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Scientifically speaking, metabolic decline is not supposed to occur until the age of 60. Meaning– most people between the ages of 30 - late 50s are not gaining weight solely due to aging. However, no one has talked about menopause and its effects on weight and aging.
Menopause has the potential to affect each woman differently. The body starts to use its energy (calories) differently. Fat cells change, you may gain weight more easily, you may see changes in bone health, your physical function may decrease, and you will see unintended changes to your body composition. All of these changes and hormone imbalance can last up to almost 15 years! As you enter perimenopause, menopause and then post-menopause, your chances of heart disease and osteoporosis also start to increase.
HORMONAL CHANGES
Your body starts to decrease the amount of estrogen and progesterone it produces
Most women who still have a uterus use combination hormone therapy of those of these hormones (EPT) to help with symptoms. Women without a uterus usually only do ET (estrogen) therapy.
Risks of hormone therapy: endometrial cancer (if doing ET w/ a uterus), gallstones, blood clots, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, stroke
These risks decrease if you start hormone therapy within 10 years of menopause. Talk about planning ahead..
Natural Hormone Therapies are less risk and are good for those who already have medical conditions:
Diet & lifestyle changes
Avoid triggers to hot flashes,
Exercising
Having a support group (girl friends, actual support groups, etc)
With all of that being said, How can we age well???
Here are my 10 Best Tips for Aging Well as a Woman, Coming From a Dietitian-- so this is mostly nutrition related!
1. Exercise Regularly, with weight training, specifically
Exercising can get more challenging as someone ages. Since schedules are usually filled, energy is usually low, and some people go their entire lives without exercising-- so, starting when you are aging can seem daunting.
I am here to tell you that the pros of exercise outweighs all of those cons. Weight training specifically helps with aging as it builds muscle, which burns fat. It also helps control glucose levels which make us age quicker over time if we do not control glucose well. Exercise also helps with reducing stress, promotes better sleep, and helps with hormone control because sweating is detoxifying-- which we will talk more about in this post! If you are new to exercise, need help with how to get started, or just feel overwhelmed and need new workout inspiration, message me so that we can work together to find a good regimen for you! Click Here to message.
2. Get quality sleep
I can't stress this enough-- sleep is so important. With hustle culture, poor nutrition, and constant exposure to bluelight, it is SO HARD to get quality sleep. This is something that I have always struggles with. Luckily, I have made a blog post about how I have overcome poor sleep and what I do to get the best sleep possible.
Sleep is important because it is almost like detoxification for your brain. Brain health is everything when aging. It also is a time where you are fasting from food and letting your gut rest. We can't be healthy if our gut isn't healthy! Quality sleep can be life changing for some people. Especially those who are highly stressed or have busy schedules.
3. Adequate Protein Intake
So many people are beginning to see the positive effects that protein intake has on the body-- thankfully so! You see how so many women are adding collagen and protein to their coffee? This is in order to promote skin elasticity and density to avoid sagging and wrinkles! And collagen is not even a complete protein (meaning it doesn't technically count towards daily protein intake). Imagine what a complete protein can do!
Proteins make up cells and promote cell processes. So, when we are eating protein, we are giving out bodies extra materials to work with when cells die. This helps with almost every bodily process you can think of!
But not all protein is created equal. Animal protein is much more absorbable and usable than plant protein (sorry vegans!). We need this optimal absorption because our muscles need protein in order to maintain muscle mass and promote bone health and muscle building! Which is good for aging since muscle is the metabolism's best friend. Complete proteins, the ones that are made up of all of the essential amino acids, give the body all of the fuel it needs to thrive, build muscle, and stay youthful!
4. Learn About Your Hormones
In the last few months, I have been on a journey with the hormones. If you are a woman, you have hormones. If you are a woman who lives in a westernized society, your hormones are likely all over the place. unbalanced. Through tracking my menstrual cycles naturally and getting in touch with my own body, I have been able to predict when I will ovulate, bleed, etc. For women who are aging, I recommend getting your hormones checked or supply learning more about hormone health and what your body does in certain seasons. Perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause are all things that the aging woman should know a little bit about so that you know what your options are as far as hormone pellets, boosting low estrogen levels, potential for hysterectomies, etc. I have a PDF on aging well as a woman where I talk a bit more about these topics. Register here if you would like to access this document or talk more to me about your hormones!
5. Learn to cope well with stress
I honestly feel as this one should go without saying, however, I will say it: stress ages you. BIG TIME! We all have known someone, or have been someone, who has gone through a hard time and our health gets put on the back burner. Here is the truth: hard times WILL come. It is what we do through them and how we cope with adversity that determines how well we age.
Stress can cause so many problems. From strokes to trivial things such as gray hair and weight gain. Things like going for a walk, having a wise community of women around you, therapy, a new hobby, or journaling can do wonders for stress and none of these take too much time to do. It is all about being mindful of what you are doing when you feel your lowest. Start noticing the small things like: do you eat when you are stressed, do you have a big recreational habit when you can't think straight, do you fill a void by scrolling on your phone instead of praying, journaling, or talking to trusted friend? Sometimes health looks a as simple as just knowing what you need, when you need it.
6. Some Things that are Better in Moderation
Some people will really have a hard time with this, and I don't blame them. Avoid things that can cause premature aging to the brain (or at least have them in moderation) is really what is best when it comes to aging and brain health.
Alcohol (studies have come out saying that any amount of alcohol is bad for the brain)
Nicotine (avoid completely)
Too much caffeine (restricts proper blood flow to the brain)
Now, enjoy your morning coffee, have a cocktail with a friend, but still avoid smoking and tobacco products. Know when enough is enough when you are consuming alcohol and caffeine. Just like with sugar, moderation is key. Be mindful and keep up with how much you are consuming on a weekly basis and then adjust things from there. Wean off, don't stop cold turkey.
7. Some Things that need to be Avoided
Foods NOT Recommended
Highly processed foods with PUFAS (polyunsaturated fatty acids). These come in the form of SEED OILS (i.e. corn oil, canola oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil). These are triggers for inflammation, increased sun damage, poor digestion, hormone disruption, etc)
Foods too high in sugar and too low in fiber or protein. Things like sweets and even “healthy things” like juices and store-bought granola can have lower fiber than sugar. These can cause INSULIN SPIKES, which in turn increase the rate of aging in the body.
Spicy foods and caffeine can often trigger hot flashes. If you have this issue, try cutting down on these foods and see if you can tell a difference.
8. Eat Enough Protein
Protein! She is our friend!! High quality animal sources and plant sources as well for good variety. Eat protein at every meal and snack. Or at least a fat that has some protein in it, such as nuts and seeds.
Complete proteins and collagen help with building muscle, skin elasticity, and metabolic health.1.2 - 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram body weight is a good rule of thumb for aging women. If you would like your protein need calculated, want help with protein meal planning, or want to know where to start when it comes to a diet that supports aging-- click here to work with me!
9. Cruciferous Vegetables
Since there is a significant increase in estrogen during menopause (usually), It is good to eat leafy green/cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, brussel sprouts, chard, broccoli, spinach, kale, etc). This helps to metabolize the hormones more efficiently.
It is pretty common for both estrogen and progesterone to decrease during this time. Especially progesterone. We want to eat things that will help with progesterone production. Sometimes too much estrogen can lead to lower progesterone. We do not want this. Progesterone can be named the “youth hormone” with all of its special functions. We NEED this!
10. Biohacking and doing extra to make yourself feel better as you age:
Cold plunges (scientifically proven to help with aging: helps to burn fat, dilate blood vessels, and improve mood. Just TRY IT). 3-5 minutes per session, 1 - 2 times per week! Just fill your bathtub with cold water, stop by an ice machine on your way home, and make your own ice bath! Or, if you live near a body of water, plunge early in the morning when the water is still cold.
Another few things that you can do that additionally help with aging is living non-toxic. Lifestyle and exposure to toxins in your environment can have an effect on aging as well. Aging is a degradation of cells in the body. Free radicals that are found in toxins increase this. Things like additives in food, harsh chemicals in beauty products, toxic cleaning products, over-exposure to alcohol/drugs continuously over time, radiation exposure from technology, and poor air circulation in your house can be contributors to this. Studies have shown that little toxin exposures here and there can add up over time to make a huge impact on our health.
So, reassess your products (I scan everything with the Yuka or Talk Dirty app)
Use mind, natural beauty products and cleaning products
Air out your house often
Turn off technology. Go outside and ground yourself.
Eat whole foods
If you would like to kickstart your journey to healthy aging, reach out to me to schedule an initial call for 8-week or 12-week coaching! If you can't make the time or financial commitment to coaching, schedule a one-time counseling session with me to ask me all of your health and wellness questions! See you soon, and stay healthy!
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