Top foods & essential dietary supplements for women. 

Please consider taking them as per your specific condition, peculiar signs, and symptoms, as suggested foods may vary from person to person.

Make sure to avoid any ingredient or food you are allergic or intolerant to – discussed in this video!

Everyone needs fibre as it promotes a healthy digestive system, lowers the risk of heart disease by reducing cholesterol levels, helps you feel full, and promotes weight loss.

Fibre intake may control blood sugar levels by slowing down sugar absorption.

Consume more plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, walnuts, berries, beans, grains, and legumes etc.

Foods to avoid for healthier reproductive system!

• Foods with added sugar and salt.
• Processed and refined foods such as cookies, ready-to-eat meals, curated sausages, and pastries etc., contains high levels of sodium, sugar, and preservatives.
• These additives can cause hormonal imbalance by increasing inflammation and stress to the adrenal glands, putting you at risk of unintentional weight gain and other issues.
• Red Meat as it contains unhealthy types of fats, and its excessive consumption can disrupt hormonal balance.
• Soy containing products may decrease FSH – follicle stimulating hormone and LH – Luteinizing hormone in premenopausal women which may impact fertility.
• Carbonated, fizzy and alcoholic drinks should be restricted to women especially in times of pregnancy.
• Excessive caffeine intake can affect sleeping cycle and hormones health by stimulating cortisol or stress hormones.
• Dairy products are rich of calcium and their high intake can affect hormones balance, gut inflammation, irritation, increase sebum production and aggravate acne-prone skin.

Some of the top-listed dietary supplements for women.

• Vitamin A is important for proper development, may prevent certain cancers and function of eyes, skin and immune system disorders like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis etc.

Best sources include green, orange and yellow vegetables especially sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, dairy, liver, fish, and fortified cereals.

• Vitamin B6 is responsible for the production of serotonin – that plays a key role in mood, sleep, digestion, nausea, wound healing, bone health, blood clotting and libido.
• Vitamin B7 or Biotin helps in the formation of fatty acids and blood sugar – used for energy production in the body. It is also prescribed for conditions like multiple sclerosis symptoms, reducing diabetes-related nerve damage and development during pregnancy.

Although its deficiency is rare, but if you are low, you may experience hair loss, brittle nails, scaly skin and red facial rashes.

Sources include Cauliflower, liver, sweet potatoes, almonds, avocado, seeds, eggs, milk, grains, and raspberries etc.

• Vitamin B9 or Folic acid – Important for producing and maintaining new cells, proper brain function, preventing anaemia, especially effective before and during pregnancy for preventing birth defects.

Good sources include leafy green vegetables, avocados, beans, eggs, and peanuts.

• Vitamin C an important antioxidant and aids in normal growth, repairs tissues, bones, and teeth.

Lack of Vitamin C may lead to dry and splitting hair, gingivitis, bleeding or inflammation of gums, rough, dry, scaly skin, easy bruising, nosebleeds, and low immunity.

Vitamin C can regulate oestrogen and progesterone, hormones important to reproduction – lack of this vitamin might cause irregular periods, mood swings, and low libido, especially during and after menopause.

It helps your body fight stress and produce collagen—an important protein used to make skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels.

All fruits and vegetables, mainly citrus fruits, red pepper, and broccoli are its natural sources.

• Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for strong bones, joints and muscles, reduce inflammation, healthy immune function, reduces tiredness & fatigue and promote mental health – shown to improve mood and cognitive function, especially for women over 50 due to decreasing bone health, and those who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Vitamin D regulates the production of hormones like oestrogen and progesterone and lowers risk of abnormal thyroid.

Lack of vitamin D can lead to osteomalacia that is thin, brittle, or mis shape bones.

The best source of Vitamin D is Sunlight.

Foods sources include beef liver, fish liver oils, Flesh of fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna, cheese, and egg yolks.

• Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting.

It also helps balance hormones in females and its deficiency can cause irregular or heavy periods, mood swings, and a decreased sex drive.

• Iron is an essential mineral that plays a key role in multiple functions, including energy production, temperature regulation, immune system, shortness of breath, cognitive function, reduce tiredness and fatigue especially for women of reproductive age due to menstrual blood loss or pregnancy.

Iron contains haemoglobin, that carries oxygen throughout the body and plays a role in hormones production.

Best sources include cereals, nuts, seeds, legumes, dark-green leafy vegetables, lean red meat, chicken, turkey, fish, beans and fortified whole grains.

• Magnesium For Better Mood – Magnesium is crucial from muscle and nerve function to heart health and bone density.

It can help ease premenstrual symptoms such as cramps and mood swings, also reduce the risk of osteoporosis that is bone thinning that affects post-menopausal women.

It helps with the production of hormones like oestrogen, testosterone, and progesterone.

It is also helpful to help regulate blood sugar levels, supports healthy immune system, normal blood pressure with calming effect on the nervous system, helping reduce stress, migraines and improve sleep quality – things most women suffer from!

Its deficiency could lead to chronic or excessive vomiting, diarrhoea, and migraines.

Best sources include green vegetables like okra, some beans, nuts, seeds, and unrefined whole grains.

• Calcium For Strong Bones, teeth, muscles and nerves.

As women age and reach menopause, oestrogen hormone declines, which can lead to a loss of bone density and an increased risk of fractures.

It is also important in maintaining a regular heart rhythm and regulating blood pressure.

Food sources dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, milk, kale, almonds, dark-green leafy vegetables such as broccoli and kale etc.

Zinc helps with blood clotting- helping cuts heal properly, maintain healthy digestion & metabolism, keeps blood sugar stable, protects against toxins and foreign substances by reducing inflammation and developing T-cells, which are part of the immune system and help fight off viruses and cancerous cells.

Zinc rich foods include legumes, oysters, nuts, and seeds.

• Probiotics For A Happy Gut – Aids in recurring urinary tract and intestinal infections such as yeast, digestion, IBS, fights off disease-causing bacteria, boost immune function, mental health, lactose intolerance and can reduce diarrhoea.

Best sources include Yoghurt, kombucha, kefir, miso, sauerkraut, pickles, and fermented cheese.

• PREBIOTICS nourish and fuel the existing bacteria in your digestive tract, unlike PROBIOTICS, which add good bacteria to your gut.

They may help in lactose intolerance, reduce respiratory infections, eczema – atopic dermatitis and allergy risks by fixing immune response to gut bacteria.

Good sources include flaxseeds, onions, walnuts, garlic, dark chocolate, lentils, oats, barley, berries and apples etc.

• Omega 3 Fatty Acids for Healthy Heart and Brain

Foods rich in Omega 3 are fatty fish like salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel — plants sources like nuts, and seeds etc.

It helps to maintain normal cholesterol levels, blood pressure, reduces inflammation, supports healthy vision, skin, cognitive functions – memory and performance, sustains healthy joints – protection against arthritis and prevention from infections.

• Vitamin E significantly slows down aging and helps regulate oestrogen and progesterone!
• Selenium may help generate thyroid hormones, balance excess hair growth, and cholesterol levels in women with PCOS.
• And finally, Melatonin maintains our circadian rhythm, a 24-hour internal clock like system that regulates our sleep schedule – especially if you find hard to sleep.

It also helps control timing and release of female reproductive hormones that is when a woman starts to menstruate, the frequency and duration of menstrual cycles, and when a woman stops menstruating at the end of childbearing age that is menopause.

For your particular health problem(s), or to change your medications it is strongly suggested to avoid self-medication and consult your GP / health provider or Mind & Body Holistic Health Clinic.

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