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ESSENTIALS 1: NUTRITIAN, GUT HEALTH & WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

#4.5 Eating well in midlife and beyond

As you are probably seeing in this program, we cannot just blame our hormones for all that is going on. Optimal nutrition and gut health are a huge contributory factor in managing weight but also in ensuring we live a healthy life during menopause and into our later years. We truly ARE what we eat!

Podcast Episode available

Let’s explore some thoughts and ideas that can make an enormous difference to your health and help you to manage your weight!

• AVOID SUGARS
For all the reasons mentioned in this program! Weight gain, erratic blood sugar, risk of later life diseases are just a few of the potential risks associated with an excess of sugar in your diet.

• EAT MINDFULLY
Pay attention to what you eat, why you eat and how you eat. Listen to your body.

• EAT WHOLEGRAINS
This will assist Bowel Health, Heart Health and your general wellbeing. Wholegrains can challenge your gut so if you find they are affecting you perhaps avoid for a while and reintroduce slowly.

• CARBOHYDRATES
These are essential to our diet but make good choices and avoid refined and processed carbohydrates.

• EAT LEAN PROTEIN
Avoid fatty meats which are high in saturated fats.

• INCLUDE PLENTY OF ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS
These are good for skin and hair health, heart health, mental health, hormonal balance, the nervous system and they help to support the immune system.

• INCREASE YOUR FIBRE INTAKE
Most of us don’t eat enough! This is a great support for gut health. Make sure you also drink plenty of fluids.

• INCLUDE PRO & PRE BIOTICS
For gut support.

• AVOID
Things that you know trigger your menopausal symptoms or disrupt your sleep such as alcohol, caffeine, sugar.

• EXPLORE DIFFERENT DIETS
The Mediterranean or Japanese diets are proven to have so many health benefits. There is much evidence that Japanese women eating the traditional Japanese diet have less vasomotor symptoms and less breast cancer cases.

• EXPLORE MEDICINAL PLANTS AND HERBS
There is some evidence that if you aren’t looking after yourself very well, herbs are less effective.

• EAT THE RIGHT TYPES OF FOOD
This helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels which helps with weight management.

• GET YOUR VITAMINS
A diverse range of foods should ensure you are achieving this.

• CHECK FOOD LABELS
Look for hidden additives and sugars and remember that many products advertised as low fat are high in sugar!

• COOK MORE AND EXPLORE NUTRIENT RICH FOOD
• EAT A DIVERSE DIET
This is key to good health.

• EXPLORE “TIME RESTRICTED FEEDING”
This can help manage your weight.

• ENJOY YOUR FOOD!
• DITCH THE DIETS! - TRY LIVING BY THE 80/20 RULE
• WORK ON YOUR SLEEP
• INCREASE YOUR STRENGTH TRAINING AND MOVE MORE
Try short and sweet HIIT sessions too.

• BALANCE YOUR HORMONES
• MANAGE YOUR STRESS