We’re not going to sugarcoat it.
Sometime after 35, things just…shift 🙈
We notice the things that used to work for us don’t any more.
It’s harder to maintain our healthiest weight.
We don’t have the same energy.
We @aletheamills_nutrition & @glowphysio have put our heads together and come up with our eight favourite changes women over 35 can make to feel healthier, stronger & more energetic than ever 💪 💃
🥚 Protein – for most of us, getting adequate protein means we will need to increase protein our intake. This will support better muscle increase & retention which is harder to achieve post-35! Protein assists with feeling fuller for longer and is a factor in reducing insulin resistance, which is important for avoiding the pathway to type II diabetes and assisting with weight management. Incorporate lean proteins including grass fed red meats, chicken, fish, tofu, and beans/legumes into your meals.
💪 Strength Training – after 35 our we start to lose muscle mass and bone mass. Resistance training is one of the BEST ways to build muscle & reduce risk of osteoporosis and it also improves our fat-burning metabolism, improves cardiovascular health and reduces risk of diabetes & dementia.
🍷 Skip the alcohol! Alcohol is never a healthy option but at this time of life, it will exacerbate perimenopausal/menopausal symptoms. Alcohol can disrupt hormone balance, associated with cancer, affects your sleep, negatively impacts anxiety and depression and impacts abdominal fat. There are so many great alternatives these days! Your body will thank you!
☄️Plyometrics – exercises like jumping, hopping and even throwing things hard and fast can help to wake up some otherwise very quiet genes inside your muscle cells, stimulating them to improve the composition of the muscle itself. They’re also amazing for metabolic health, stronger bones and connective tissue
🥑 Dietary Fats – the low fat marketing was HUGE and misleading. Fats are essential, minimising saturated fats is a great idea, however, ensure you are including fats from foods like fatty fish (trout, sardines, salmon) avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil. These will support hormone production and brain health during perimenopause!
👟Walking – even if you don’t want to count your walking as exercise (which you should, because it’s so good for bones, muscles, mental health and your heart) getting your steps up does increase your non-exercise activity thermogenesis (aka NEAT) which can make a huge difference to your general energy expenditure over the course of a day.
🔥 Sprint intervals – moving hard and fast , on an exercise bike, on foot or in the pool, for short intervals (eg 20seconds on) and only for 3-5mins (i.e not 45mins!) can give us the BENEFITS of elevated cortisol, without the burnout (like improved insulin sensitivity &better mitochondria – which we want as we get older!)
🥬 Leafy greens – leafy greens like kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, rocket, baby spinach, and bok choy contain fibre, calcium, magnesium & B vitamins which are needed for your bone health, energy levels, mood, and liver function! They support hormone detoxification and metabolism, crucial aspects during perimenopause and 40+.