Women over 40 face unique challenges to staying healthy as we navigate hormonal changes. One of the most common complaints is difficulty maintaining a healthy weight even if diet or exercise has not changed. With so much information out there about different diets and meal plans, it can be hard to know what to do. I have been researching women’s health for years, most recently the effect of hormones, and find that most experts agree the number one thing affecting women’s health and their ability to maintain a healthy weight is stress.
That may or may not come as a surprise to you. And even if you recognize that you have stress in your life, you may not realize how many different ways your body is dealing with stress. I think it helps to break the term into two types: mental/emotional stress, and physical stress. Mental/emotional stress might look like feeling overwhelmed, feeling busy, or having too many people needing things from you. Physical stress can be caused by lack of sleep, over-exercising, and even consuming certain foods. Both types of stress can lead to health issues. Often, the easiest one to notice is weight. For some women that may show up as weight gain and difficulty losing weight, for others it may be the inability to maintain enough weight to stay in the healthy zone.
One of the best ways to identify the mental and emotional stresses is through journaling. Journaling allows you to explore your thoughts and feelings, and to identify what is causing you stress. I recommends starting small with a journal and writing one page each day. If stream of consciousness writing is new or feels uncomfortable start with things you are thankful for or things you see around you. Doing this for just a few minutes a day can have a big impact on your mental and physical health.
Consistency is key for journaling. If possible, find a time that you can set aside each day. For me, that is first thing in the morning before I look at my phone or computer. Just start writing whatever pops into your head. If you struggle at first, keep at it! It truly does get easier and you will find thoughts pop up that you have no idea where they came from. You can follow those thoughts by asking yourself questions such as “how does that make me feel” or “why does that thought make my stomach clench”. Then follow the answers to see where it leads. What might be the best part is that you never need to go back and read the previous pages. And you certainly don’t want to share them with anyone. These are just for you!
Physical stress is a little more easy to identify and includes things like lack of sleep, dieting or depriving your body of enough or the right foods, over exercising, being in an accident or other physical harm, even being dehydrated. Then there are things like working around chemicals or breathing smoke. Paying attention to your schedule and surroundings can help you find stressors and make changes.
Meditation is a great way to relax your body and reduce stress. And it doesn’t have to be a lot! Simply taking a few deep breaths has been proven to instantly calm the nervous system. Getting out in nature, going for a walk, doing gentle yoga. Those can all be done in a small window of time at no cost.
Whether you encounter physical stress or mental/emotional stress, you can start to repair the damage with the basic good health practices. These good health practices are:
- getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night
- drinking plenty of water
- eating 7 or more servings of vegetables and fruits daily
- daily movement
It’s important to remember that everyone’s body is different, so what works for one person may not work for another. The key is to find what works for you and to stick with it.
If you’re struggling with stress and maintaining a healthy weight, know that you’re not alone. Many women over 40 face the same challenges. By taking small steps every day to reduce stress and improve your health, you can feel better, look better, and live your best life.
