Derval O'Rourke: How food can help you feel fab at any age

How and why we eat is just as important as what we consume

Derval O'Rourke is turning 40 this month. Picture: Joleen Cronin

This month I’m saying goodbye to my 30s and turning 40. I honestly feel that ageing is a privilege. I’m very grateful for my health.

I’ve been thinking and chatting with my friends a lot about how I approach my overall wellness. An area we always discuss is food and how we can eat well to support where we are in life. This week I’m sharing information from Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach, Cathy Dunleavy, on food in your 40s. Recipe-wise it’s a great lean lunch option: Cauliflower and Blue Cheese Salad. This is great to accompany barbecued meats such as chicken, steak or whatever you fancy. Healthy and delicious!

While there are some things to particularly consider when we think about tweaking our diets in our 40s in order to stay fit and healthy, there is no need to overcomplicate things either. Keeping it simple and building your routine around your shopping and eating habits can help to reduce the need to stress or obsess about whether or not you are getting enough of the nutrients you need as you enter this decade of your life. Also, paying attention to the ‘how’ and ‘why’ we are eating is as important as ‘what’ we are eating.

Avoid eating in a stressed, rushed state, and remember, if you are eating emotionally, you will never be satisfied because food is not what your body needs in that moment. We may have been able to get away with eating in a rushed or emotional state in our younger years, but as the roads get narrower in our 40s, it is a sure-fire way towards weight gain, gastric distress/bloating, and potentially even poor mental health.

As regards the ‘what’ you need to be eating, here are my top tips:

As muscle mass and metabolic rate naturally decrease, maintain a good level of protein intake at each meal and with all snacks. Combine fruit with a handful of heart-healthy nuts, veg or wholegrain crackers with houmous or nuts butter and add legumes to soup recipes.

Combat inflammation and chronic disease risk by eating two portions of nuts and seeds daily and oily fish twice a week.

Cut back on sodium to combat any hormone-related bloating/fluid retention. Avoid pre-packaged soups and sauces and salted nuts. When adding salt to your food, keep it minimal and use pink Himalayan rock salt as it contains a more balanced mineral content. Consider using capers/olives etc. for natural saltiness.

Eat more soy and phytoestrogen-rich foods. Asian women have significantly fewer menopausal symptoms due to the soy content of their diet and lack of processed foods. The more westernised the diet becomes, the more severe the menopausal symptoms.

As your oestrogen levels drop, the body struggles to maintain good calcium content in the bones. Eat 3 portions of calcium-rich foods per day and avoid relying solely on dairy products for these. Try to include 1-2 portions of plant-based calcium sources as these are much healthier for your heart, bowel, brain, immune system etc. The list goes on!

Consider vitamin D rich foods in combination in order to maximize absorption. Take a Vitamin D supplement (particularly during the autumn and winter months or if you are on medication for high cholesterol as these medications affect your body’s ability to absorb vitamin D and therefore calcium.)

Stick to complex/whole food carbohydrate s at least 80% of the time. These include fruit, root vegetables, whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, oats, legumes and to a lesser extent wholegrain bread products and pasta (these are processed but still contain more fibre and protein than white versions).

Once you have your typical grocery shopping tweaked to meet your needs, trust that you have everything that you need and focus on combining healthy carbohydrates with your protein sources, healthy fats and plenty of colour on your plate. You can feel fabulous in your 40s and a huge part of that starts with what you put in your mouth.

Notice how your energy levels and mood increase when you eat well and use that as motivation to keep you on track most of the time. Lastly, avoid falling into the perfectionism trap, as this never ends well. Enjoy nourishing your body and know that you deserve to feel great!

Fitness Tip 

Get out for a 15-minute jog this week. Plan your intervals. I aim for 5 minutes' jogging, 1-minute break, 5 minutes of jogging and so on for about 15-20 minutes in total. Focus on your breathing during the 1-minute breaks and be strict with yourself on the times.

Wellness Tip

Put 20 minutes aside this week to do a proper shopping list, keeping the tips above in mind. This will help you to shop smart so you can feel well.