Therefore, iron deficiency in women over 50 may indicate blood loss from another source, and should be checked by a physician. In addition, the type of iron, known as heme iron, in these foods is well absorbed in the human intestine. The addition of even relatively small amounts of meat or foods containing vitamin C substantially increases the total amount of iron absorbed from the entire meal. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council recommends that the average woman between 23 and 50 eat about 2,200 calories a day to maintain weight. She explains that the fewer the calories you have to work with, the harder it is to meet all your daily requirements for a healthy diet.
Calories are only half the equation for weight control.
Physical activity burns calories, increases the proportion of lean to fat body mass, and raises your metabolism. For both women and men, blood cholesterol levels of below 200 milligrams are desirable. Levels between 200 and 239 milligrams are considered borderline, and anything over 240 milligrams is high. High levels of blood cholesterol increase the risk of coronary heart disease. To keep levels in the good range, the National Cholesterol Education Program of the national Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends eating no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol a day.