Some files on this site require Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Download it here

As we all know, food satisfies our biological needs and provides nourishment. It provides the body with fuel and the basic building blocks for all our bodies' needs. However, our needs change throughout our lifetime simply because our bodies requirement. For example, the activity level in older adults is not the same as that in children and the rate of the metabolism is also slower. Therefore, older adults do not need the same caloric intake as children. Women, especially, have various specific nutritional needs throughout life because of issues related to reproduction and changes in physiology.

In addition to physiological aspects of nutrition, there are psychological matters. Food also serves as a source of pleasure and comfort, which influence food choice and intake. Common considerations are convenience and social eating.

The most widespread nutritional concerns of women are what to eat and how much. The most recent questions arise regarding dieting: which diet to follow and when to diet and sorting the facts from fiction.

Eating nutritious foods is hard with an active lifestyle
Women, who exercise or lead busy lifestyles, often find that balancing their basic nutritional needs and the extra demanded by their activity levels could be difficult. Nutrition For Women will not only address general nutrition for women, but also specific issues relating to women athletes.

To insure that the various differences in nutritional requirements throughout life are addressed, Nutrition For Women will feature nutritional concerns of women during the various stages of life, including:

• Adolescence
• Puberty
• Childbearing
• Perimenopause
• Postmenopause

Adolescence: Young girls are still growing and their nutritional needs must satisfy their needs for developing bones and other tissues. During the early development years (adolescence), their basal metabolism is higher and energy output is generally greater. Young female athletes must eat enough of the right foods to meet the additional demands of their sport. Topics addressed in further updates of Lifestages will include childhood obesity, low-fat diet myths, eating right for active kids, and childhood eating habits.

Puberty: There are additional considerations when girls reach puberty and begin menstruation, which increases their energy and specific nutrient requirements. Also, this is a time when young women are most influenced by body images and social pressures. Most often, lifetime eating habits are developed during this time of their life and influence their adulthood patterns of nutrition.

Childbearing years: One of the most important considerations during this stage of a woman's life is pregnancy. Later articles will discuss how growth of the fetus increases energy and nutrient demands on a pregnant woman's body. Also reviewed will be nutrition for the nursing mother. In addition to childbearing issues, there is also concern for health consequences of dieting and athletic performance. Severe restriction of energy can interrupt normal menstruation with resultant health consequences such as bone mineral loss and increased risk of injury. Some of these topics will receive in-depth discussion in future releases.

Perimenopause: When a woman reaches the ages of 35 to 50, her body changes in several ways. For instance, the metabolic rate slows down and hormonal changes influence energy levels and bone mineral density. Nutrition and exercise become very important lifestyle components. Special nutritional considerations will be presented in updates of Lifestages.

Postmenopause: After menopause, many women experience nutritional deficiencies due to changes in eating patterns and food absorption. Loss of bone mineral density is a primary concern in women of this age group, and hormone therapy may influence nutritional needs. These and other related concerns will be featured in upcoming releases.