When it comes to healthy eating, the same rules apply to everyone – men and women, young and old. However, women, particularly women in their 30s, need something extra in their meals that neither the young nor men need. 

This is mainly because women need special nutrients for their wellbeing, as it is women who have to go through monthly menstruations, childbirth, breastfeeding and later, menopause. In each of these development stages, girls and women require a higher intake of certain nutrients, i.e. calcium and Vitamin D, iron, magnesium and Vitamin B9. 

Here are some of the special nutrients and foods that should be present in women’s regular meals, especially after they’ve reached their 30th birthday. 

Calcium 

Women need more calcium than men all their lives, especially after they’ve gone through one or multiple pregnancies. Just like anyone else, women need calcium to maintain their bones and teeth, regulate their heartbeats, and to make sure the nervous system is working properly. Moreover, women need extra calcium to make up for the amount they’ve lost during their pregnancies, as the growing babies in the mother’s womb draw their calcium need from the mother’s bones. 

Women who have not taken enough calcium-enriched food or calcium supplements during their pregnancies and breastfeeding days can develop osteoporosis (bone loss) later in their life. Besides, calcium deficiency is also the reason behind depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties and irritability in women. 

All women need calcium-enriched food such as yogurt, low-fat or fat-free milk, cheese, tofu, and sardines. An adult woman needs around 100 mg of calcium every day, and the requirement reaches 1200 mg/day after they are 50 years old. 

Vitamin D 

It’s not just women, but men too, who need their daily dose of Vitamin D. Actually, Vitamin D is crucial for the proper absorption of calcium in the body. Even if you complete your daily intake of Calcium, it is incomplete and useless without Vitamin D. 

Half an hour in the sunlight is all you need for your necessary intake of Vitamin D; failing to do so, Vitamin D can be found in salmon, cod, Vitamin-D enriched eggs and milk, and shrimp. 

Magnesium

Just like Vitamin D, magnesium is also needed for your body to properly absorb calcium. Magnesium is mostly found in vegetables and leafy greens, most particularly, in summer squash, cucumber, celery, broccoli, and green beans. You can also find Vitamin D in halibut and a number of seeds, to fulfil your daily requirement of 400 mg/day. 

Iron

Almost all their lives, women lose a significant amount of blood every month during their menstruation. Along with the blood, they lose hemoglobin, which can be only replaced by eating a lot of iron-enriched food. Iron is also needed for healthy, glowing skin, shiny hair and strong nails. This is one of the reasons some pregnant women actually have better hair, nails, and skin when they are pregnant because they take iron supplements during this time. 

Lack of iron in your diet is also responsible for women feeling irritable, weak, lightheaded, exhausted and sleepy, out of breath after a simple physical activity. Iron deficiency can be tested through a simple blood test, and your daily requirement can be fulfilled with some special iron-enriched food. 

One of the best sources of iron in nature is red meat, especially liver. However since too much red meat can increase your cholesterol levels, there are other healthier sources of iron in green vegetables and leafy greens. Poultry, fish, seafood, tuna and sardines, white and kidney beans, tomatoes and green peas, dried raisins and apricots are natural sources of iron for women. 

You can also get iron from iron-fortified breakfast cereal, pasta, rice, and bread. The daily iron requirement for any women aged 19 to 50 is 15mg; the requirement increases to 27 mg per day when pregnant and decreases to 10 mg/day when breastfeeding. 

Vitamin B9 (Folate) 

Vitamin B9, or Folic Acid as it is more commonly known, is a special nutrient that is important for women who want to conceive or are of child-bearing age. Any woman trying to conceive is prescribed Folic Acid to reduce their child’s chances of neurological birth defect and is continued for the first trimester of their pregnancy. Even women who are not trying to conceive are prescribed Folic Acid as it can reduce the chances of specific types of cancer and heart disease in women. During menopause, Folic Acid helps the body manufacture an adequate amount of estrogen. 

Women need around 400 micrograms of folic acid every day, a tiny amount that can be found in certain nuts, fruits, and fruit juices, peas and beans. Other sources of folate and folic acid are cooked spaghetti, white bread, fortified breakfast cereals, and fruits like papaya, orange, and banana. 

Other Important Nutrients and Foods 

Some of the other important nutrients that women especially need are these, as follows: 

  • Omega-3 and Omega-6 are important nutrients that boost hormone production in women. They can be found in soybeans, tofu, nuts and seeds, safflower oil and sunflower oil, and in special Omega-3 enriched eggs. 
  • Vitamin E enriched foods slow down the aging process, keeping you looking younger and healthier. You can find Vitamin-E in peanut butter, corn oil, hazelnuts wheat germs, cod liver oil, and safflower oil. 
  • Whole grains have a number of nutrients in them, including fibre, Vitamin B, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid. Brown rice and wheat, pasta and bread are good for women going through menopause, and a single serving can easily fulfil their daily need of 4.7 grams of whole-grain fibre. 

Women need to take special care of their body, their health and their food intake, especially during the times their bodies are going through certain changes. Women, from a very early age, have to face a number of fluctuations and developments in their bodies, and they need to take care of themselves at all times. While healthy living and clean eating are for everyone, women need some nutrients for themselves at every stage of their lives.