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Naprogesic - Nutrition and Wellness

A woman’s extra needs

A woman’s nutritional needs differ greatly from those of a man. Women have additional pressures placed on them during times of puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause. It is important that women eat a wide variety of foods everyday.

Basically, foods can be classified into five main groups; fruits, vegetables, breads and cereals, dairy and meat/alternative. It’s important to eat a healthy balanced range of all foods. Cutting out a particular food can often cause increased cravings. So treat yourself every so often!

The National Health and Medical Research council have developed a set of guidelines to help provide nutritional advice for all Australian’s. Recommended Dietary Intakes (RDI’s) have been set for different groups of people, i.e. children, men and women.

Nutrient needs during the menstrual cycle

The change in hormones during a woman’s menstrual cycle often results in food cravings. Food cravings are common as a woman’s period approaches. Many women like to turn to comfort food such as chocolate, ice cream, chips, strawberries and most of all carbohydrates! These cravings are a result of increased energy requirements during this time of the month. Eating foods higher in protein and complex carbohydrates can help to curve these cravings.

Iron requirements

Iron is a mineral that helps carry oxygen around the body in the blood. Women and men need differing amounts of iron. Men require approximately 8mg of iron per day, while women need 18mg a day or 27mg if pregnant. This extra iron requirement is to make up for the amount of iron women loose during their period. This loss averages around 1mg for every day of bleeding.

Iron is found in many foods, including those listed below:

Red meat
Fortified cereals
Egg yolks
Legumes and nuts
Leafy green vegetables.

Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in women. This can lead to iron deficiency anaemia. Some of the more common symptoms include increased tiredness and breathlessness. During pregnancy, it is particularly important to have an adequate intake of iron as deficiency can increase the risk of having a preterm baby or a baby with low birth weight.

Increased demands during pregnancy

During pregnancy, a woman’s needs change yet again. The body requires additional iron, calcium, iodine, folate (also known and folic acid), zinc and B vitamins to manage the extra demands of pregnancy. Breastfeeding also places different demands on a woman’s body. During this time, she needs extra Zinc, vitamin C and Vitamin A.

Pregnant women only need 600kJ or 140 kilocalories (kcal) more than non-pregnant women, which can be easily achieved by eating a little more from each of the five food groups daily.

The most common deficiencies in pregnant women include:

Calcium: A developing baby requires calcium, which it receives from its mother. Therefore it is important for a mother-to-be to prepare for pregnancy by ensuring she receives enough calcium before and during pregnancy. Good sources of calcium include dairy products like milk, cheese and yoghurt.

Folic acid (folate): The recommended daily intake (RDI) for folic acid increases significantly during pregnancy. Folic acid is needed for the development and growth of new cells. Research suggests that insufficient folic acid at conception and in the first trimester of pregnancy can increase the risk of neural tube defects in the unborn baby. Good sources of folic acid include leafy green vegetables, poultry, eggs and cereals, particularly fortified cereals .

Iron: The developing baby draws enough iron to last through the first five or six months after birth. This may be at the expense of mum's iron stores. Therefore it is important for mums to ensure that their iron stores are adequate. Iron rich foods include red meat, egg yolks and leafy green vegetables.

Zinc: Is needed to maintain the health of cells. Foods high in zinc include meat, eggs and seafood. Leavened wholegrain products can also be helpful (yeast helps release the bound zinc).

Vitamin and mineral supplements may also help to achieve your nutrient intake during this special time in your life. For more information, visit www.elevit.com.au or see your pharmacist of healthcare professional.

Breastfeeding

Nutrient requirements generally increase a lot more during breastfeeding (500–800kcal) than in pregnancy (140kcal). Important nutrients during this time are protein, calcium, vitamin C, folate, zinc, magnesium, vitamin B6 and water. Women who have not accumulated sufficient iron stores during pregnancy can develop iron deficiency anaemia when they are breastfeeding. This can be addressed by increasing the amounts of iron-rich foods eaten every day or, if necessary, taking supplements if advised to do so by your doctor.

Calcium and osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disease that is often called the silent disease, as it often goes unnoticed until a fracture occurs, usually after having a fall. The disease is characterised by a thinning of the bones until they are weak and easily fracture or break. Women are at greater risk of developing osteoporosis than men, particularly after menopause, because oestrogen levels are reduced. There are many factors that can increase your risk of developing osteoporosis For example:

Low calcium intake during the growing years – The developmental years are the most important when it comes to building peak bone mass. This is the time when a women accumulates her peak bone mass, which can help to reduce the risk of osteoporosis later in life. Adequate calcium intake throughout life is essential to help maintain your peak bone mass.

Diet – salt, caffeine and alcohol interfere with the balance of calcium in the body because they increase the amount of calcium that is lost in the urine. Consume them sparingly.

Exercise – or the lack of it, can also affect peak bone mass. Weight bearing exercise, such as walking, running or cycling also help to build peak bone mass, which can reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis.

Low body weight – maintaining a low body weight (body mass index less than 18) has been associated with the development of osteoporosis.

Low Vitamin D intake - Vitamin D intake helps your body absorb calcium.

Vitamin D and calcium

Vitamin D is often called the “sunshine vitamin”. Vitamin D is synthesized by your skin from exposure to sunlight. It is an essential vitamin that helps to increase calcium absorption. For most people, the sun is the best source of vitamin D. In today’s environment, many of us do not get enough regular exposure to the sun. We often leave home in the dark and return late at night, we apply sunscreen (which blocks Vitamin D rays), we have tinted windows, we wear clothing that protects us from the sun.

It is important to protect our skin from the sun, however we do require minimal exposure (approximately 10 minutes per day, and not during the most dangerous parts of the day 10-3pm) to get adequate vitamin D intake. For those of us who don’t get this minimum exposure, there are some food sources of Vitamin D. These include eggs and fatty fish from the northern hemisphere such as mackerel and sardines

Thrush

Thrush is a very common condition. It is estimated that around 75% of all adult women will have at least one episode during their lifetime. While thrush is not a medically serious condition, its symptoms can be unpleasant and should always be treated promptly.

Thrush is an infection of the vagina by a yeast called Candida albicans. Harmless yeasts are often found in the vagina, but in some women, Candida albicans multiplies rapidly and causes problems. It produces irritating substances that are discharged in the normal secretions, and this causes inflammation to the sensitive skin around the vaginal opening. It is this irritation that is often the first sign of thrush.

If you develop thrush you will need to treat it with a special anti-fungal thrush treatment. There is a range of treatment options available. Your pharmacist or healthcare professional will be able to advise what is best for you. For more information on thrush and treatments, visit www.canesten.com.au.

Acne

Acne starts in the teenage years, but for many clears up and tends to disappear when you reach your twenties. For about 1 in 3 teens, acne can be a persistent problem and cause distress and embarrassment. For most this problem does not persist, with only 8% of people still suffering in the thirties and only 3% suffering into their 40’s .

Acne is primarily caused when the skins pores become blocked by either dead skin cells and sebum (skins natural oils) or both. To help treat Acne it is important to keep your skin clean. There are many treatments available which may also help. Your pharmacist or healthcare professional will be able to advise you on what is best for your condition and skin type.

There are plenty of myths about acne. Many people mistakenly believe that diet, e.g. eating greasy food or chocolate can cause pimples. This is a myth and is untrue. Additionally, picking or squeezing at pimples does not improve the problem. While tempting to squeeze, this can actually cause the pimple causing oils to spread, thus increasing the problem.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis can be a painful condition suffered by many women. It is a condition where the endometrium (the tissue that normally lines the uterus) is found outside of the uterus on the surface of other organs of the pelvis . Like the endometrium found in the uterus, these fragments outside of the uterus thicken in the first half of the cycle and bleed in the second half.

Unlike in the uterus however, this blood and tissue has no where to go, so bleeding occurs on the surrounding tissues and organs. This can be painful. It can lead to irregular menstrual bleeding, infertility and sometimes bladder and bowel symptoms.

Roughly 10% of women in Australia suffer from endometriosis at some stage of their menstruating years. It can occur in women of all ages at any stage. If you are concerned about this condition, please see your healthcare professional for advice. Once diagnosed, treatments are available.

Looking after your health

We all know that we need to exercise, but how many of us exercise enough to keep us fit and healthy?

Exercise is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle. There are many health benefits of exercise and many in particular for women. Exercising regularly can help to increase bone mass so you have strong healthy bones, it can help to relieve period pain, increase metabolism, give you more energy and help you cope with the day to day stresses of modern living.

So how much exercise do we all need? Moderately intense exercise is recommended on a regular basis. This may be 30 minutes of walking on most days of the week. So, what’s moderately intense? A good test is if you can still talk while exercising. If you find it too difficult to talk and exercise, you’ll know your workout intensity has increased.

There are many, many forms of exercise. Aerobic exercises are those that increase your lung capacity. These include swimming, running, cycling or boxing. There are also flexibility exercises such as yoga and Pilates. Weight lifting and strength training is another form of exercise, commonly known as resistance training.

Remember, that taking the stairs instead of the lift, or walking to the shops instead of driving is also exercise so it’s important to continue with these activities.

If it’s weight loss you’re looking to achieve, exercise can help. It’s important to remember that we need to balance the number of kilojoules that we eat or drink with our own level of activity. For successful weight loss we need to burn more energy that we take in.

Remember, we all need to exercise at a level that is comfortable to us, so if you haven’t exercised in a while, speak to your healthcare professional about designing an exercise plan that is right for you.

Exercise

We all know that we need to exercise, but how many of us exercise enough to keep us fit and healthy?

Remember, that taking the stairs instead of the lift, or walking to the shops instead of driving is also exercise so it’s important to continue with the activities.