Over 40? Here Are 7 Ways To Rock Growing Older…

OK, so time’s marching on.

While none of us is going to escape growing older (if we live long enough) we can choose how we do it.

Especially if we have to navigate the often sometimes turbulent waters of peri / menopause.

Although it’s getting talked about more and more menopause isn’t as taboo as it once was. Indeed, even high-profile women like Naomi Watts, Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Gwyneth Paltrow and more have entered the conversation.

And there’s a heck of a lot to talk about with ‘the meno years’ affecting everything from mood to skin, hair, weight, muscle tone and weight. (That’s why we have our programs!)

So we’re not just going through ‘the change’, we are in the midst of popular culture change!

There’s A Beauty To Growing Older

Joanna Lumley via Openverse

There’s a beauty to growing older. A new kind of wisdom emanates from us. Moreover, sometimes there’s also contentment radiating if we’ve reached a good place. And plenty of women say they enter a phase where nothing worries them anymore. They no longer care what anyone thinks of them.

Bette Davis once said, “Old age is no place for sissies.” On the other hand, the beautiful Joanna Lumley said, “I’ve looked forward to being older because you will have that many more miles covered. We mustn’t be led into thinking getting old is bad. Growing old is good.”

Don’t you love her? That’s where awareness, mindset, movement and nutrition all come into play. They make the difference between growing older and growing more radiantly mature. 💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽

And that’s why they’re pillars in our Midlife Mojo transformation project!

7 Ways To Rock Growing Older

Photo by Ave Calver @unsplash

1. 1. Start with your food and fill your plate with colour and unprocessed food as untampered with by science as possible. Include green leafy vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, nuts, seeds, good oils and omega 3’s such as you find in walnuts and flaxseed. Indeed we follow a plant-heavy, Meditteranean ethos at Youology because science consistently shows it to be a superstar. The Meditteranean diet is the foundation for the longest-living, most vital people on earth. Or those who live in the Blue Zones*.
   2. Avoid sugary and carbohydrate-heavy foods such as chips, white flour-based bread and baking as well as deep-fried foods. These will all magnify systemic inflammation which is widely believed to be behind chronic disease and ageing. Tip:refined carbs break down into sugar in the body.
   3. Move regularly. OK, you’ve heard it all before but our bodies thrive on moving/exercise. The old saying is true “move it or lose it”. And if you can do so, throw strength training either with weights or your own body weight in there. We lose both muscle mass and bone density as we age and this helps to counteract this.
   4. Another reason to do cardiovascular exercise like walking, swimming and dancing is that it keeps you fit. And fitness is key for your brain. According to a study published in the Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience journal cardiovascular fitness encourages better cognition and brain activation as we grow older. Furthermore, this study found women with high cardiovascular fitness/stamina have an 88 per cent lower chance of developing dementia.
   5. Take a chill pill. The stress hormone cortisol becomes waaaaaay more dominant during peri / menopause so self-care and relaxing should be priorities now. According to Ayurveda, we’re in the wise woman cycle of life now and we should no longer do, do, do. What’s more, the adrenal glands release cortisol when we’re under any type of stress from having an argument with our partner to losing a loved one. So we need to keep cortisol low level and happy.
   6. Make like a sleeping beauty. Even though there are fairytales based on this, the importance of sleep wasn’t well-known until fairly recently. But the fact is if you want to live long and well you need quality sleep. And you need to go to bed early in honour of the circadian rhythm. In addition, if you can swing it sleep for eight or nine hours. You’ll feel better and look better AND it will help to prevent weight gain, heart disease, diabetes and ageing.
   7. Become a social butterfly. Before you recoil in horror…because one of the symptoms of peri/menopause is an aversion to socialising…this doesn’t mean you have to gad about the town. But spending time with family and friends is essential for your health and happiness. The Stanford Centre of Longevity research found that those of us who engage with people socially are betting off physically, mentally and brain-wise. True story.

All in all, the key to rocking growing older is basic good living. There aren’t really any secrets. As a matter of fact, it’s all about eating well, moving your body, getting your beauty sleep, learning to chill and hanging out with people you love.

Nice right? So next time you’re doing life, remind yourself you’re rocking it!

*The Blue Zones

The Blue Zones are regions of the world where people live vital, healthy lives. Blue Zones populations live well for much longer and with less of the chronic diseases synonymous with modern life. These include cancer, heart disease and dementia.

Blue Zones include Loma Linda in California, Ikaria in Greece, Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa in Japan and Nicoya in Costa Rica.

Their common lifestyle factors include:

• Regular physical activity
• Plant-based diet
• Moderate alcohol (wine)
• Spirituality
• Less stress
• Family
• Social engagement
• Life purpose