NWM 2022 1Every March, the National Women’s Month is celebrated, calling the Juanas to take center stage– standing up for their rights, challenging stereotypes, breaking barriers, and serving as pioneers of change.

The theme: “Agenda ng Kababaihan, Tungo sa Kaunlaran” is a celebration of women exercising their choices, taking chances to make their voices heard, and benefitting from and trailblazing changes.

Despite the aspiration of women towards gender equality, women appear to be the strong force in the family on top of responding to their children’s needs; this, among others, can take a toll on their nutritional needs. Women usually encounter malnutrition in the form of iron deficiency anemia, calcium deficiency, chronic energy deficiency (CED), overweight and obesity, among others.

The Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) reported that the android-type obesity (high Waist-Circumference and high Waist-Hip Ratio) increased among female adults from 18.5% in 2015 to 23.3% in 2018-2019. On the other side, anemia among female adults decreased prevalence from 12.7% in 2018 to 10.6% in 2019.

Proper nutrition is important to all, men and women alike. However, women have a special and greater nutritional needs for an adequate diet. Better nutrition means stronger immune system, fewer incidence of illness and better health.

The following are tips for women in maintaining healthy lifestyle:

  • Eat a variety of foods. A healthy diet consists of a different combination of foods within and across food groups (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, water, vitamins and minerals). This also helps women avoid a diet that is high in sugars, fats and salt, which can lead to unhealthy weight gain and non-communicable diseases.
  • Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits. Fruits and vegetables are important sources of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, plant protein and antioxidants. It is recommended that adult women should eat at least 1.5 cups of fruit, and 2.5 cups of vegetables each day should be consumed per day to prevent certain chronic diseases and several micronutrient deficiencies as well as to ensure adequate consumption of dietary fiber.
  • Consume iron-rich foods such as lean meat, liver, green leafy vegetables, legumes, beans, eggs, and iron-fortified bread and cereals and calcium-rich foods like cheese, milk, small fishes, green leafy vegetables and yogurt. Iron is needed for producing hemoglobin which helps the red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body while calcium is for bone health, also to prevent the development of osteoporosis, which is more common among women as they age.
  • Stay hydrated. Drinking 7-8 glasses a day is recommended for adult women. Drinking plenty of water not only helps keep the system clean but also helps to reduce weight by boosting your metabolism.
  • To meet the pregnant mother’s nutritional needs, consuming a variety of foods is a must. An additional 300 kilocalories (kcal) should be consumed throughout the pregnancy. Read more here for the following nutrient requirement for pregnant women.
  • Lactating mothers require an additional 500 kcal of healthy food calories per day for well-nourished breastfeeding mothers. You can find here additional information about nutrition for lactating women.
  • Do physical activity. Accumulate 30 to 60 minutes of daily physical activity consisting of any one or a combination of the activities for daily living (walking or doing household chores), exercise, dance and recreational activities, muscle strengthening and flexibility activities. In the workplace, two-minute physical activities (walking, stair climbing, stretching) for every hour of sitting is highly encouraged.
  • Get more sleep. When the body is devoid of proper sleep, you will find yourself becoming lethargic, cranky and suffer from lack of concentration.
  • Take a break every week, give yourself ME time & head to the salon or chill with your own friends.
  • Get screened. Visit your physician or go to the nearest health clinic to ensure early cancer detection.

Healthy women can fulfill multiple roles– generating income, ensuring their families’ nutrition, and having healthy children–and thereby helping advance their communities’ socioeconomic development. Kay Juana, may pag-asa! (NO I Vazamija Therese A. Villasi)

References:

2022 National Women’s Month Celebration. (n.d.). Philippine Commission on Women. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://pcw.gov.ph/2022-national-womens-month-celebration/

Radyo mo sa Nutrisyon. (3 March 2018). Episode 38 “Nutrisyon sa Kababaihan”.

Retrieved 14 March 2022 from https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/radyomosanutrisyonyr8

Belwal, E. (2014, March 3). Nutrition for Women [Slides]. Slideshare. https://www.slideshare.net/ektabelwal/women-health-nutrition

Johnson, T. C. (2015, October 1). Top 10 Health Tips for Women. WebMD. Retrieved March 16, 2022, from https://www.webmd.com/women/features/women-top-health-tips

A Complete Health Guide for Women. (n.d.). Go Digit Insurance. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.godigit.com/health-insurance/tips/health-tips-for-women

5 Healthy Aging Tips for Women. (n.d.). US Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved March 16, 2022, from https://www.fda.gov/consumers/womens-health-topics/5-healthy-aging-tips-women

LaMotte, S. (2021, March 2). 5 is your lucky number of fruits and veggies to live longer, but not all of them count. CNN Philippines. Retrieved March 21, 2022, from https://www.cnnphilippines.com/lifestyle/2021/3/2/five-servings-of-fruits-vegetables.html

Women’s nutrition. (n.d.). Nutritionist Resource. Retrieved March 16, 2022, from https://www.nutritionist-resource.org.uk/articles/womens-nutrition.html#calorieconsumption

DOST-FNRI. (n.d). Expanded National Nutrition Survey: 2019 health and nutritional

status of Filipino adults, 20-59 years old. Retrieved March 16, 2022 from http://enutrition.fnri.dost.gov.ph/site/uploads/2018-2019%20ENNS%20Results%20Dissemination_ADULTS%20and%20ELDERLY.pdf