Nutrition for women’s health encompasses several life stages and conditions. Whether you are concerned about supporting regular menses, addressing preconception nutrition, trying for pregnancy, supporting a healthy pregnancy, postpartum, or are entering the hormonal shifts of menopause, we can use nutrition to appropriately nourish your body. Nutrition may also play a role in managing conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis.
Menstrual Regularity
Whether you are pursuing pregnancy now, in the future, or are not interested in pregnancy at all, menstrual health and regularity is important to address for everyone. The menstrual cycle is an important indicator of hormonal health. Those who are restricting their intake, have eating disorders, or are high performance athletes may experience irregular menses or hypothalamic amenorrhea where the period stops completely.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
PCOS is a complex endocrine condition that affects many women. Because the condition typically involves insulin resistance, a hormone involved in the use of energy from food, nutrition plays an important role in management. However, everyone is different when it comes to PCOS so using labs and symptoms to navigate nutrition goals and supplements is necessary. We dive deeper into the role of insulin and nutrition in PCOS here.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis, a condition where endometrial cells grow outside of the uterus, and the build up of this tissue can cause inflammation, scarring, pain, and infertility (1). Everyone’s experience and symptoms with endometriosis can be vastly different, so treatment and management can vary as well.
Nutrition may play a role in the management of endometriosis because of inflammation and estrogen dominance that tends to occur with this condition. An anti-inflammatory diet includes fatty fish, legumes, colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Try adding these sources of healthy fat and fiber into your meals, rather than focusing on what you need to cut out. Focusing on fiber and gut health can help the body remove excess estrogen, which may help with those experiencing estrogen dominance.
Nutrition Support Through Preconception, Pregnancy, and Postpartum
Preconception
Whether you are actively trying to conceive (TTC) or are in the beginning stages of family planning, this is an important time to consider nutrition and overall well-being. This is a good time to focus on the nutrients important for pregnancy as well as nutrients that support good egg quality.
Foods for fertility are those that contain important nutrients for conception and supporting a healthy pregnancy, and they include citrus, dark leafy greens, berries, avocado, quinoa, full fat dairy, fatty fish, eggs, walnuts, and legumes.
Focusing on antioxidants like foods high in vitamin C, vitamin E, and potentially supplements like CoQ10 can support good egg quality.
Eating with a future pregnancy in mind does not need to be restrictive and should not be done in a way that is stressful. While certain micronutrients are helpful to have, focus on adding nutrition to your desired meals, rather than trying to stick to a restrictive regimen.
Supporting balanced insulin and blood sugar levels can also be helpful when TTC. This means trying to incorporate balanced meals with protein, carbs, fat, and fiber when you can. Also eating consistently can be very helpful. Make sure not to skip breakfast, and eat about every 2-5 hours throughout the day.
We live in a world where you may feel pressure to lose weight before becoming pregnant. Or that you can’t physically get pregnant until you lose weight. So do you need to lose weight for your fertility? We believe that bodies can be healthy at many sizes and research does not necessarily suggest that losing weight results in higher pregnancy outcomes. It can feel defeating or be traumatic to be turned away from fertility care for your body size. However fertility is so much more complex than body size and we encourage you to advocate for yourself and search out a treatment team that will look at the whole picture. Ask your dietitian for fertility treatment center recommendations that have high BMI cut offs.
Pregnancy
Once pregnant, nutrition doesn’t change drastically from preconception for most people. There are some foods that should probably be avoided. Alcohol is a no-go. Some foods are linked to a higher risk of food-borne illness, like deli meats and hot dogs, raw or undercooked fish, seafood, or meat, and even some veggies like romaine lettuce, salad kits, and cold salad bars. Some foods are high in mercury, like shark, king mackerel, swordfish, tilefish, and tuna. Some foods have not been thoroughly studied and the data is limited, so certain herbal teas may be best to avoid at this time. Finally, most professionals will recommend you limit caffeine intake to 200 mg or less per day during pregnancy.
Gestational Diabetes
If you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes (GDM), your nutrition needs are different. With GDM, you need to have tight control of your blood sugars (more so than those with diabetes) because elevated blood sugars can affect the baby.
To start, your doctor will have you start testing your blood sugars regularly. Fasting blood sugar (in the morning before eating anything) as well as 1-2 hours after each meal. I have found the goal blood sugar to vary slightly among providers, however a typical fasting blood sugar goal will be 90-95, and 2 hours after eating will be under 120 (2).
What to eat with GDM?
Work with your treatment team to determine the right amount of carbohydrate per meal for your body. It can be tempting to cut out all carbohydrates, but remember, your baby needs glucose too! A common initial carbohydrate goal will be between 30-45 grams per meal and 15 grams per snack.
To build a balanced meal, try to choose high fiber carbohydrate foods (whole grain crackers, beans and bean products, seedy breads, starchy vegetables, low carb wraps, etc) and pair them with protein and fat for more stable blood sugars.
Snacks for gestational diabetes should also be a combination of carbs with either protein or fat.
A carb choice could be whole grain crackers, a carb smart tortilla, a piece of fruit, a serving of popcorn, etc. Protein options include cheese, hard boiled egg, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. Fat options include avocado, nuts, nut butters, etc.
Postpartum
Once baby is here, one of the biggest nutrition goals is to feed yourself. Self care can go out the window because there is a demanding tiny human, but you are also healing and you need adequate nutrition. It is helpful to plan ahead with freezer meals and one-handed meals and snacks. Accept help from others. Door dash if you need to. Get food in the house that is easy to prepare and accessible to you.
If you are breastfeeding, you want to make sure you are staying hydrated and eating enough calories as breastfeeding requires an additional 500 calories per day. The biggest factor in building supply is making sure the demand is there (baby nursing or using a pump). However, you can try incorporating lactogenic foods as they may help with supply. Those one-handed snacks definitely are a necessity when baby is nursing constantly those first weeks.
Nutrition and Menopause
Menopause and perimenopause come with a range of symptoms from mood swings to brain fog, weight gain, and hot flashes. Treatments for these symptoms can include hormone replacement, supplements, and diet changes.
As estrogen drops, the body loses muscle mass. It is important to eat enough protein as well as incorporate strength training into your workout regimen. Strength training will also help maintain bone density as we age.
Adding phytoestrogens into your diet may also ease symptoms of menopause. Soy and flax are sources of phytoestrogens. Here are some ways to incorporate these foods:
- Use firm tofu as a protein for stir fry or curry
- Blend silken tofu into a smoothie or use to make pudding
- Add edamame to a salad or eat as a snack
- Try dry roasted edamame from the snack aisle of the grocery store
- Add ground flaxseed to a smoothie, baked good, or oatmeal
Proper nutrition is fundamental to women’s health at every stage of life. From supporting hormonal balance and bone health to boosting energy levels and mental well-being, the foods women choose can significantly impact their overall quality of life. Embracing a diet rich in whole foods, lean proteins, healthy fats, and essential vitamins and minerals can help women thrive. It is not about strict dieting or deprivation, but about making intentional, balanced choices that nourish the body and mind. Consult with a women’s health dietitian to tailor a nutrition plan that works best for you.
An award winning recipe developer, Dietitian Kaitlin’s mission is to empower others to reach their health goals by encouraging them to get back into the kitchen. Co-author of Nourished: 10 Ingredients to Happy, Healthy Eating and Cooking with Diabetes.