrition needs of menopausal and older women, it is generally agreed that a diet rich in vegetables, grains, fruits, and calcium and lower in fat, alcohol, calories, and caffeine is a wise choice for these group of people.
Although, nutrition is an important component of human development at every stage of life, its focus changes with age. This is more relevant for women for they undergo many physical, biological and psychological changes as they age.
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