Women In Their 40s Need To Eat Differently, And I Promise It’s Not Just To Make Them Look Younger

If you’re a woman who’s in her mid-40s, you’ve probably witnessed a number of fad diets and nutritional holy grails over the past few decades. Now that you’re (just a little bit) older and wiser, you’ve likely settled into a pattern of eating that works for you and makes you feel energized and nourished at least most of the time. 

But you may have noticed a few changes to your body in the past few years. “For most women, perimenopausal symptoms might have been happening since your mid-30s,” said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of The North American Menopause Society and director of Mayo Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health. “The typical age to begin menopause is 45.”

There are changes ahead, no doubt, but you can help yourself ease into this next phase of life by making some smart nutritional choices to help yourself age as gracefully as possible. 

You may already have been noticing weight gain, or a redistribution of weight, with more settling around your belly area, Faubion noted. “We lose muscle mass by 1% a year after age 50, and most adults gain about a pound and a half each year progressively through middle age,” Faubion said. But she said weight gain, while challenging, isn’t inevitable.

“You can’t exercise it all off, so you need to pay attention to what you’re eating,” she said. “You don’t have to deprive yourself, though, and you can have a beautiful, healthy diet that’s filled with fruits and vegetables.” 

Here’s your “window of opportunity” to eat more nitrate-rich veggies.

Maryann Jacobsen is a registered dietitian and midlife health expert who noted that “many women over age 45 are at an increased risk for nutrient deficiencies, even when they eat the way they always have.” 

She said this might be the best possible moment to switch things around on your plate. “Health experts call the time of life a ‘window of opportunity,’” she said. “That’s because the decisions we make at midlife will affect our health in our older years.” It’s a good time to up your intake of nitrate-rich vegetables such as leafy greens, celery, and beets.

“These help women increase their nitric oxide levels that decline with both aging and hormonal changes,” Jacobsen said. “In fact, one study showed that two salads a day helped increase nitric oxide-related blood flow in midlife women.”

She also suggested a renewed focus on micronutrients, including magnesium, zinc, choline, omega-3s, iodine, B vitamins and selenium. “Aging and lower estrogen levels affect how much of those micronutrients the body absorbs,” she said.