From puberty till menopause, there are a lot of physical changes in a woman’s body that can lead to serious illnesses in old age. However, if good care is taken like having a proper nutritious diet, regular physical exercise and a routine medical follow up, then a lot of big issues posing damage to the health of a woman can be avoided.

If you are a woman then one thing you must know is that your family’s health and well-being may completely depend upon you. Therefore it is a must for you to keep healthy; and good health starts with good foods that you eat. You should always eat a healthy nutritious and of course a well balanced diet. It not only helps to boost your immune system but also help you to maintain a general health. You cannot maintain a nutrient rich diet unless you know about the nutrients required by your body. If not all, then you must at least know about the essential nutrients. Here we have a list of 5 important nutrients that should be contained in the diet of every woman.

Calcium: this is one of the most essential minerals that help in fighting osteoporosis and stress fractures. This is required for maintaining bone health. An average of 1,200 to 1,500 mg of calcium per day is required by your body, which can be fulfilled by including dairy products like skimmed milk, yogurt and cheese, veggies like broccoli and turnip greens in your diet. You can also take calcium supplements along with vitamin D for its absorption.

Folic Acid (Folate): a deficiency of folic acid may although not affect your everyday performance, but it may have a great impact on your overall health. This particular nutrient is helpful in preventing genetic diseases, colon cancer and cardiac diseases and also keeps off certain birth defects in our babies. About 400 micrograms of folic acid per day can be introduced by eating whole grain bread and cereals, and plenty of green leafy vegetables like spinach.

Fiber: this is another essential nutrient for your body that helps to keep your digestive system on track and also helps maintain your body weight. Around 20 to 35 grams of fibrous diet is necessary everyday to combat digestive problems and keep away colon cancer. Raw vegetables like carrot, radish and celery and fruits like apples, pears, as well as whole grain cereals are rich sources of fiber.

Iron:  females are more prone to being anemic because of deficiency of iron. At least 15mg to 18mg of iron is required by a female to fight anemia and several other women’s health issues. Iron can be included in your diet by eating red meats, seafood, chicken, beans, and green vegetables. Iron is also necessary for menstruating women along with vitamin C for its absorption.

• Potassium: this is an electrolyte required to keep your nervous system in shape, keep your blood pressure normal and also tone your muscles. Around 4700mg of potassium is required by your body per day. Include foods like bananas, grapefruits and avocadoes, broccoli, carrots, nuts and seeds in your daily diet for eliminating potassium deficiency.

Many people realise the importance of exercising only after they have put on excess weight. It is then that they start working out seriously to get rid of that extra weight. However, exercising daily will not only help in keeping away those extra pounds, but will also help you to maintain an overall health. A routine exercise of at least 150 minutes a week is a must for every woman to stay fit and active and toned as well. Here we have a list of 5 best exercises along with their benefits for maintaining a women’s health.

 

Push ups: this exercise is on the top amongst total body exercises, as it involves the exercising of your upper body, core and lower body, all together. If you have weak flabby arms and chests then incorporating push ups in your daily regimen will not only work for your arms and chest but will also tighten up your shoulder, triceps, back, and abs. It requires no special equipment or training and is considered one of the most convenient exercises. Many women have a weaker upper body due to various ailments they may suffer. Including daily push ups in your fitness regimen will make your upper body, including the pectoral muscles, shoulders and chest stronger.

Squats: another exercise included in the list of total body exercise is the squat. It might seem while performing it, that only your lower body is worked out. However, several body parts including your core, quads, hamstrings and calves are also exercised. Your core body is relied upon when executing a squat making it strong. Squats help in toning your overall body and burning calories. This exercise also helps in improving your cardiovascular system keeping your heart healthy and strong.

                          

Pull ups or chin-ups: considered an advanced set of exercises, pull-ups or chin-ups are the best strengthening exercises for a woman. A wide overhand grip or pull up will work out for your upper body muscles making them strong while a narrow reverse grip or a chin up will show a greater effect on the biceps. This exercise is again beneficial for the cardiovascular muscles.

Walking or running: walking or running is the best exercise for an overall fitness. While walking can keep the heart healthy and improve mood, running can help burn the body fat that can cause trouble in later stages. These exercises, specifically running, help to fight cancer and boost energy. It also helps in improving the joints and reduces the risk factor of osteoarthritis. Running as well as walking increase the flow of oxygen throughout your body and also flush out toxins.

Yoga: involving yoga practice in your exercise schedule will help you in attaining a stress free life. This exercise works for each and every part of the body and mind as well. You can get a glowing skin and a better sleep. Yoga will help you in enhancing your mood and will keep you energized.

 

Does eating differently colored veggies help you lose weight?

Vegetables may be in any bright color–red, green, yellow, orange, purple… However attractive the colors may seem to you, each one comes to you loaded with basic nutrients. So, if you are overweight, a plate full of vegetable salad every day could help you shake off the extra weight and slim down overall. Wouldn’t you like to look younger and feel fitter?

Many of these vividly-colored vegetables have significant health benefits such as reducing your cholesterol levels, preventing heart disease, diabetes, cancer and many such diseases. Just 2.5 cups a day can prevent you from succumbing to medical conditions no one ever welcomes. Let’s check out these soldiers of our good health.

Why should we eat differently colored veggies? Some people are used to certain foods so therefore they rarely like to try new foods especially vegetables. When our vegetables are divided on the basis of colors, there is more of a variety to choose from. These differently colored vegetables contain important nutrients called phytonutrients.

To be in good health and shed unwanted pounds, it is important to choose one vegetable of a different color and eat this multi-colored bowl of salad. This kind of diet keeps cancer, diabetes and heart disease away from you. For weight management, it is better to eat more of green, white and black foods rather than orange, red and yellow foods.

Let’s check out the different colors and flavors of good health and weight management:

Green vegetables: These vegetables include avocado, cabbage, bamboo shoots, asparagus, broccoli, cucumbers, spinach and zucchini. They are not rich in fats but are nutritious and therefore healthy for everyone, especially for weight watchers. Not only can you lose weight by eating these veggies but it also has a positive impact on your moods and keeps you stress-free.

If you have sufficient folic acid, it will help to metabolize your protein content well and stabilize your insulin levels, thus reducing belly fat storage and keep you slim.

Blue/Purple vegetables: Loaded with anthocyanins, purple vegetables include eggplant, blue potatoes and red cabbage. They are powerful antioxidants that get rid of free radicals that cause premature aging. They also reduce abdominal weight.

Phytonutrients aren’t the only advantage that these vegetables offer you. They are also rich in fiber, so eating a bowl full of veggies keeps you full for long. This means you end up eating much lesser than before and so lose weight. Thus, no matter which vegetable group you discuss, they are all geared to shed your extra pounds.

 

Though both men and women can benefit immensely from exercise, increasingly researchers have been finding that women are more in need of exercise than men. Many women lead largely sedentary lives and thus are completely out of shape.

Often, women do not find the time to exercise due to work pressures, family demands and other constraints, no matter how important. But there are many compelling reasons for women to exercise, regardless of their age, such as:

 

For weight control: By increasing your physical activity and becoming more active, you will burn more calories and lose weight. You can also do some fun activities or exercises that will help you melt all your extra weight off and lead an active life.

 

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Prevention of diseases and medical conditions: By leading a physically active life, you can prevent contracting high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, cancers including colon cancer, and diabetes. If you exercise regularly, you can increase your body metabolism and your immunity and lead a healthy life.

Prevention of osteoporosis: By exercising regularly, your bones are strengthened and you can prevent the onset of osteoporosis. Exercise also helps women deal with painful periods, premenstrual tension symptoms and related issues.

It improves your mood and perspective on life: By exercising, you stimulate several chemicals in the brain. When released, these feel good hormones help you feel happy and relaxed. You also become more confident and have good self-esteem.

It increases body energy: If doing things around the house tires you out, you can get over this tired feeling by exercising. Exercise makes you more energetic and you also get the benefit of having a healthy and positive perspective to life. As the effects of exercise begin to show on you, you will be able to do the most difficult tasks without being exhausted.

It’s a myth that as you grow older exercising becomes that much more difficult. Any difficulty a woman experiences is only in her mind. The fact that there are beautiful and fit women in their 50’s and above proves that exercising is possible by anyone at any age and is important to woman’s health.

Much depends on the right kind of exercise program designed for women in their 50s, that focus on reducing the problems of aging. Considering that you may be menopausal or getting there, your body is undergoing significant changes, so your exercise program must necessarily be a combination of cardio, resistance, endurance, and flexibility exercises. Exercising can work wonders when combined with a healthy diet for women. All your workouts should begin with breathing exercises and end with cool downs.

Stretching: Begin your workout with stretches which will give you a wider range of movement and relax your muscles. It also gives you better posture, gets rid of the possibility of injury and soreness. Do a few warm-ups before you begin your stretches, such as head, arm and trunk circles, twisting from side to side and toe touching.

Cardiovascular exercises: These exercises are necessary at your age because it keeps your heart healthy, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure and prevents the onset of diabetes. It also keeps you mentally sharp and increases your metabolism. Good cardio exercises include swimming, walking, doing the treadmill, stationary cycling, stair machine, water aerobics, dancing, etc. Tai Chi is also good for you as it will keep you flexible and reduce any stress on your joints.

Weight training exercises: With age, it’s natural to lose muscle mass, so it is necessary to do resistance exercises to prevent any loss of muscle and remain strong. These exercises also strengthen your bones as now you lose muscle fiber.

Your exercises should include all muscle groups of your body–shoulders, back, chest, biceps, abs, hamstrings, triceps, glutes and quadriceps. Use dumbbells, weights and resistance bands or do low impact aerobics. If you find it difficult to go to the gym, take up gardening or stair climbing. Do 12 reps of each exercise, gradually increasing the number of sets to three.

Flexibility exercises: As you age, your range of motion at the joints is restricted. This has a negative impact on your flexibility because of the changes in your ligaments and tendons. You can avoid the pitfalls of aging by doing Pilates, a complete exercise program that can stretch your muscles and strengthen them, thus making your body supple and strong. Alternatively, try Yoga for flexibility, strength, endurance and peace of mind.

When the rain lashes down on you, it’s quite natural to seek shelter and a hot cup of tea or coffee. The last thing on our minds at that time would be to go out and walk or run in the rain as a means of exercise.

When the rain come down on us, you might like to consider exercising and losing weight too. Exercising is wonderful for woman’s health. If the idea of exercising in the rain grabs your attention, you could try these exercises:

Cycling: Once you’ve got your windbreaker and a pair of athletic shoes on, you’re ready to cycle in the rain. Cycling in the rain helps to burn more fat as you use much more effort to cycle in rainy weather. It helps tone your thighs and calves.

Swimming: If you can’t swim at the beach in rainy weather, why not go to a swimming pool and have a wonderful workout in the water? You can still get all the benefits of swimming, like a toned back, neck, shoulders, waist, and of course leg muscles too.

Stepping: Place your stepper in the rain and step on and off it for as long as you like.

Resistance exercises: It helps to do resistance exercises in the rain as it helps to strengthen the heart-related body functions while the legs give better stability and a much stronger core.

Benefits of exercising in the rain:

• Working out in the rain helps to build resistance and burn more calories.
• It has also been found to be invigorating and rejuvenating, besides keeping you energized.
• It also improves the resistance power of your body and makes your workout more productive.

 

Tips:

• Wear polypropylene jogging bras and undies which don’t cling to your body in the rains.
• Wear only breathable and layered fabrics which don’t hold any moisture.
• Wear a water and wind-resistant jacket and footwear.
• Wear goggles so that your eyes doesn’t catch the rain.
• Wear a hat so that your face doesn’t drip with rain water.
• Wear brightly colored clothes so that you stand out in the dark.
• Run or walk a little away from the main road as passing cars can splash dirty rain water on you.
• If you see lightning or hear a clap of thunder, turn around and head back home. It isn’t safe to be out in such weather. In other words don’t exercise while its thundering or lightning outside.
• Remember exercising along with a healthy diet for women is a great way to maintain health