Many women are victims of fad dieting, calorie counting and extreme eating habits.
Nutritionally, women may need more in terms of vitamins, but caloric intake differs significantly between women and men and greatly depends on how active they are.
According to WebMD and Sharon B. Spaulding, a professor of physical education and health at the Mary Baldwin College in Virginia, women in general need 1,200 calories, which is a whopping 800 calories less than the standard dietary guidelines shown on food nutrition labels.
Dietary Guidelines as stated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommend that from a 2,000-calorie diet per day, it is advisable to maintain a fat intake of less than 30 percent and a saturated fat intake of less than 10 percent. These are percentages taken from total caloric intake. The FDA also states that although women in general may possibly need less than 2,000 calories, it is acceptable that moderately active women and teens (as well as sedentary men) consume about 2,000 calories daily. For food that has labels of 2,500 calories a day, it is usually a recommendation of caloric intake for more active women, average teenage boys and the average man.
So is there a right way to calorie count? Not necessarily. However, obsessively reading every label on every single food product isn't a smart way to eat, either. A woman needs about 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day in order to maintain bone density. She also needs a regular intake of iron, fiber and, if pregnant or attempting to get pregnant, folic acid. A routine exercise plan, or just making active attempts to stay fit, will decrease health risks such as high cholesterol levels. For athletic women, higher caloric intake as well as adequate nutrients are necessary to replenish anything lost or burnt off during activities.
A study conducted at Yale University claims that there is also a new form of "stress fat" that has been plaguing even very slender women. This form of fat is triggered by elevated cortisol levels, which are triggered when a person is under extreme duress and pressure. Since stress drives many people to eat unhealthy food to soothe the response, the fat intake can go directly to places not wanted in a much faster way than someone who is not under pressure. Unfortunately, fat distribution in women tends to go near the abdominal, hip and thigh area, and thus naturally slender women can be affected with cortisol induced fat deposits in the abdominal region. This is also dangerous, as abdominal fat triggers more heart problems.
Currently, heart disease is one of the biggest causes of mortality in women. Decreasing cholesterol levels and fat intake will significantly prevent heart disease. Women, unfortunately, have a tendency to have higher levels of HDL cholesterol during their fertile years. This leads many researchers to believe that there could possibly be a link between estrogen and HDL production.
The key to nutrition is variety and moderation. The FDA's food pyramid is an excellent way to view the nutrition necessary for a healthy lifestyle. A well balanced diet can do just that. Of course, the pyramid's nutritional intake must still be adjusted on an individual basis.
