After the age of 40, our bodies start to go through changes that highly affect our metabolism, digestion, as well as hormonal and bodily functions. This also includes a higher risk of possibilities of developing and underlying medical issue that should immediately be dealt with.
It seems as the older we age, the more the scale just keeps getting harder to budge. You try to make changes to your diet such as giving up your favorite dessert, cut back on portions, and even join a yoga class – but your dress size continues to go up while your energy levels go down. The good news is that aging does not mean you have to gain weight. Although it is common for women to put on a few pounds during their 40s and 50s, this is most likely due to inactivity rather than the change in hormones.
Find out how to stay active and healthy with these diet changes women must make after 40.
Learn to understand and adjust to your new biological rhythms
Gaining weight becomes much easier as we age. While trying to lose or maintain a certain weight, eating an extra 100 calories everyday will ultimately lead to a 10-pound weight gain over the span of a year. Although 100 may not seem like a lot, a regular sized chocolate bar has 200 calories while a can of soda contains over 150 calories, which would be okay as long as we're burning them off throughout the day.
They key is to listen to your body and understand what you eat that makes you gain weight easily. Sometimes it is the supplements for Menopause that disrupts our hormonal changes and causes our body to go haywire. Make a list of foods that works for you as well as the ones that throw you off.
Fix your eating habits for optimal energy
During this stage in your life, your goal is the keep your body feeling satisfied without eating as much as you would be able to 20 years ago. Try to eat more frequently of 5-6 smaller meals a day rather than 3 big meals to consume less during each meal. This will keep your blood sugar leveled and keep you from sudden sweet cravings that give into low energy and fatigue.
Learn how to time your meals that will benefit the natural rhythm of your body
Nutrition experts agree that anything you eat after 8 p.m. will go directly to your stomach and hips, while what you eat in the morning will boost your metabolism up to its optimal speed. Most tend to thick that skipping breakfast will help them save on calories, this this will actually do more harm than good as eating a healthy breakfast is a key habit that healthy people follow every day.
Use fat-fighting foods to trick your metabolism
An easy diet to lose weight is not about how much you eat, but what you eat. While this doesn't mean you should stuff yourself with celery and peanut butter all day, there are plenty of great health foods that will allow you to eat as much as you want. Add foods that fight fat into your diet and eat other foods in moderation to keep you satisfied without feeling deprived from the foods that you like to eat.
Get more sleep
As we age, sleep becomes a luxury to use due to the increase in physical issues such as nighttime snoring, multiple physical issues and night sweats during menopause which will definitely put a damper on your rest. When your body is sleep deprived, this means that the ghrelin levels actually increase at the same time that your leptin levels decrease – resulting to more food cravings and feeling less satisfied no matter how much you eat.
Adjust your sweet tooth
Let's face it; many of us have some sort of sweet tooth that we cannot resist. If you find yourself craving for your favorite sweet treat, it's okay to give it to yourself. The trick is to cut the treat in half before you start to eat and save one half for later.
Turn healthy changes into healthy habits
Start healthy habits by exercising at least 5 hours a week. You should decide whether you want to cut down on calories you consume or simply work hard to burn them. There are plenty of low-impact exercise routines if you suffer from injury. The goal is to keep your body moving, lean and strong.
Take small steps to make a positive change in your daily lifestyle to help you ease menopausal symptoms, reduce further risks of age related diseases, and stay in shape while doing so. Be sure to increase your intake in healthy proteins like fish as well as calcium to keep your bones strong and healthy as you age.
References:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/batavia-geneva-st-charles/community/chi-ugc-article-how-western-diet-increases-the-risk-of-alzhei-2016-03-28-story.html
https://www.caloriecount.com/users/claire87john/649387.html
https://www.apsense.com/article/5-most-effective-diet-changes-to-keep-your-body-weight-in-check.html