All my mid-life ladies

 I work with so many women who have a relationship with food that is based on rules they have built up over time, guilt, shame and distrust. When we start to talk about food, there is a visible change in their expression and posture. How sad that as women we see food as the enemy, something to be controlled and a personal failure if we don’t meet some arbitrary rules.

Food and body issues come especially to the forefront during perimenopause. Perimenopause is the time leading up to menopause that is marked by hormonal swings as the body goes from ovulating to not ovulating. This transition can take years and has myriad symptoms associated with it. I mean really anything you can think of from hot flashes, anxiety, mood swings to less well-known symptoms such as itchy skin & ears, blood sugar issues and rising cholesterol. One of the most common is weight gain, especially in the abdominal area (belly fat). I’m sure you have seen a lot of advertisements about “how to get rid of stubborn belly fat”. Sadly, however, there really is no magic trick.

In transition times such as puberty and menopause I hear so often “I’m doing the same thing, but everything is changing anyhow”. Yep, hormones affect everything. When they are fluctuating it affects your metabolism, insulin sensitivity, digestion and on and on. While there is a lot that is out of our control, there are a number of things you can control. Working to balance the rest of your hormones and build as many healthy habits as possible will make a big difference during this time.

Things that have been shown to improve weight issues, keep other hormones more stable and reduce belly fat (as well as helping maintain bone mineral density and lean muscle mass) are:

1.     Walking

2.     Weight lifting

3.     Eating enough fiber and protein

4.     Sleep

Notice none of these include -eating 1200 calories only or cutting out entire food groups. Our bodies are meant to have fuel (food) to give us energy to do things (move). Lack of movement has a huge effect on how our bodies use fuel. Muscle mass helps balance blood sugar by drawing blood sugar (glucose) into muscles for storage and use. Walking helps balance blood sugar by using glucose to power our body as we walk. If we are largely sedentary and we start to lose muscle mass (which involuntarily starts declining 3–8% per decade after the age of 30 and more past age 60) we start to gain more fat and can start to lose the ability to balance blood sugar which is called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance basically means we have a harder time taking sugar out of the blood, so it ends up in the liver where some is stored as glycogen and the rest is turned to fat. Often this excess fat ends up in the belly area and builds up around our organs. This is not a pretty picture and is a really good thing to avoid.

A lot of what we feel in our bodies and read out in the world can feel overwhelming and uncomfortable. Many health influencers and supplement companies prey on these uncomfortable feelings, promising easy solutions and magic results. So many of these strategies are just more of the same, diets that promise the world, supplements that sound life changing. These strategies may even feel like they are working for a while, but usually supplements are just a waste of money and diets…fail. However boring and un-fun making small changes sounds, that is truly the magic that will help you improve your life. Drink more water, eat more fiber and move. Then keep doing these things, adding on where you can. Just start, every little bit will help.

Water- the amount you need is unique to you, start with 8 glasses per day and see.

Signs you’re drinking enough: clear or light-yellow urine, going to the bathroom 6-8 times per day, not feeling thirsty.

Fiber- Aim to start with 25 grams per day, be sure to drink water! Good sources are: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds-

Banana, pear, 1 cup strawberries      3g

Black beans, 1/2 cup                           6g

Pistachios, 2 oz                                   6g

Oats, 1/2 cup                                      8g

Raspberries, 1 cup                              8g

High fiber food ideas: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/high-fiber-foods

Easy movement ideas:

• Walk for 5 min every hour or 2 – go to the furthest bathroom, walk to the mailbox, walk around the block

• Beginner walking plan: https://www.bu.edu/fitrec/files/2020/03/AHA-walking-plan.pdf

• Find an online weightlifting program, both Self and Shape magazine have great beginner strength programs for free

  • https://www.self.com/program/six-weeks-to-stronger

  • https://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/4-week-weight-training-plan-women

• Other options: Peloton app has great class selection, Sweat app, Apple, YouTube

• Sign up for classes: try pilates, weight lifting, yoga, rowing, spinning – whatever sounds fun!

I am here for support, I have tips on my Instagram and will continue to add healthy strategies to my blog page. As always, feel free to email with questions.

Thanks for reading!

K