TOP 21 SUPER FOODS FOR WOMEN:

1. Whole grains: Non-refined, organic whole grains (brown rice, bran flakes, barley, quinoa), have high fiber content, staving off digestive problems common in women. Whole-grain pasta is low in calories, and loaded with B vitamins, critical for converting food into absorbable and usable energy.

2. Folate Rich Foods: Folate, found in Asparagus, oranges, fortified cereals and beans, helps the body produce and maintain red blood cells. Folic acid prevents anemia and helps cells resist changes in their DNA associated with the development of cancer. Folic acid supplementation before conception significantly reduces the incidence of birth defects known as neural tube defects (malformations of the spine and brain) such as spina bifida and anencephaly.

3. Berries: (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries): Proanthocyanidins, in cranberries, prevent bacteria from sticking to bladder walls, multiplying and causing/intensifying, urinary tract infections. Berries contain powerful anti-cancer nutrients, anthocyans that play a role in cell repair, and decrease the risk of breast and gastrointestinal tract cancers. Vitamin C and folic acid provide anti-oxidant protection against skin aging. The nutrient, lutein, found in all the berries, can help protect vision.

4. Water: Though it's not a food, water is important for all metabolic processes in the body. It also helps with digestion, weight loss and improves the appearance of the skin, by speeding the expulsion of toxic waste through urine and sweat. Increase water rich fruits and vegetables in your diet along with consuming adequate water throughout the day.

5. Nuts: Monounsaturated fats lower cholesterol levels, and polyunsaturated fats prevent heart disease. Nuts are nutrient sources of protein, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, selenium, folate, vitamin E and vitamin A. Walnuts contain antioxidants called phytosterols, which help fight breast cancer, slow tumor growth, and prevent/delay osteoporosis. Walnuts are the only nuts to have plant based omega 3 fats that prevent excessive bone turnover, keeping them strong and healthy.

6. Garlic: Consumption of certain yeast types make you feel miserable, leaving you itching and irritated in the most intimate places. Yeast infections can be stubborn, recurring even after successful treatment with medicines and antifungal creams. Garlic, with its strong antibacterial and antifungal properties, prevents the infamous C. albicans fungi, the cause for most yeast infections, from growing.

7. Kale: Kale abounds in antioxidants, lutein and zeazanthin, that nourish and protect the eyes. Also contains Vitamin K, a potent bone builder, activating bone proteins critical in lowering risk of hip fracture and ward off osteoporosis, the crippling bone disease that strikes women four times more often than men. Also have traces of Vitamin C, and Calcium.

8. Iron Rich Foods: Due to their monthly menstruation cycles, premenopausal women lose vital iron. Good sources of iron are lentils, garbanzo beans, lean beef, Swiss chard, tofu, almonds, spinach, and dried apricots. Iron assists in transporting and storing oxygen in body cells, assists in energy production and cell respiration, and boosting the immune system, by helping to produce white blood cells to fight bacteria.

9. Calcium Rich Foods: Calcium is critical for skeletal, nerve function, blood clotting, muscle health, and other areas. Women are more prone to calcium deficiency due to rapid loss through menstruation. A high intake of calcium and vitamin D keeps bones strong, reduces the risk of PMS, and staves off osteoporosis. While dairy products are high in calcium, their animal fat and protein

can accelerate bone loss. So consider plant-based sources of calcium like beans, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, and collard greens. Yogurt can be healthy, delicious and a good source of calcium.

10. Beans: Beans are low in fat, good source of protein and fiber, and protect against heart disease and breast cancer. Studies have proved the role of its nutrient, isoflavone, in female hormones regulation preventing PMS, perimenopause, or menopause related issues. They are rich source of folic acid and both soluble and insoluble fiber, helping lower cholesterol. Protease inhibitors, in beans, help slow the division of cancer cells and in this way may prevent tumor formation.

11. Low-Fat Yogurt: Fermented dairy products contains bone-healthy calcium and healthy “probiotics” (bacteria) that decrease the risk of breast cancer, cure irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory digestive tract disorders, that impact women more than men. Also reduces the risk of stomach ulcers and vaginal infections. Choose a low fat yogurt with live cultures -- like Lactobacillus acidophilus.

12. Fatty Fish: (salmon, sardines, and mackerel): Rich in specifically two types of omega-3 fatty acids, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), that can directly be consumed by body cells. These boost the cell membrane health, prevents threats of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, depression, joint pain, and a number of illnesses linked to inflammation, including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Also helps you beat the post-partum (6 week period from childbirth) depression, particularly if you ratchet up intake during the third trimester. Critical for developing fetus’ brain and nervous system, boosting estrogen levels, preventing blood clots, and keeping blood vessels smooth and supple.

13. Lycopene Rich Foods: Tomatoes, watermelon, red grapefruit, and red navel oranges, contain the powerhouse nutrient, lycopene, which protect against breast and cervical cancers, ands fight heart disease. Protects your skin against harmful UV rays keeping you looking younger longer.

14. Vitamin D Rich Foods: Fatty omega 3 rich foods, fortified low fat milk, and orange juice are some of the sources of Vitamin D, that helps the bones absorb calcium from the gut, reduce the risk of osteoporosis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and fight breast, colon and ovarian tumors. Vitamin D deficiency manifests in higher rates of preeclampsia, preterm birth, bacterial vaginosis and gestational diabetes in women, impaired fertility, endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. Plays a key role in the female reproductive system. So get some sunlight.

15. Broccoli: The calcium, folic acid, iron, proteins, anti-oxidants, detoxifiers, phosphorus and other vitamins in broccoli provide ideal nutrition for women who are pregnant, helping them maintain regular tissue growth. Broccoli is rich in Vitamin C, crucial for production of collagen, critical for skin health, elasticity and suppleness. Abundant in beta-carotene, converted to vitamin A by the body, which assists in cell turnover, so old skin cells are replaced with fresh, younger-looking, ones. Contains lutein, that prevents blindness by offsetting cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

16. Potatoes: Potatoes contain a fat-fighting compound called resistant starch that can help keep weight in check. It is low in calories, and with more potassium than bananas, potatoes also help fight heart disease by keeping blood pressure low. Provides energy vital for hectic daily life.

17. Spinach: This leafy green is high in vitamin K and also contains calcium and magnesium – a combo that slows the breakdown of bone that occurs as you get older, offsetting osteoporosis and arthritis risk. Also contains folate, a B-vitamin that helps prevent birth defects.

18. Dark Chocolate: This bitter-sweet food instantly relieves stress by inhibiting the stress hormone, cortisol. Consistently high levels of Cortisol, up your risk for depression, obesity, heart disease and more. Packed with antioxidant, flavonoids increase the flexibility of veins and arteries, lowering blood pressure and reduced risk of heart attack and stroke by 39 %. Dark chocolate is far more filling, offering more of a feeling of satiety, lessening cravings for sweet, salty, and fatty foods. Flavonoids increase nitric oxide production which helps control insulin sensitivity and provide protection against UV rays and sunburns.

19. Mushrooms: Studies have shown that consuming one button mushroom decreases breast cancer risk by almost 64%. Other research suggests that mushrooms reduce the effects of aromatase, a protein that helps produce estrogen – a major factor in some breast cancers.

20. Avacodos: Avocados are high in monounsaturated fat, which has been shown to help you drop weight, including from your troublesome middle. Better than any high-carb, lower-fat diet. 21. Flaxseed: Contains the best plant based omega 3 fats, fiber, and disease-fighting compounds called lignans. Helps cut down on hot flashes, fights breast cancer and lowers "bad" or LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, more pronounced in women.