Your eating habits can have a significant impact on how you feel, now and in the future. Here is a quick look at some of the special nutritional needs of women.

Nutrients Especially Important to Women

• Calcium. It is vitally important that you get enough calcium to reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis, a debilitating bone disease that is common among women who have experienced menopause. Women need 1,000 mg of calcium daily—for post-menopausal women who are not on estrogen replacement therapy, the requirement is 1,500 mg. An 8-ounce glass of whole or skim milk, 1 ½ ounces of cheese and 1 cup of yogurt all contain 300 mg of calcium. Other foods rich in calcium include green leafy vegetables and calcium-fortified cereals. Vitamin D also is important because it helps the body use calcium. Vitamin D is available in fortified dairy products and in multivitamins—ask your doctor if you are concerned you are not getting enough.
• Iron. Every month, you lose blood during your menstrual cycle—and with that blood, you lose iron. For that reason, women in the childbearing years need approximately 15 milligrams of iron daily. However, it can be hard to get enough iron—it is present in many foods but not in great amounts. Prune juice, liver, lean meats and fortified cereals are rich in iron. Women who do not eat meat are especially prone to iron deficiencies; they can compensate by eating iron-rich legumes such as dried beans and peas.

Eating Right

Eating right may help you reduce your risk of cancer, too. Here are some dietary guidelines to help you reduce your risk of cancer and promote general health.

• Avoid obesity. Obesity is linked to increased death rates from some types of cancers, including breast, ovary, colorectal, uterine and pancreatic cancers.
• Eat a varied diet. This helps you get all the nutrients you need, which helps your body stay healthy.
• Include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins A and C, which have cancer-inhibiting qualities.
• Eat more high-fiber foods. Vegetables, fruits and whole-grain products are rich in fiber, which appears to help protect you from a variety of cancers, especially colorectal cancers.
• Cut down on total fat intake. Eating too much saturated and unsaturated fat has been linked to colorectal and other types of cancer. It is best to limit fats to about 30 percent of your total calorie intake.
• If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Drinking large amounts of alcohol over a long period of time increases your risk of liver cancer. In combination with smoking, alcohol also increases your risk of cancers of the mouth, larynx, throat and esophagus.
• Limit consumption of salt-cured, smoked and nitrate-cured foods. Excessive consumption of smoked and cured meats such as bacon, ham, sausage and the like may promote cancer of the esophagus and stomach. Some cooking methods, including barbequing or smoking, can produce substances that may promote cancer. For that reason, limit your consumption of foods prepared in these ways.

Click here to find out your nutritional needs.

UT Medical Center’s Clinical Nutrition Services Department

Have your primary care physician contact the UT Medical Center Scheduling Department at 865.305.8080 for a nutrition counseling session; questions prior to scheduling should be directed to 865.305.9181.

A counseling session includes the following.

• An analysis of current dietary selections and cooking methods.
• Recommendations for personal nutritional requirements.
• Tips for dining out and smarter supermarket shopping.
• Tools to track your progress on a daily basis.

Consulting fee for this service is $60 per hour. This amount is prorated based on the amount of time spent with the dietitian.