This article was written by me for The Times of India, Bangalore, and was  originally published on March 09, 2013.  Reproduced here for blog readers…

FOODS THAT KEEP WOMEN HEALTHY

Do women need to eat very differently from men?  Are their nutritional needs different from others?  Do their needs change with age?  These are the most common questions that we come across while talking about nutrition.

Women don’t need an entirely different diet from men.  The basic dietary guidelines remain the same for both genders.  However, a woman’s nutritional needs are different at different stages of her life – pregnancy, lactation and menopause.

The top 3 nutrients that come to mind when you think of women’s health are calcium, iron and folate; and the most common health concerns that bother women are weight, aging and menopause.  Let’s look at each of them briefly.

Calcium

All of us deposit calcium in our bones.  The balance between deposition and resorption changes with age.  As we move towards middle age, the rate of bone building decreases.  Menopause heightens the rate of bone loss and therefore calcium is a concern for women.  As long as there is adequate calcium intake thru foods and there’s no calcium deficiency, supplementation thru calcium tablets are not needed.  Calcium is found in whole pulses (soybean, horse gram, channa, etc), ragi, dairy foods, green leafy vegetables, fish, sesame seeds, cumin seeds, almonds, etc.

Iron

About two-thirds of iron is found in haemoglobin in the body.  Poor food habits and iron loss during menstruation are the main causes for iron deficiency in women.  It is vital that iron is replaced thru foods and healthy eating.  Some of the iron-rich foods are dark green leafy vegetables, dates, black currants, rice flakes (aka beaten rice, poha), bajra, meats, soybean, water melon.  The iron present in meats is easily absorbed by the body but the iron present in plant foods need the help of vitamin C for absorption.  So, vegetarians will require lime juice, fruits like guava, berries, citrus fruits, etc to help in absorbing iron into the body.  Tannins in tea and phytates in whole grains can decrease iron absorption.  Iron supplements are to be taken only when there’s a deficiency or when there’s an increased need for iron in the body.

Folate

Apart from its importance in pregnancy and other functions, folate also plays a role in heart health by keeping homocysteine levels under control.  Folate is one of the nutrients that helps to reduce the risk of heart disease.  This B vitamin can be obtained from spinach, cluster beans, lady’s finger, sesame seeds, methi seeds, egg, bajra, whole pulses, etc.

Body weight

Women are most concerned (sometimes obsessed) about their weight.  A well balanced eating pattern which provides all the nourishment, along with regular exercise helps to keep the weight in check.  Many women believe that post partum weight is difficult to lose, or that menopause brings in weight gain.  This is not true.  With a proper schedule for food and exercise, it is possible to knock-off the post partum weight as well as keep weight gain at bay after menopause.   Also keep your body fat under check.  Portion control becomes more relevant as we age.

Aging

If there were a single solution for anti-aging or age-reversal, I’m sure we would all go for it.  Aging is a part of life and as long as we age successfully and gracefully, it should not matter how old we are.   Women are generally concerned only about external appearances like skin and hair as they age.  The internal body parts and functions also need to be taken care of.  Healthy lifestyle always helps us to age well.  Adequate fluid intake is important as women age because it helps to maintain moisture in the skin as well as prevents urinary tract infection.  Nuts with their vitamin E and zinc content are beneficial for the skin too.  Fiber needs to be taken in adequate quantities for bowel health.  Vitamin D and B12 are a concern as women age.  So, do get your D and B12 levels checked after consulting your doctor.  Ensure an adequate intake of antioxidants thru foods.

Menopause

This is an unavoidable phase in every woman’s life cycle.  While some women sail thru this phase without any problem, others face a lot of ups and downs.  Eating healthy is vital during menopause.  Spicy foods, hot beverages and alcohol are known to increase hot flushes and night sweats.  Avoid these as much as possible.  Sugary foods cause a high followed by a low feeling which leads to tiredness.  Choose fresh fruits or dry fruits instead of desserts.  To calm your mood, take whole grains at mealtimes and warm milk at bedtime.  Do not skip meals, particularly breakfast because this helps to maintain your blood sugar levels better.  Restrict foods – sodium, fizzy drinks, alcohol, caffeine – that remove calcium from your bones.  Include soy and flaxseed in your diet.  Graze on food; do not gorge.  Do not forget to exercise because this preserves calcium in your bones.  If you are a smoker, quit!

During one of my consultations, I learnt that gluten-free breads are baked and sold in Bangalore.  I spoke to the owner of this bakery, Ms Shweta Muthanna and she said that she has been making gluten-free, lactose-free breads for a couple of years now.  She also prepares cakes, buns and cookies that are gluten-free.  Her products are made-to-order as of now and she plans to open a sales outlet later this year.

With the number of gluten-intolerant persons growing in Bangalore, this would be useful for your friends / family, if not for you.  If you’re interested in gluten-free breads, call Shweta on +91 9845869109.

What’s common to eggplant (aka brinjal, aubergine), dark grapes, beetroot, plums, figs, cranberries, some cabbages?  Their natural purple color.   The purple color comes from anthocyanins which are naturally occuring chemicals in the plant.  These are superlative antioxidants and help to fight cancer.  There’s more research going on with anthocyanins and their health benefits.  The purple foods are also good sources of vitamin C, and / or contain antioxidants like resveratrol, quercetin, etc.

Make sure you eat at least one purple food every week.

If you thought only excess salt increases blood pressure, read this.  Too much caffeine, supplements, some medications among other things, can also increase blood pressure.

Caffeine (present in coffee, colas, energy drinks and to a small extent in tea), is likely to raise your blood pressure.  It might not happen to everyone, but it’s important to cut back on the amount of coffee you drink.  Colas and energy drinks are best avoided because they are unnecessary for your body and don’t do anything to boost your health.  One way of testing whether or not caffeine increases your blood pressure is to check your pressure within 30 minutes of drinking a caffeinated beverage.  If your blood pressure increases by 5 to 10 points, you might be sensitive to caffeine induced blood pressure raise.

Herbal supplements although considered safe because they are natural, can increase blood pressure in some people, or react with blood pressure medication.  Do tell your doctor if you are on any herbal supplements when you go for a health check.  Also, do not self medicate or give advise on medication to your friends, relatives and neighbours, unless you are a qualified physician.  Medications that suit one person will not suit another.

I didn’t expect to meet another Masterchef Australia personality so soon after meeting the world famous Gary & George, Masterchef’s celebrity judges, late last year.

With good friends Usha, Anu and Pratibha, I was thrilled to watch Kate Bracks demonstrate 3 baked dishes.  Yes, the same Kate Bracks who won the Masterchef Australia 2011.  More than 300 Masterchef Australia fans gathered in the banquet hall of Marriott Hotel in Whitefield, Bangalore, to watch Kate Bracks in person.  What a cheer she got when she walked into the hall!!!  Her lively, energetic and entertaining way of showing us the 3 dishes had the audience in rapt attention.  Kate also answered questions from the audience.  She briefly narrated how she got into the Masterchef competition and how she places her family above all else in her life.

Marriott generously gave away many prizes to the lucky winners (the four of us were not on that list), while everyone present got a taste of Kate’s delicious Retro Coffee Cake and Chocolate Hazelnut & Raspberry Muffins. Yum!!

Here’s the recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut & Raspberry Muffins (makes 12) –
Ingredients –
300 g self raising flour
100 g hazelnuts, coarsely ground
300 g castor sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
250 g unsalted butter
60 ml hazelnut oil (or any other)
480 ml buttermilk
3 eggs
150 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
150 g fresh or frozen raspberries
30 g demerara or raw sugar
Method of preparation –

1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C
2. Line the muffin tin holes with paper muffin cases
3. Combine dry ingredients (flour, hazelnut, sugar, salt) into a large bowl
4. Melt the butter and whisk to combine it with the other wet ingredients (oil, buttermilk, eggs)
5. Pour wet mix over the dry mix and stir to combine (mixture should still look a little lumpy)
6. Gently fold through the chocolate, hazelnuts and raspberries
7. Spoon mixture into muffin cases until almost full
8. Sprinkle tops with sugar
9. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until cooked through and golden on top
10. Allow to cool completely then dust generously with sifted icing sugar

Enjoy the muffin, but don’t forget your exercise to burn it off!!