Younger women in particular need to make sure they are consuming enough calcium, vitamin D and iron, and an adequate intake of calories to support energy and nutritional needs for their bodies to function properly.
Women ages 20 to 50 should have 1,200 mg of calcium each day to build peak bone mass and prevent osteoporosis, a disease in which bone density decreases and leads to weak bones and future fractures. Good sources of calcium are low-fat dairy products, salmon, tofu, vegetables such as broccoli, legumes (peas and beans) and seeds and nuts. You might want to take a supplement, but if you do, split your doses so that you take 600 mg in the morning and the remaining 600 mg at night.
Vitamin D also is important for bone strength and I recommend that all women up to age 60 take 800 to 1000 IU (international units) per day.
Women also need an adequate iron intake because they lose iron through menstruation. Iron is typically found in many animal products as well as plant sources. Without enough iron, iron deficiency anemia can develop and cause symptoms that include fatigue and headaches.
The amount of calories that an individual needs varies for each person and is based on age, gender and activity level. As a general recommendation, women between 23 and 50 years of age generally need between 1,700 and 2,200 calories per day to maintain their current energy needs and body weight.
In general, we recommend that these calories come from vegetables, fruits, whole-grain rather than refined-grain foods, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, seafood, lean meats, seafood and oils rather than solid fats like butter.
Foods and food components to avoid include sodium, saturated fats, cholesterol and trans fats.
For more details, I recommend visiting the federal government's 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, at
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