The Ideal Winter Diet for Women Over 50

As soon as the cold weather hits, we are tempted to eat more and forego the good habits we had during summer. We eat less fruits and vegetables and more junk food. Aside from weight problems, an unhealthy diet can also have other unpleasant repercussions for women over 50: too much greasy foods can lead to heart problems and clogged arteries. Plus, if you don’t get your much calcium intake, your osteoporosis might flare up. For your colon’s health, fibers are essential.

But how can we incorporate all these in our winter diet? Here are some winter diet tips that women over 50 should abide by:

Keep Your Cholesterol Levels in Check

Let’s face the truth: with all the winter holidays, it’s hard to steer clear of all the greasy foods that threaten our cholesterol levels. Plus, it’s no crime to enjoy a steak or a burger every once in a while. Luckily, there are a few tricks we can apply to balance even the heartiest of meals:

• Eat oats every day. Research shows that eating as little as 3g of oats every day helps to reduce cholesterol by 5 to 10%. Plus, they contain a lot of fiber, so they’re excellent for your colon, as well. Sprinkle your oats over a Greek yogurt in the morning, add some blueberries for your antioxidants intake, and you’ve got yourself a breakfast that’s both delicious and healthy. Don’t worry, even if blueberries are not in season, you can easily find the frozen variety in almost any supermarket.
• Forego the fries: you can eat meat almost every day if you want to, but avoid combining it with French fries – the combination of protein and carbs is bad for your figure, as well as your heart. Try a generous portion of steamed veggies instead. Again, they’re easy to find in the frozen section.

Indulge Your Sweet Tooth the Healthy Way

Chocolate and other sweets that have a lot of refined sugar might be tasty, but they are terrible for your body. Increased cholesterol levels, diabetes, weight gain and tooth decay are just a few of the dangers of sweets that women over 50 should be especially wary of. Instead, switch to fruits. Bananas, oranges, grapefruits are all in season right now. Plus, they’re also brimming with antioxidants and fiber, so they’re a win-win choice.

If you feel like snacking, try nuts or almonds instead of potato chips. You’ll see that, in a couple of weeks of healthy dieting, your sugar cravings will diminish on their own.

Need to know more about staying healthy for women over 50? We’d love to help! The Dr. Fefelova clinic cares for the health of women of any age. We can offer you pre and post-menopausal counseling, hormone therapy advice and many others. Get in touch!