Top 10 Health-Enhancing Nutrition Strategies for Women

1. Top 10 Health-Enhancing Nutrition Strategies for Women Melissa Stevens Ohlson, MS, RD, LD Nutrition Program Coordinator Preventive Cardiology & Rehabilitation

2. Maintain or Achieve a Healthy Body Weight • Overweight and obesity increase risk for: • Heart disease • Type 2 diabetes • Several types of cancer • Hypertenstion • Osteoarthritis • Sleep disorders

3. Maintain or Achieve a Healthy Body Weight • Modest weight loss can have a significant health impact • Avoid fad diets • Space calories throughout the day into small, frequent meals & snacks • Exercise most days of the week • Practice relaxation!

4. Focus on Fiber • Associated with reductions in: • Diabetes and blood sugars • Obesity and weight loss • Cholesterol and heart disease • Certain cancers • Digestive diseases and disorders • High-Fiber foods are high in disease-fighting • Vitamins • Minerals • Antioxidants • Phytochemicals • Unsaturated fats

5. Focus on Fiber • Aim for 25 or more grams fiber each day • Choose unrefined grains and look for • “100% whole wheat/rye/oat flour” • “Stone ground whole grain flour” • “Unenriched, unrefined flours” • Breads, pastas, crackers: 2+ g fiber/serving • Cereals: 5+ g fiber and <8 g sugar • Avoid the “white” stuff!

6. Eat 5-9 Servings of Fruits & Vegetables Daily • Provides the body with an array of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber • Low in calories • Highly satisfying and filling • Easy to sneak into just about any dish!

7. Tips on Increasing Fruits & Veggies: • Top cereal or yogurt with fresh fruit • Snack on pre-cut veggies • Eat a large tossed-salad for lunch • Pile sandwiches high with vegetables • Snack on a fruit & nut trail mix • Buy pre-cut vegetables and steam or microwave for a quick side-dish • Enjoy vegetable soup before meals • Grab a piece of fruit for an on-the-go snack

8. Reduce Saturated Fat • Limit high cuts of beef, liver • Trim skin off poultry, choose white meat • Choose nonfat or low-fat dairy foods and cheese • Limit baked goods that contain butter, lard or tropical oils (palm, palm-kernel, coconut) • Choose foods with less than 2 grams saturated fat per serving

9. Reduce Trans Fats • Limit fried foods • Limit baked goods, candy, chips, crackers and other snack foods that contain partially hydrogenated oils in the ingredients • Choose foods that contain liquid vegetable oils • Choose liquid or tub trans-free margarines

10. Choose Healthy Fats • Monounsaturated fats • Olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, most nuts and nut butters • Avocados, olives • Omega-3 Polyunsaturated fats • Fatty fish, fish oils • Walnuts, flaxseeds, canola oil, soy foods

11. Increase Natural Phytoestrogens • Soy foods • Tofu, Edamame, soy beans, soy “nuts”, tempeh, textured soy protein. • Flaxseed – ground • Ground flax best source of the phytoestrogen ligan; also a great source of omega-3 fat and fiber. • Beans, nuts and seeds • Whole grains – e.g. buckwheat, millet, bulgur, quinoa, brown rice.

12. Additional Strategies (please refer to handout): • Get adequate calcium (1,000-1,500 mg) and vitamin D (400 IU) • Increase plant protein foods • Moderate alcohol • Get moving • Schedule regular health check-ups