. ble that of a man’s, Page B12 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 10, 1993 Women not created equal HATE TO break il to you, but women were not created equal. At least, not when it com- es to nutrition! When you think of everything that. Women go through, you shouldn’t be: surprised that they have very . special nutritional needs. : Let's look at your beginning of life as women and follow through on your very. special nutrient needs. '. “As -adolescents, you start to notice that: you're different from the boys around you. They're de- veloping: muscles. while you’re developing" breasts. Their mus- cles mean they can eat a lot more calories. than you can, and you experience ‘the first glimmers of the dreadful ‘‘dict mindset’’. Many young girls I talk.to are dicting. -I won't go into the perils of dieting in this article, except to . say please don't, and if you do, ‘please don’t cut out dairy foods - or meat from your diet. _ _Milk, yogurt, cheese, and pud- dings-are necessary foods for ade- quate calcium. Teen girls should have: four servings every day. The. year.or two leading up to her first period-are now scen as the most important years for develop- - ing a strong bone structure, wilh the: few. years following being ‘next most important. If your teens won't: -eat sthese high’ calcium foods, call Dial-A- Dietitian (1-800-667-DIET) for alternative calcium sources. With the onset of her periods, a woman’s iron needs become dou- Calorie-conscious women should know that a serving (three ourices)éofclean : beef «provides o1ily 4.per:cent of the calories you . need; ‘while it gives you a’ whop- ping: 25, “per cent of the iron you need.” Lean: beef and pork. definitely fit-into a healthy diet If they ~ aren?t- eaten, the only decent sub- stitutes aré- baked beans, split peas, or lentils, Chicken and fish will give you about 10 per cent of your daily iron needs per serving. Again, call Dial-A-Dietitian it you. don’t eat these foods. Thirly per cent of Canadian’ women are iron deficient. - As you enter your ‘child bearing years, many women decide to control their ability to ‘have a. child... IF-you. choose the. birth contro! pill as your method, you should be aware it affects your mutrient needs. Nutrition Notes by Gerry Kasten The birth control pill increases your need for vitamin C, Bg, folic acid, and zinc. The good news is that your dict can easily cover your needs! For example, most of you eat far more. vitamin C than you need. And folic acid, Bg, and zinc are in every-day foods like peanut butter, fortified cereals, bananas, liver, almonds, and green leafy vegetables. And pill-lakers actually need less iron, copper, and vitamin A. So there’s no need to take supple- ments unless your doctor or regis- tered dietitian recommends it. For those of you who are preg- nant, be sure you register for the prenatal classes offered in the evening by the Skeena health unit or your hospital maternity nurses. They cover many topics, includ- ing the foods that you need to eat to make a healthy baby. Nutri- tion is of vital importance during pregnancy. While you are pregnant, you should be considering how to feed your baby when he or she ar- rives, Breast is undoubtedly best, particularly if either you or the fa- ther has allergies, or if you don’t have much money. If you feel uncomfortable think- ing of breastfeeding, or don't think you can, call the Health Unit and ask for the Public Health Nurse who covers your region. She can help you decide how. to feed your baby, and then if you do choose to breastfeed and have questions you’ll already be com- fortable around her. _ At menopause, your hormones re-adjust so that. you can no longer bear children. Un- fortunately, the hormonal change also affects. your bones. Without estragensyour bones lose calcivm ‘at.a rapid! rate ‘which diet cannot replace. If you had lots of cal- cium in your bones to begin with, you're likely to. be okay, If you didn't, you may experience the pain of weak and ‘fracturing bones in your back, hips, and wrists, Any woman entering menopause, should discuss her tisk ratio for osteoporosis with her doctor. There are effective treatments out there, but you have to decide if they are right for you. If you want more information on your nutritional needs, check “your library for Jane Brody’s Nutrition Book. It is very reli- able, and a good source of nutri- tion information - Secorid only to your Newspaper Nutritionist! Gerry Kasten is a nutritionist with the Skeena Health Unit. OMETHING FOR EVERYONE! in ; ety A shis4ias. DENNISE KLUSS Stylist KARLENE CLARK “LISA SMITH Stylist ALANNA CAMERON Stylist Esthetician/Stylist mii TRISH EIDSVICK Stylist DELEE KUBIC Esthetician 4 STELIA McCANN Salon Coordinator * 2 Licensed Estheticians * Stand Up Tanner that offers complete tanning with no stripes BUNNIE FRIESEN Stylist CINDY KOOPMANS Stylist ONLY ONE SALON CAN OFFER YOU ALL THIS * 8 Highly Qualified Hairstylists MAVIS JACKSON Stylist With all of this. at one convienent stop, why would you go anywhere else. Open. 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