Why Nutritionists Say Midlife Diets Need More Healthy Fat
For years the advice was to cut fat wherever possible, but nutritionists working with women in their forties and fifties are singing a very different tune these days. Turns out skimping on fat right when your hormones start shifting might be working against you.
There is a very specific reason experts keep circling back to this one nutrient. Keep reading, because the explanation actually makes a lot of sense once you hear it.
The Advice That Finally Flipped
Wellness expert Liz Earle told HELLO! that “good fats are especially important during the menopause” since the body actually makes its hormones from cholesterol. She has been championing full fat, whole foods for decades, long before it became trendy again.
Why Your Hormones Suddenly Need The Backup
Nutritional neuroscientist Dr Simon Dyall has explained that the body cannot make certain essential fats on its own, which means they have to come directly from food, according to Liz Earle Wellbeing. Oily fish, nuts and seeds are some of the easiest ways to get enough of them.
It Is Not Just About Hormones Either
Cardiovascular researcher Dr Bill Harris has pointed out that these same fats can help lower triglycerides and support a healthy heart rhythm, which matters more once natural hormone protection starts to fade. Declining estrogen alone is enough reason to pay closer attention to what kind of fat ends up on your plate.
Dietitians Say It Is About Balance Not Restriction
Registered dietitian Sandra Ward has noted that women often need to shift their calorie distribution during midlife toward more protein and fiber rather than cutting entire food groups. Healthy fat fits right into that same philosophy of addition instead of restriction.
Even Weight Gain May Be Connected
Hormonal shifts during this stage can also change where the body stores fat, often shifting it toward the midsection, according to Midi Health. Getting enough of the right dietary fats will not undo that shift entirely, but it does seem to support the bigger picture of hormone balance.
None of this means loading up on butter and calling it a day. It just means the decades old fear of fat may have been a little misguided, especially once your body enters this new hormonal chapter. Sometimes the healthiest thing you can do is put a little more avocado on that toast.
RELATED ARTICLE: The Midlife Metabolism-Boosting Grocery List
