Make Bone Broth & Collagen Part Of Your Routine
Homemade Bone broth is one of the most powerful superfoods on the planet, especially if youre over 40. You make bone broth by simmering the bones of a pasture-raised animal for 10 24 hours in a slow-cooker, or 24-48 hours for beef. This low, slow cooking draws out the collagen, marrow, and other healing elements from the bones, including amino acids, minerals, glycine, and gelatinwhich helps heal the gut and reduce inflammation.
The collagen from the bone broth is especially important, as it keeps skin elastic and youthful and is an integral component of ligaments, cartilage, tendons and bones. Adding collagen to your diet will help you heal after a big workout and keep your joints lubricated and your body feeling energized.
To make bone broth: Place about two pounds of bones from a pasture-raised animal in the bottom of a slow-cooker with a splash of vinegar, and simmer on low for 10 24 hours.
For an easy soup, add a quartered onion, 3 celery stalks, salt and pepper.
Drink 1 2 cups of bone broth a day. This will bring you back to life.
If you dont drink bone broth, you can find a good collagen supplement by talking to a knowledgeable sales clerk at your local health food store. You can also order collagen online from Designs for Health or Bulletproof. Choose a whole food supplement from organic, grass-fed animals.
Add Veggies To Every Meal
“No matter what you’re eating, mix it, or serve it with vegetables. Having Chinese or Italian takeout? Making a stir-fry, burrito, or fajita at home? Split the dish in half, saving the other half for another meal, and mix in at least 1.5 cups of steamed vegetables right into your meal. Not only will you eat less of the heavier fare and slash the calories nearly in half, but you’ll also have a second serving for another day.” The Nutrition Twins, Tammy Lakatos Shames, RDN, CDN, CFT & Lyssie Lakatos, RDN, CDN, CFT
What Causes Belly Fat After Menopause
Many women who have entered menopause are well aware of the shapeshifting that happens with the fat in their bodies. In the past when they gained weight it would be in their hips and thighs but now it seems to go straight for the midsection. Belly fat isnt only unsightly but its also worst for your health than thigh fat . Women with an apple-shaped body with visceral fat can have higher blood pressure and more at risk for heart disease .
The reason this shapeshifting happens is from your hormones changing the way your body distributes fat. It shifts the fat that once was in your hips and thighs directly to your belly . Your body then stubbornly wants to hold on to this belly fat to rebalance your estrogen production .
When entering perimenopause in your 40s your body starts to gradually decrease estrogen production . For many, weight gain is the greatest and muscle loss the worst in their peri-menopausal years . By the time you fully hit menopause your body produces the least amount of estrogen ever . Your body then develops a hormonal belly as it begins to shift your fat cells from your hips and thighs to your stomach.
Womens metabolism also decreases with menopause causing them to not burn as many calories as before . With a slower metabolism comes fat gain. And with menopause, youre more likely to become fatigued. With chronic fatigue, youll be less likely to engage in physical activity and live an active lifestyle . This also leads to fat gain.
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Find A Sugar Alternative
People over 40 must be really careful about sugar because of the way the body processes it. When your body takes in sugar, it releases insulin or the fat-storing hormone, as I like to call it. Sugar in your fat cells equals inches on your waistline, so the less of it you eat, the better! Remove sugary insulin triggers candy, sodas, juice, cookies from your diet right away. Instead, use all-natural sweetener alternatives. Try my All Natural SomerSweet I happen to love the taste and clean ingredients in my all-natural chicory-fiber blend. SomerSweet is great for coffee or tea and also for baking it measures cup for cup just like sugar. I also love agave, another wonderful all-natural sweetener. Once you overcome those initial cravings, you will stop thinking about sugar, which will put a lid on those bad sugar habits. Then the burning of those fat stores will kick into gear and you will have weight-loss results to keep you motivated and on track!
Lifestyle Changes For Weight Loss
Beyond diet and exercise, there are other lifestyle changes you can make to aid your weight loss.
Healthy habits tend to have a domino effect. If you can add one or two healthy changes to your routine, it will become easier to add more as time goes on.
Here are some to consider:
- Drink plenty of water.
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Focus On Weight Loss In General
Weight lossalone can effectively reduce visceral fat, says Dr. Butsch. By losing 10% ofyour body weight, you may lose up to 30% of your body fat.
Talk to your doctor about a weight-loss method that is right for you. While there are lots of options to choose from, Dr. Butsch recommends you avoid fasting for long periods. Prolonged fasts cause the body to hold onto the visceral fat, making it tougher to lose. If fasting is your jam, an intermittent or time-restricted fasting approach may be more effective for losing belly fat.
Dont Drink Soda At Least Not Daily
Sodas are either LOADED with sugar. A 16oz can of Coke contains 190 calories and a whopping 52 grams of sugar . When you consider that many people drink more than 1 a day , its not hard to see that we have a sugar problem in our country.
Treat yourself every now and then if you must, but avoid drinking soda daily if you want to have any hope of a flat belly after 40.
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Tighten Skin After Weight Loss Naturally
One of the problems with extreme rapid significant weight loss is you could very well end up becoming skinny fat.Skinny fat is kinda like deflating the balloon. You might lose a lot of weight but you also lose a lot of muscle too.
So even though youre losing weight your body fat percentage wont change or might even get worse. This what happens when you end up starving yourself to lose weight. You waste away a lot of your muscle mass in the process.
The good news is if you dont have a ton of extra loose skin then you might not even need surgery. But if you lost more than 100 pounds really fast then theres a chance you might still need it.
The integrity of your skin will also affect how easy it is to tighten the loose saggy skin on your body. Depending on how your skin responds to your weight loss is critical.
Try losing weight slower and healthier since crash dieting can make your loose skin even worse. When you lose weight too fast it doesnt give your skin enough time to retract into a tight new formation.
This can end up giving you the loose, saggy skin that can drive you crazy. Your skin can only stretch so far before it stretches beyond what is repairable. But the good news is if the damage isnt too bad then you can definitely fill out your loose excess skin.
Stop Adding Sweeteners To Your Food And Drinks
While many people turn to artificial sweeteners in a misguided attempt to whittle their waistlines, those fake sugars are likely to have the opposite effect. According to Yale researchers, artificial sweeteners are actually linked with an increased risk of abdominal obesity and weight gain, possibly because they can trigger cravings for the real stuff and spike insulin levels in a similar fashion to real sugar.
RELATED: No-sugar-added recipes youll actually look forward to eating.
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The Best Exercise For Belly Fat
We’ve been conditioned to think that super hard exercise are going to be the things to help us get results, especially when we’re trying to lose lower belly fat. In fact surprise, surprise it’s much more holistic than that and is about keeping your nutrition, exercise and general movement in check concurrently.
Outside of gym workouts , the movement you’re doing walking to the shops, making a cup of tea or taking your pooch out to stretch their legs can actually contribute more to hitting your healthy fat loss goals. This type of movement is known as NEAT and is a cornerstone of healthy body composition.
‘NEAT simply refers to the energy used carrying out any daily activity that isn’t formal exercise or sleeping,’ says Elliott Upton, personal trainer at Ultimate Performance and Head of LiveUP Online Coaching.
NEAT plays a major role in how much energy you expend per day and increasing your metabolic rate. It also helps control your blood sugar, aid muscle recovery, lower stress levels and improve cardiovascular health.
You can increase your NEAT by walking instead of taking public transport, opting for the stairs over the elevator or doing household chores. Whichever you choose, they’ll all contribute to the process in which you lose belly fat.
Learn everything you need to know about NEAT exercise with this full explainer.
My Solution For Managing Stress & Sleeping Better
Interestingly enough, adding magnesium to my morning routine actually has helped my overall anxiety a considerable amount.
I personally use Natural Calm Magnesium powder and just add a tablespoon to a large glass of water each morning after I get up. Its organic, GMO-free, vegan and gluten-free. They claim, and in my 6 months of using it, I agree that it:
- Supports a healthy immune system and keeps bones strong
- Supports regular blood sugar levels, blood pressure and producing energy
- Helps fight stress and anxiety
Thats all I have to say about that, but if you give it a try, Id love to hear how it works for you!
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At What Age Do Womens Looks Decline
For Caucasian women, its typically around the late 30s. This is when fine lines on the forehead and around the eyes, less-elastic skin, and brown spots and broken capillaries from accumulated sun damage crop up, says Yagoda. If youre a woman of color, the tipping point is more likely in your 40s.
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Do Bananas Cause Belly Fat
No, bananas when taken in moderation do not cause or increase belly fat. Bananas are versatile fruits that can be eaten in limited portions to lose or maintain weight. Have it as a snack instead of a sugary option like cookies or pastries. The natural sugars in bananas make it an outstanding snack before a workout.
Your Hormones Are Out Of Whack
Did you know hormones play a role in fat distribution? “A reduction in estrogen for women and testosterone for men, particularly as we age, can trigger the redistribution of fat to the stomach,” Clarissa explains.
Additionally, certain hormonal imbalances such as PCOS can increase the risk of insulin resistance which can lead to an increased production of fat cells. Eating a diet that is high in refined carbohydrates, sugars and alcohol can increase our insulin levels which promotes fat storage, increase the risk of fatty liver, all resulting in a higher incidence of weight gain around the stomach. If you are concerned about hormonal imbalances, book an appointment to speak to your GP.
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Why Do Women Gain Belly Fat In Midlife
And is there any way to target it through diet or exercise?
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Q: Im a woman in my late 40s and for the first time Ive developed belly fat. Is there any way to target it through diet or exercise?
If youre a middle-aged woman and youre noticing that your midsection is expanding, the first thing to know is that youre not alone.
This is a physiological change that, unfortunately, really happens to virtually all women as we age, said Victoria Vieira-Potter, an associate professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at the University of Missouri. Its not something you did, she added, or an indication that youre letting yourself go, so to speak.
In the years leading up to menopause, Dr. Vieira-Potter said, levels of hormones like estrogen shift. And research suggests that these shifts likely lead to changes in body shape, she said along with hot flashes, mood changes, irregular periods, trouble sleeping and more. This perimenopausal transition, which typically begins between 45 and 55 and lasts for about 7 years, officially ends one year after the last period. At that point, women are said to be in menopause.
Before the menopausal transition, women tend to store more of their body fat in the thighs and hips, resulting in a pear-shaped body, Dr. Vieira-Potter explained, while men tend to store more fat in the abdominal area, making them more apple-shaped.
Alice Callahan is a health and science journalist.
The Best Exercise To Lose Belly Fat
Before you ask about the best exercises for a flat stomach, let’s get clear on why crunches and sit-ups alone not going to be the thing to help you lose belly fat. ‘While crunches will help strengthen your abdominals and core muscles, theyre not enough in isolation to burn calories,’ Luke Hughes, Origym PT says.
Instead, Hughes recommends a rounded bodyweight or free weights workout routine done at a higher intensity as the best exercise to lose belly fat. These sessions will help to burn calories and increase muscle mass, which will, in turn, tap into your body fat stores even within a limited time period.
Do note though, too much HIIT can elevate cortisol in your body, which could hinder how effectively you lose stomach fat . Aim for three to four sessions per week and make sure you’re allowing your body plenty of time and space to recover.
‘Burning calories through cardio exercise like this helps to burn belly fat, particularly when we operate at a calorie deficit,’ says Hughes. ‘Try adding star jumps and mountain climbers into your workouts.’
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Amazing Flat Belly After 40 Tips You Probably Dont Know
As we get older, we begin to shed muscle mass. This causes our metabolism to slow down, according to a recent study by the National Institutes of Health.
As a result of losing muscle mass and a slowing metabolism, it can become much harder to lose stubborn belly fat.
Luckily, according to that study, Exercise training and proper nutrition can have dramatic effects on muscle mass and strength . An optimal intervention program may include an exercise-training schedule that incorporates both resistance and aerobic exercise with adequate intake of total calories and protein.
Eat Heavy In The Morning
Eat heavy meals in the morning so you can burn calories in the day only. If you eat heavy food in evening, your belly will store that and makes it difficult to burn it off which as a result will accumulate in the form of fats. Go for heavy carb meals in the day and protein based meals in the night to stay lighter.
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Avoid Foods That Contain Trans Fats
Trans fats are created by pumping hydrogen into unsaturated fats, such as soybean oil.
Theyre found in some and spreads and also often added to packaged foods, but many food producers have stopped using them.
These fats have been linked to inflammation, heart disease, insulin resistance, and abdominal fat gain in observational and animal studies .
A 6-year study found that monkeys who ate a high trans fat diet gained 33% more abdominal fat than those eating a diet high in monounsaturated fat .
To help reduce belly fat and protect your health, read ingredient labels carefully and stay away from products that contain trans fats. These are often listed as partially hydrogenated fats.
SUMMARY
Some studies have linked a high intake of trans fat to increased belly fat gain. Regardless of whether youre trying to lose weight, limiting your intake of trans fat is a good idea.
Alcohol can have health benefits in small amounts, but its seriously harmful if you drink too much.
Research suggests that too much alcohol can also make you gain belly fat.
Observational studies link heavy alcohol consumption to a significantly increased risk of developing central obesity that is, excess fat storage around the waist .
Cutting back on alcohol may help reduce your waist size. You dont need to give it up altogether, but limiting the amount you drink in a single day can help.
One study on alcohol use involved more than 2,000 people.
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