If forty is the age to be naughty again, then fifty beckons midlife crises. It is as though you have entered a new realm. This is true for either sex but for women, it holds a new meaning altogether. Hormonal changes signal menopause.
Where it may denote physical changes in a woman’s body, it also heralds emotional mishaps. Things may become more complicated by societal pressures, financial crises and relationship stresses.
The Best Diet for Women over 50
Best Diet for Women over 50: You may toss in bed all night with an exhausting morning at your hands. You may feel like hitting the road for an adventure and the next morning, do not feel like getting out of bed. Reducing an unrecognizable waistline and overcoming food cravings may become your ultimate goal. Life events may have left you doubtful of your best-made decisions.
Yet life at the fifties may become your best opportunity to find out a new you. The protocol starts with revving up your nutritional health status. Why? Because midlife is all about how you manage your hormonal profile. The key lies with a quality diet. Once every box gets a check, in that gearbox, you are ready to drive the rest of the journey with zeal and fervor.
Why Women in Fifties need a Diet-Overhaul?
If forty is a milestone, fifty is momentous. You may be running a successful business or established footings in your career. Your children are ready for college. You may have learned to deal with relationships too. Everything in life seems calm and tranquil. Is there a need to change your routine rituals? Is this the calm before the big storm?
Well, it could be. Aging is an undeniable fact. With it, a woman’s body experiences a lot of changes for which hormones play an important role. Declining estrogen levels bring about a variety of health challenges. So even if you do not fall victim to clinical signs and symptoms of a disease, the process has already begun.
It is imperative to make necessary lifestyle changes before any major health mishap occurs. Such adaptations cater to physical health aspects. They prove beneficial for cerebral functions in the long run too. Read on to know some details about the changing functions of a female body apart from grey hair and receding hairline.
- The first tell-tale signs of aging affect our skin. Decreasing levels of collagen give way to the emergence of wrinkles and dry skin.
- Muscle mass makes up about 50% of our body weight. By the time we reach the 70s and 80s, only 25% muscle mass remains out of total body weight. This all starts in the fifties.
- As the muscle mass declines, it causes a concurrent decrease in our metabolic weight. This results in unwanted fat accumulations that are stubborn to lose. Some of the best workouts for women may not work.
- Uninvited pain in the body marks the beginning of hidden inflammatory processes. Stiff joints, backache, muscle spasms. You wonder where they came from.
- You seem to gain weight by minutes. Nothing seems to help as regards weight loss after 50. Eating less invites more complications instead of weight loss. Hormones and weight gain after 50 seem to have connived.
- menopause with its ever-enthusiastic associates as:
Vaginal dryness, hot flashes, anxiety, sleep disturbances, urinary incontinence, to name a few.
- The fifties have heart disease, diabetes, cancer and many nutritional deficiencies up its sleeves.
- Declining hormone levels and undernourishment are open invitations to stress.
If simple aging was not enough, women tend to have a carefree attitude about themselves. Who can blame them? They try to meet every expectation. Holding many fronts at the same time. They are efficient mothers and dutiful housewives with career goals.
Things are changing now. Women understand ignoring oneself is unsustainable for the circle of happiness around them.
Where aging is inevitable, they can certainly slow down the process. In doing so, they can improve their quality of life.
What is the Best Diet for Women over 50?
You are what you eat. So changes begin with diet modifications. It is not possible to bring changes overnight. However, slow and steady wins the race. Minor lifestyle changes can help you triumph the race with a smile. When you see a 50-year-old woman in great shape, know her lifestyle has lots to do with it. What is the best diet to lose weight after 50? Read on.
One may adopt lifestyle changes for many reasons.
- For weight loss over 50
- As a best weight loss program for women over 50
- As a healthy diet for women over fifty
- As healthy food for women
- As a healthy eating plan for women
- A healthy diet plan for women
However, it is encouraged to take the subject from a health point of view. Losing weight at the age of fifty is possible but comes with its side effects. Very low-calorie diet for weight loss may become complicated.
How many calories should a 55-year-old woman eat to lose weight? It depends on the
- physical condition,
- health status
- her BMI, and
- her activity level
So there is ‘no –one size fits all’ for diets for women over 50. For that, it is encouraged to follow a diet for women over fifty mapped out in collaboration by her
- nutritional expert
- personal physician
- fitness expert
Diet Tips for Women over Fifty
As a woman over 50, you should understand that your body does not work in the same manner as it did in the twenties. After the age of twenty, your body starts losing muscle mass. It causes a decline in resting metabolic rate of 1-2% after every ten years. So your usual carbohydrate intake becomes the worst carbs after 50.
Hormones and weight gain after 50 take a shift. So unhealthy eating habits need to go. You can remain a couch potato no more. Here are some supplements for healthy nutrition for women over 50.
- Increase protein intake as it compensates for the loss of muscle mass. Increased muscle mass helps you lose weight.
- Eat more of fatty fish like salmon, tuna or herring. They are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are proven beneficial for heart health. Is salmon good for diet? You got your answer.
- Eat more of fruits, vegetables, and whole-based produce. These ingredients help you shed some pounds as well as keep the gut healthy and active.
- Cut back on products with Trans fats. They pose a risk to your heart health and certainly do not count as the best diet for a 50-year-old woman.
- Avoid added sugars. Sugar is a white poison. You should avoid it at any age but a diet for women over 50 cannot afford it. Try substitutes like Stevia or organic brown sugar.
- Carbohydrates are a form of sugar. Worst carbs to eat after 50? Simple and processed sugary treats, bread, pasta, starchy vegetables, rice, milk, beer, corn syrup, to name a few.
- Keep a check on hydration levels. Consume simple drinks without added sugar. Water is preferred.
- Take the right supplements. As we age, our gut becomes less absorbent. This results in many nutritional deficiencies like Vitamin B12 and folic acid. Taking the right supplement is the secret behind how to speed up metabolism after 50.
- Limit your alcohol intake. It adds to fat stores in the body.
Exercises for over 50 Females
Can a 50-year-old woman get in shape? The answer is: why not?
TheNational Institutes of Health reports Women over 50 with an active lifestyle to have an added allowance of 400-600 calories than the ones who are sedentary. Alternatively, you can go for a serious cut in your weight if you opt to ditch that extra caloric intake and exercise.
Losing weight, retaining flexibility, growing the muscle mass and increasing your range of motion. These are three main targets of workout for a 50-year-old woman. A female building muscle after 50 enjoys such luxuries as
- Increased blood supply and nutrients to muscles
- Improved posture and physique
- Alleviation of pains and sores in the body
- Prevention of falls and injuries
Diet tips for women after 50 includes increased intake of healthy proteins. This helps in increasing muscle mass. When muscle mass increases, the metabolic rate also revs up. So diet plan for a 50-year-old woman to lose weight should up the protein intake. This also acts as a catalyst for muscle-building exercises.
Strength training is an important accomplice of diet for women over 50. It holds the key to dilemmas like slowed metabolism and weight gain. Resistance training gives you a shot at improving your muscle mass and body posture. It helps you achieve all the benefits of exercise in one go.
Aerobics like swimming, brisk walking or cycling also benefit the women over 50. Relaxing exercises like yoga and Tai Chi improve help sleep and ease away your anxiety. Sleeping well adds to the total benefit of exercise.
So whether you take up squats or go for a jog, as a fifty-year-old woman, you need to take care of yourself in every way. Eating right and sleeping well go hand in hand with stretch and exercise. Whatever you do, do it in moderation. Because life has a long way to go.