Foods Every Woman Should Be Eating
Certain Food, such as avocado, are especially good for women's health
issues, like brittle bones & breast cancer.
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Women's Bodies Have Different Needs
- Healthy eating is important for everyone, but certain foods are especially good for issues
that affect women, like brittle bones, pregnancy & breast cancer, to name a few. - These 'super foods' are rich with nutrients (often more than one!) that will help to protect
your body & keep it working well, even as you age.
Edamame
- These tasty soybean pods are full of fiber, good fats & estrogen-like compounds called isoflavones. Isoflavones can be your friends during menopause.
- For example, they can help cool hot flashes.
- If you've had breast cancer, though, you may want to avoid them.
Kale
- Packed into these green leaves are loads of vitamin K, which works with calcium & vitamin
D to keep your bones strong & healthy. - One serving has more than 20% of the daily recommended amounts of vitamins A & C.
Asparagus
- Want another way to get your bone-building vitamin K?
- Asparagus has you covered.
- Nosh on half a cup of voila: You've got a third of what you need for the day.
- It's also full of folate, which helps prevent birth defects like spina bifida.
Beans
- They have lots of protein, without the fat & often the expense that comes with meat &
they're high in fiber. - They can lower your blood pressure, blood sugar & heart rate & all things that can lead
to heart disease, the No. 1 killer of women in the United States.
Grapefruit
-
It's all about about the 'flavonoids,' which help lower the likelihood of certain kinds of
strokes in women & may also help your heart. - Oranges work, too, but grapefruit has less sugar.
- Grapefruit may not be a good combo with your medication, so check with your doctor
before you put in on the menu.
Berries & Cherries
- They're not just pretty in pink & purple & red & blue.
- These fruits have flavonoids & antioxidants, which can protect healthy cells from damage.
- Berries help keep your brain sharper as you get older.
- Plus, you need their vitamin C to build collagen, the protein that keeps your skin firm &
smooth.
Papaya
- Its red-orange color comes from beta carotene (the stuff in carrots) & lycopene (also in tomatoes & watermelon).
- Lycopene lowers your chance of getting cervical & breast cancers.
- It's an antioxidant, too, and keeps cholesterol and blood pressure at healthy levels to help
ward off heart disease.
Plain, Low-Fat Yogurt
- You need more calcium when you're over 50. Yogurt has loads of it, just 8 oz will give
you more than a third of your calcium for the day. - Look for the kind enriched with vitamin D, to help your body use the mineral better.
Sardines
- These little guys are swimming with healthy fatty acids, vitamin D & calcium.
- Their omega-3 fats can improve the quality of breast milk & sardines are good for babies
whose mothers ate them while they were pregnant. - They also have less mercury than most other fish.
Flaxseed
- Ground flaxseed is bursting with fiber as well as lignans, plant compounds that act like
estrogen. - These can help lower your risk for some cancers, including breast cancer.
- Flaxseed oil is a great way to get your omega-3s, but it doesn't come with the added cancer-fighting benefits.
- Check with your doctor before you add flaxseed to your diet; it can affect how well some medications work
Walnuts
- They're also packed with healthy fatty acids & may prevent cancer as part of a balanced
diet. - Use them (or ground flaxseed) as a topping for yogurt.
Avocado
- Yes, they're full of fat, but it's the good fat.
- In fact, studies show avocado-rich diets can help get rid of belly fat & protect your eyes
& skin - They may even help lower 'bad' cholesterol levels & boost the good cholesterol.
Sweet Potato
- Copper, fiber, vitamin B6, potassium, iron & sweet potatoes are the total package.
- Best of all, they're chock-full of beta carotene, an A+ source of vitamin A. During
pregnancy & breastfeeding, it makes sure your babe's little lungs are healthy & strong
Spinach
- Folate is your friend.
- On top of its pre-natal perks, it lowers your chances for getting dementia, heart disease
& colon cancer. - Spinach has folate in spades & lutein, too.
- This antioxidant protects the lens & retina in your eye & may even ward off a few wrinkles.
Beef Liver
- It may not be at the top of the list of foods you crave, but beef liver is an excellent source
of folate & folic acid, beating out top vegetarian contenders like spinach & black-eyed peas by a big margin.
Lean Beef
- Speaking of beef, red meat packs a punch when it comes to iron.
- And after age 18, you need lots of it,more than men do!
- Beef is iron-rich & it also gives you a zinc & vitamin B boost.
- But don't go overboard.
- There's a chance that eating lots of red meat might lead to uterine fibroids.
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