200 college girls attend Max Hospital health seminar on nutrition diet

Chandigarh, March 8, 2014: As many as 200 girl students from Govt Home Science College Sector 10 here attended a health seminar on ‘Good Nutrition for Women’ today. The seminar was organized by Max Super Speciality Hospital, (MSSH), Mohali at Govt Home Science College to celebrate International Women’s Day.
Addressing students, Shivani Gulati, Sr Clinical Nutritionist, MSSH said that women have different needs in their childhood, teenage and adolescence, pregnancy and lactation as well as pre and post-menopausal period.  The good nutrition started with a well-rounded diet consisting of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and lean sources of protein. These kinds of foods would provide women with plenty of energy, the means for lifelong weight control, and the key ingredients for looking and feeling great at any age.”
While focusing on foods for strong bones, Gulati said that it was important for women of all ages to eat foods that contribute to strong, healthy bones. Women have a higher risk of osteoporosis than men, but osteoporosis was largely preventable with good nutrition and exercise. Explaining the role of Calcium, Magnesium and Vitamin-D in women’s bone health, Gulati said that Calcium and magnesium in combination with vitamin D were vital for women’s bone health.
Emphasising on why iron important for women, Shivani said that women would need more of this mineral because they lose an average of 15 to 20 milligrams of iron each month during menstruation. Without enough iron, iron deficiency anemia could develop and cause symptoms that include fatigue and headaches. After menopause, body iron generally increased. Therefore, iron deficiency in women older than 50 years of age might indicate blood loss from another source and should be checked by a physician.
Explaining on how one could determine, how much fat was okay to eat daily, Shivani informed that the total fat in your daily diet should average no more than 30 percent of your total calories consumed . The saturated fat should be no more than 10 percent of those 30 percent of calories. The amount of fat and saturated fat you eat depends on the foods you select . Your diet should have right amount of permitted fats such as saturated fats, PUFA fat, MUFA fat besides  limiting the intake of cholesterol and trans fat.”
Diet and nutrition for women: Vitamins & Minerals
Calcium: The recommended daily allowance varies from 400 to 1,200 mg/day. Good sources of calcium include dairy products, leafy green vegetables, oatmeal and other grains, tofu, cabbage, summer squash, green beans, garlic, and sea vegetables. Calcium is absorbed slowly and your body cannot take in more than 500 mg at any one time.
Magnesium: The recommended daily allowance for magnesium is 500 to 800 mg/day. Calcium can only work when taken in conjunction with magnesium. Good sources of magnesium include leafy green vegetables, summer squash, broccoli, halibut, cucumber, green beans, celery, and a variety of seeds, including pumpkin, sunflower, sesame and flax seeds.
Vitamin D: Aim for between 400 and 1,000 IU daily. You can get Vitamin D from about half an hour of direct exposure to sunlight, and also from foods and supplements. Salmon is an excellent source of vitamin D. Other good sources include shrimp, vitamin-D fortified milk, cod and eggs
 Goof food tips for women:
•         Add lean protein sources in your diet
•         Limit your sodium to 2300mg in a day
•         Limit the amount of sugar and foods with added sugar
•         Avoid alcohol and caffeine drinks
•         Information on the nutrition facts food label can help you make wise food choices
•         Check the percentage daily value column