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Excellent Diet Plans for Women Over 40

Rashida Khilawala
Diet plans for women over 40 basically revolve around fitness and health. Strength increasing foods are the best for these women, as that is exactly what their body requires.
Once a woman touch 40s, she starts gaining weight. Hormonal changes (menopause) plays havoc with her system. A woman in menopause does not produce eggs anymore and her metabolism rate reduces. Hence, most women gain weight after menopause. But, with the right diet and a healthy lifestyle, you can avoid this weight gain and loss of health.

Diet Tips for Women Post 40

Drinking More Water is the Right Choice

Water retention is a problem that most women face in their 40s. If you think that drinking lesser water is the answer to the retention, you are wrong.
The reason why your body bothers to retain so much water is that it needs water and is not sure if it will get a regular supply.
Water retention becomes more serious after the age of 40, due to the hormonal imbalance and fluctuations that come with menopause. Water retention has its own set of side effects. It can cause severe joint pain, kidney problems, etc. Acute water retention can also reach a high level, causing heart problems.
Avoid or get rid of the retention issues, drink more water. Yes, it is paradoxical but true. But drinking more water will make your body realize that there is no scarcity of water. This will force it to flush out the water from the body, as well as the toxins. Your body will stop retaining a lot of water.
Having a lot of oranges and other vitamin C-rich foods will help your body get rid of the retention faster. Excessive salt in the diet has a tendency to leave a person feeling bloated. This is because salt is a cause of water retention as well.
Reduce the intake of salt in your diet to the bare minimum, to keep water retention at bay. There are several detox diet plans that revolve around this principle.

Smaller, Healthier Meals are Recommended

Eat smaller but more meals during the day. This is the most effective diet plan for women post 40 years. When the metabolism is low, you need to give it more work.
The body metabolism tends to reduce when the body feels the need to store more energy. This is because of the natural human tendency of keeping reserves for the worst-case scenario.
A very important part of diet plan for women is that you give your metabolism a good workout; make sure that you eat at a three-hour time interval. Stick to a healthy diet plan with a lot of vitamins and fiber content. Eat 5 to 6 small meals in the day.
In case you feel hungry midway, have a small healthy snack. Avoid eating fatty or cholesterol-rich foods and stick to fruits for snacks. This will increase your metabolism, keep you healthy and strong, and prevent you from overeating.
If you have kids at home, you might face some problem. Rather than orienting the food preparation according to your children's whines and whims, why not train them to eat like an adult? Bring in boiled and steamed foods instead of fried stuff.
Instead of plenty of oil/butter, add enough seasonings and spices as per your taste and sprinkle oil, so that you cut down on the fat content. Get into a routine of drizzling, lightly spraying, or dabbing butter or oil.

Cut Back on Caffeine

It is impossible for many women to resist coffee. And many women vouch for the fact that a cup of coffee early in the morning keeps them up and going, thus helping them get through the chaotic situations (involving their spouse and children).
Coffee is a toxin booster for the body. While you could handle it perfectly at 30, give it a rest, now that you are hitting 40. Basically, the positive effects of the coffee (which are all in your head) will camouflage the negatives.
While coffee is high in calories, it also has a tendency to reduce the glow in the skin, has adverse effects on the hair, causing hair loss, makes one sweat more, leading to body odor, and skin rashes, etc.
One never feels full after a coffee, leaving its impact on the body ignored. If you really need a refresher, go for an apple. While an apple is a great metabolism booster and contains essential nutrients, it is also a very effective refresher. Remember, 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away'.

Happiness Improves Health

Laughter and happiness are important. Many women around the age of 40, get depressed because of the aging process (which is inevitable) and get into the depression rut. They only focus on the family and their work.
They stop caring about things that make them happy. They stop focusing on things that make them smile. This leads them to pay no heed to their own health. Don't let this happen to you.
Laughter helps a lot. Join a laughter club, or call your old friends and have a laugh over the fun things you did during your college days. You could watch comic comedy movies, just to make you feel rejuvenated. Do something that will take the load off; something that'll give you pleasure.
You stick to your diet and afford to take a weekly off. On a Sunday, dig into the ice cream. If movies make you happy, make it a point to watch movies often. Let your husband know, that 40 is just a number, and like wine, you get better with age. If you can't do this alone, talk to your family and ask them to help you out. You can also try the zone diet.

Exercising Keeps You Slim

You might have to make a few lifestyle choices when you hit 40. Fitness should be a priority when you're approaching menopause. Just like pregnancy, the body goes through hormonal changes around menopause. Hence, it is best to make the body fitter.
Exercising helps the mind and body by increases your stamina and helps you maintain good health so that the remaining work around you runs smoothly.
Make a practice that once you roll out of bed, go in for push-ups, sit-ups, squats, lunges, etc., to burn calories. Half an hour to 40 minutes of such floor exercises will help you keep your frame in check. Take a brisk walk for 30 minutes every day, or swim or cycle for around an hour. These will help you stay in a good mood despite the mood swings.
After the age of 40, your diet and lifestyle go hand in hand. Adopt real easy weight loss diet programs, and exercise for decent hours. Avoid anxiety, get a good night's sleep and stay happy. These diet plans are also effective for women over 50. All you have to do is keep tabs on what you eat, exercise a bit, and the rest will fall into place.