Nutrition for women 40+. Preserving health and beauty

Few people think about the fact that proper nutrition after 40 years for women is the key to beauty, youth, health and, of course, slimness. And this is exactly so! After all, the older we get, the less hormones (estrogens) necessary to preserve youth are produced in the body, and metabolic processes slow down. Plus, constant stress, lack of sleep and, as a result, early aging are added to this.

A balanced diet, including fats, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and natural vitamins, can help avoid all this. You will say that you already use all this. That's right, there is only one amendment - at 40 and even more so 45 years and older, all these components are needed, and their quantity and quality should be adjusted.

General rules

After forty, a woman’s health enters a unique phase when she needs a special diet and lifestyle aimed at preserving youth and maintaining weight.
Entering such a conscious age, you want to lead an active life, full of emotions, events and worries, and it is important that they be a joy and not a burden. And, of course, what prevents all this from happening in the first place is excess weight, so it’s worth knowing the principles of nutrition and diet for women after 40 years of age. Due to the fact that the metabolic rate decreases with age, you need to remember:

• you cannot resort to low-calorie diets - a sharp weight loss can significantly affect both appearance and health, therefore - no fasting or restrictions in any of the most important nutrients - proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, only a balanced healthy diet;
• a diet for women after 40 years is not an express method, you can lose no more than 5 kg per month, get ready for long-term work on yourself and a complete transition to a healthy lifestyle that excludes harmful foods as much as possible;
• The calorie content of the daily diet, regardless of the chosen diet, should not exceed 1800 calories; this figure should be reduced by 200 calories every five years.

How to lose weight for a woman after 40: once again about the uselessness of diets

With age, restrictions do not become more effective; on the contrary, they hit us harder and harder. After all, in order to burn fat, the muscles need to be toned. And muscle tone noticeably decreases at forty. And so does the body’s ability to expend accumulated energy.

The body develops the following pattern of behavior during any attempts to reduce the diet: reduces energy consumption. Instead of a stable result, we get the negative consequences of reducing calories:

• weakness;
• acute feeling of hunger;
• chilliness;
• lethargy;
• depression.

And if we fight excess weight with questionable methods for a particularly long time or too often, our body gets used to the regime of conscious saving. This means that when you decide to go on a diet, it will turn on this regime, and after stopping the fruitless fight against subcutaneous fat, it will very slowly increase energy consumption. The result is this: each time the effect of the restrictions will be less and less, and the weight gain after the cessation of half-starvation will be greater.

Authorized Products

For women over 40 years old, correct eating habits are especially important, these include:

• daily consumption of boiled or baked sea fish;
• a woman’s diet after 40 years should contain a sufficient amount of protein food - at least 200 g of lean, complete protein, for example, turkey fillet, chicken, eggs, cottage cheese, cheeses prepared with minimal addition of salt, boiled, baked or grilled;
• consumption of exclusively polyunsaturated fatty acids - high-quality olive oil, nuts, sea fish;
• a mandatory large fresh salad every day, made from celery, herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, cabbage, avocado, radishes, etc.;
• fruits, berries, juices squeezed from them, prepared smoothies and cocktails are the most important element of maintaining youth; you need to pamper yourself more often with strawberries, raspberries, oranges, nectarines, pears, apples;
• complex carbohydrates - it is worth remembering about porridges (for example, oatmeal, buckwheat, brown rice), bread, bran and rye bread - important components of a balanced menu that provide a long-lasting boost of energy, remove waste, toxins and contain many minerals;
• maintaining water-salt balance by drinking up to 2 liters per day of pure still water.

Table of permitted products

The most effective ways to lose weight

Sometimes you need to lose weight quickly, but extreme diet programs are harmful to health, provoke a yo-yo effect (return and multiple weight gain), and lead to metabolic disorders. Non-hazardous and effective complexes are based on an acceptable calorie deficit by limiting the energy value of food and increasing workload. You need to come out of them slowly so as not to provoke breakdowns and “yo-yos”.

Lose weight in a week

Weekly programs are based on the consumption of 1000-1500 calories per day (men and women cannot go below 1000) in combination with the removal of excess fluid from the body and intense training. The basis of the diet is diuretic products and dishes with a predominance of protein and a minimum of carbohydrates - eggs, poultry, fish, cottage cheese with 0.1% fat content.

A week-long “drying” will form cubes on the stomach, outline the biceps and, by reducing fluid in the muscles, visually tighten the relief. To speed up metabolism, drink warm water with honey between meals. Please note - per 1 kg of weight there should be at least 1 g of protein per day, otherwise the weight will be lost due to muscles, not fat.

Lose weight in a month

Systematic programs designed for a month give results - 3-5 kg ​​of excess weight are lost. Make sure your diet is complete—it’s no longer possible to focus only on proteins from lean meat and fish.

Add to them:

• unsaturated fats from nuts, avocados, olive oil (10-15% in the BJU balance);
• complex carbohydrates and fiber - buckwheat, fruits, green and legible vegetables, spinach;
• still water - 2-2.5 liters per day.

The number of workouts reaches 3-5 per week; to maintain health, vitamin and mineral complexes are included in the diet.

Fully or partially limited products

The diet for those over 40 should be balanced, consisting mainly of healthy, fresh farm products, rather than harmful, high-calorie, almost empty calories. This applies to a greater extent to sweets and starchy foods; any product, dish containing dough, potatoes or sugar should appear as rarely as possible on your table, and it is important:

• minimize the consumption of various seasonings, sauces, salt that stimulate appetite;
• give up harmful high-calorie canned, salty foods and semi-finished products (canned cucumbers, tomatoes and other canned vegetables, fish, pickles);
• no alcohol (maximum - a glass of dry wine), sweet, carbonated drinks, packaged juices.

Table of prohibited products

Recipes for a balanced diet

At home, you can prepare dishes that will help provide the body with all the necessary elements, and at the same time reduce excess weight.

Celery soup

Ingredients:

• vegetable broth - 1 l;
• celery - 1 root;
• bulb;
• walnuts - 2-3 pcs.;
• wheat flour - 2 tbsp. l.;
• cheese - 100 g;
• salt and pepper - to taste.

Preparation:

1. Celery, onions and walnuts are chopped, lightly fried, then cooled and poured into boiling vegetable broth.
2. Reduce the heat and cook the soup for another 20 minutes.
3. Beat into a homogeneous mass.
4. Add grated cheese until the soup has cooled.

Syrniki

You will need:

• cottage cheese - 300 g;
• egg - 1 pc.;
• salt - on the tip of the knife;
• coconut flour - 1 tbsp. l. for dough and the same amount for breading.

Preparation:

1. The dough is prepared as for regular cheesecakes.
2. Fry them in a frying pan, lightly greased with oil, or bake in the oven.

Vegetable casserole

Ingredients:

• zucchini - 1 pc. ;
• eggplants - 2 pcs.;
• tomatoes - 3 pcs.;
• bell pepper - 2 pcs.;
• garlic, salt and spices to taste.

Preparation:

1. Medium-sized vegetables are cut into slices (pepper into strips).
2. Place in layers in a greased pan.
3. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake in the oven.

Such recipes are acceptable even on a ketogenic diet, since they are low in carbohydrates.

Menu (Meal Schedule)

Sample menu for the week

Mon

W

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun

Ketogenic diet

A fat diet is an effective method to lose weight. It is correctly called ketogenic. Doctors believe that such a diet helps to improve the health of the body. But the menu for such a diet is compiled only on an individual basis, after consultation with a doctor.

The ketogenic diet doesn't mean you need to eat more fat. There is a slightly different operating principle here. The body needs glucose to function properly. Normally, the protein is broken down and it is extracted from this source. But if there is not enough protein, there is also not enough glucose. In this case, it is replaced by ketones - substances that the liver produces by processing fat deposits.

A ketogenic diet is designed for a week. Like all new power systems, it raises many questions. In general terms, it is assumed that a person consumes 4 parts fat to one part carbohydrates and protein. The exact proportions are prescribed by the doctor.

Without restrictions you can eat:

• all types of meat, including even bacon and lard;
• all types of fish and seafood;
• dairy products of any fat content;
• unrefined vegetable oil.

This week you need to exclude from your diet:

• any fruit;
• cereals;
• starchy vegetables including pumpkin, carrots and potatoes;
• pasta.

On the first day, it is recommended to fast and drink water so that the body can use up all its glucose reserves. Then, for 2-3 days, you can eat omelet with bacon, nuts, and cottage cheese. The remaining three days involve an expanded diet with an additional 200 g of green vegetables (per meal), cheeses, etc.

After a week, the ketogenic diet will have to be interrupted. But if problems arise or your health worsens, then even earlier. In a week, with this diet you can lose up to 5 kg. The cycle can be repeated two or three more times. Some people with a predisposition to Alzheimer's disease are prescribed this diet for life.

Advantages and disadvantages

Weight norm and waist

To understand how many kilograms you need to lose, you first need to calculate your optimal weight. To do this, it is recommended to start from a normal body mass index.

To calculate it, you should divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters, multiplied by itself. The result is a mass index. Based on it, you can understand how much it deviates from the norm.

For example, with a height of 1.7 m and a weight of 60 kg, according to the above formula, 1.7 * 1.7 = 2.89. 60/2.89=20.76. Normal mass index for women is 19-24. That is, in this case, the weight is within normal limits and there is no need to lose weight.

For many, an important indicator is the waist and its absence. In this case, you should not rely on the norm imposed by advertising - 60 cm. In fact, not even all well-known models have such parameters. It is better to focus on body weight. When your weight normalizes, your waist will return to the correct parameters on its own.

Adviсe

• To rule out any problems with the body after forty, you must definitely visit an endocrinologist who will assess the state of the thyroid gland, the balance of female hormones, insulin , because weight gain is quite possible due to a lack of any of the above hormones.
• It is necessary to monitor the duration and quality of sleep after reaching 40 years of age - this is a particularly important factor that determines how healthy you are and how fresh you look.
• Physical activity is the key to maintaining youth and the speed of metabolic processes at the required level, so it is best to sign up for a fitness center or gym and remember that the load should be regular and moderate.

Nutrition for women during menopause

29.09.2020

Mature age has many advantages. The acquired life experience gives us self-confidence and helps us set priorities correctly. Finally, we can pay more attention to our grandchildren and our favorite activities. But many women associate this period with the onset of menopause , which slightly overshadows the freedom gained, and this condition is natural. During menopause , problems such as urinary incontinence , hot flashes, and rapid weight gain are observed.

Urological pads - reliable protection against leaks

About a third of women experience incontinence not only during menopause , but also during various inflammatory processes, as well as before childbirth . But it is during menopause that significant hormonal changes occur that reduce the elasticity of the abdominal muscles, which can lead to changes in the position of the bladder . Leaks are often caused by sneezing, coughing, or even sudden movements.

In this case, urological pads will come to the rescue, created specifically for women who value comfort and convenience, and also lead an active lifestyle, regardless of age. The pads have an anatomical shape, fit tightly to the body, are securely attached to underwear, the possibility of leaks is eliminated thanks to the hydrophilic sides, and the antibacterial absorbent neutralizes unpleasant odors.

Of course, it will not be possible to solve the problem of incontinence only with the help of urological pads, but they can provide the necessary comfort. To alleviate these symptoms during menopause , the urologist may prescribe medication, physiotherapeutic procedures, and recreational exercises.

Basic rules of nutrition during menopause

Menopause is always accompanied by a drop in estrogen levels (the main sex hormone in women). There is no direct connection between a decrease in this indicator and the development of obesity , but intense accumulation of fat is often observed. Weight gain is largely due to changes in lifestyle and certain processes occurring in the body - activity decreases, metabolism deteriorates. As a result, muscle mass decreases and body fat increases. Therefore, in order to support the body during this difficult period, it is important to review your diet. Moreover, talk about a short-term diet , but about specific rules that should be followed constantly:

• less fat. In order to stay slim, we refuse to eat at fast foods, as well as fatty meats and sausages, processed and glazed cheese curds, baked goods, mayonnaise, and high-calorie desserts;
• more calcium and magnesium. These mineral components help reduce bone and also improve overall psychological well-being. Therefore, we take dairy products, nuts, hard cheeses, green leafy vegetables (spinach, various types of cabbage), herbs (parsley, dill), oatmeal, buckwheat, brown rice;
• Vitamin E (tocopherol) is needed. It reduces the intensity of hot flashes and reduces vaginal . Tocopherol slows down the aging process, so the dosage form is often prescribed in capsule form. You can replenish the supply by consuming corn, flaxseed or sunflower oil;
• Let's not forget about squirrels. Protein compounds (proteins) prevent muscle loss. Based on their origin, they are divided into two groups - plant (lentils, beans, soybeans, nuts) and animal (eggs, lean meats, dairy products);
• You can’t do without fiber. These are insoluble dietary fibers that absorb toxins, waste, excess fluid, and also help the intestines contract, which is especially important for age-related constipation. As a source of fiber we eat cereals, vegetables and fruits, durum wheat pasta, whole grain bread;
• less sweet. During menopause, metabolic processes are disrupted and the risk of developing diabetes . To prevent this disease, you will have to limit the consumption of easily digestible carbohydrates - sugar, white and milk chocolate, caramel, jam.

Proper nutrition and properly selected hygiene accessories will help you survive the unpleasant symptoms of menopause , as well as reduce their intensity and maintain the body in proper condition.

Published in Gynecology Premium Clinic

Reviews and results

• Maria, 41 years old: “... I really like this nutritional system - varied, nutritious and easily tolerated by the body. It’s not always possible to abstain from simple sandwiches, salt, and cake, but in general, the diet allows you to keep your weight normal, as soon as I see a plus on the scales, I immediately start on such a balanced low-calorie menu.”
• Katerina, 37 years old: “... An ideal women’s menu, so many delicious things, it’s so nice to pamper yourself, and not eat these potatoes, bread and semi-finished cutlets that everyone is bored with.”
• Anna, 48 years old: “... Every active woman, having reached the age of over forty, is faced with the problem of causeless excess weight gain, I manage to fight it with the help of constant physical activity and a salt-free, low-carbohydrate diet. At first I lost 3 kg a week, after a month the weight returned to normal. “I think it’s important not to consume empty calories, not to overeat, and to listen to yourself.”

What physical activities will help you lose weight more effectively?

Stable physical activity will also help to avoid swelling when adjusting the drinking regime.

To create an individual training plan, a woman can contact a fitness instructor.

When restructuring the hormonal system, it is very important to begin physical exercise gradually if you have not previously engaged in sports.

Sample training program for women:

• Morning exercises 10-15 minutes daily
• 2-3 times a week individual (group) training in the gym for at least 1 hour
• Daily walks of 10-15 thousand steps
• Cardio exercises 2 times a week (running, cycling, rollerblading/skating, swimming)
• Once a week, do a stretching or yoga class.

Real changes after completing the training plan can be noticed within 2-3 months of training. The result will be consolidated closer to a year of training.

If suddenly a neighbor or friend tells you that she quickly lost weight only thanks to a morning jog, you should not repeat someone else’s experience in this matter. Since at an older age, it is recommended to approach the topic of losing weight without harm to health in a comprehensive manner - undergo the necessary examinations, adjust your diet and diet, and adjust beneficial physical activity. This approach will slowly but surely bring the desired result and turn it into a way of life.