Women’s Health
Why the hype around women’s health?
Health, as we all know, is important for each and every individual but why the fuss around women’s health? Like Michelle Obama rightly said, “Communities, countries and ultimately the world are only as strong as the health of their women.”
A woman goes through tremendous changes all throughout her life physically, physiologically and mentally. However, most of the time she neglects her own health by investing all her time and effort in her loved ones.
So in today’s day and age, rather than just creating an awareness, it is better to empower women in taking care of their own holistic health. In order to achieve this goal, I wil help you understand the importance of nutrition in every phase of a woman’s life.
Childhood and adolescence (0-19)
Although at this early phase, girls require a diet abundant in fruits and vegetables, lean sources of protein, organic dairy produces and whole grains, some nutrients are more important than others such as calcium, Vitamin D and iron.
Studies show that in India, 40.6% of the child population suffer from calcium deficiency and when combined with Vitamin D deficiency, the numbers are even more exaggerated. 50.6% of adolescent girls suffer from iron deficiency as well when they lack sufficient calcium and Vitamin D in their development stage.
Deficiencies at this age group could last a lifetime as this is when all the growth and development takes place in a woman's body. Hence, it is of utmost importance to maintain the nutrient levels in this age group. It is also equally important to maintain a healthy lifestyle by including adequate physical activities and avoiding unhealthy food to prevent childhood obesity. Obese kids generally grow up to be obese adults which brings with it a whole host of other lifestyle disorders.
Fertile age (20-45)
This age is not only important because it is the child bearing phase of a woman's life but it is also the time when ladies go through immense stress and personal changes, both physically and professionally. Moreover, it is the crucial stage of her life where she takes on the role of providing the welfare of family members. If she is well informed about the need for good nutritious food, she would be in a position to influence a minimum of 10 people around her. They would all adopt her healthy eating habits which she would set as the primary care giver of her family. As in all phases, certain nutrients are more necessary than others during this fertile age like folic acid, Vitamin B12, Omega 3, choline, Vitamin D, calcium and iron.
All these nutrients when provided not only helps in maintaining energy levels but also keeps lifestyle disorders at bay. They also help in the growth and development of a healthy foetus when the woman chooses to raise a family.
Menopausal age (>45)
This is the third phase of a woman’s life when another storm of hormonal imbalances increases the requirement of nutrients due to chronic deficiencies of essential vitamins and minerals caused by unhealthy eating habits. This age demands an increase in nutrients such as calcium, iron, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, magnesium and, last but not the least, plenty of fluids. The kidneys become less efficient in removing toxins and thirst signals often become impaired with age so people are less likely to drink enough water and other fluids.
So, like Benjamin Franklin quoted, “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure,” understanding the importance of nutrients in the various age groups and incorporating them in our day-to-day diet is the best kind of prevention. It is also important to keep an eye out for all the signs of deficiency and taking quick action to prevent further damage.
And finally always understand if a woman’s health is compromised, all the members of the family suffer. So this Women’s Day, let us pledge to keep ourselves healthy so that we can ensure the health of all our loved ones.
Referred links:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6696513/#__ffn_sectitle
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5620749/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5084016/#:~:text=Folic%20acid%2C%20iron%2C%20zinc%2C,increases%20during%20pregnancy%20and%20lactation
