We are celebrating women all week at Chakula Tamu. Here are a few tips to stay on top of your nutritional health as a woman.

Understand your nutrition

For many of us, we have never taken the time to understand what nutrients our bodies need from us to stay healthy. These differ according to age, gender and ethnicity. Understanding the link between what we put in our bodies and diseases that are common in our communities like high blood pressure, is a step in addressing these issues. Start by educating yourself on how to read nutrition labels and other important facts.

Opt for unprocessed organic foods

Nutritionists and dieticians recommend that women of African heritage substitute processed and packaged convenience foods for organic real foods. Switching out refined carbohydrates, saturated fat and sweetened drinks for vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, low fat foods and unsweetened beverages can lower your risk of diet-related diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure. Go ahead and throw out those canned beans for dry beans!

Buy dry beans

Add more nuts, beans, peans & grain-based products to your diet

Nuts, beans, peas & grain-based products like cereals are a good source of folate (vitamin B9) which lowers a woman’s risk for heart disease and certain types of cancer. Women who don’t get enough of folate are also more susceptible to depression and headaches.

Buy Groundnuts