Fueling Your 50s: Nutrition Tips for Women Over 50
Show Notes:
Summary:
Valerie dives deep into the importance of nutrition for maintaining vitality and wellness. Valerie reflects on personal experiences with diet-induced fatigue and reveals the pivotal dietary adjustments that rejuvenated her energy levels, including the simple addition of protein to her breakfast. She guides listeners through the changes in nutritional needs as we age, highlighting the significance of protein, complex carbs, calcium, healthy fats, and essential vitamins and minerals. By sharing relatable anecdotes, Valerie translates nutritional facts into actionable, everyday tips for enhancing energy and promoting overall well-being for women over 50.
Timestamps:
00:01 Intro to the impact of nutrition on energy and aging
00:57 Welcoming listeners and setting the tone for women over 50
01:54 How tweaking diet improved personal energy levels
02:54 The importance of nutrition for well-being and aging
04:09 The role of protein in preserving muscle mass and energy
04:50 Cutting through carb confusion and making smarter choices
06:32 The significance of calcium and healthy fats
07:34 Implementing practical nutrition in daily life
09:08 The benefits of hydration and electrolytes on energy
10:26 Mindful eating's impact on hunger cues and satiety
12:20 Challenge to listeners: Assess your breakfast for better energy
13:08 Closing thoughts and invitation to continue the conversation
Key Takeaways:
- Re-evaluate your diet to ensure it's giving you the necessary energy and nutrition, especially as your body changes with age.
- Incorporate protein into your breakfast for sustained energy and muscle maintenance, and don't shy away from healthy fats and complex carbs for overall well-being.
- Pay attention to your intake of calcium, iron, and vitamins, like B and magnesium, which are crucial for energy production and heart health.
- Make small, thoughtful dietary swaps to improve your nutrition without overhauling your entire eating habits.
- Practice mindful eating by tuning into your body's hunger and fullness cues, staying hydrated, and eliminating distractions to enhance your dietary experience.
Connect with me:
- Leave me a message at pod.agingwithgraceandstyle.com
- Facebook, Instagram, and Threads @iamvaleriehatcher.
- Email at hello@agingwithgraceandstyle.com
Join Us Next Time:
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Transcript
Hey there. Ever feel like you have plenty of
Speaker:gas in the tank in the morning, but by 2
Speaker:PM, you're sputtering alone, ready to call
Speaker:for roadside assistance. Girl, I hear you.
Speaker:What we put in our bodies makes a massive
Speaker:difference in how we feel, especially as we get
Speaker:a little older. Today, we're going to discuss a topic
Speaker:that's so important yet often overlooked,
Speaker:nutrition for optimal energy and well-being.
Speaker:Hey, friend. Ever feel like those old
Speaker:fashioned ideas about aging just don't fit you? If you're
Speaker:ready to own this incredible chapter with grace, style, and a touch
Speaker:of sass, this is your space. Welcome to the aging
Speaker:with grace and style podcast. I'm Valerie Hatcher, and I'm
Speaker:here with empowering tips, inspiring stories, and a whole lot
Speaker:of fun just for us, women over 50. So
Speaker:grab your favorite beverage, turn up the volume, and
Speaker:let's get started.
Speaker:No matter how much sleep I got, I just couldn't seem
Speaker:to shake that feeling of fatigue. I would have a smoothie for breakfast,
Speaker:feel great for like an hour, then
Speaker:crash. It wasn't until I took a closer look
Speaker:at my diet and made some changes that I
Speaker:started feeling like my vibrant energetic self
Speaker:again. Turns out I wasn't getting enough
Speaker:protein to keep me going. Adding a scoop of protein
Speaker:powder was a total game changer. Just
Speaker:that small tweak made me feel so
Speaker:much better. Let me tell you, fueling your
Speaker:body with the right nutrients can make such
Speaker:a difference. As we get older,
Speaker:our nutritional needs change Our
Speaker:metabolism slows down. You know, I
Speaker:always joke that my metabolism has just stopped, but
Speaker:it does slow down as we get older. And our bodies may
Speaker:not absorb nutrients as efficiently
Speaker:as they once did. That's why
Speaker:it's so important to pay attention to what
Speaker:we're putting into our bodies. Proper nutrition
Speaker:isn't just about maintaining a healthy weight.
Speaker:It's about giving our bodies the energy
Speaker:and the nourishment that they need to thrive.
Speaker:Now that has really been a mindset shift for
Speaker:me. I've pretty much mostly thought of food
Speaker:as a way to lose weight, not as a way to fuel my
Speaker:body. Good
Speaker:nutrition can help us maintain our energy levels,
Speaker:prevent chronic health issues like heart disease and diabetes,
Speaker:and support our overall well-being.
Speaker:When we we fuel our bodies with the right
Speaker:nutrients, we're setting ourselves up for success,
Speaker:both physically and mentally.
Speaker:Now I'm not a nutritionist, but there are
Speaker:a few key things that I've learned that are important for
Speaker:us women over 50. I mentioned protein
Speaker:earlier, so let's go ahead and start there. It's not
Speaker:just for gym fanatics. Protein helps us
Speaker:maintain muscle mass, which is crucial
Speaker:for maintaining our strength and energy level as we
Speaker:age. Did you know that we naturally
Speaker:lose muscle mass as we age?
Speaker:Protein keeps us feeling satisfied way
Speaker:longer than a bagel and cream cheese.
Speaker:Good sources of protein include lean meats, fish,
Speaker:eggs, and dairy products.
Speaker:Now speaking of heart health, let's clear
Speaker:something up. Not all carbs are
Speaker:created equal. There's this idea out there
Speaker:that we need to cut them out entirely to be healthy.
Speaker:And that's just not true. Trust me.
Speaker:I have lived from this idea for
Speaker:a long time. At one point, I totally
Speaker:cut out carbs because carbs kept
Speaker:me from losing weight. When I did so,
Speaker:I actually dropped weight. And then we went to
Speaker:Italy. Well, in Italy, you eat carbs. So
Speaker:I ate carbs and then I kept eating
Speaker:carbs because I started, and I didn't know how to stop. You
Speaker:know, the good carbs like pasta and bread and
Speaker:those things. Well, then the weight gradually started coming
Speaker:back. I swear I am a carb and
Speaker:sugar addict. But I've learned that we
Speaker:should focus on complex carbs like whole
Speaker:grains, fruits, and veggies. Complex
Speaker:carbs give us sustained energy throughout the day,
Speaker:not a sugar rush and crash like the processed stuff.
Speaker:They're also, a great source of fiber,
Speaker:which is important for digestion and overall health.
Speaker:Another biggie is calcium.
Speaker:We all know about bones, but did you know that
Speaker:it plays a big role in heart health too?
Speaker:After menopause, our risk of all sorts
Speaker:of things increases, so getting enough calcium is
Speaker:key. On a a recent trip to the gynecologist,
Speaker:he reminded me that I needed to be taking a calcium
Speaker:supplement daily. So I ended up buying a
Speaker:gummy version because the cap calcium
Speaker:tablets that I had bought previously, they were
Speaker:way too big to take. Gummies are pretty good.
Speaker:We also can't forget about healthy
Speaker:fats. Healthy fats like those that are found
Speaker:in avocados, and nuts, and
Speaker:fatty fish are essential for brain function and
Speaker:overall health. They help our bodies absorb
Speaker:important vitamins and minerals.
Speaker:Now speaking of vitamins and minerals, there are a
Speaker:few key ones that are particularly important
Speaker:for energy and well-being. So
Speaker:vitamin b, for example,
Speaker:they play a crucial role in converting the food
Speaker:that we eat into energy. Iron is
Speaker:important for carrying oxygen throughout our bodies,
Speaker:and magnesium is involved in 100
Speaker:of chemical reactions that keep us feeling energized.
Speaker:Okay. Enough facts. So how do we make
Speaker:this work in real life? 1st,
Speaker:start noticing labels. Are you getting enough
Speaker:protein at breakfast? Calcium rich foods
Speaker:just, aren't just, dairy.
Speaker:Think leafy greens, almonds, even some
Speaker:fish. It's all about being aware.
Speaker:I've mentioned before that I've lost weight. Trust me. I tried
Speaker:for a long time or at least I thought I was
Speaker:trying. But once it finally kicked in, here's when I realized,
Speaker:small swaps make a big difference. Instead of
Speaker:white rice, try quinoa or brown rice.
Speaker:Snack on Greek yogurt with berries instead
Speaker:of a granola bar. Now I love me some Greek yogurt
Speaker:and I have it almost every day. I
Speaker:now add some trader Joe's cookie
Speaker:butter to my yogurt, along with granola, because it
Speaker:helps me with my sweet tooth. You
Speaker:don't have to overhaul your whole diet.
Speaker:Just find ways to upgrade what you
Speaker:already enjoy. One of my go to
Speaker:lunches is a super simple salad.
Speaker:It's spinach, chickpeas, which has protein,
Speaker:a lit of little feta cheese, toss
Speaker:it with some olive oil and vinegar, and it's packed with
Speaker:protein, calcium, and it's actually
Speaker:delicious. Another simple
Speaker:tip is to stay hydrated. Dehydration
Speaker:can zap our energy levels and leave us feeling sluggish.
Speaker:So be sure to drink plenty of water throughout
Speaker:the day. What I found, there are some afternoons
Speaker:when I am sluggish and it's not really because I've eaten.
Speaker:I haven't eaten right. It's because I'm dehydrated.
Speaker:So if I put a package of electrolytes in my water,
Speaker:it peps me right up. So it makes a difference. Try it.
Speaker:If you ever experienced that energy
Speaker:drop in the afternoon. And don't forget
Speaker:about mindful eating. Paying attention to our
Speaker:hunger and fullness cues can help us make better
Speaker:choices about what and how much we
Speaker:eat. Now, speaking of mindful eating, this is
Speaker:such an important practice, especially as we get
Speaker:older. Our bodies change and our
Speaker:hunger and fullness cues can become a little
Speaker:harder to tune into. That's why it's important
Speaker:to slow down and really pay attention to
Speaker:how different foods make us feel.
Speaker:One tip for mindful eating is to eliminate
Speaker:distractions during mealtimes. Okay. This is
Speaker:a do as I say, not as I do tip.
Speaker:Put down your phone, turn off the TV, and
Speaker:focus on the flavors and textures of your
Speaker:food. Notice how different foods make you
Speaker:feel energized or sluggish, satisfied,
Speaker:or still hungry. Now I'm usually always doing
Speaker:something else while I eat. So while it isn't ideal,
Speaker:it works for me. I do try to not be on
Speaker:my phone though. If that's any kind of
Speaker:consolation, it can also be helpful to
Speaker:check-in with yourself before, during and after a
Speaker:meal. How hungry are you before you start
Speaker:eating? How full do you feel halfway through?
Speaker:And then how do you feel after you finished your plate?
Speaker:Mindful eating, it does take practice,
Speaker:but it's such a valuable tool for
Speaker:tuning into our body's unique needs. Well,
Speaker:there you have it. The scoop on fueling your
Speaker:fabulous body through proper nutrition. Remember,
Speaker:it's all about giving your body the energy and
Speaker:the nourishment it really needs to thrive. Focus
Speaker:on nutrient dense foods, stay hydrated,
Speaker:and practice mindful eating. Your body
Speaker:and your energy levels will thank you. So here's a
Speaker:challenge for you. For the next 3 days, take a
Speaker:good look at your breakfast. Is it fueling you through
Speaker:the morning, or is it leaving you hangry
Speaker:by 10 AM? Remember, eating
Speaker:well isn't about depriving yourself. I've
Speaker:fallen into that trap many times. It's about
Speaker:feeling energized, strong, and ready to take
Speaker:on what ever the day throws at you. I'd
Speaker:love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Share your favorite
Speaker:energy boosting foods or mindful eating
Speaker:tips with me in the comments or on social media
Speaker:until next time. Remember you are
Speaker:strong, capable, and resilient.
Speaker:Thanks for hanging out with me today. I hope you're feeling
Speaker:inspired and ready to own your awesomeness. I love
Speaker:sharing this space with you. And if you love today's episode,
Speaker:do me a favor. Share it with a friend who could use some
Speaker:extra inspiration. A quick rating and review
Speaker:really helps too. Don't forget to subscribe so
Speaker:you never miss an episode. Let's keep this conversation
Speaker:going. Head over to pod dot aging
Speaker:with grace and style.com to sign up for my newsletter.
Speaker:Until next time, keep shining with grace,
Speaker:style, and a whole lot of sass.
