5 nutrients your body really needs

While it is important to include a wide variety of vitamins and minerals into your diet, there are some important nutrients you need to pay special attention to; ones that many of us aren’t getting enough of. Here are 5 essential nutrients you really need.
Essential nutrient 1: Omega-3 fatty acids



Why you need it:  Do you want to live longer, look better and feel happier? Then you need to eat more omega-3 fatty acids. Research studies have shown that an omega-3 deficiency can lead to depression, aggressive behavior and mood swings, while the essential fatty acids can also prevent heart disease, maintain good eye health, help you lose weight and keep your skin and hair in great condition. However, despite all of these benefits, many of the population consistently fail to get enough omega-3 fatty acids into their diets.
How to get it: One of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids is oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines. The American Heart Association recommends that most of us should eat oily fish twice per week. If you are not a fan of fish, other good sources include flaxseeds and walnuts.
Essential nutrient 2: Vitamin D

Why you need it: Not only does vitamin D help the body to absorb calcium, thereby promoting good bone health, it is also essential for overall wellbeing. Those deficient in vitamin D are at greater risk of developing certain cancers, osteoporosis, mental illness and heart disease. While many people don’t see consuming vitamin D as a necessity as our bodies produce the nutrient itself when exposed to the sun, excessive use of sun protection combined with long periods without adequate sunshine in certain parts of the world have meant that many of us are deficient in this essential nutrient.
How to get it: Spending time in the sun is a good way to boost your reserves of vitamin D. While it is essential to take care in the sun, experts recommend we spend 10 minutes in the sun each day without sunblock. Good food sources of vitamin D also include oily fish and egg yolk.
Essential nutrient 3: Iron

Why you need it: Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the world, affecting between four and five billion people worldwide. Given that iron is an extremely important nutrient which is integral to many bodily processes, it is important to try to get enough of this mineral; particularly in the case of pre-menopausal and/or pregnant women who are more prone to deficiency. Symptoms of iron deficiency include tiredness, low energy levels and headaches. It can also affect your physical appearance, causing hair loss, flaking nails and a pale complexion.
How to get it: The best sources of easily absorbed iron are animal products such as red meat, offal, chicken and eggs. For vegetarian sources, opt for green leafy vegetables, pulses and dried fruit. It may also be worthwhile cutting down on tea and coffee, as these contain polyphenols that can make it difficult for our bodies to absorb iron, and drinking orange juice with meals, as vitamin C helps with the absorption of iron.
Essential nutrient 4: Vitamin B12

Why you need it: Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient which is required by the body to make new red blood cells and to help keep the nervous system healthy. Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to anemia, which can have dangerous consequences if left untreated. Symptoms of anemia include tiredness, a pale complexion, breathlessness and tingling hands and feet. Vitamin B12 deficiency can also lead to mental health problems such as memory loss, confusion, mood swings and depression. Studies have suggested that getting enough vitamin B12 can help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.
How to get it: Vitamin B12 is found in animal products including meat, eggs and dairy produce. As it is not available in fruit and vegetables, vegans should make sure they eat foods that are fortified with vitamin B12, such as breakfast cereals, or take a vitamin B12 supplement.
Essential nutrient 5: Iodine

Why you need it: Iodine deficiency significantly affects the brain development of unborn babies and young children and is the main cause of preventable mental retardation and brain damage across the world. It also increases the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth, which could be a major problem given the numbers of women suffering from this deficiency.
How to get it: Iodine deficiency can be alleviated through the use of iodised salt, which is widely available in many parts of the world. Other food sources of iodine include milk, eggs, fish, seafood and seaweed such as nori and kelp. 

Top 5 foods to help you sleep

Dairy products


If you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep, foods containing tryptophan should be a first port of call. Tryptophan, an essential amino acid, helps to raise serotonin and melatonin levels in the body, both of which can help induce sleep. While turkey is a famously good source of tryptophan, other (perhaps more bedtime-friendly) sources include dairy products such as yoghurt and milk.
On top of their tryptophan levels, dairy snacks are also a great source of calcium, which helps the brain to use tryptophan to create melatonin. Research has also suggested that a deficiency of calcium in the diet can cause disturbed sleep patterns and a lack of deep sleep.
Oats

While many of us associate oats with breakfast time, they are also the perfect evening snack. Oats are a good natural source of melatonin, which is often taken as a sleep aid due to its ability to help regulate the body's internal clock. They are also another good source of tryptophan, especially when combined with milk.
Furthermore, oats are rich in both calcium and magnesium; two minerals that have been proven to promote good quality sleep. For a warm, soothing snack before bed, try eating a small bowl of porridge to help you drift off, combined with any of the following toppings to help double its effects.
Bananas

If you suffer from muscle spasms or cramps during the night, it may be that you are deficient in the electrolytes magnesium and potassium, both of which help to relax muscles and keep them functioning properly. Fortunately, bananas are excellent source of both minerals, making them a good bedtime snack, particularly after a heavy exercise session.
As well as being rich in these essential minerals, bananas also contain tryptophan, which can help to promote sleep. Researchers have also found that having a banana before bed can help sufferers of sleep apnea by keeping their throats open and therefore reducing the risk of choking.
Cherries

For those who have trouble sleeping, you may be familiar with over-the-counter melatonin supplements used to treat insomnia. However, while melatonin can help to regulate sleep, it may be unwise to rely on supplements for long-term use. Fortunately, cherries provide a great natural source of melatonin as well as being excellent for overall health.
A research study  has indicated that consuming tart cherries before bed helped participants sleep faster and easier, making fresh cherries or cherry juice a great natural sleep aid.
Flax seeds

Flax seeds are great for increasing levels of sleep-regulating substance serotonin in the body due to their high levels of both tryptophan and omega-3 fatty acids. Furthermore, the omega-3 fatty acids they contain have been proven to help reduce the anxiety, depression and stress which are leading causes of insomnia, and have been shown to be effective against the condition sleep apnea.
Not only that, flax seeds are a good source of magnesium, which is renowned for its ability to reduce stress due to its relaxing effect on the muscles and nervous system. Magnesium has also been shown to help prevent restless leg syndrome and night terrors; both of which can affect sleep. 

Top 10 Worst Female Health Habits

Women typically assume the role of ‘caretakers of health’ when it comes to their families. It’s a bit surprising then that they can be so lax with their own health.
Here are some of the unhealthiest habits women everywhere indulge in on a daily basis:
Finishing off their kids’ meals
 Although this applies only to moms, it’s such a common habit that we had to include it in this list. In an attempt to reduce left overs and wasted food, many moms wipe off their kids’ plates at the end of a meal. Depending on how much the child has left, this could be a substantial addition of calories and can seriously derail the mom’s weight management efforts.


Wearing heavy earrings 

 One of the best things about being a woman is the joy of accessorising! And who can resist a great pair of earrings? Some women, however, go overboard when it comes to wearing large, dangling earrings. Cosmetic surgeons are often approached by women who’ve torn their ear lobes because of constantly wearing big earrings or worse, sleeping with their earrings on. To avoid torn earlobes, it’s best to wear light earrings on a daily basis or wear heavy ones with a chain as support.


Indulging in fad diets

  The need to lose weight, and lose it fast, causes women of all ages to turn to fad diets. From cabbage soup diets to zero carb diets, almost all these fad diets have been proven to be disasters. Not only do they cause your weight to go through the roof the second you get off the diet, they can also cause serious medical harm. The only trick to weight loss is a healthy diet, regular exercise and enough sleep.


Not wearing the right bra

The right bra not only gives you a great shape and allows your clothes to fit better; it can also be a huge contributor to better back health. Wearing a bra that’s the wrong size or one that does not give you the support you need can cause neck and back pain, as well as cause circulation problems. So get yourself measured for the right size and get a bra that fits you well.


Carrying very heavy bags

  Many women, especially moms, often joke that they carry the world in their bags. And while it’s convenient to have everything you need in your bag, a very heavy bag can take a serious toll on your neck and back health. Try and take out unnecessary items from your handbag and if you carry a laptop, use a bag pack to carry it, as against a sling bag.


Wearing ultra tight jeans

 While the skinny jean trend is a huge fashion hit, it may not be the best thing for your health. Studies have shown that constrictive clothing can cause a number of medical conditions like vaginal yeast infections, bladder infections and even blood clots in the legs. You may have noticed abdominal discomfort when you eat while wearing tight clothing. Constantly wearing tight jeans can worsen the condition.

Wearing uncomfortable shoes

From wearing flimsy flip-flops that provide little to no support, to wearing very high heels that can play havoc on the joints, women around the country are guilty of putting style before support. While flip-flops or V-slippers seem like a comfortable option for a hot country as ours, most of them provide very little arch or heel support. Also, being as open as they are, they expose the feet to dust and other dirt from the roads. Heels over 2 inches high have been known to have an adverse effect on the joints and can even contribute to osteoarthritis that affects the knees, hips, ankles and feet. For daily wear to college or work, remember to wear comfortable shoes that provide cushioning, as well as support to the entire foot.

Avoiding weight training in gyms

Many women believe that lifting weights as part of their gym workout will lead to them bulking up like men. The truth is that because of the presence of oestrogen in women’s bodies, weight training will not lead to bulky muscles, but rather will help to burn fat, strengthen bones and even cut down the risk of diseases like osteoporosis and diabetes in the future.

Wearing synthetic underwear

Heat, moisture and synthetic clothing can be a breeding ground for yeast infections and itching and you definitely don’t want that in your private regions. Wearing sexy underwear or thongs once in a while is not a bad idea, but for daily use, stick to good old cotton underwear.

Not paying attention to heart health



For some reason, heart disease and heart attacks are only associated with men. While it’s true that oestrogen protects women’s heart for a majority of their lives, post menopause, women are as susceptible to heart disease as men. But the notion that heart disease doesn’t touch women is so strong that very often women even ignore symptoms of a heart attack. Ignoring heart health is a big mistake and women as well as men should take all the necessary measures to ensure a healthy heart.

Antipsychotic drugs tied to diabetes in pregnancy

Women who take antipsychotic medications while pregnant may have an increased risk of developing diabetes, according to a new Swedish study.

Researchers found that out of 360,000 women who gave birth over a four-year span, about four percent of those on antipsychotic drugs developed gestational diabetes. Meanwhile, only 1.7 percent of women who weren't taking antipsychotics were diagnosed with pregnancy-related diabetes.The study, however, cannot prove the drugs caused gestational diabetes. It could be that women on antipsychotics have other traits that leave them more vulnerable to diabetes. Poor diet and lack of exercise, for example, have been tied to the condition.

"It's a very important and difficult area to study, because severe mental disorders - such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder - often require consistent medication even if a woman is pregnant. So it's very important for us to know all the possible adverse effects from the medications" 

Those two drugs are newer antipsychotics and have been linked to weight gain, high cholesterol and increased insulin resistance, gestational diabetes risk would be more exaggerated for those treated with the two (newer drugs) but we were surprised we saw it for all antipsychotics.

NO LINK TO BABY SIZE
The researchers also looked at whether antipsychotic drugs were tied to differences in baby size at birth, because women with gestational diabetes may deliver bigger babies. But there was no clear link.
Babies born to mothers on the newer antipsychotic drugs were more likely to have big heads. 

As for what women with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder can do to limit their risk of gestational diabetes,it varies patient to patient.
"You have to balance a lot of things.The approach, depends on what medications women need, how long they've been pregnant and which medications are linked to pregnancy-related problems.