There’s lots of fabulous things about being in this age bracket. Weight gain is not one of them!
- Fat in places there wasn’t before?
- Muscles that used to be firm and toned now soft and flabby?
- Your eating hasn’t changed, but weight seems to be creeping on in all the wrong places?
Your hormones play a major part in this menopausal age bracket. But 80% of weight gain is what’s going in your mouth!
So it’s good to stop and have a close look at WHAT and HOW you’re eating. And to have some proven eating tips – so you can get on top of your healthy eating after 50.
What’s worked for you for years, is probably not working anymore. And it’s time to tweak a few things.
Six Eating Tips For Healthy Eating After 50
1. Deprivation Is NOT the Answer During Menopause
Don’t go on some crazy diet!
Just as overeating will kill your weight loss efforts – crash dieting will slow down your metabolism. And set you up for all sorts of weight gain issues.
Choose quality, unprocessed foods in smaller portions – over quantity. The French who are in general pretty lean, have it nailed. They eat full fat, good quality foods in small portions. Never depriving themselves of the good things in life. But not having to eat until they’re bursting at the seams! There’s a lesson to be learnt here. It’s called self-control! I struggle with it too!
2. Stop Counting Calories!
Food is more than calories. It’s about the nutrient density. Foods packed with vitamins, minerals, protein and healthy fats.
So just because you’re hitting your daily calorie requirements doesn’t mean your body is being fed with the right amount of nutrition.
Nutrient rich foods leave you feeling satisfied and feed your body what it needs to function in non-resistance each day. Think unprocessed, organic, foods that are in – or as close to their natural state as possible.
3. Fruit Juice & Fruit
How much fruit are you putting into your juice? Natural or not – fruit is full of sugar.
When you take the fibre away by juicing it, all you have is a massive burst of sugar! This sugar burst causes a spike in blood sugar which triggers a secretion of insulin (the fat storing hormone).
This spike in blood sugar is usually followed by a crash that makes you tired, hungry and craving more sugar!
So opt for a green veggie juice. And if you need it, just add a small handful of berries or small portion of (low fructose) fruit to give it some extra sweetness.
Limit fresh fruit to 1 or 2 pieces per day. Fruit still just breaks down into sugar.
Sugar is NOT your friend if you’re trying to lose belly fat!
This goes doubly for dried fruit which is just packed with sugar (fructose).
Always eat your fruit BEFORE your meal. Otherwise it can ferment in your gut. Stewing on top of all the other food your body is trying to digest. Causing bloating and the dreaded flatulence!
4. Forget Reduced Fat – Opt For Full Fat!
Eating foods high in fat doesn’t translate to body fat! Good fats are a major source of fuel for the body and help you absorb fat-soluble vitamins.
You NEED this during menopause.
Reduced fat products are overly processed and are usually topped up with sugar. They do this to make them tastier to eat. So you just end up eating more! Trying to get to that satisfaction level you’d have reached quite easily, with a full fat product!
Think extra virgin olive oil, nuts, nut butters, seeds, full fat dairy products, sardines, salmon, avocado’s etc.
5. Eat The ‘Raw’ On Your Plate First!
Make sure there’s always a portion of raw vegetables on your plate and eat this first. It doesn’t have to be huge – just a few mouthfuls.
The nutrients and enzymes in this raw serve will get your digestive track going. And make it easier to digest the rest of your meal.
6. Protein Only For Breakfast!
A great way to ‘tweak’ your body to make it work for you – eat protein and healthy fats, ONLY, for breakfast.
Think an egg dish with avocado or a tablespoon of nut butter. Or have your leftover protein portion from the night before. Without the starchy carbohydrates.
The idea is……you haven’t eaten anything since your evening meal at perhaps 7pm, then the next meal you have (breakfast) is protein and healthy fats only. So your body is still using body fat for energy. Until you eat some starchy carbohydrates at lunchtime.
It’s a great way to burn body fat without depriving yourself.
Be consistent. Be patient. And be kind to yourself. It takes time to make changes….
- Look at each meal you eat and ask yourself ‘where’s the protein, where’s the healthy fats’.
- Think of your eating as a way of feeding your body with goodness. So it’s bursting with energy!
There’s many ways to nail weight gain in this age bracket. Give these 6 tips a try. Don’t give up or give in. Keep researching and finding what works for you.
Check out my 20 minute muscle toning programs. Designed by a woman in her 50’s FOR women in their 50’s. Click on the link here…..
Corestrength50plus programs