Do you talk to clients about their iron levels?
Iron deficiency is becoming more and more common, to a point where I often ask my clients when they last had their iron levels tested. Iron deficiency is not as common in men because they don't have a menstruation cycle each month and lose valuable iron stores. 90% of the female clients I've worked with either have an iron deficiency or have had one in the past.
Iron is an important nutrient, and it's rather scary how many people, especially women, are deficient in iron. It's also worth noting that too much iron is not healthy, and it's important to have your iron levels checked regularly.
Women's Health: Diet, Training and Hormones - Part 2
In part 1 of this women’s health post, I talked about the importance of nutrient density, diets, carbohydrates and the need to talk to your female clients about premenstrual syndrome (PMS), polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), insulin sensitivity, pregnancy and breastfeeding. The unrealistic media images and social pressure to look a certain way comes at a cost to our health, happiness, and longevity. Women need to be especially careful because their hormones can be particularly sensitive to lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, sleep, and stress. The overuse of specific diets and training methods can create serious hormonal issues in women and impact fertility.
Women's Health: Diet, Training and Hormones - Part 1
As the saying goes “men are from Mars, and women are from Venus.” So should we eat a different diet? It’s not that simple, but there are some valid reasons why specific diets have different gender outcomes. Body image and social pressure affect both men and women in terms of health and happiness. Unfortunately, many health and fitness professionals make the problem worse by encouraging unrealistic goals that can have detrimental impacts on the wellbeing of their clients. This is especially true for female clients as their hormones can be easily disrupted by the wrong diet or training methods.