Healthy Eating At Various Lifestages
Women 31-50 years old
This information is based on the Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand Including Recommended Dietary Intakes, the Australian Dietary Guidelines for Adults, and The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. These recommendations are for healthy people with standardised weight, height and estimated energy requirements and may not meet the specific nutritional requirements of individuals. Specific advice for individual needs should be sought from a qualified dietitian.
Healthy Eating Guidelines for Women aged 31-50 years
The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating recommends the following servings per day:- 4-9 servings from the bread, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles group.
There is an allowance of about 30g a day for poly or monounsaturated fats and oils that can be used to spread on breads or rolls or used elsewhere in the diet.
- 5 servings from the vegetables, legumes group.
- 2 servings of fruit.
- 2 servings from the milk, yoghurt, cheese group.
- 1 serving from the lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts and legumes group.
Note: You get plenty of fats and oils from the amount used with cereal foods and from meat, eggs, cheese, peanut butter, margarine etc so fats and oils aren’t included separately.
For more information check out the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating at:
www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strateg-food-resources.htm#consumers
Energy requirements (kilojoules/day)
Energy requirements vary depending on age, gender, body size, activity levels, and whether or not you are pregnant or breast-feeding. It is important to balance the energy taken in (from food and drink) with the energy being expended through physical activity and the body’s normal functioning, to maintain a healthy weight.Women in their forties and fifties may be less likely to engage in sports or other forms of exercise than younger females. Weight gain can be a problem if a woman’s energy, or kilojoule intake, is greater than the energy she is expending during day-to-day activities.
To convert mega-joules (MJ) to kilojoules multiply by 1000.
Physical Activity
Regular physical activity can:- Help maintain a healthy body weight or prevent weight gain;
- Help prevent heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure;
- Reduce the risk of developing type II diabetes and some cancers;
- Help build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints, reducing the risk of injury; and
- Promote psychological well-being.
- Think of movement as an opportunity, not as an inconvenience.
- Be active every day in as many ways as you can.
- Put together at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days.
- If you can, also enjoy some regular, vigorous activity for extra health and fitness.
Being more active can be simply a matter of spending more time on the things you already do – like gardening or taking the dog for a walk. You could also try different things. Since the emphasis is on moderate activity, there are so many options to choose from.
Many people find it easier to be active when they exercise with friends. This may be organising to join a neighbour for a regular walk, or joining a local sporting or activity club. Remember, find an activity you enjoy – that way you are more likely to keep it up.
Don’t forget to consult your doctor before commencing physical activity or if you have a medical condition.
Healthy Eating for Women
Approximately 52% of Australian women are overweight or obese, and there is a greater level of obesity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults. Being overweight is a risk factor for a number of chronic conditions. Developing healthy eating habits, being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight will assist in reducing the risk of heart disease, some cancers, obesity, osteoporosis, kidney disease and Type 2 Diabetes.Consuming a wide range of nutritious foods every day like vegetables, legumes; fruits; breads and cereals; lean meat, fish, poultry or meat alternatives; milk products; and water is essential to good health.
The Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults (2003) are:
- Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods
- Eat plenty of vegetables, legumes and fruits
- Eat plenty of cereals (including breads, rice, pasta and noodles), preferably wholegrain
- Include lean meat, fish, poultry and/or alternatives
- Include milks, yoghurts, cheeses and/or alternatives.
- Reduced-fat varieties should be chosen, where possible
- Drink plenty of water
- Limit saturated fat and moderate total fat intake
- Choose foods low in salt
- Limit your alcohol intake if you choose to drink
- Consume only moderate amounts of sugars and foods containing added sugars
- Prevent weight gain: be physically active and eat according to your energy needs
- Care for your food: prepare and store it safely
- Encourage and support breastfeeding
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/_files/n35.pdf
Folate
Folate is a B vitamin that is needed for healthy growth and development. It is especially important for the normal growth of an unborn baby in its first few weeks of life. Because many women are unlikely to know they are pregnant in the early weeks, adequate folate intake for all women of child-bearing age helps to prevent birth defects in the baby, such as spina bifida.The average requirement for women aged 31-50 is 320µg per day but because of individual variation some women in this age group will need 400g or more per day. For women planning to become pregnant, to reduce the likelihood of neural tube defects in the baby, it is recommended that they consume an additional 400µg/day folic acid through a supplement or in the form of fortified foods for at least one month before and three months after conception in addition to consuming food folate from a varied diet (It should be noted that the folic acid used in supplements or used to supplement foods is almost twice as potent as dietary folate from natural sources).
Women who have a family history of neural tube defects may benefit from higher levels of supplementation and should consult their doctor during the planning of the pregnancy or as soon as possible. The nutrition information panel on food packages indicates how much folate is in a food, especially if extra folate has been added to the food product.
Discuss folate supplementation with a doctor, as it is best to use a folate supplement especially designed for pregnancy. Trying to meet folate needs from a regular multivitamin and mineral supplement may mean you take higher than recommended levels of other vitamins and minerals in order to get enough folate.
Good sources of folate include leafy vegetables, wholegrains, peas, nuts, avocados and yeast extracts.
Iron
Iron forms part of haemoglobin, a compound that carries oxygen in the blood. Women need extra iron compared to men because of blood losses in menstruation. Insufficient iron in the body can lead to tiredness and breathlessness and eventually to anaemia. The average requirement for iron for women aged 31-50 years is 8mg/day but as there is great variability in needs because of variations in menstrual loss, some women with heavy menstrual loss may need as much as 18mg/day.A mixed diet of animal and plant foods can help you achieve your iron intake. Absorption of iron is better from animal foods compared to plant sources and the recommended dietary intakes are based on a mixed western diet.
Red meat is the best source of iron as well as also being a good source of protein and zinc. Other meats like chicken and fish also contain iron but not as much as red meat. Iron can also be found in leafy green vegetables, legumes and iron-enriched breakfast cereals.
Adding a glass of fruit juice or other foods rich in vitamin C (such as tomato, broccoli or capsicum) to a meal will increase the amount of iron the body absorbs. Some things that are likely to reduce your body's absorption of iron include very high fibre diets, alcohol, and tannic acid in tea.
Some women may benefit from taking an iron supplement if they are iron deficient, but it is best to take them according to your doctor' advice as supplementation can cause symptoms like constipation and be harmful in excessive amounts.
A note to vegetarians: Because absorption of iron is better from animal foods compared to plant sources, it is recommended that women who are strict vegetarians need to consume 80% more iron than non-vegetarians.
Water
Water is essential for good health. All biochemical reactions in the body occur in water and it is required for digestion, absorption, transportation, dissolving nutrients, elimination of waste and temperature regulation. Chronic mild dehydration increases the risk of kidney stones, urinary tract cancers, colon cancer, mitral valve (in the heart) collapse, constipation, as well as diminished physical and mental performance.Pure water should be everyone’s main drink. Other drinks will also contribute to fluid requirements but caffeine (found in some beverages and soft drinks) and alcohol act as diuretics. This means that the body is actually losing some of the water to get rid of caffeine and alcohol in these drinks through urination.
Requirements for fluids differ depending on climate, physical activity and metabolism, but an adequate intake for women aged 31-50 is 2.1 litres a day or about 8 cups (this does not include water obtained from food).
Healthy Weight
In a culture where most young women are weight conscious, it is important to emphasise healthy eating that promotes healthy body weight. Dieting, and especially fad diets, can be dangerous to your health. They can lead to poor eating patterns or even develop into an eating disorder. A low body weight in the teenage years and as a young adult increases the risk of developing osteoporosis later in life. Being underweight may also lower your body's ability to fight infections and stay healthy.A dieting regime where you cut out major food groups, such as breads and grains, or dairy or meat (without alternatives), will increase the risk of malnutrition. Some signs of malnutrition include brittle nails, dry skin, thinning hair, lack of concentration, fatigue, anaemia, or ceasing of menstrual periods. In some cases, individuals may have low mineral levels in the blood, such as low potassium, which can cause fatigue and disturbances to heart rhythm.
Sometimes dieting can also lead to the starve-binge cycle. This cycle often starts with a significant reduction in food intake. Because this cannot be sustained for long, it can be followed by bingeing i.e. eating more than usual, because of extreme hunger or feelings of deprivation. Many people then feel guilty for 'breaking' their diet, so they go back and restrict their food intake again. This leads to a cycle of periods of restricting intake and overeating. People who find themselves in this pattern often experience low self-esteem and depression.
Yo-yo dieting is another concern for those individuals who lose weight quickly. When dieting and restricting the intake of kilojoules, the body responds by lowering its metabolic rate in order to survive on the reduced amount of food. When a person goes back to eating their usual intake of kilojoules, a lower metabolic rate persists causing weight to be regained and often more weight than was originally lost. Yo-yo dieting occurs when people lose weight only to regain it (and more) and then have to go on another diet.
For people who are overweight and want to lose some weight, a healthy rate of weight loss is ½ to 1 kg per week. If you like to get on the scales to check your weight, ideally you should weigh yourself once a month, at the same time of each menstrual cycle. Weighing yourself more often than this may not give a true picture about your true body weight as small weight changes from one day to the next can be related to fluid shifts in the body.
Alcohol
Alcohol is high in energy (kilojoules) and can lead to weight gain, obesity, and high blood pressure. Women should limit their alcohol to a maximum of 2 standard drinks per day, with two alcohol-free days per week.1 standard drink
= 10g alcohol
= 1 small glass of wine (120mL)
= 375ml can lite beer
= 250ml regular beer
= 60ml fortified wine
= 30ml spirits
Binge drinking should be avoided. Drinking too much alcohol can cause damage to the liver, pancreas, and the brain. It also increases the risk of developing some cancers such as cancer of the throat or tongue.
For more information on alcohol, visit the Australian Government’s Alcohol website: www.alcohol.gov.au/internet/alcohol/publishing.nsf/Content/guidelines
The Contraceptive Pill
Many young women take the Oral Contraceptive Pill (OCP) for contraception or to help manage their menstrual cycles. It may depend on the pill you are taking, but some common side effects are related to the hormones in the pill.Progesterone in the pill may cause an increase in appetite and can lead to weight gain and oestrogen may cause some fluid retention. Oestrogen also binds with vitamin B6 and may cause a vitamin B6 deficiency in some women.
To maintain a healthy attitude to your body, participate in regular physical activity and be mindful of what you choose to eat. Eat a balanced variety of nutritious foods and limit foods that are high in 'empty' calories.
The importance of fruit and vegetables (including legumes)
Fruit and vegetables contain many vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre essential for good health. People who consume diets high in fruit and vegetables have a lower risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, some forms of cancer, obesity and cataracts. Fruit and vegetables also contain antioxidants. A diet high in foods containing antioxidants may reduce the risk of disease, including heart disease and some cancers.Both fruit and vegetables also contain dietary fibre. Fruit and some vegetables contain soluble fibre which may help lower blood cholesterol levels. Insoluble fibre is found in vegetables and helps to prevent constipation. Fruit and vegetables are also low in fat and therefore have low energy (kilojoule) content.
Here are some suggestions to ensure an adequate intake of fruit and vegetables:
- Always serve main meals with cooked vegetables or a salad
- Make meat go further by adding extra vegetables in a stir-fry or casserole
- Add vegetables in season or legumes (eg dried beans, peas or lentils) to soups for added flavour and taste
- Include fruit juice and fresh fruit at breakfast, either by itself or on top of cereal or porridge
- Have fruit salad or baked fruit for dessert
- Puree stewed fruit as a topping for desserts or swirl into yoghurt
- If there is a lack of time to cook, use tinned or frozen fruit and vegetables in meals
Salt
High salt diets can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart failure, osteoporosis and stomach cancers. Overweight individuals may be more sensitive to the effect of salt on their blood pressure so it is especially important for them to reduce the salt in their diet. In some cases, reducing dietary salt may reduce the requirements for blood pressure medication, but medical advice must be sought prior to changing medication levels.It is therefore important for adult women to be aware of the salt content of foods in their diet to ensure they are not eating too much. Women should aim to keep their daily intake of sodium between 460-920 mg/day.
Foods high in salt are largely commercial or processed foods. Low amounts of salt are found in natural unprocessed foods. Foods high in salt, or sodium, include: table, sea and vegetable salts; anchovies; monosodium glutamate (MSG); soy sauce; bottled sauces; gravy; stock cubes; deli meats; canned vegetables and packet soups.
Reducing salt in the diet can be easy, it just involves making a few small changes to the foods you choose and the methods you use to cook them. Try these ideas:
- Leave the salt shaker off the table. This will remove the temptation to add it to your plate
- Use herbs, spices and a variety of foods to flavour meals rather than adding salt
- Choose fresh foods rather than packaged varieties where possible
- Cut down on the salt you are eating gradually. Your taste will slowly adapt to eating less salty foods
- Look at the salt (sodium) levels on product labels and choose salt-reduced products where possible
- As breads and cereals are a major contributor to salt intake in Australia, look for salt-reduced varieties
Smoking
Smoking is a major risk factor for the three diseases that cause most deaths in Australia. These include heart disease, stroke and cancer. Quitting smoking is one of the most basic ways of reducing your risk of ill health.Most people that smoke are aware that they are damaging their health. However, many smokers become concerned that they will gain weight if they try to quit smoking. About 80 per cent of smokers put on weight when they quit. Of these, however, most only gain a modest amount of weight. The causes of weight gain may include the effect of nicotine withdrawal on the body, and the ex-smoker’s inclination to eat more food.
If you are ready to quit smoking, you can minimise your weight gain by eating a healthy diet and engaging in regular exercise. It may be difficult to attempt to quit smoking and maintain a healthy diet at the same time but if you are a smoker, it is important to concentrate on quitting first. Many people adopt the philosophy that the weight they will gain after they quit will cancel out any health benefits from quitting. However, you would have to gain over 40 kilograms above your recommended weight to equal the risk of heart disease posed by smoking. Stopping smoking should be the first priority in achieving a healthy heart and a healthy body. See your doctor or dietitian for further information and advice if weight gain is a problem.
Healthy Options for Eating Out
Sometimes takeaway food can be a convenient option but fast foods are often high in saturated fat, salt and sugar. By making better choices when eating out, it is possible to have takeaway occasionally without doing damage to your body. However, to avoid putting on weight, you need to balance any excess intake of kilojoules with healthy food choices for the rest of the day. It may also be necessary to plan some extra physical activity to account for any added energy intake from takeaway food.When getting takeaway, choose a healthier option or order a little less and add your own salad or vegetables at home:
- Hamburgers with only a single meat layer, no cheese or low fat cheese, and lots of salad and vegetables
- BBQ chicken with skin removed, with a salad and vegetables
- Kebabs with only a little meat and lots of salad
- Thin crust pizza with more vegetables (ask for less cheese) and make a salad at home to go with it
- For fish and chips ask for grilled fish and order less chips, and add a home-made salad or vegetables
- Some Asian foods are a good choice, e.g. nori or sushi rolls, steamed and braised dishes (not fried)
- Sandwiches with lean meat, fish or chicken and salad
Example of a Healthy Meal Plan for a 31-50 year old woman
For this example we have based the daily energy requirement on a 31-50 year old woman, about 1.7m in height, weighing about 63kg, with an exclusively sedentary lifestyle with little or no strenuous exercise, for someone with seated work such as an office employee. The meal plan is designed as a guide and meets recommended dietary intakes. The meal plan is for a single day, the Australian Dietary Guidelines recommends eating a variety of foods every day to meet nutritional needs.Energy requirements (kilojoules/day)
- About 8,550 kj/day (2,042 cal/day)
Food | Quantity | Energy (kJ) | Protein (g) | Carbohydrate (g) | Fat (g) | Salt (Sodium, mg) |
Breakfast | ||||||
| Cereal (fortified*) | 1 1/3 cups | 864 | 6.1 | 36.8 | 1.7 | 528 |
| Skim milk | 1/2 cup | 189 | 4.7 | 6.5 | 0.1 | 57 |
| 1 slice fruit loaf | 1 thick slice | 495 | 3.1 | 22.3 | 1.5 | 97 |
| Margarine, reduced fat, salt free | 1 teaspoon | 73 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 0 |
| Orange | 1 medium | 231 | 1.4 | 10.6 | 0.1 | 4 |
Nutritious snack | ||||||
| Cashews, dry roasted, unsalted | 17 nuts | 615 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 12.3 | 3 |
| Almonds, dry roasted, unsalted | 21 nuts | 638 | 5.2 | 1.1 | 13.9 | 1 |
| Sultanas | 63 sultanas | 329 | 0.7 | 18.75 | 0.1 | 9 |
| Large glass water | 300ml | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Lunch - Chicken and salad pocket | ||||||
| Wholemeal Lebanese bread | 1 small pita | 554 | 4.2 | 24.5 | 1.1 | 235 |
| Chicken breast without skin | 100g | 677 | 24.6 | 0 | 7.0 | 76 |
| Lettuce | 2 cups torn leaves | 12 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0 | 7 |
| Red capsicum | 3 rings | 35 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 0 |
| Carrot | 1/2 medium, grated | 39 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 0 | 14 |
| Cucumber | 3 slices | 14 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0 | 6 |
| Low fat mayonnaise | 4 teaspoons | 164 | 0.1 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 146 |
| Banana | 1 large | 564 | 2.6 | 29.9 | 0.2 | 2 |
| Large glass water | 300ml | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Nutritious snack | ||||||
| Rye biscuits | 2 | 291 | 2.2 | 12.5 | 0.5 | 68 |
| Margarine, reduced fat, salt free | 2 teaspoons | 146 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 0 |
| Tomato | 2 thick slices | 36 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 3 |
| Mug of tea, skim milk, no sugar | 1 large mug | 62 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 25 |
Dinner - Beef strips and vegetables on rice | ||||||
| Lean steak | 80g | 560.8 | 22.7 | 0 | 4.7 | 48 |
| Vegetable oil | 1 teaspoon | 170 | 0 | 0 | 4.6 | 0 |
| Diced tomato, no added salt | 1/4 cup | 61 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 0.1 | 43 |
| Chopped onion | 1 small | 38 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 0 | 3 |
| Basil | 1/2 cup | 6 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0 | 1 |
| White rice, boiled | 1 cup | 893 | 4.0 | 47.1 | 0.5 | 10 |
| Broccoli, boiled | 1/2 cup flowerets | 69 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 10 |
| Skim milk | 300ml | 452 | 11.2 | 15.6 | 0.3 | 137 |
| Fortified* chocolate beverage base | 4 teaspoons | 107 | 0.9 | 4.1 | 0.7 | 36 |
| Mug of tea, skim milk, no sugar | 1 large mug | 62 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 25 |
Variation to Energy Expenditure depending on Physical Activity Level for a woman 32 years old, about 1.7m in height, weighing about 63kg
Lifestyle/Exercise level | Energy requirement (kJ/day) |
| At rest, exclusively sedentary or lying eg elderly infirm or those unable to move freely or earn a living | 6,800kJ/day |
| Exclusively sedentary activity/seated work with little or no strenuous leisure activity eg office employees | 8,00-8,550 kJ/day |
| Sedentary lifestyle with little or no strenuous exercise eg seated occupations with some requirement for walking and standing such as laboratory assistants, drivers, students, assembly line workers. | 9,100-9,700 kJ/day |
| A lifestyle that involves predominantly standing or walking eg housewives, salespersons, waiters, mechanics, traders. | 10,300-10,850 kJ/day |
| Heavy occupational work or highly active leisure eg construction workers, farmers, forest workers, miners, high performance athletes. | 11,400-12,500+ kJ/day |