Top 10 HealthEnhancing Nutrition Strategies for Women

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Top 10 Health-Enhancing Nutrition Strategies for
Women

• Melissa Stevens Ohlson, MS, RD, LD
• Nutrition Program Coordinator
• Preventive Cardiology Rehabilitation

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Maintain or Achieve a Healthy Body Weight

• Overweight and obesity increase risk for
• Heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Several types of cancer
• Hypertenstion
• Osteoarthritis
• Sleep disorders

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Maintain or Achieve a Healthy Body Weight

• Modest weight loss can have a significant health
  impact
  
• Avoid fad diets
• Space calories throughout the day into small,
  frequent meals snacks
  
• Exercise most days of the week
• Practice relaxation!

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Focus on Fiber

• Associated with reductions in
• Diabetes and blood sugars
• Obesity and weight loss
• Cholesterol and heart disease
• Certain cancers
• Digestive diseases and disorders
• High-Fiber foods are high in disease-fighting
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Antioxidants
• Phytochemicals
• Unsaturated fats

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Focus on Fiber

• Aim for 25 or more grams fiber each day
• Choose unrefined grains and look for
• 100 whole wheat/rye/oat flour
• Stone ground whole grain flour
• Unenriched, unrefined flours
• Breads, pastas, crackers 2 g fiber/serving
• Cereals 5 g fiber and
• Avoid the white stuff!

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Eat 5-9 Servings of Fruits Vegetables Daily

• Provides the body with an array of antioxidants,
  vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber
  
• Low in calories
• Highly satisfying and filling
• Easy to sneak into just about any dish!

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Tips on Increasing Fruits Veggies

• Top cereal or yogurt with fresh fruit
• Snack on pre-cut veggies
• Eat a large tossed-salad for lunch
• Pile sandwiches high with vegetables
• Snack on a fruit nut trail mix
• Buy pre-cut vegetables and steam or microwave for
  a quick side-dish
  
• Enjoy vegetable soup before meals
• Grab a piece of fruit for an on-the-go snack

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Reduce Saturated Fat

• Limit high cuts of beef, liver
• Trim skin off poultry, choose white meat
• Choose nonfat or low-fat dairy foods and cheese
• Limit baked goods that contain butter, lard or
  tropical oils (palm, palm-kernel, coconut)
  
• Choose foods with less than 2 grams saturated fat
  per serving
  

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Reduce Trans Fats

• Limit fried foods
• Limit baked goods, candy, chips, crackers and
  other snack foods that contain partially
  hydrogenated oils in the ingredients
  
• Choose foods that contain liquid vegetable oils
• Choose liquid or tub trans-free margarines

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Choose Healthy Fats

• Monounsaturated fats
• Olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, most nuts and
  nut butters
  
• Avocados, olives
• Omega-3 Polyunsaturated fats
• Fatty fish, fish oils
• Walnuts, flaxseeds, canola oil, soy foods

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Increase Natural Phytoestrogens

• Soy foods
• Tofu, Edamame, soy beans, soy nuts, tempeh,
  textured soy protein.
  
• Flaxseed ground
• Ground flax best source of the phytoestrogen
  ligan also a great source of omega-3 fat and
  fiber.
  
• Beans, nuts and seeds
• Whole grains e.g. buckwheat, millet, bulgur,
  quinoa, brown rice.
  

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Additional Strategies (please refer to handout)

• Get adequate calcium (1,000-1,500 mg) and vitamin
  D (400 IU)
  
• Increase plant protein foods
• Moderate alcohol
• Get moving
• Schedule regular health check-ups