Maintain your body weight
Anyone who has already passed their 40th birthday will probably be able to confirm it: from now on you will gain weight faster. From now on you would want to pay more attention to your figure and keep your weight.
In order to do that you need to pay attention to ingested calorie amounts and exercise more.
But why is it that the weight is gained faster at a certain age? Biochemists say that the body changes with age and people should know how to correctly react to those changes.
The metabolism slows down at around 40. The body switches from the ‘build-up’ mode to the ‘receive’ mode. The production of sex hormones drops.
Estrogen levels decrease in women, testosterone levels decrease in men because the body no longer has to produce sex hormones, thus is uses around ten to 15 percent less energy.
Unfortunately, the feeling of hunger does not decrease to the same extent as the energy consumption. But if you continue to eat, as usual, you will inevitably gain weight.
Accordingly, you either have to change your diet to foods with a lower energy density, i.e. with fewer calories, or generally eat less to maintain your weight.
What actually happens and why the diet is important?
By changing the hormone balance, muscle breakdown also begins. If you do not actively counteract through sport, the muscle mass decreases by about one percent per year.
The term menopause for this time of changing the body is therefore no coincidence. In women, menstruation is absent and the body stores fat faster, especially on the abdomen.
Testosterone levels drop in men. This is noticeable in the fact that they lose hair, lose muscle mass and gain fat faster.
Not only does the production of sex hormones decrease with age. The concentration of the growth hormone somatropin also decreases.
This hormone is significantly involved in fat loss. If it is missing, the body stores fat faster. This is noticeable in the form of unsightly love handles. Therefore, make sure you exercise regularly.
What to do?
If you want to lose excess weight, endurance sports such as cycling, swimming or jogging are the way to go. If you just want to stay fit and keep your weight, you should try to incorporate more exercise into your daily routine.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator more often, get up in the office more often or get out one station earlier if you are using public transport such as buses or trains. New hobbies can also help you get moving or stay fit.
Fruits and vegetables – first choice
Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains that are high in fiber and so the satiation is offered for an extended period of time. Also fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins and provide the body with the necessary daily dosage.
It is said that an apple has more power to wake you up in the morning than any cup of coffee. Ideally, fruits must be consumed before a meal.
If they are consumed as a meal, they will only induce hunger, especially citrus fruits. If consumed in the evening, they will ferment overnight and can give colic pains or even diarrhea.
Proteins intake
With high-quality protein, such as that found in meat and fish, and with vitamin C, you can push the hormone balance. Both protein and vitamin C are required for hormone production. Citrus fruits, berries and vegetables such as peppers are particularly rich in vitamin C.
Meat should not be combined with potatoes, beans or white flower products. Some are proteins and the others are carbohydrates.
It is a false myth that meat makes you gain weight. This happened because people usually eat steak with fried potatoes, or fish with chips or beans with sausages.
How to eat after 40
Eat regularly, if possible at similar times every day. Have breakfast before 9 a.m., the last meal of the day should be taken between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Then the body has enough time to consume the calories.
Water – the secret of life
Drink a lot of water! That is at least two liters a day. Water, unsweetened teas or juice are best suited.
You should avoid alcohol as often as possible. If the after-work beer is sacred to you, drink the non-alcoholic version. It has only half as many calories as the original, is diuretic and supplies the body with the important B vitamins.
What not to eat or drink
Sugar, alcohol, fatty food and smoking, on the other hand, disrupt the hormonal balance.
Reduce the consumption of fat, sugar and finished products. Above all, go for products that don’t contain sugar-fat combinations such as nut-nougat cream, chips, but also white flour products such as baguettes or cakes.
Sugar releases insulin and this in turn promotes fat storage in the cells. Therefore, sugar-fat combinations are an extremely unfavorable combination and the guarantee for hip fat deposits.
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