Maggie McKay (Host): Good nutrition is crucial no
matter what age you are. But as we age, it becomes even more important. So
today, Jennifer Gilliland, registered dietician and professional clinical
counselor at ProMedica has some great nutrition tips for those over 40.

Host: Welcome to Happily Ever After 40, a podcast
brought to you by ProMedica, where we discuss midlife health and wellbeing. In
this episode, we'll talk about nutrition for those over 40. I'm your host,
Maggie McKay. Jennifer, thank you so much for making the time. Let's just dive
right in. What are the top three things to consider when contemplating making
nutrition changes when you're over 40?

Jennifer Gilliland, RD: Well, thank you so much for
having me here today, Maggie. That is a really great question. And although it
is challenging to turn it into just three areas to look at, what I really like
to start with is those small changes. So as we age, there's a lot that can be
going on in our schedules and in our life. So when we can incorporate some of
those smaller things, we tend to build on that consistency. For a lot of men
and women at this stage, I find that consistency is really, really key. So if
we can make some changes and dive into things that we can continue to do over
and over again for the next 5, 10, 15 plus years, that a lot of times sets us
up for a lot of success so that we're not feeling overwhelmed with making those
big changes. So, that's the first thing.

The second item is really about emotional health. And so
many times, we're looking, you know, with nutrition, what shouldn't we eat or
what should we restrict or avoid. And really, when it comes down to our
emotional health, especially for us women, we tend to kind of be more emotional
eaters. And you know, we like to say we're stress eaters, so we wanna pay
attention to how our emotions are playing into that and maybe some of the foods
that we tend to gravitate towards, based on what we might be feeling as far as
stress or anxiety and that type of a thing.

And the third item is about support and accountability. It's
really important to have I kind of like to call it our team of people that we
can call on that can support us when we're having a struggle. whether it's, you
know, we feel like we want to eat all of the sugar in the kitchen, or we're really
struggling with setting aside time for ourselves, self-care, that kind of a
thing. So, really important that we're looking for that support and
accountability from those around us.

Host: That's so funny you bring up stress eating.
Just yesterday, Jennifer, I was driving and there was crazy traffic it and I
was going to be late and things were piling up. And I was going to go for ice
cream when I got home and I thought, "That is such a lame excuse, that
you're just eating because you're stressed." And so, I ate something else
sort of in between good and bad, like nuts or something. But I think we have to
like consciously think about it, right?

Jennifer Gilliland, RD: Yes, it absolutely has to be
a conscious decision.

Host: How does the aging process compare for men
versus women nutritionally?

Jennifer Gilliland, RD: So, as we're approaching 40
and beyond, the menopause period of time comes up for us, right? So, we go
through that perimenopause, into menopause and into post-menopause. So we, as
women, spend a lot of years in that menopause state, which means that our
hormones can be going up and down. We can have a lot of challenges as far as
hot flashes and mood swings and weight gain and belly fat and those kinds of
things that no woman really wants to deal with. I have women ask me all the
time, "Can I just avoid menopause?" Unfortunately, it is not an
option and it is part of our makeup. So, that doesn't exclude men from having
their own challenges. But for women especially, it is a time of hormonal fluctuation
that can bring on just kind of this what-in-the-world-is-going-on-with-my-body
thought process.

But I do also find that for men and women, it's a time
change, it's a schedule change. There might be, you know, kids moving out of
the house, there might be grandkids arriving. There might be changes at work
that can really affect how we're taking care of ourselves, whether we are or
are not showing up for ourselves as far as, you know, self-care and the
nutrition choices, how much we're getting physical activity and that type of a
thing. So, that can be very much a struggle for both men and women, and we
really need to prioritize our health from those perspectives.

Host: And what are some of the ways to stay motivated
toward making nutrition changes after 40? Because motivation is key.

Jennifer Gilliland, RD: Oh, it really is. It's a
really great question. And I feel like that's the biggest part of the struggle
for people, is when they're really looking at how do I stay motivated? How do I
stay engaged? How do I not feel like I'm failing at all of the things when it
comes to nutrition and lifestyle. But it really needs to start with recognizing
what it is that you want to be able to do. Is it that you want to be more
active, you know, and maybe experience less joint pain or something like that?
Then, we need to start with maybe something like stretches or yoga or something
that's gentler and softer for our body if we haven't been actively working out
on a consistent basis and build from there. The smaller we can start, the more
long-term change we're going to see because we won't burn out on what we're
trying to do. So, really looking at that end goal of what is it that we want to
see happen and then how do we get there? And also, getting support, getting
that accountability, whether we're talking to friends or coworkers or family
members. There are, I guarantee you, people around you that are also feeling
that lack of motivation. And the good thing is that most likely they're
motivated on days you're not, and maybe you're motivated on days that they
aren't. So, you can kind of go back and forth and really provide that community
of support and encouragement for each other.

Host: That's a good idea. And I think a lot of us
have friends that are over 40 like us, but maybe they don't eat as healthily.
So, I always think like if I'm making plans with them to do something other
than eating, because I don't want to be like influenced to eat fried food or
whatever it is. So, I say, "Let's go for a hike instead of lunch."

Jennifer Gilliland, RD: That's a great idea.

Host: Which I don't know, it kind of works. But how
do you determine the best nutrition plan for a person after 40?

Jennifer Gilliland, RD: So, this may sound like a
really simple answer, but I say the same thing about physical activity. It's
really what are you willing to stick with? So if we start a plan that seems
impossible or seems like right away, we're not going to make successful changes
with, or we're going to be very challenged with, I always talk to people about
why are we starting that at all. So, let's start with some changes that we're
comfortable with, that we know we need to modify right from the beginning. If
we're thinking about short-term changes, then we're only going to get short-term
results. So, we want to think long-term, "What am I going to be able to do
today and beyond?" And then. Making sure that it's really based on
nutrition, nourishing our bodies. We talk a lot about diets and restriction and
those types of things. And when we really look at the important foods that we
want to include, it's really about nourishing our bodies and what makes us feel
the best, what gives us the most energy, what do we feel like we can do each
and every day. Because we really can, I know this may sound silly, but we
really can eat foods and enjoy them and feel healthy. It really is possible.

Host: And as a nutritionist, what's the biggest
challenge to people you see, do you think, as far as starting the change?

Jennifer Gilliland, RD: I think the biggest challenge
is trusting themselves that they are worth making the changes, because it is a
challenge and it is something that we have to show up for ourselves
consistently each and every day. It doesn't mean we have to do things
perfectly, but it really means that we have to give ourselves enough space and
grace to put the effort in and actually give ourselves the time to get that
physical activity in, get that meal planning done, spend time really on our own
self-care and our own self-growth in order to make those changes and the
benefits long-term.

Host: I love that. Show up for yourself. You know,
it's so simple, but it's something so many of us don't do. We'll do anything
for everybody else, and then we get on the back burner, right?

Jennifer Gilliland, RD: Yeah. Exactly. Exactly.

Host: Jennifer, is there anything else you'd like to
add that maybe we didn't cover or you'd like people to know?

Jennifer Gilliland, RD: You know, just kind of going
along the lines of what we just talked about, look at the impact that you can
have on your own personal health in order to positively impact those around
you. So many times we look at self-care as being a very selfish act, that we
are spending way too much time on ourselves and we need to, you know, as you mentioned,
give to other people and that, we can do that, absolutely. But we also need to
make sure that we're taking care of ourselves first so that we can show up as
our best selves to be with the people that we care about the most. And, Be as
energetic and productive as we want to be. But it all starts with what am I
doing to really focus and make an impact on my own personal health? It will
make huge benefits to those around you.

Host: Thank you so much. This is invaluable
information and a lot of good practical ideas that you know we could actually
implement into our lives.

Jennifer Gilliland, RD: Thank you so much.

Host: If you'd like to find out more, please visit
promedica.org. That's promedica.org. Again, that's Jennifer Gilliland. If you
found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check
out our entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. Until next time,
stay happily ever after 40.