Aging & Nutrition:
You’re eating the foods, doing the same exercise, but … your body is different. What's happening?
If you’re in midlife or beyond, you’ve probably noticed your body changing. Perhaps…
You've gained weight, or your midsection has grown
You’re bloated, constipated, gassy, or have heartburn
Your blood sugar, blood pressure, or lipids have gone up
Your energy has gone down
Your joints are achy or inflamed
These and other changes to health are especially frustrating when you’re eating the same foods and exercising in the same ways.
So, we tend to blame aging.
And then some of us assume there’s nothing we can do about it.
Not true!
Of course, aging affects how we feel, but by no means is it the whole story.
As we get older, many of us feel less resilient to the fun we’re having – from drinking beer, skiing bumps all day, or staying up late.
We don’t bounce back as quickly after booze, a punishing workout, or a late night out.
Blood sugar is more apt to spike after just one cookie, as our cells may become more insulin resistant.
And chronic stress, which impacts health at any age, can take a greater toll in midlife and beyond. Stress can increase inflammation, lead to midsection weight gain, and it can reduce stomach acid, which in turn may impact the health of our microbiome and how well we absorb certain vitamins in minerals.
Now for the good news–you can feel better. I promise!
I help many people in their 40s and beyond gain more energy, sleep better, smooth out their digestion, reduce joint pain and feel more alert and focused.
What’s the secret? It’s not one thing. And it varies by person.
The magic happens when you make enough of the small, very doable changes that snowball into significant, positive changes in how you feel in your body and your mind.
Below are a few general areas where I help my clients feel better as they age. I often suggest to:
Eat more of the nutrient-dense foods that support bone, brain, cardiovascular, metabolic, gut, and hormonal health and which counter inflammation. There’s lots of overlap here. Think high-quality proteins, colorful veggies, fiber from a range of plant foods, and healthy fats from foods like avocado, wild salmon, olive oil and nuts and seeds.
Adjust meals toward more protein, because aging bodies become less efficient at turning dietary protein into muscle, bone and other tissues. So we need more of it!
Eat less of the processed stuff, especially high-carbohydrate and sugary foods. We want to improve insulin sensitivity to keep our cells healthy and to feel energized.
Adjust exercise to include plenty of mobility work, rolling and stretching, all to keep joints healthy; and weight training to support muscle and bone strength, and metabolic health.
Work on a healthy relationship with food—learning how good it feels to nourish how we feel on the inside, and to spend less energy worrying how we look on the outside.
And of course, so much about healthy aging is in the how — building healthy habits around food, sleep, stress management, exercise, getting outside and spending time with loved ones.
It’s the habits that create consistency, that keep us showing up and doing the healthy things, even on days we’re not motivated, even when we’re not able to give 100%.
This is one of my favorite aspects of the work I do with clients, guiding you toward the changes you want to make, that help you to live a fuller, richer life in the ways you want.
Want to learn more about how I can help you? Book a free call or shoot me a message.
