Midlife can be a transformative period filled with opportunities for growth and self-care. Prioritizing your health and well-being is crucial during this time, and even small changes can lead to significant benefits. Here’s how to thrive in midlife through movement, nutrition, and balanced blood sugars.
Movement: Find What You Love
To reduce our risk of heart and circulatory diseases, we need to be active every day.
Aim for 150 minutes of exercise a week (about 20–30 minutes a day). Activities that make you breathe harder or your heart beat faster count! Discover activities you enjoy:
- Brisk walking: Simple yet effective.
- HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training): Great for those who enjoy a challenge.
- Yoga: Enhances flexibility and relaxation.
- Pilates: Excellent for core strength and posture.
For your bone health, to prevent osteoporosis and fractures:
- Aim for about 50 moderate impacts on our joints on most days, this could be jumping, skipping, jogging or hopping.
OR
- Resistance exercises to increase our bone density and increase muscle mass. When your muscles pull on your bones it helps them respond by remodeling themselves and increasing their strength. Resistance exercises, with bands or weights, lasting 20-30 minutes, 2-3 times a week on non-consecutive days is ideal.
Weight Management
Many of us gain weight during midlife due to a loss in our muscle mass. We generally start to lose muscle mass in our 30s. At first, this happens at a rate of around 3-8% per decade. Sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass) leads to a fall in our metabolic rate and women will often see weight gain in midlife.
Resistance and weight training will increase muscle mass, and when coupled with a good protein intake and healthy diet, keeps weight stable.
Nutrition: Nourish Yourself
A balanced diet is fundamental to your health. Focus on:
- Proteins: Crucial for muscle maintenance, especially in midlife. The daily recommended dietary allowance of protein for adults is 0.8 grams per kg of bodyweight. So, for example, if you weigh 82 kg (180 lbs), you’d need to eat around 67 g of protein every day.
- Carbohydrates: Your primary energy source. Aim for complex carbohydrates in the form of vegetables and whole grains, minimally processed.
- Healthy Fats: Fats are not the enemy! Good fats are beneficial for brain and heart health. Include extra-virgin olive oil, avacodos, coconut oil, butter, ghee, nuts and seeds in your diet. Avoid ‘low-fat’ processed foods – where the fats have often been replaced by sugars.
Balancing Blood Sugars
Maintaining balanced blood sugar levels is vital for your overall well-being and maintaining a healthy weight. Large spikes and dips in blood glucose can lead to fatigue, irritability, and cravings, and future health risks of diabetes, dementia and heart disease. Balancing blood sugars can help us feel great in midlife and protect our future years.
Tips for Blood Sugar Balance
- Power Up on Protein: Incorporate protein (at least 20 – 30g per meal depending on your body weight) into your meals to stabilize blood sugar.
- Fibre first: Fibre blocks the action of an enzyme called alpha amylase which breaks down our starch into glucose. By eating fibre first and carbohydretes second you get a lower spike in blood sugars.
- Healthy fats: These keep you full for longer, leading to less snacking. Dark chocolate contains high fats and polyphenols making it an excellent snack choice.
Gut Health: feed your good gut bacteria
Your gut plays a crucial role in digestion, nutrient absorption, and even mood regulation. A diverse gut microbiome is linked to better weight control, mood, and a lower risk of future chronic diseases.
Foods to Support Gut Health
- Prebiotics: Found in vegetables, fruits, and grains, they nourish gut microbes. Include foods like Jerusalem artichokes, onions, garlic, bananas, and legumes.
- Probiotics: Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kefir, and yogurt can enhance gut health.
Conclusion
By prioritizing movement, nutrition, and blood sugar balance, you can significantly improve your quality of life during midlife. Remember, small changes can lead to lasting habits that support your health and well-being. Embrace this stage of life with confidence and vitality!
