Women’s Health Week runs from the 4th until the 8th of September. This year's theme is Grow Your Knowledge. It is all about supporting women to make informed decisions about their health with information that is easy to understand. In this month’s blog our resident dietitian and women’s health guru Nicky delves into some conditions or milestones women may encounter throughout their life, and how a healthy diet and seeing a dietitian can help.
Health Tips for Fertility
Diet can both increase and decrease your chances of falling pregnant. Both men and women can increase their chances of conceiving by maintaining a healthy body weight and consuming a fertility friendly diet. A dietitian can help in the preconception period by helping you achieve a healthy weight, correcting any nutrient deficiencies, improving your egg quality and prescribing a tailored supplement plan.
Eat more: Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, wholegrains, fish and seafood, full-fat dairy and legumes, EVOO
Limit: Alcohol, sugar-sweetened beverages such as soft drink, takeaway and deep-fried foods, processed meats and foods high in saturated fat, high GI refined carbohydrates e.g. white bread, instant noodles
My favourite meal for fertility: Barramundi & Pesto Wedges
Pregnancy & Post-partum Health Tips
Did you know what you eat leading up to pregnancy and during can impact your baby’s long-term health well into adulthood? Despite this, one Australian study found less than 25% of pregnant women are meeting the recommendations for key nutrients such as folate, iron, calcium, zinc and fibre. A dietitian can help you with meeting the recommendations, ensuring you are on the correct supplements and also troubleshooting common problems such as nausea, morning sickness and constipation. Low energy, low mood and iron deficiency is common in the post-partum period. A dietitian can help troubleshoot these problems as well as support breastfeeding mums and help with introducing bub to solids.
Eat More: Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, wholegrains, fish and seafood, lean meat and chicken, dairy and legumes
Limit: Alcohol, sugar-sweetened beverages such as softdrink, takeaway and deep-fried foods, processed meats and foods high in saturated fat, high GI refined carbohydrates, deli meats, soft cheeses, cold/premade salads and sandwiches, sushi, raw egg or meat
My favourite meal for pregnancy: Beef Lasagna & Broccoli
Health Tips for Menopause
A lot of women experience symptoms during perimenopause, the 4-8yrs before menopause (your final period) and these include things like low energy, mood changes, weight gain, hot flushes and night sweats. A dietitian can help with troubleshooting a lot of issues that arise during this time including body composition changes, low bone density or osteoporosis and metabolic issues such as high cholesterol, high blood sugar levels and high blood pressure
Eat more: Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, wholegrains, fish and seafood dairy and legumes, EVOO
Limit: Alcohol, sugar-sweetened beverages such as softdrink, takeaway and deep-fried foods, processed meats and foods high in saturated fat, high GI refined carbohydrates. Large meals and portions of carbohydrates at night
My favourite meal for perimenopause: Dukkah Chicken Salad
Health Tips for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
This is the most common hormonal disorder in women and affects roughly 1 in 10 women. Up to 70% of women with PCOS remain undiagnosed. PCOS can be associated with irregular periods, infertility, acne, weight gain, anxiety and low mood and an increased risk of long-term health conditions such as type two diabetes and heart disease. A dietitian can help design an eating plan to help with these issues as well as a tailored supplement plan. Healthy lifestyle behaviours encompassing healthy eating and regular physical activity should be recommended in ALL those with PCOS to achieve and/or maintain a healthy weight and to optimise hormonal outcomes.
Eat more: Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, wholegrains, fish and seafood dairy and legumes, lean meat, EVOO
Limit: Sugar-sweetened beverages such as softdrink, takeaway and deep-fried foods, processed meats and foods high in saturated fat, high GI refined carbohydrates. Large meals and portions of carbohydrates at night
My favourite meal for PCOS: Roast Pumpkin and Feta Frittata
Health Tips for Endometriosis
Endometriosis impacts roughly 1 in 10 women worldwide. Diet and nutrition are crucial in managing endometriosis and improving overall well-being. Nutrition may potentially help relieve symptoms such as chronic pain, inflammation, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, hormone imbalances, infertility and fatigue. A dietitian can help design a tailored anti-inflammatory eating plan, correct any nutrient deficiencies, help support low energy and fatigue, assist you with managing any uncomfortable gut symptoms or IBS, designing a tailored supplement plan, managing any weight concerns and optimising fertility outcomes.
Eat more: Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, wholegrains, fish and seafood dairy and legumes, lean meat, EVOO, herbs and spices
Limit: Sugar-sweetened beverages such as softdrink, takeaway and deep-fried foods, processed meats and foods high in saturated fat, high GI refined carbohydrates, large amounts of red and processed meats.
My favourite meal for endometriosis: Vegan Chili Bowl
A dietitian is an important part of a women’s health team. Book in with one of the dietitians at Eatsense today. Your future self will thank you.
