Women
A healthy diet is important whether you’re 24 or 94 but your nutritional needs will vary throughout your life.
With advice on weight management, exercise, the menopause, alcohol, heart health and eating to avoid osteoporosis, this section will help you choose what’s right for you, whatever your stage in life.
- Alcohol
- Within limits, alcohol is thought to have some beneficial effects. One or two drinks a day, it has been suggested, can lower the risk of heart disease, while red wine in particular is a rich source of antioxidants. With their lower tolerance to the effects of alcohol however, women can easily put themselves at risk by drinking more than the recommended amount.
- Food allergy & intolerance
- Although not as widespread as media interest would have us believe, allergies and intolerance are nevertheless on the increase. If you think you may be allergic to or intolerant of certain foods, find out how you can alter your diet without losing out on vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients.
- Eating disorders
- While not exclusive to women, eating disorders like Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and binge eating are still more prevalent among women than men. Without specialist medical care, they can lead to long term damage including infertility, brittle bones, heart disease and psychological difficulties.
- Eating out
- Restaurants are where most of our good intentions to eat healthily come to grief. Follow our simple tips however, and you can still enjoy a good night out without breaking your diet or the bank.
- Exercise and activity
- Regular activity has all sorts of other health benefits besides weight loss. Find out how to build exercise into your day, helping to ward off heart disease, stroke and diabetes as well as making you feel happier.
- GDAs
- Guideline Daily Amounts, or GDAs, provide an ‘at a glance’ guide to the percentage of the calories, fats, sugars and salt present in the food you buy.
- Eating for healthy bones
- Osteoporosis affects 1 in 3 women in the UK and Ireland, usually in middle or old age. By the time you find out you’ve got it, it's often too late to do anything about it, which is why following a healthy, balanced diet throughout your life is so important to prevent the onset of the disease.
- Eating for a healthy heart
- It’s often thought heart disease is mainly a male disease, but it can just as easily affect women. Find out how your diet can make all the difference when it comes to heart health and your chances of enjoying an active, healthy life.
- The menopause and PMT
- Pre-menstrual tension and problems associated with the menopause affect all women at some time, but changing your diet and avoiding certain foods at particular times can be a straightforward but effective way to lessen their impact on your daily life.
- Weight management
- For many women, peer pressure, body image and media opinion make the relationship between health and weight a complex one. But maintaining a healthy weight (rather than the magazines’ idea of an ‘ideal’ weight) is simply a matter of making healthy choices about your diet and making sure you get enough regular activity.