The Healthy Fork - "Nutrition Is Your Best Prescription"
The Healthy Fork Woman

Image a menu just for Women!

Eating well is one of the best ways you can take care of yourself—and those who depend on you. Women have special dietary needs during each stage of their lives, including adolescence, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and menopause. Regardless of the stage of life you’re in, committing to a healthy diet decreases your chances of developing obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Also, eating healthy increases your energy level which makes it easier to juggle the variety of commitments you deal with every day.

Diet and nutrition for women: Don’t cut out the  HEALTHY fat!
Many women have been led to believe that dietary fat is unhealthy and will contribute to weight gain. But fats are a necessary part of a healthy diet. What really matters are the types of fat you eat.
Women need healthy fats in their diet to look and feel great

  • Healthy fats boost your brain power and mood. Fats are essential to healthy brain function. They put you in a good mood and keep you mentally sharp.
  • Healthy fats promote healthy pregnancies. When you’re pregnant, both you and your growing baby need healthy fat to feel your best. Fat is especially important to your baby’s developing brain and nervous system.
  • Healthy fats contribute to lifelong beauty. Fats are essential for vibrant, glowing skin, hair, and nails. A lack of healthy fats in your diet can lead to dull, flaky skin, brittle nails, and dry or easily-damaged hair.
  • Healthy fats help control cravings. Because fat is so dense in calories, a little goes a long way in making you feel full. Small amounts of good fats like nuts or seeds make great satisfying snacks.  
  • Fats lower the glycemic index of foods, easing the spike in blood sugar that results from eating carbohydrates.
  • You need fat in order to absorb certain vitamins. Many important vitamins—including vitamins A, D, E, and K—are fat-soluble, meaning you need fat in your system in order to absorb the




Choosing "healthy" fats

Rather than cutting fat out of your diet, make smart choices about the types of fat you eat. Saturated fat and trans fat—the “bad fats”—increase your risk for certain diseases, including heart disease and stroke. But polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats—the “good fats”—actually contribute to your health and vitality, support your mood, and help you maintain a healthy weight.


Foods rich in healthy fats include:
  • olive and canola oil
  • olives
  • nuts
  • fish and seafood
  • peanut butter
  • avocados

Grapeseed Oils Contain Heart-Healthy Fats

Not all fats are bad for your health. Some fats are actually good for a healthy, well-balanced diet. Oils such as olive oil, flax oil, walnut, peanut and grapeseed oils contain unsaturated fats which help maintain your weight and fight against age-related diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol and arthritis. Plus, these oils provide a wide range of differing tastes for the gourmet cook.

Heart-healthy Grapeseed Oil: Helps to lower cholesterol

Grapeseed oil contains essential fatty acids, which are necessary for normal cell metabolism and maintenance. Grapeseed oil is also believed to reduce "bad" cholesterol in the arteries and raise the HDL or "good" cholesterol.In two studies conducted by Dr. David T. Nash, a research cardiologist at the State University of New York Health Science Center, it was shown that subjects who included a small amount of grapeseed oil daily in a low-fat diet over a four week period, experienced an increase in their HDL or "good" Cholesterol of 13%, and a decrease in their LDL or the "bad" Cholesterol of 7%.

Benefits of Grapeseed Oil
Growing in popularity with chefs everywhere, grapeseed oil has a subtle buttery flavor and can be used for baking, grilling, frying or in salad dressings with no after tastes. It allows foods to retain their original flavor. With its neutral flavor, Grapeseed oil serves to enhance the natural flavor of foods and is a great gourmet alternative to olive oil.

Every diet needs heart-healthy oils such as olive, flaxseed, sesame, walnut, peanut and grapeseed oils to replace unhealthy, saturated fats. The key, as with anything, is not to consume too much of these oils because they are high in calories.


Fruits andVegetables Best Choice for 2010


Although there is no such thing as a magic bullet when it comes to weight loss, fruits and vegetables may be as close as you will come to magic. Well…that may be a bit of a stretch but I do encourage you to make this the year you resolve to eat more fruits and vegetables. This is the  most important tip for weight management AND better health. Having said that, fruits and vegetables can only work their “magic” if you understand why they matter, what to choose, and how you can easily incorporate more servings into your diet. 

Isn’t it nice to have something you are encouraged to eat more often rather than hearing “don’t eat this” or “don’t eat that?” When it comes to your health, most experts including the Mayo Clinic, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), dietitians, and nutritionists would encourage you to eat all the fruits and vegetables you might want. However, it is still possible, though not as likely, to eat too much of a good thing when it comes to weight management.


Healthy Fork Diet Menu for Women On The Run
Many of us have complicated and busy lifestyles, but that doesn’t mean our nutritional needs have to suffer. For a fast-paced lifestyle, here are ten easy “superfoods” women can incorporate into their snacks and meals.


T op 10 fast and fabulous foods for Female Nutrition

  1. O.J. with added calcium. Calcium-fortified orange juice helps ward off PMS, high blood pressure and osteoporosis. Down a glass a day to help you rise and shine!
  2. High fiber cereal. When you're food shopping, select a cereal with at least 7 grams of fiber per serving. Fiber is a cancer fighter, and it helps cancel out calories.
  3. "Youth" berries. Blueberries are antioxidant stars; they can slow down your aging clock. Toss them on your cereal for a power-packed breakfast.  Dining out? Order your dessert first, and make it fresh berries. Most restaurants have them in season. While you’re eating your delicious appetizer of raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries you're also ingesting fiber, antioxidants, and ellagic acid, a compound being studied to fight colon cancer.
  4. Apples and nuts. Take fruit and nuts with you to work—great protein and anti-oxidant protection that also gives you sustained energy release.
  5. Whole grains. Choose whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, whole grain cereals. You'll boost fiber, reduce empty calories, and feel fuller from the nutrients.
  6. Dipped carrots. Yes, some fat is good for you (see above for a discussion on good and bad fats). Eat your carrot sticks with a cube of cheese or dip, which will aid in absorption of those cancer-fighting carotenoids.
  7. Lean protein. The more active you are, the more protein you will need. Fresh fish, hormone-free chicken , eggs, and lean meats like turkey or pork tenderloin are all good sources. Soy products can also provide protein, although some people are sensitive to soy and cannot digest it properly. The more variety you can incorporate into your diet, the better – so try and find different sources of lean protein every day.
  8. Beans. Beans may not be the most glamorous food, but they are nutritional powerhouses. With 5 grams of fiber in a half cup of beans, they can help fight colon cancer and also fill you up so you don’t overdo it on calories. Try tossing some beans into your salad at lunch, or enjoying a cup of veggie chili.
  9. Cocoa. Love chocolate? Cocoa, which has much of the fat removed, has more antioxidant power than tea. The flavonoids in cocoa can keep blood platelets from clotting, which may prevent heart attacks. Plus, the milk in hot cocoa loves your bones! If you're lactose or caffeine sensitive, or don't like cocoa, be sure to take your calcium supplement instead.