Your Nutritional Needs after Age Forty
A woman’s body goes through significant changes as it approaches menopause; estrogen production slows dramatically, muscle mass decreases as fat deposits increase, metabolism slows down, body tissues—including those of the heart and circulatory system—lose elasticity, and the body begins reabsorbing bone cells at a faster rate than it produces them. For many women, stiff, aching joints; mood swings; feelings of lethargy; and insomnia join the list of physiological symptoms that accompany perimenopause. All of these symptoms contribute to serious health risks stemming from two oddly disparate yet closely linked conditions-overweight and undernourishment.
The health risks of perimenopause and menopause include an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Add to these risks the serious health problems associated with overweight and obesity, and the challenges of maintaining your health as you approach menopause become painfully clear. Meeting these challenges requires a diet designed to both manage weight and boost nutrition.
Many people go through life using their diets for everything but nutrition. They try one fad diet after another to lose weight; they load up on junk food and high-fat ice cream and chocolate as “food therapy” for overcoming anger, sadness, and disappointment; they choose foods based on convenience, portability, and easy cleanup. Though you may get by eating a shabby diet for a while, some time around your early forties, you might begin to feel the negative impact of bad eating habits. And even if you’ve always maintained a relatively healthy diet, you still may not be giving your changing body the nutrition it needs now.
Good Eating Habits Aid Weight Control
A key component of managing weight gain during menopause is to develop good eating habits. Again, it really doesn’t matter what’s always worked for you before; your body is changing, and your eating patterns have to change, too, if you want to avoid excess weight gain. The following suggestions may help you:
Avoid fast food. No matter how easy it is to grab a meal from the drive-through window or have it hustled to your door by a delivery person, fast food is packed with all of the things you don’t need to eat, such as saturated fats, sugar, cholesterol, and salt. For the whopping 1,000 calories you may consume with that double bacon cheeseburger, you’re getting precious little nourishment. Plan menus, shop for fresh produce, and learn to pack your lunch (with daytime snacks). If you have time on the weekend to prepare and bag fruit and vegetable salads, you can enjoy them through the week.
Try to enjoy your meals. Sit down at a table whenever possible, and put your food on a plate rather than eating it out of your hand. Do not eat standing over the kitchen sink, and do not walk down the street eating a breakfast burrito. Take your time; look at the food you’re eating, smell it, and pay attention to each bite. Then, you’re more likely to know when you’re full. Shoveling food down while you stare at the television, drive to work, or read the paper by the kitchen sink is a sure ticket to overeating. If you really love to eat, do it with purpose. Don’t wait until you’re starving to eat. Try to eat small meals spaced out throughout the day.
Use the following five-point plan to minimize the number and severity of your perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms, maintain optimal health through menopause, and set the stage for your healthy, active, enjoyable postmenopausal life:
a. Eat a heart-healthy, well-balanced diet with the vitamin, mineral, and nutrient balance recommended for a woman at your stage of life. Feeding your body properly is the most important thing you can do to manage your menopause—and your health. Limit your salt, animal fat, and simple carbohydrate intake. Eat plenty of green leafy vegetables, root vegetables, and fresh and dried fruit. Make sure your diet includes ample quantities of vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and calcium. Now is the time to start reading labels and eating as though your life depends on it.
b. Get regular physical activity that includes both weight-bearing and aerobic exercise. Thirty minutes a day, four or more days a week, of walking, bike riding, swimming, or other exercise can keep your heart and lungs healthy, your mind alert, and your spirits up.
c. Manage your weight. Obesity has become a national epidemic. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, more than 50 percent of all Americans are overweight. And even if you’ve never suffered from weight problems in the past, your body could begin to put on pounds in perimenopause. As you approach middle age, your metabolism slows down, so you burn fewer calories—even at rest. If you work in a sedentary job and if your idea of a good time involves a recliner, a remote control, and a bowl of cheese doodles, you might be feeding an health issue.
d. Stop smoking and don’t overindulge in alcohol. If you smoke, you need to stop now—for your health and for the health of anyone who lives with you. Death by lung cancer, heart disease, or emphysema isn’t pretty, quick, or painless, so why increase your risks of contracting those diseases? If you need help quitting (and most people do), talk to your health care provider or contact the American Lung Association (ALA) at 1(800) LUNG-USA.
e. Manage your stress. Stress is damaging to your health in so many ways; it can cause everything from upset stomach to depression to heart disease. And if it did nothing to harm your health (which it always does), stress dramatically diminishes the quality of your life. Now is the time to learn to enjoy the days and people that make up your life. Avoid the stressors you can avoid, diminish those you can’t avoid, and add relaxation and rest to offset the damage of dealing with stress. Exercise, diet, ample rest, and following a regular relaxation technique are your best stress busters.
