Both women and men typically face increasing struggles with their weight and other medical problems as they enter their 40s. Women, especially, have unique nutritional needs as their bodies go through extreme hormonal changes. Accordingly, diet plans for women need to change to incorporate these needs.
Some of the shifts women encounter are decreased hormones, subdued energy levels, and other medical conditions. Both your nutritional needs and your metabolism shift drastically, and women’s nutrition plan needs to be carefully planned. The metabolism becomes slower, and as a result, many women lose around half a kilogram of muscle every year, starting at about 40.
Of course, every woman is different, and the issues faced, while universal, are rarely identical. That makes taking care of yourself with a healthy diet for women even more difficult.
Women’s Nutrition Guide for Good Health
So, how exactly do you provide for the nutritional needs of your transforming body? That is the question I will be answering in this article.
General Nutrition
If you haven’t seriously considered your daily nutrition intake by the time you reach 40, you need to start now. Women’s nutrition plans need to have foods that cover all the bases to include daily nutrients.
Add a good balance of vegetables. Include leafy greens, red vegetables, beans, and peas.
Eat plenty of fruits— fruits with high water content, high fiber, and iron.
Incorporate grains into your daily meals. Half of them should be whole grains.
Adhere to fat-free or low-fat dairy— including milk, cheese, and yogurt for an ideal diet after 40.
Include protein in every meal. Healthy protein comprises lean meat (like chicken), seafood, beans, eggs, nuts, seeds, and soy products.
Cook using healthier oils, like olive oil, rice bran oil, and safflower oil.
Additionally, women should also consume less than 10 percent of daily calories
From saturated fats (red meat, high-fat dairy)
From added sugars like desserts and processed foods
And have less than 2,300 mg per day of sodium and not more than a drink per day of alcohol. Calcium, potassium, dietary fiber, and vitamins A and C are vital nutrients in the best diet plan for women over 40.
Metabolism
A woman’s hormone levels (estrogen) start to decline after 40. This makes your insulin (hormone that helps your body utilize sugar) increase. Your thyroid levels also decrease. This blend makes you hungrier, and you end up eating extra while burning lesser calories. A proper women’s nutrition plan can help stop this from happening.
Much of the weight gain happens around your abdomen. The best diet plan for over 40 females should have more foods containing fiber (like berries, nuts, whole grain) to fill you up, so you’ll eat less.
Women, at age 40, lose muscle mass twice as fast as men. Most of this loss happens in your core muscles that strengthen your abdomen.
After 40, most women also gain stomach fat. Belly fat has been linked to diabetes, dementia, heart disease, and even some cancers. If you are living with any of these ailments in your 40s, visiting a women’s nutritionist is a necessary step to take.
A few simple ways to enhance your metabolism are:
Eat breakfast daily.
Exercise daily.
Drink plenty of cold water.
Sleep well, and maintain a good cycle.
Eat a little spice once in a while.
A Few Things to Consider
Women, at age 40, lose muscle mass twice as fast as men. Most of this loss happens in your core muscles that strengthen your abdomen.
After 40, most women also gain stomach fat. Belly fat has been linked to diabetes, dementia, heart disease, and even some cancers. If you are living with any of these ailments in your 40s, visiting a women’s nutritionist is a necessary step to take.
