WOMENS AND NUTRITION

WOMEN AND NUTRITION

Even after 61 years of Independence, more than 55% of women are suffering from malnutrition. To over come this the Government of India has declared the first week of September as “National Nutrition Week”. This is the 27th year of celebration of the National Nutrition Week. This is the special occasion to focus on the various forms of malnutrition among girls and women. It is all our responsibility to ensure proper nutrition to girls and women thus, build a strong Nation.

Women and girls are the worst sufferers of the various forms of malnutrition because of their increased nutritional needs and low social power. Nutrition of women is not only important for their own health but it determines the nutrition and health of the future generations also.

Reason for malnutrition among females:
 Gender discrimination within home is often manifested in unequal access to food and inferior quality of food provided to girl children.
 Early marriage, early pregnancy aggravates both under-nutrition and anaemia and result in adverse outcome of pregnancy including low birth weight baby.
 Frequent menstruation, pregnancy, delivery, lactation, abortion and still births, and menorrhagea can create malnutrition.
 Poverty and lack of education

Economics of nutrition in women: A healthy girl child and woman is an asset to the Nation. If women become healthy and strong they can give birth to the healthy baby who are asset to the Nation. Recent evidence suggests that under nutrition levels in India are among the highest in the world.

Nutrition for Girls and Women: Women and girl requires more care and they require balance diet because they undergone several steps in their life cycle such as puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, delivery, lactation, abortion & still births, and menopause. Pregnancy is the most critical period as requires extra calories for both mother and a baby. Even before pregnancy begins, nutrition is a primary factor in the health of mother and baby. A well-balanced diet before conception contributes to a healthy pregnancy.
A Balanced Diet: A well balanced diet that is high in fibre, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and low in saturated fats will help a woman to stay fit to face the challenges of a reproductive life. A balanced diet consists of food from the five basic food groups in the correct proportions. That is:
 Cereal group -Rice, Jowar, Ragi, Wheat, Bajra, Maize, Roots. Tubers have important nutrients and vitamin B. Ragi is rich in iron. Rice and wheat should not be polished. Rice and wheat husk contains vitamin B. Brown bread is better than white bread which contain Thiamine, Niacin, Iron.

 Fats and oils group - Margarine, oils, salad dressing have important nutrients - essential fatty acids, vitamin A, D and E.
 Meat - Meat, chicken, fish, eggs contains important nutrient -proteins, Iron, vitamin B12 is recommended.
 Alternatives for meat for vegetarians - For vegetarian’s legumes, including leafy vegetables which are rich in iron, dhal, Soya should be taken.
 Milk and milk products - Milk, cheese, curds have important nutrients - Calcium, phosphorus, vitamins.


FIG SHOW A BALANCED DIET

Fruit and vegetables - all types have important nutrients include vitamin &
minerals especially vitamin A, vitamin C and fibre.
Having food from the five basic food groups during the day ensures that the diet consists of varieties of nutrients.


Tips for healthy eating

 Eat plenty of vegetables, Fruits and vegetables contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy child.
 Herbs Culinary herbs are herbaceous (leafy) plants that add flavour and colour to all types of meals. They have also been used for centuries to preserve food due to the presence of antioxidants.
 Healthy cooking tips. In many cases, favorite recipes can be modified so they offer a lower fat content. Non-stick cookware can be used to reduce the need for cooking oil. To keep valuable nutrients, microwave or steam your vegetables instead of boiling them.
 Fibre regulates bowel activity, keeps mouth and jaws healthy and lowers blood cholesterol
 Cancer and food. Some cancers are influenced by our daily diet. Cancers of the stomach, bowel, lung, prostate and uterus are more likely to develop if diet is high fat and low fibre.
 Calcium for your bones: Milk and foods produced from milk — cheese, curds, ice-cream and some custard — are the richest source of calcium.
 Vegetarians need to monitor their food intake to make sure that they get enough iron, zinc, B vitamins, protein, vitamin D and calcium.


Conclusion
Good nutrition is important for everyone especially for Women and girls. They require extra nutritional nourishment due to their physical and physiological nature. Nutrition is the cornerstone of National Development. Healthy women can make nation strong and healthier. It is the right of every girl child and women to get good nutrition food.