The best foods to eat for women over 40
When we reach 40 our nutritional needs change dramatically and we need to adapt our diets in order to meet those nutritional needs and avoid health issues and unwanted weight gain.
Women in their 40s and beyond need more protein
This means more(meat, fish, dairy, beans, and nuts), also need carbohydrates (whole grains), fats (healthy oils), vitamins, minerals, and water. These foods have been linked to some disease prevention, such as osteoporosis, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.
You have to see that being 40 or older is an opportunity for improving yourself, getting your nutrition on point and being serious in regards of what you put in your body.
It might have been easier to get away with mindless eating up until your mid to late 30s but your metabolism is changing dramatically and now is utilizing the foods differently.
Here are some things to consider when you plan and prepare your meals.
Include Protein with every meal but stick to lean protein sources such as chicken, lean meat, seafood, beans and peas, seeds, and soy products. Protein is they to keep your metabolism higher , not feeling hungry and lose weight.
Remember that you have to evenly distribute your protein through the day and not getting the majority of it in one big meal — like dinner
Include green leafy veggies and a wide variety of other colorful veggies as well with both lunch and dinner
Eat a variety of nuts but in small quantities
Consume healthy oils like olive oil, avocado oil, MTC oil
Stick to low fat dairy products
Control your portions. As we age and our metabolism slows down we don’t utilize calories as before. The body needs less calories to go through the day so we have to adapt to eat smaller size meals
Here is a sample food list
Oily fish like salmon, mackerel , sardines and herring they will balance your hormones
Quinoa — It’s much higher in fiber than most other grains, high in protein, contains all the essential amino acids your body needs, and is rich in magnesium, iron, folate, and Omega-3 fatty
Grapefruit- loaded with vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B, zinc, manganese, and more. They also have antioxidant properties, which help fight inflammation in the body, can help lower cholesterol, and reduce your risk of heart disease, cancers, and dementia
Peanut butter- is protein-rich snack that will keep you full and give you an energy boost, but careful because one spoon is enough!
Broccoli — it’s a top food for women in their 40s, noting that it’s high in vitamin K and calcium, both of which are helpful to women’s bone health as we get older.
Also other leafy greens like spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and collard greens also very high in vitamin K, which helps strengthen bones and fight osteoporosis, have antioxidants that help prevent cancer, and they’re rich in vitamin C.
Sweet potatoes — anti-inflammatory and high in vitamin C. It’s a great alternative to high carbohydrate foods like pasta or white rice.
Lentils and beans — as a protein-rich, plant-based alternative to meat products. They also provide the benefit of being particularly high in fiber, and a great source of complex carbohydrates and great option when you look to lose or maintain your weight.
Sauerkraut — Helps to balance out the good and bad, bacteria in the gut, you have better digestion and the body can filter out toxins and waste.
Some tips for optimizing your metabolism
After 40, your hormone levels (specifically estrogen) drop. This causes your insulin level to (if you don’t know, insulin is the hormone that helps your body use sugar) rise.
Your thyroid levels go down.
This combination makes you hungrier. You end up eating more and burning fewer calories.
Much of the weight you gain occurs around your belly.
So to avoid this un peasant weight gain, Eat more foods with fiber like berries, whole grains and nuts that will fill you up and help you eat less.
Avoid late dinners
Always eat breakfast
Drink a lot of water even if you don’t feel thirsty
Try to get between 7–9 hours of sleep every night
Forget about crash diets — they are damaging your metabolism even more and they will cause weight gain
Last but not least
At age 40 and beyond, women lose muscle mass twice as fast as men.
Most of the loss occurs in your core muscles, which supports your abdomen (another reason for belly fat).
Exercise –especially with resistance, is regulating hormone levels, increases your metabolism, increases your lean muscle mass, and improves mobility and good body functions.
You can find plenty of workouts to choose from here: http://bit.ly/2O1LmLr
Exercise is also supporting healthy bones which are very important later when osteoporosis starts to settle in.
So all these things are to consider when it comes to exercise and keeping a lean body and higher energy levels in your 40s and beyond.
To wrap this up nutrition is even more essential as we get older than ever before.
You can find plenty of information on my book Transform your body after 40 available on amazon
Transform your Body after 40 https://amzn.to/37Dhnz3
To your health
Cheers
