Ladies, our nutritional needs are complicated. The older I get, the more I’m in awe of the complexities of how our bodies work and how beautifully intricate our systems are.
The flip side, of course, is that if a wrench gets thrown into the system the delicate balance is easily upset.
Nutrition is a huge component of keeping our bodies operating at their best but studies show that adolescent girls, particularly in the 14-to-18-year-old age range, are under-consuming essential nutrients that promote good health and lay the foundation for a healthy adulthood. During this life stage our girls are entering puberty and the major hormonal changes taking place can be negatively impacted by inadequate nutrition.
This post is sponsored by the Washington State Beef Commission.
Check out these interesting tidbits:
Fact #1: Adolescent girls have a significantly higher need for iron than boys their age.
Fact #2: Adolescent girls tend to consume less meat, poultry, and eggs than adolescent boys.
Fact #3: Meat, like lean beef, is one of the most iron-rich foods available.
Taken together, these tidbits explain the nutrient gap experienced by our young women since they’re consuming fewer iron-rich foods, like beef, while they have an increased need for its nutrients. This can lead to conditions like iron-deficiency anemia as well as deficiencies in other nutrients commonly found in lean beef like protein, zinc, vitamins B12 and B6, and choline.
What makes this even more important is that a woman’s increased need for iron doesn’t stop when she reaches adulthood. The need for increased iron persists throughout a woman’s lifetime. Check out this chart that shows how much more iron a woman needs for optimal functioning compared to a similar-aged man:
Graph courtesy of Washington State Beef Commission
Iron-deficiency anemia is on the rise in the United States, disproportionately affecting adolescent girls and adult females. As I’m raising my daughter through these tween years, I’m constantly talking to her about how her body works, listening to her body, and giving her body what it needs. On the other end of the spectrum, as a middle-aged woman I’m becoming increasingly aware of how small things affect my body in huge ways, and how important it is to care for myself in the ways that are within my control. I need to remember that a simple way to do that is to make sure we’re both eating a healthy diet that includes lean beef to give our bodies the necessary nutrients and meet our increased iron needs for better health.
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Read more of Kristina’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.
