Feisty In Your 40's and 50's

Feisty (adj): lively, determined, and courageous.

If I could design the dictionary entry for “feisty,” I’d put your pictures next to it, my fabulous SMFers! By investing in your health and well-being, you are ensuring the energy you need to attack your days with gusto. I am constantly inspired by my clients and their determination.

Let’s talk a little about how we can stay feisty in the years leading up to and after menopause. As I have discussed here and here, our bodies are changing during this period, and shifting levels of hormones affect us in many ways.

As you know, I could go on and on about how important it is for pre-and post-menopausal women to focus on strength training and mindful living.

Today, however, let’s turn to nutrition as a source of energy and well-being. You can’t be “lively, determined and courageous” without the right nutrients to protect and fuel your changing body. 

The overall decline in estrogen during perimenopause and menopause is linked to decreased muscle mass and bone strength. That’s why women in this stage of their lives need to increase their consumption of lean proteins, such as eggs, lean meats, fish, legumes, and dairy products.

Dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese, also have the benefit of providing plenty of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins D and K, all of which are essential for bone health. Dairy may also help improve and deepen sleep in menopausal women by providing the amino acid glycine to our diet. I don’t know about you, but I could sure use some good sleep!

Let’s not forget the importance of fruits and vegetables, which are packed with vitamins and minerals, fiber and antioxidants. We’ve been hearing this our whole lives, so why focus on it now, as we enter perimenopause and menopause?

Well, let’s start with the fact that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables might help reduce hot flashes. A well-regarded study of over 17,000 menopausal women determined that those eating more vegetables, fruits, and fiber experienced a 19% reduction in hot flashes compared to a control group.

Cruciferous vegetables in particular may help regulate estrogen levels and protect us from breast cancer. You know that great bumper sticker “Save the Ta-Tas?” Right under it, you might add a sticker that says “Eat your Broccoli!” 

Additionally, as we enter this phase of our lives, hormonal changes alter our metabolism and make it harder to maintain a healthy weight, and we see an increase in belly and subcutaneous fat deposits. Diets higher in vegetables, fruits, and high-quality proteins help alleviate some of those problems. This will help you feel lighter on your feet and more energetic. 

So how does all this keep us feisty? When your body feels good, you feel good. You have energy and confidence. You have healthy bones to sustain an active lifestyle, strong muscles to keep you going and achieving your goals. You sleep better, making sure you wake up ready to conquer your day. You are happier, more engaged. You are lively, determined, and courageous. 

You are feisty.