International Women’s Day 2021: Helping Women overcoming Nutritional Challenges

8th March is recognized as women’s day, it emphasizes the social, economical, cultural, and political value and status of women. Everyone’s body is different and thus has different Nutritional requirements. Our body grows, develops, and maintains itself based on the Nutrition it gets. Women have unique nutritional needs. Perhaps, by eating well at every stage of life, one can control cravings, manage your weight, boost your energy, and look and feel your best.

Women usually neglect their own dietary needs. They tend to feel that one is too busy to eat well or are used to putting the needs of the family before your own. The growing nutrition and lifestyle related diseases such as Obesity, Diabetes, Cardiovascular diseases, hormonal changes and other metabolic syndromes among women are of a serious concern now. The burning desire of Women to balance work and life is somehow compromised in their nutrition intake which in take causes women to go through lots of nutritional challenges.

So, to overcome such challenges let’s look into various steps that can help women invest in Nutrition and well-being:

• End the cycle Iron Deficiency Women are especially susceptible to iron deficiency and anemia during pregnancy. It causes fatigue, reduce work capacity, and make people more susceptible to infection. Iron along with folate plays a crucial role in a healthy pregnancy. Beetroot, Beans, peas, pumpkin seeds, green vegetables, poultry and raisins are good sources of iron.
• Pave way for Vitamin A Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin responsible for immune function and healthy eyesight. Vitamin A deficiency, known as VAD can cause growth retardation and impaired vision, remains a significant issue among women. Including foods rich in beta carotenes like carrots, spinach, broccoli, red yellow bell pepper, pumpkins, grapefruit, cantaloupe, and sweet potato are a good way to deal with VAD.
• Supplement your diet with Vitamin B12 Vitamin B 12 is a water-soluble vitamin responsible brain and neurological function. Deficiency may lead to megaloblastic anemia, atrophic gastritis etc. Women are also subjected to lack of B12 because of following fad diets. Shell fishes, meat, egg yolk, milk products, seaweeds are some of the good sources of Vitamin B12.
• Let go of Vitamin D shortage Vitamin D3 is responsible for calcium absorption required for maintaining good bone mineral density, preventing rickets, osteoporosis, lowers the risk of fractures and helps building strong immunity. As women become older, the bone health tends to deteriorate adding enough calcium and vitamin D-rich foods in your diet is the key. Some of the calcium-rich foods are milk, cheese, figs, dates and yogurt.
• Take in your Iodine – Iodine is responsible for the production of thyroid hormone that is responsible for regulating metabolic changes, growth and repair. Women tend to fail in order to meet the body’s iodine requirements that can cause goiter and hypothyroidism, a condition marked by fatigue and weakness. Fish, egg dairy and seaweed should be consumed as they are rich sources of iodine.

Over to you.
Our bodies are After all our responsibilities. So, this women’s day follow the above-mentioned pointers which will help you understand the needs better and thus be able to take care of your body better.