At my clinics, half of my practice is over the age 40. Peri or post- menopausal – we have helped thousands of women feel their best and lose weight as they age.
What is the magic behind this success? Well…the first step is to finally put an end to overly restrictive, low calorie approaches that often backfire. My motto has always been – if you cannot see yourself following a version of a program for 5 years or longer – don’t do it!
The second step is to adopt healthy habits that stick. By doing so – you will be able to balance hormones and restore your gut back to health permanently. So how do you get started? Simply try these tips below and start feeling your best and lose weight for life!
1. Embrace real food
Food is not like medicine – it IS medicine! A majority of your intake should be derived from plants (fruits and vegetables), lean proteins, nuts, seeds and a modest amount of healthy, whole grains. There is also a place in the diet for potatoes and beans as well. Remember -think real food! Try to eliminate processed foods, refined flours and sugars and food chemicals as much as you can. For an interesting experiment, do not eat anything from a box for 1 week in order to reduce your processed food intake (it becomes easier than you think!).
2. Tackle food sensitivities
The more allergies and sensitivities you have, the more your system will react resulting in inflammation and weight gain. Start by eliminating the most common food irritants – gluten, dairy, soy, eggs and corn -for a 4-6 week period. I have seen the most amazing transformations (brain fog lifting, chronic pain going away, weight loss, etc.) -simply from removing suspected foods.
3. Eat enough fibre!
Fibre keeps your colon healthy and reduces your body’s absorption of toxins. Aim for 35 grams of fibre daily with plenty of water. Fruits, vegetables, psyllium, chia and flax are all good examples. Easy ways to increase fibre are to eat the fruit vs. drinking juice, snack on nuts and seeds, eat brown rice vs. white rice, eat the skin of fruits and potatoes and snack on as many vegetables as you can!
4. Focus on gut health
Your gut health and your weight and belly fat storage are intimately related. So what can you do to improve gut health? Supplement with a probiotic and a gut repair supplement such as GI revive, chew your food, stop eating by 7pm, eat pre and pro biotic foods, consider enzymes for digestion and ensure you have a bowel movement daily. In addition – stay hydrated with 2 litres of water per day.
5. Get quality sleep
As we age, progesterone and estrogen begin to decline and cortisol and insulin tend to rise contributing to belly fat. Try to go to sleep electronic free by 10pm and sleep 7-8 hours per night in a cool, dark room to rejuvenate and re-charge.
In addition to these 5 simple tips, additional metabolic boosting tips include;
- Stay hydrated with a minimum of 2 liters of water per day. To cleanse your liver and stimulate digestion – start your day of with lemon water.
- If your nervous system is overly stressed -consider giving up coffee for a period of time. Switch to herbal teas or decaf green tea.
- Get outside and breath. Being in natural will help to lower cortisol response and inflammation.
To book in for a free health and wellness consult with Dr. Joey – click here!
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