Hitting midlife and menopause can be challenging. Most of us still have careers, families, hobbies, and community commitments, and if you’re anything like me, then you love a good adventure! Finding energy to keep up with it all while competing against your body’s natural aging process can leave you exhausted, run-down, and generally lacking in energy. You can boost your energy naturally with these simple nutrition strategies so you have the vitality to enjoy your midlife in whatever way you choose to!

Boost Your Energy With Nutrition Strategies For Over 50s

With so much conflicting information on what, when, and how to eat, it’s easy to get confused and reach for comfort food instead. Even if you don’t want to lose weight, you want to stay lean and healthy.

As you age, your metabolism slows down. This means your energy requirements decrease, so you don’t need to eat as much food. Unfortunately, it also means that your body retains any extra weight, and it’s harder to lose it. We naturally lose muscle mass as we age, even if we are active, and our body’s ability to absorb and utilize nutrients decreases.

While you can’t stop these processes from happening, you can slow down their effects by implementing and maintaining a nutrient-dense diet and healthy nutrition strategies. Changing some things will significantly impact physical health, bone health, the immune system, and much more.

What is the best nutrition strategy for women over 50?

Choosing the right strategy depends on your goals and lifestyle. Once you know what you are trying to achieve, you can see what your body needs. For example, if you are relatively new to exercise, you will have different nutritional needs than someone training for a marathon!

You can, however, start with the strategies below, no matter what stage you are at. These tips will help you boost your energy to feel better and live better!

Eat more nutrient-dense foods.

Nutrient-dense means natural, non-processed, non-refined foods. It would be best if you aimed to include more of the following foods:

PROTEIN – Eggs, egg whites, fish, chicken, turkey, lean beef, bison, plain Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, tempeh, lentils, and beans.

CARBOHYDRATES – Beans and lentils, steel-cut oats, buckwheat, quinoa, whole-grain rice, sorghum, farro, millet, potatoes, plain Greek yogurt, kefir, fresh and frozen fruit, corn, barley, sweet potatoes

FATS – Extra virgin olive oil, walnut oil, avocado oil, cheeses, seeds as in chia, flax, hemp, pumpkin, and sesame, nuts as in cashews, pistachios, almonds, peanuts, and natural peanut butter, olives, pesto made with olive oil, nut butter from other categories,

VEGETABLES  – Eat a variety of colorful fruits and starchy vegetables with anything from beets, tomatoes, radishes, red peppers, butternut squash, peppers, eggplant, green beans, kale, cauliflower, asparagus, broccoli, and many more. Basically, eat the rainbow.

Eat fewer calorie-dense foods.

PROTEINS – fried meats, tofu, bacon, sausages, protein powder, processed deli meats.

CARBOHYDRATES – cereal bars, fruit juices, honey, molasses, canned, dried, and pureed fruit, sugar, soda, crackers, pretzels, chips, fries, candy bars, donuts, cookies, muffins, pastries, and cakes. Note: these foods are also a rich source of fats. Be aware of both the carbohydrate and fat content!

FATS – bacon, sausages(a protein source but not less desirable fat source), butter, margarine processed cheese, corn oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, and soybean safflower oil.

Measure portions

Your hand is a portable measuring device that you can use anywhere. This helps you portion more appropriately.

• Your palm is a portion of protein.
• A fist is a portion of vegetables.
• Your cupped hand is a portion of carbohydrates.
• The thumb is a portion of fat.

Understand your cravings

Not all food cravings are bad. Often, they are a sign from your body that your hormones are out of balance. Most commonly, this is insulin, which regulates your blood sugar. Learn to recognize and control your cravings. This podcast episode with dietician Cassie Christopher is a great starting point!

Track your foods

Whether you use your phone, a chart, or a good old-fashioned notebook, tracking your foods allows you to see any patterns in your eating habits so that you can adapt them to become more healthy and sustainable strategies to boost your energy and health. I like to use the app My Fitness Pal for more specifics.

Own your alcohol

I get asked a lot if you can be on a healthy eating plan and still enjoy a glass of wine (or two), and the answer is yes, as long as you own your choices! Alcohol is a macronutrient with unique risks and benefits. If you are being mindful of your energy balance, I recommend including it in the “EAT LESS” carb category and tracking your intake of 6 servings of carb portions today: three wines and three beers. This helps you align alcohol consumption with your health and fitness goals.

Sustain your nutrition strategies by creating healthy habits

You’ll only stick to a new eating habit if you enjoy the foods and flavors, know how to cook or prepare the foods, and the portion sizes make sense to you. Don’t overcomplicate things. Set up your routine so that food prep is simple and your strategy is sustainable. This earlier post on creating healthy habits might help you get started!

Why not try this healthy, energy-boosting recipe from my favorite chef, The Minimalist Baker?

Roasted Broccoli, Sweet Potato Chickpea Salad    A satisfying, plant-rich entrée or side with roasted broccoli, sweet potato, and chickpeas. Topped with a creamy 4-ingredient garlic dill sauce. Prep Time 5 minutes, Cook Time 25 minutes

Have you been feeling sluggish or lacking in energy? Try these strategies and let me know which ones are making the most significant impact for you. Remember, if you need extra support to create healthy strategies for your mindset and lifestyle, you can download my free 3 Steps To Thrive in Midlife.