Change in Women’s Bodies after 40 and What to Do About Them

 Metabolism is taking a natural downturn.

After age 40, your metabolism begins to slow down. Even if the routine of our daily activities remains the same, you do not burn many calories. Our body produces less energy when we age, and unburns calories cruelty turn into fat.

Yes, you can blame your hormones for this, too. Not only do you’re resting metabolic rate slow with age, but lower estrogen levels also contribute to a sluggish metabolism. You also start to accumulate more fat, especially around your waistline, says registered dietitian Melissa Burton from Harvard University. Researchers have found that hormonal changes caused by perimenopause and menopause contribute to changes in body composition, fat accumulation, and fat distribution.

The fix: The best way to keep your metabolism humming? Stay active.

Vera Trifunovich, a personal trainer and wellness coach at Uplift Studios, recommends a combination of strength training and cardiovascular exercise — something with a little impact, like cardio dance or a boxing class. Plus, eat your fiber. While the average American eats 10 grams of fiber a day, you need between 25 and 35 grams,  Vera says. Just make sure you drink plenty of water!

Body

The thing I hear most commonly is fatigue, “I don’t have the energy to do things.” “And other things would be the inability to lose weight; it’s not coming off the way it used.” One of the most common weight gain sites is around the abdomen area. As I mentioned earlier in the aging process, we lose muscle mass, which makes the body decrease the capacity to burn calories, making it harder to keep weight off.  

The fix:  You’re lifestyle choices affect how quickly the aging process takes place. Some things you can do to reduce age-related body changes are:

• Get regular exercise.
• Eat a healthy diet that includes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and the right amounts of healthy fats.
• Limit your alcohol use.
• Avoid tobacco products and illicit drugs.

Hormonal Change & Menopause

The onset of menopause is different for every woman. It sometimes happens in the early as the 30s and as late as the 60s. As you approach menopause, levels of estrogen and progesterone fluctuate, says Alyssa Dweck, MD, gynecologist and assistant clinical professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

This fluctuation in hormones causes a cascade of changes, from decreased bone density and lean muscle mass to lower sex drive and mood changes.

The fix:  Don’t feel resigned to grinning and bearing the hormonal fluctuations! Talk to friends or family members or find an online group. “You’ll probably hear that all are going through something similar.

When women hear positive stories and that this phase will end, it’s helpful,” says Amanda Thebe, a certified personal trainer and health coach who runs the Facebook group Menopausing So Hard.

Memory loss

There is a good reason why we are standing in front of the fridge, right? Women lose some brain function process from premenopause to postmenopause. The reason behind this is that women have estrogen receptors in two brain areas that control memory.  In the aging process, there is decreasing estrogen that causes a negative structural change in the brain area, adding the memory loss.

The fix: Adding exercise, a healthy diet, and effective stress management.  Crossword puzzles, reading challenging books, and similar brain exercises, Yoga, Mediation will optimally maintain your brain function.

Your body starts becoming insulin resistant.

As you get older, and especially as you gain weight, the body starts to ignore insulin — the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels.

As a result, your blood sugar is higher because your cells aren’t absorbing it, says Burton. The result: It feels like you’re hungry, and you may experience more cravings.

Not only can this lead to unwanted pounds, but it also puts you at greater risk for type 2 diabetes.

The fix: To avoid a glucose overload, Burton recommends including a mix of carbohydrates, protein, and fat at every meal.

Don’t just load up on carbs. “Protein and healthy fat help the body feel more satisfied for a longer period of time, and you don’t crave those super starchy carbs dat can give you a sugar crash,” she says.

Pay attention to where you’re carbs come from, too. “If you drink juice, it increases blood sugar circulating in the body quickly,” Burton says. “If you eat whole grains, it TEMPhas more fiber and breaks down slowly,” she says. It gradually releases sugar into the bloodstream.

Dweck suggests really sticking to a Mediterranean-style diet in you’re 40s. “It’s been shown to be protective against cancer and heart disease, and it doesn’t cause huge swings in blood glucose levels,” she