A woman’s nutritional requirements are a little different from those of a man. The main difference is that their requirements keep changing at different stages of life – onset of menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. In this latter phase women tend to lose more calcium and bone density making them prone to the effects of osteoporosis. If managed well with a balanced diet plan, these effects can be prevented or slowed to a large extent. At this age, one should have plenty of green leafy vegetables, cow’s milk and buttermilk in addition to some essential fats in the form of seeds. In addition to reducing intake of non-vegetarian foods, it is also advisable to completely avoid caffeine and alcohol. Even if you are having non vegetarian food, it is advisable to cut down on red meat. It is a great time to plan for the body's natural slowdown in metabolism by reducing food portion sizes and remain physically.