A healthy diet at midlife is one of the best gifts we can give ourselves. As little as we might want to admit it, we start to slow down at midlife. This isn’t simply in terms of speed of movement, but our metabolism, stamina and endurance. Add to this natural slowing down process daily stress that brings excess cortisol production, rushed and poor eating habits, and an extra 10-20 lbs weight gain at midlife is not an unusual result.
This page is about eating more wisely to get the nutrients and calories you need from a range of less processed foods. You know that a sensible diet has both variety and balance, but over the years the idea of what makes for a healthy diet has changed. The current food pyramid is a good starting point for establishing what you should be eating.
Food Pyramid Recommendations
These are the recommendations for women aged 30 and older, based on 2000 calories a day and assuming 30 minutes of daily exercise:
- complex carbohydrates: 5-6 oz per day, of which 3oz are whole grains – avoid highly refined and processed carbs
- vegetables: 2-2.5 cups per day, fresh or frozen, almost any kind but without butter or processed with added salt
- fruits: 1.5 cups – avoid juices and sweetened canned fruit
- milk/dairy foods: 3 cups – preferably no or low fat
- protein: 5 oz, meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds or beans
- oils: 5 teaspoons, found in oils, mayo, salad dressings, nuts, seeds, olives, avocados
- discretionary calories, between 150-300 per day from any group to add sweetness or whole fat items
For many it is not only what they eat that matters, but the impact their food has on the planet. There are now many farmers markets selling locally produced food, and grocery stores are becoming increasingly aware of offering organically and locally grown produce. This site offers additional nutrition information with a view towards how what we eat affects the environment.
If you are trying to lose weight it is still important to eat a balanced diet, but to increase exercise and reduce overall calories eaten. A great (free) online resource is SparkPeople. This site offers diet plans, exercise plans and forums for talking to others who are also losing weight. It also offers recipe calculators to find out how many calories your home cooked meals contain. You also find additional information about a healthy diet at this site.
