Health Promotion - Women’s nutrition needs

A woman’s overall healthy eating pattern needs sources of foods rich in key nutrients throughout their lifecycle such as folic acid, iron, calcium and vitamin D. Being mindful of added sugar, salt and saturated fat and balancing energy intake (calories) with physical activity is also important. There are times during a woman’s lifecycle, such as during pregnancy, breastfeeding and after menopause, when extra food servings alone may not meet needs. In some cases, this may require adding specific supplements to get the extra vitamins and minerals.

Folic acid during the reproductive years

Folic acid helps your body make blood cells and DNA for new cells. Folic acid also helps prevent certain birth defects called neural tube defects (NTD), which can happen in the first three months of pregnancy.

NTDs are highest early in the pregnancy, when many women don’t even know they are pregnant. For this reason, taking folic acid before you become pregnant and in the early weeks of pregnancy is very important. Women who are pregnant or could become pregnant, should take 0.4 mg of folic acid every day in addition to eating food high in folate.

Foods rich in folate are; spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables, oranges, nuts, beans, chicken, lean beef, whole grains, and cereals with added folic acid.

Iron

Iron is a mineral that helps build healthy blood cells that carry oxygen throughout your body. It also helps make certain hormones and connective tissue.

Until menopause, women lose iron every month through menstruation. During pregnancy, women need more iron to supply enough blood for their growing fetus. In these cases, you may not get enough iron from food alone. This can put you at risk for iron deficiency anemia that commonly makes you feel extremely tired. Before taking any iron supplements, you should consult with your primary care physician.

Iron rich foods include lean red meats and chicken, seafood, iron fortified cereals/breads, oysters, beans – especially lentils, dark chocolate (the higher the cocoa content the better!), spinach and tofu. Eating a source of vitamin C (most fruits and vegetables) with these iron rich foods, increases its ability for the body to absorb the iron.

Calcium

Calcium is a mineral that helps muscles work, protects and builds strong bones and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Your body stores calcium in your bones, so if you don’t get enough calcium from food, your body will take calcium from your bones.

Girls and young women aged 9-18 years old need 1300 mg/day of calcium to build strong bones for adulthood. Adult women need 1000 mg/day and post-menopausal women need 1200 mg/day to slow the bone loss that comes with the loss of estrogen production.

Lower fat milk, yogurt, and cheese, calcium fortified soy beverages, tofu (set with calcium sulphate), canned salmon and sardines; and dark green leafy vegetables like kale, broccoli and bok choy are good food sources.

Vitamin D

Called the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D helps the body use calcium and phosphorous to build and maintain strong bones and teeth. It is unique in that the body can make it after exposing skin to sunlight. The season, time of day, cloud cover, smog, skin pigmentation, and sunscreen use can affect the making of vitamin D.

Children and adults alike need 600 International Units (IU) per day. Health Canada recommends a vitamin D supplement of 400 IU for people over the age of 50.

In Canada, major sources of vitamin D are fortified foods. Fluid cow's milk and margarine must be fortified with vitamin D. Goat's milk and fortified plant based beverages (like soy beverages) may or may not be fortified. Other dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt are often made with unfortified milk. Check the labels to see if vitamin D has been added. You can also find natural sources of vitamin D in fatty fish and egg yolks.

Highly processed foods and physical activity

Most foods are processed – milk is pasteurized and fermented, tomatoes and fish are canned, herbs are dried, vegetables are cut and frozen, etc. Yet, highly processed food usually has lots of added sugar, salt (sodium) and saturated fat, all adding up to extra empty calories without being filling. Check the nutrition facts labels for added ingredients. Making homemade food and meals allows you to choose ingredients with lower sodium, sugars and saturated fat.

Physical activity is an important part of a woman's health. Regular physical activity helps with weight management, muscle strength, balance, flexibility and stress management. When you are active, you are more likely to make better food choices and feel better too.

Being aware of age-related nutritional needs throughout a woman’s lifecycle will help build a healthy eating pattern. Choosing healthy, whole foods, rich in sources of key nutrients and while reducing highly processed food and adding daily physical activity can help a woman maintain a healthy body and mind.

For more information on eating healthy, check out Canada’s Food Guide.

Pamela Hatton, RD, MSc is part of the Strengthening the Forces team and works on promoting healthy eating and nutritional wellness.

Strengthening the Forces is CAF/DND's healthy lifestyles promotion program providing expert information, skills and tools for promoting and improving CAF members' health and well-being.