Clearly, we know women are different from men - but when it comes to their health just how different? From menstruation to menopause and beyond, women are presented with a very unique health experience. Whether its pregnancy, PMS, fatigue or osteoporosis often hormones are involved in a big way. We now know that heart disease is a bigger concern for women than we thought especially in the postmenopausal years due to the decrease in estrogen levels. Osteoporosis as well as elevated cholesterol also becomes an issue for many during these years.
Usually a discussion of women's hormones is often only about estrogen and progesterone. What about the other hormones? Today women's fast paced lives have led to an overabundance of Adrenal burn-out which is often the reason so many women are exhausted these days. Insulin resistance is also on the rise with high starch and sugar foods being over consumed or worse yet - meals being missed - causing often dangerous fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Insulin resistance and adrenal stress levels can be determined through blood and salivary testing (for adrenals). Also, I often recommend women have their thyroid levels checked as well as that can also contribute to fatigue and weight gain. For adrenal support B-complex vitamins and adrenal support herbs like ginseng, ashwanganda are often recommended. For insulin resistance supplements like alpha lipoic acid, chromium as well as fish oil are often part of the protocol I recommend.
Women experience monthly and often daily hormonal cycles often affecting moods, weight and even brain chemistry. For example, serotonin - the "calming" brain chemical responsible for sleep, mood and pain sensitivity - is lower in women than men. Without sufficient amounts of serotonin women often crave carbohydrates causing weight gain and a rise blood sugar. A healthier solution is adding quality proteins and good fats to the diet to help raise serotonin.
Having worked with mostly with women throughout my career, I have noticed the two areas of greatest concern are: weight and fatigue. However, with more and more of the population entering peri-menopause and menopause other additional issues seem to crop up - like sleep disorders, hot flashes and bone loss. Symptoms can be greatly helped if the health and dietary recommendations listed below are adopted. Often misunderstood and yet touted on a daily basis is the notion that all foods should be evaluated on how many calories they contain versus the quality of the food itself. Our state of health and, subsequently our weight, is greatly dependent on the vitality of the food - the more vital and fresh a food is the more vital a person will be.
A woman's health is also dependent on having a healthy digestive tract. Constipation, bloat, heartburn and gas and even yeast infections indicate an unhealthy gastrointestinal tract. An unhealthy digestive tract will not perform correctly and weight imbalances, fatigue and other symptoms are often the result. Food allergies also constitute a burden on our digestive and immune systems often causing weight gain as well. One health regimen that I have become a big proponent of is a yearly detoxification program. To clarify, a proper detoxification program includes more than just colon cleansing it also focuses on the liver's detoxifying function. This process rids the body of an accumulation of toxins helping restore one's vitality.
Starting with a good diet is crucial when dealing with women's symptoms. Not just "a vegetable" per meal but many vegetables throughout the day at every meal if possible. Vegetables are chocked full of essential vitamins and minerals important for optimal health. Laboratory and clinical dietary assessment also shows that women are often deficient in protein. Quality protein like vegetables should be consumed at every meal.
A Good Balanced Diet should include the following Food Groups:
- Quality proteins - meat, fish, eggs, chicken, turkey
- Healthy fats - olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocados, nuts and seeds
- Non-starchy vegetables - broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, etc
- Fruit - all
- Starches - these foods should be limited, they include the following:
- starchy vegetables like corn, potato, squash, etc
- beans - garbanzo, kidney, black beans, etc
- complex whole grains - rye, quinoa, brown rice, etc
Eating is an important shared human experience and many women are not eating well. Often racing out while eating their breakfast or missing it altogether or munching their lunch while frantically multitasking? Not only do these habits stress out a women's already burn-out system but it can strongly affect how the food is processed and utilized. Are possible food allergens being created because the food is not properly digested? As a woman matures she can no longer get away with many of these "non nurturing habits". As part of my ongoing wellness coaching - I often recommend the "Do-Less-Program" where women make shorter "To Do" lists and learn how to take care of themselves first.
The specific health and dietary guidelines I recommend for women are as follows:
o Eat 5 meals per day - 3 meals and 2 snacks. Eating every 3-4 hours is best.
o Always eat proteins with carbohydrates and vise versa - do not eat either alone. Proteins alone will stress your adrenal glands and eating carbohydrates alone could prove problematic for blood sugar/insulin balance.
o Protein portions are usually determined based on body weight however on average, I would recommend between 2-5 ounces per meal and 1-3ounces per snack.
o Adequate amounts of pure filtered water - you should be drinking ½ your body weight in water (ie 150 lb. woman should drink 75 oz of water per day) - this helps to cleanse your body, improve elimination and improve hydration of the skin.
o Sleep Maintenance - it is important to have at least 8-10 hours of uninterrupted sleep - this helps bring a woman's overworked adrenal glands in order.
o Stress Management -again essential for maintaining proper hormonal balance - whether it is deep breathing, massage or various supplements - learning to relax is vital.
o Healthy Exercise - adaptive and stretching versus excessive aerobic exercise will have beneficial effects on a woman's hormones - especially the "tired" adrenals glands
o High Quality Supplements -it is very important to get the best quality supplements available. When using products with oils in them - like fish oil, CoQ 10, Vitamin E - it is so very crucial to get the best quality. Oils are vulnerable and can easily become rancid during and prior to processing
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