Dealing with mood swings, cramps, energy drains, and headaches—not to mention having a job, managing a household, maintaining relationships, and looking impeccably gorgeous while doing it—is all in a day's work for many women.
It might seem like too much to handle at times, but there's a simple way to alleviate some of these stresses: your diet. While you may not have a choice as to when those debilitating cramps come on, you do have control over what you eat. Everything you put into your body can be a tool in your health-maintaining arsenal, and picking the very best weapons is paramount. The following healthy foods claim big bragging rights by protecting the future you from a variety of women's health concerns: They can fend off diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and breast cancer; strengthen your bones; fortify your immune system; protect and smooth your skin; and nurture your developing baby.
Most of these healthy foods might already be in your pantry—but if not, now's the time to load up your shopping cart and supercharge your health. Since there are a lot of nutritious candidates on supermarket shelves, we've dug through the science to find out which ones give women that extra edge. Read on to learn about how these 50 delicious foods can be powerful allies for your health and weight loss efforts for years to come. And then double down on your efforts by avoiding these weight loss mistakes women make, too!
Foods For Your Heart
Get this: heart disease is the leading killer of both women and men in America. According to the CDC, one in every four female deaths is a result of heart disease. Paired with a sensible diet and consistent routine exercise, the foods below can help ward off some of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease—high blood pressure, stroke, high cholesterol, and heart disease.
1
Salmon
Fatty fish like wild salmon, mackerel, and herring owe their super health-promoting powers to their high omega-3 content. These powerful anti-inflammatory fatty acids can help decrease your odds of dying from heart disease by more than 33 percent, help lower your risk of arthritis, and possibly make your baby smarter.
2
Dark Chocolate
Attention, chocoholics! Dozens of studies show that people who consume cocoa—as a hot drink or as dark chocolate—are in much better cardiovascular shape than those who don't. One nine-year study in the journal Circulation Heart Failure found women who ate one to two servings of high-quality chocolate per week had a 32 percent lower risk of developing heart failure than those who said no to the cocoa. Researchers attribute cocoa's health benefits to its high concentrations of polyphenols and flavanols, anti-inflammatory compounds that help protect the heart. When you're buying it, just make sure to pick up dark chocolate that contains 74 percent or more cocoa solids, as these are the flavanol-rich compounds.
3
Walnuts
One in four American women die of heart disease every year and 90 percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease. Protecting your most vital organ is as simple as adding some walnuts to your diet. This heart-shaped nut is teeming with antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids that can help keep you safe. One recent study found that munching on two ounces a day could significantly improve blood flow to and from the heart in just 8 weeks. Another study found that the same amount can help delay development of breast cancer and slow tumor growth in mice. Speculation is that antioxidants called phytosterols, already known cancer fighters, could be the culprit.
4
Sprouted Garlic
Nearly a third of women between 45 and 55 have high blood pressure, an illness that can lead to more serious issues like heart disease or stroke, and that number increases from 50 to 70 percent for women aged 55 to those 65 and older. It turns out, the vampire-repelling plant is both a flavor essential and a heart-disease-fighting superstar. Garlic contains phytochemicals, including allicin, which a review in the Journal of Integrated Blood Pressure Control showed may decrease high blood pressure by as much as 10 points—similar to standard blood pressure medication. Garlic can also prevent the progression of heart disease by reducing the accumulation of plaque and preventing the formation of new plaque in the arteries, according to a study in the Journal of Nutrition. The catch is that cooking destroys this beneficial compound, so you'll have to use garlic powder, aged garlic extract, or sprouted garlic.
5
Olive Oil
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the Mediterranean diet, which includes healthy fats like olive oil, prevents about 30 percent of heart attacks, strokes and deaths from heart disease in people at high cardiovascular risk. Olive oil, in particular, is loaded with monounsaturated fats (MUFAs), which lower "bad" LDL cholesterol and raise "good" HDL cholesterol, which helps in lowering your risk of heart disease.
6
Apples
One of the best foods women should be eating is one you probably already are: the apple. Metabolic syndrome—a syndrome that refers to a cluster of conditions like insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol—is the main contributor to heart disease, the leading killer of American women. While women who eat a diet rich in blood-sugar-spiking refined carbs or those who are overweight are most susceptible to metabolic syndrome, even healthy postmenopausal women are also at risk. The Iowa Women's Health Study, which has been tracking 34,000 women for nearly 20 years, found that apples are one of three foods most effective at reducing the risk of death from coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease among women, as these women had less abdominal fat and lower blood pressure than their peers who didn't consume apples.
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Oatmeal
High cholesterol can lead to the buildup of plaque in artery walls. Left untreated, this buildup can lead to heart attack and stroke, resulting in 2 of the top 5 leading causes of death in American women. Luckily, it's not too difficult to combat. Simply eating a healthy diet that includes soluble fiber-rich whole grains, like oatmeal, can help. Oatmeal can also protect you from heart disease. A Harvard study of more than 68,000 women found that those who ate the most fiber daily were 23 percent less likely to develop heart disease than were those who consumed the least. Thanks to the breakfast staple's high fiber content, it can also slash the odds of developing type 2 diabetes by a whopping 61 percent! The superstar nutrient also helps stabilize blood sugar, which wards off diet-derailing hunger and dangerous dips in glucose.
8
Beans
Unlike animal sources of protein, beans are free of unhealthy fats. That might be the very reason one study found that people who consumed legumes at least four times a week had a 22 percent lower risk of heart disease compared with those who consumed them less than once a week. Equally as encouraging results were published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. A scientific review of 26 clinical trials discovered that eating a 3/4 of a cup of beans daily could reduce levels of "bad" cholesterol in the blood by 5 percent.
Foods That Boost Your Brainpower
According to the Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's disease—a neurodegenerative disorder that is the most common type of dementia—is currently the fifth leading cause of death in females, and disproportionately affects women more than men. In fact, almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer's are women, but many experts attribute the disparity to the fact that women often live longer than men, and old age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's. Experts suspect other risk factors to be related to the decrease in consumption of antioxidant-rich foods, which typically scavenge cell-damaging free radicals which may lead to cognitive decline.
9
Shrimp
Shrimp is the most potent source of an essential and hard-to-get nutrient called choline. This neurotransmitter building block is necessary for the structure and function of all cells, and a deficiency in this compound has been linked to neurological disorders and decreased cognitive function. Not only does it act as brain food, but it can also help lower your risk of breast cancer.
10
Cinnamon
There's a genetic basis to Alzheimer's, and if the disease runs in your family, it's especially important to make changes to your lifestyle to minimize your risk. One of those changes is adding cinnamon to your diet. The same constituents of cinnamon that moderate spikes in blood sugar levels—proanthocyanidins and cinnamaldehyde—exhibit other properties that can inhibit the formation of Alzheimer's-causing protein aggregates, according to a study in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
11
Blueberries
Blueberries are one of the most potent, age-defying, antioxidant-rich superfoods. Their wide array of health benefits is mostly attributed to their powerful anthocyanins, antioxidants, which cleanse your body of cell-damaging free radicals. In one study of 16,010 women, those who ate one weekly serving of blueberries experienced less mental decline during the course of the study than participants who didn't consume any of the little blue fruits. These same antioxidants that help maintain your mental sharpness also help keep your skin smooth and wrinkle-free—something every woman would be keen on. But that's not all; these fruits help fight heart disease along with other berry benefits.
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Almond Butter
Swapping peanut butter for almond butter might better your chances of beating age-related memory loss. Almonds contain high concentrations of vitamin E (three times more than peanut butter), which has been shown to help reduce the risk of cognitive impairment. And some studies indicate the nutrient can also slow the decline caused by Alzheimer's disease. For a snack, spread a teaspoon over celery, or mix a spoonful into your morning oatmeal.
Foods To Protect You From Cancer
Next to heart disease, cancer is the second-highest killer of American women. Breast cancer, specifically, is the most common, followed by lung. While no single food can guarantee to keep you cancer-free, research has clearly shown that cancer prevention and diet go hand in hand. And the following foods are nutritional standouts when it comes to fighting cancer risk.
13
Turmeric
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in women. Scientists have found that one way to reduce the mortality of cancer is through prevention, and that can be accomplished by eating turmeric. This ginger-family spice contains curcumin, an antioxidant polyphenol with chemopreventive properties. Chronic inflammation is a major risk factor for the development and metastatic progression of cancer, and curcumin's anti-inflammatory properties have been found to diminish the formation of breast cancer, according to a study in Molecular Oncology.
14
Whole Grain Bread
A Harvard study found that eating more fiber-rich foods may lessen breast cancer risk partly by helping to reduce high estrogen levels in the blood, which are strongly linked with breast cancer development.
15
Tomatoes
Thanks to their high concentration of the antioxidant lycopene, tomatoes can help protect our DNA from damage that can lead to breast, endometrial, lung, stomach, prostate, and renal cell carcinoma cancers, according to researchers. Since Ohio State researchers found that the heating process increases the amount of lycopene that is available for your body to absorb, make sure you add tomato paste, sautéed tomatoes, or an organic tomato sauce to omelets, chicken and pasta dishes to reap the benefits.
16
Peanuts
One of the most underrated cancer-fighters of the bunch, peanuts are a great source of cancer-fighting choline. The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology found that women who consumed the highest amount of choline had the lowest risk of breast cancer compared with those who consumed the least. And other studies have connected and choline deficiency with a higher risk of liver cancer as well as other ill health effects, such as fatty liver disease.
17
Green Tea
Green tea is packed with polyphenols, an antioxidant with enormous health benefits including anti-breast cancer properties. In a study of healthy Japanese American women at the National Institute of Health's National Cancer Institute, researchers found that those who drank at least one cup of green tea daily had less urinary estrogen—a known carcinogen of the breast—than the non-tea drinkers.
18
Pomegranate
Pomegranates have been linked to fertility and health for centuries, but today, experts are fascinated with the seeded fruit's ability to inhibit the growth of hormone-dependent breast cancer. According to a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, ellagic acid in pomegranates might help protect against cancer by suppressing estrogen production and preventing the growth of breast cancer cells. While further studies are needed, researchers say people may consider eating more pomegranates to protect against cancer.
Foods That Boost Your Immunity and Mood
With juggling time between work, kids, and yourself, it's no wonder women are more prone than men to experience anxiety and depression, with nearly 12 million women being affected by a depressive disorder every year. When your stress levels are high, you also put your immune system at risk, and that's besides the fact that about 75 percent of people who live with autoimmune diseases are women, according to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association. The following foods will tackle your stress hormones that wreak havoc on your immune system (and your waist), and help alleviate issues tied to autoimmune disorders.
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Rooibos Tea
When anxiety rides high, you're at the mercy of stress hormones such as cortisol: the "belly fat hormone" that pulls lipids from your bloodstream and stores them in your fat cells. Turn to rooibos tea, one of the most popular teas in the 7-Day Flat-Belly Tea Cleanse. What makes rooibos tea particularly good for soothing your mind is the unique flavonoid called aspalathin. Research shows this compound can reduce these stress hormones that can lead to depression as well as trigger hunger and fat storage.
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Portabella Mushrooms
Not only are mushrooms super low-cal, they're a good source of potassium, a nutrient that can help lower blood pressure and offset the negative effects of excess sodium. Another reason to add the veggie to your shopping list: Researchers at the University of Florida showed increased immunity in people who ate 4 ounces of cooked mushrooms every day for four weeks. Experts attribute the increase to mushrooms' high levels of vitamin D, and portobello mushrooms boast the greatest concentration.
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Brazil Nuts
One particular autoimmune disease that affects women is Hashimoto's thyroiditis, a condition which leads to 80 percent of all hypothyroidism cases. In this condition, your immune system attacks your thyroid gland—a gland that controls your metabolism—causing it to have decreased function, and causing you to feel sluggish and possibly gain weight. To help reduce anti-thyroid antibodies, consider adding brazil nuts into your diet. These nuts are rich in selenium, a mineral that acts as the "on" switch to proper thyroid function. It also helps protect the gland from inflammatory byproducts of thyroid hormone production. Many people who have a sluggish thyroid or thyroid diseases exhibit deficiencies in selenium, and studies show that supplementation of 80 micrograms per day—about what you'll find in just one Brazil nut—helps to reduce anti-thyroid antibodies.
22
Beets
Besides being a source of many phytochemicals, beets are a unique source of betalain pigments, which have been found to display potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and chemopreventive activity. One of these pigments, betaine, is a nutrient that not only fights inflammation, but also is known to rev your metabolism, positively influences the mechanism for insulin resistance, shut down genes that encourage fat to hang around, and to boost your mood. That's because betaine has been found to raise serotonin (the feel-good hormone) levels in the brain.
Foods To Help You Look Fabulous
Looking our best is all in a day's work for women. That's because when we look good, we feel good, and studies have even shown we perform better at our jobs. But why should you shell out your hard-earned cash on serums and fancy lotions when you can keep your skin looking healthy, resilient, and radiant by just eating these foods? Whether you need to treat acne, ward off premature aging, reduce the appearance wrinkles, get healthy hair, or fight back against another pesky skin condition, the right diet can be a valuable aid. Eat these foods to nourish your hair and skin to get that healthy glow you're after.
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Red Peppers
Oranges get a lot of credit for vitamin C, but bell peppers are actually the best source. Vitamin C is known for its skin and immunity benefits. Researchers in the United Kingdom looked at vitamin C intake in 4,025 women and found that those who ate more had less wrinkling and dryness. As an added bonus, although getting enough vitamin C won't prevent you from catching a cold or flu (you can blame your kids for that), studies show that it could help you recover faster.
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Cilantro
If you have cellulite, you're certainly not alone. This cosmetic condition will affect nearly 90 percent of women at some point during their lives, even women who are fit and trim. That's because cellulite is simply fat pushing up against your skin, and its emergence means that your skin's collagen is too weak to support smoother, un-dimpled skin. One solution is by eating fresh herbs, like cilantro, which promotes detoxification by helping to remove heavy metals from the body that tend to hide in fat cells. These heavy metals can disrupt normal tissue function and, as a result, prevent your body from healing and functioning properly. By reducing overall toxins in your body, you can help get rid of excess stored fat, which can help lessen the appearance of cellulite.
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Sweet Potatoes
Not only are women at greater risk than men for eye-related diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), they are also at higher risk for overall health conditions that impact their vision, like diabetes, which affects one in 10 American women over the age of 20. Kill two birds with one stone with sweet potatoes. These tubers are rich in beta-carotene, a precursor for vitamin A—the essential nutrient that protects and maintains eye health—and a half-cup serving delivers 80% of your DV. Oh, and did we mention that a study published in the journal Evolution and Human Behaviour found that foods rich in carotenoids (like sweet potatoes) can give you a healthier, more attractive, and more radiant glow than you would get from sun exposure? They can!
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Shiitake Mushrooms
Not quite ready to join the salt-and-pepper club? Get more copper in your diet. A study in the journal Biological Trace Elemental Research found premature-graying individuals had significantly lower copper levels than a control group. Your body requires copper to produce pigment for your skin and hair, and shiitake mushrooms are one of the best dietary sources. Just a half cup provides 71 percent of your recommended daily intake of copper!
27
Spa Water
How many products and concealers have you purchased to cover those pesky, puffy, dark circles under your the eyes? They may be a sign of lack of sleep, but it can also indicate another more common issue: dehydration. Salty foods, alcohol, exercise, hot weather and just plain not drinking enough water can create inflammation, which results in those raccoon eyes. Start replenishing your body with these detox waters: Cut up some citrus fruits (rind included), soak in a pitcher of ice water, and drink up. The vitamin C in the citrus will help balance levels of electrolytes and expel excess water weight while the d-limonene in the rinds acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory compound which helps the liver flush toxins from the body.
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Natto
Natto is a Japanese dish made by boiling and fermenting soybeans with bacteria that increases the beans' nutritional value. Natto is unique in that it's the highest dietary source of vitamin K2—a vitamin which is important for cardiovascular and bone health as well as promoting skin elasticity to help prevent wrinkles. On top of that, natto is a potent source of gut-healing probiotics. A healthy gut can keep inflammation at bay, which researchers say may affect the health of our skin since many troubles like acne, eczema, and psoriasis stem from inflammation.
Foods For Fertility
If you're in the phase of looking to get that bun in the oven, there are a few foods you can add to your diet to get things moving and prepare your body for another buddy. Noshing on the right foods can support vaginal health, boost mood, and increase libido so you can focus on the more important things.
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Grass-Fed Beef
It might not only be your crazy-busy schedule that's making you too tired for sex. One of the main causes of fatigue among women is iron deficiency, or anemia, which is typically caused by a loss of iron in the blood due to heavy menstruation or pregnancy. The condition can zap energy and can result in feelings of exhaustion, weakness, and irritability. Grass-fed beef is the perfect solution: it provides your body with heme iron, the form of iron more readily absorbed by your body compared to nonheme iron found in spinach or iron-enriched foods. Grass-fed beef also provides the added benefits of containing up to 5 times as many omega-3 fatty acids as corn-fed beef and contains twice as much conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)—a fatty acid that has been shown to exert anticarcinogenic, antiobese, antidiabetic, and antihypertensive properties. It also contains up to ten times the amount of immunity-boosting vitamin E, which also acts as a powerful antioxidant in the face of free radicals.
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Flax Seeds
"If you're feeling a little dry before sex, try snacking on flax seeds. Flax contains a rich source of phytoestrogens that help increase your estrogen levels and lubricates the vagina," says nutritionist Cassie Bjork, RD, LD.
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Greek Yogurt
Probiotic-rich yogurt is great for everyone's digestive health, but probiotics are particularly important for women's urinary and vaginal health. Probiotics are good bacteria that live in your intestines and play an essential role in everything from mood and weight maintenance to balancing our immune system. If the balance of your good bacteria is off, when the bad guy bacteria make their way out of your body by passing through your colon, by virtue of proximity, they can re-colonize the vagina and urinary tract.
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Nettle
Contrary to what you might think, the common nettle is more than a pesky, spiked weed. Stinging nettles are a rich plant-based source of iron and folic acid, and a 2013 study found its painkilling properties can benefit anemia as well as seasonal allergies and UTIs. It also contains vitamin K, which helps blood clot, so it's great if you tend to get a little anemic because of heavy periods. Make a tea by adding one tablespoon dried nettle herb to water, and steep for at least 30 minutes.
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Cranberry Juice
Around 60 percent of women will experience this common issue (and the painfully frequent urination that goes with it) over their lifetimes. As it turns out, your mom's home remedy might actually help! According to a study in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, when women took a cranberry juice pill equivalent to two 8-ounce servings of cranberry juice for 6 weeks after gynecological surgery, it reduced the rate of UTI occurance by half. Two ingredients in cranberries—fructose and A-type proanthocyanidins (PAC)—may help prevent UTIs by either selecting against more adhesive strains in the stool or by directly preventing bacteria and E. coli in particular, from adhering to the bladder wall. It might prevent a UTI from occurring, but it will not, however, kill the bacteria once they're established; in that case, only prescription antibiotics can provide relief.
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Oysters
Oysters are full of zinc, and women with higher levels of zinc in their system have been shown to have a higher sex drive than those with lower levels. It's easy to get your shuck on at happy hour: Just a half dozen oysters on the half shell will provide you with 33 mg of zinc, over two times the 14 mg RDA for adult women.
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Lentils
Beans, beans, the musical fruit, the more you eat the more you… can diminish PMS symptoms like 24/7 hunger, mood swings, and water retention? It's true! And it's all thanks to their high levels of magnesium. The mineral helps the body flush out water and can also boost serotonin levels—the hormone that keeps mood stable and appetite in check. But that's not all! Lentils are rich in fiber, a nutrient responsible for the legume's cholesterol-lowering effects. In fact, researchers found a relationship between a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and a higher intake of legumes like lentils, according to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Foods For You & Baby
There's no greater way to foster a healthy baby than by the foods you eat before and during your pregnancy. Studies show that a balanced diet—like the one detailed in our book, Eat This, Not That! When You're Expecting—leads to fewer complications, easier deliveries, fewer birth defects, and happier, fitter babies after they're born.
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Spinach
Having a healthy community of gut microbes is very important for both maternal and infant health. Multiple studies have found a healthy microbiome can protect both you and your little one against immune-system flare-ups like allergies, and help you avoid preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, vaginal infections, and excess weight gain. On the other hand, when your gut is out of whack, a study published in Pediatric Research noted that your baby might have impaired brain development, and other studies suggest your offspring could be predisposed to obesity.
Eating probiotics from yogurt and fermented foods can help, but sometimes when foods are pasteurized (which is a must to keep you from being vulnerable to pregnancy-threatening bacterial infections), their levels of probiotics decrease. That's why one of the safest ways to improve your gut health during pregnancy is through eating more prebiotics like spinach. This super veggie is full of sulfoquinovose, a source of food for your gut bugs which studies have found to play a role in developing a protective barrier in the gut, preventing the growth and colonization of bad bacteria.
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Pumpkin Seeds
If you thought you'd never be a bodybuilder—think again. You're literally building a body during pregnancy, which means you'll also have to start pumping iron. Just not the same kind. Getting in more of the mineral, iron, will help your body make blood, which helps shuttle the needed amounts of oxygen to your baby. A deficiency can up the risk of premature birth, low birth weight, and even maternal and infant mortality. The best thing about pumpkin seeds is you'll only need to consume them in small quantities to reap the benefits: a single ounce contains more than 8 grams of protein and a whopping 23 percent of your DV of iron! Top your yogurt or oatmeal with some seeds, or thow them in trail mix for an on-the-go snack.
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Quinoa
This ancient, gluten-free grain is touted for its exceptional balance of oil, fiber, protein, and fat. Quinoa is high in folate, magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese, making it a nutrient-packed source of carbohydrates for long-lasting energy levels and to help nurture your kiddo. What's more, it's a complete protein—meaning it has all 9 essential amino acids—making it particularly beneficial for those who don't eat animal products and for expecting mothers. Protein is essential for healthy growth and development of the fetus, but also to support the strong development of fetal-support tissues including the placenta and extraembryonic membranes, which is why protein requirements for pregnant women are higher than non-pregnant women.
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Broccoli
No wonder mom was always trying to get you to eat broccoli; it's quite the superfood! Just a half a cup of cooked broccoli has 85 percent of your vitamin C DV. Vitamin C is crucial for the production of collagen: a structural protein necessary in building bones, cartilage, tendons, and skin (which is why you need it during pregnancy) and also for maintaining your own skin's youthful appearance and elasticity. Not to mention, the vitamin also works to boost your body's absorption of iron, which is essential for the proper transport of oxygen in the blood.
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Ginger
Whether your queasy stomach is caused by pregnancy-related morning sickness or an upcoming visit from the in-laws, ginger can most likely help. A review of six double-blind randomized controlled clinical trials published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology concluded that ginger was an effective treatment for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Studies from 2009 to 2012 also showed great success combating the nausea from chemotherapy.
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Almond Milk
Got milk? Well, you should! Calcium is crucial for building your little one's bones, teeth, muscles, and nerves, and if you don't get enough, your body might start pulling some from your own bone system. And that's certainly not great news as all women are at risk of developing osteoporosis, a disease that causes weak and brittle bones. While exercise like running can help improve bone density, calcium combined with vitamin D are essential parts of the equation. Calcium can not only keep bones healthy and strong, but it also helps fight fat and weight gain. While milk is the classic source of calcium, drinking whole milk during pregnancy has been linked with larger-than-normal birth weight, according to research, so we recommend sticking with almond milk.
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Eggs
The FDA recommends pregnant women get 600 IU of vitamin D a day during pregnancy, and waking up with two eggs for breakfast will cut that number down by 100 IU. This vitamin is so important because, in addition to helping your body absorb bone-developing calcium, vitamin D is key for healthy skin and eyesight, and has been associated with a lower chance of preeclampsia—a serious condition which can threaten your health. Even better, a study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found a higher intake of vitamin D (equivalent to those two eggs) during pregnancy was associated with 20 percent less hay fever in her child at school age. And as for your health? The sunshine vitamin has been found to reduce heart disease risk and ward off breast, colon, and ovarian cancers, say University of California San Diego researchers.
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Asparagus
Nationwide, there are 4,000 neural tube defects (NTD)-affected pregnancies each year, making it one of the most common birth defects. NTDs are a group of disorders of the development of the brain and spinal cord. Because this part of the fetus develops within the first few weeks, which could be before a woman even knows she's pregnant, doctors recommend that all women who are sexually active or are planning to become pregnant should consume folic acid—a B vitamin that is used by the body to manufacture DNA—daily. Up to 70 percent of NTDs can be prevented if women consume just 0.4 mg/day of folic acid, and a cup of cooked asparagus gives you two-thirds of that recommendation.
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Cod
Cod is a great source of omega-3s while being low in mercury—making this fish super pregnancy-friendly. That's because the omega-3s found in fish are essential to developing proper brain function in babies. An observational study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that moms who ate the FDA-recommended three servings of fish per week during their pregnancies birthed babies who had higher IQs and less inattention, hyperactivity, and autism symptoms than those who consumed the least amount of fish—regardless of the amount of mercury present in the fish. Researchers attribute these positive neurological benefits to DHA, one of the omega-3s in fish that is important in building neurons and cell membranes.
Foods To Get You Through Menopause
Cramps, mood swings, bloating, and persistent fatigue due to a lack of sleep are just a few of the symptoms every woman will go through during menopause—and they're not much fun. Studies link the debilitating symptoms of menopause to the decline in levels of estrogen as your ovaries stop producing hormones. These foods have been found to lessen some of these severe symptoms to help you age gracefully.
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Sage
Sheila Kingsbury, N.D., chair of the Botanical Medicine Department at Bastyr University explains, "Sage has been passed down from generation to generation in Western herbal tradition as the sure-fire cure for hot flashes." One of the first clinical trials to test this ancient method published results in the journal, Advances in Therapy, confirming that treating menopausal women with a once-daily tablet of fresh sage leaves for 8 weeks significantly decreases the average number of mild hot flushes by 46 percent and very severe flushes by 100 percent. "Sage was also used in Native American cultures to clear negative energy so it may help ease some of the irrational fears that can cycle through your head during menopause," says herbalist Margi Flint, author of The Practicing Herbalist.
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Guacamole
Yes, your favorite dip is actually a functional food! Many women suffer from the inability to fall asleep as they go through menopause, and one thing that can help you get some ZZZs is a couple spoonfuls of guac. (But keep it to just one or two—guac is also high in fats, which will take your body longer to digest, keeping your body working late rather than snoozing.) That's because avocados are a rich source of the muscle-relaxing mineral magnesium. In a study in the Journal of Research and Medical Sciences, magnesium had a positive effect on the quality of sleep in older adults with insomnia by extending the time they spent sleeping in bed. Avocados also contain tryptophan, the precursor to calming and sleep-regulating hormones serotonin and melatonin.
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Bananas
According to a study released by the American Physiological Society, women's risk of stroke increases after menopause due to decreased levels of estrogen. Prior to menopause, women have a lower risk of stroke compared to men because of their estrogen levels, which the body uses to keep immune cells from becoming overactive after a stroke, resulting in killing brain cells rather than repairing them. The FDA found that "the combination of a low-sodium, high potassium intake is associated with the lowest blood pressure levels and lowest frequency of stroke in individuals and populations." Well, guess what? Bananas are high in potassium and low in sodium, and the fruit is officially recognized by the FDA as being able to lower blood pressure and protect against heart attack and stroke.
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Goji Berries
According to a study published in the journal Menopause, women who reported fewer than 3 sessions of 30 minutes of physical activity a week had more severe menopause symptoms—from hot flashes and joint pains to depressed mood and anxiety—than those who were more active. For some get-up-and-go energy to help you get motivated to workout, have some goji berries. A study published in the Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine found that 50 percent of those who drank Goji juice every day for two weeks reported less fatigue, more energy during the day, and increased athletic performance compared to before they started drinking the goji juice.
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Kale
You already know that kale is a superfood, but it earns a womanly superstar status thanks to the presence of vitamin K, a potent bone builder. University of Toronto researchers found that postmenopausal women who ate diets rich in vitamin K for two years experienced a 50 percent reduction in fractures and a 75 percent reduction in cancer incidence than those who took a placebo. Experts attribute vitamin K's benefits to increasing bone strength through the activation of bone proteins needed to ward off osteoporosis, the crippling bone disease that strikes women four times more often than men.
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Chickpeas
Studies have found that many of the debilitating symptoms of peri- and postmenopause are caused by the low levels of estrogen that occur due to the lack of ovarian hormones. Luckily for you, a side of hummus or any one of these amazing, surprising chickpea recipes can help your body regulate these hormones, and aid with your menopause symptoms, according to a study published by the Chinese Pharmacological Society. That's thanks to chickpeas' high levels of a nutrient known as isoflavone. Isoflavones act as a phytoestrogen in humans; in other words, they mimic estrogen's structure, allowing them to function in the same estrogen pathways.
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