12 Ways to Eat For Your Best Body After 40

Want your best body after 40? It's not surprising you're finding that harder to achieve than you did 20 years ago. Hormones play a huge role in what our bodies need for fuel. Your metabolism changes and so should your diet. This means changing what we eat, what times of day and how often. What you eat is even more important as you enter your 40s. Women need protein (meat, fish, dairy, beans, and nuts), carbohydrates (whole grains), fats (healthy oils), vitamins, minerals, and water. These foods have been linked to some disease prevention, such as osteoporosis, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Read on for the 12 ways to eat for your best body from an ACE-certified fitness professional and graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, certified in health and wellness coaching.

Don't Skip Breakfast

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Don’t skip breakfast. It can curb hunger and kick-start your metabolism. The most important thing is still what you eat, not when. Your body will run more efficiently if you get most of your daily calories at lunch (before 3 p.m.).

RELATED: 3 Reasons Why Your Last Diet Didn’t Work, According to Health Coach

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

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Eat more fruits and vegetables to add more color to your plate. When you have a craving, reach for a fruit. Add some fun to it using small amounts of peanut butter or what you love. Don’t overdo it with the oil. Try spray oil instead.

Cook Healthy Meals

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If you love a certain recipe, try to find a healthier option and try it. You will discover you love it

Be Mindful of Your Portions

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Don’t go for seconds, and make sure you adhere to serving sizes. Most people overeat due to portion control.

Be Present

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Be present when you eat. Pay attention to what you are eating. Don’t walk and eat at the same time or be distracted when you are eating. Take the time to enjoy the meal.

RELATED: Massy Arias Flashes Six-Pack During “Core and Abs” Workout

Limit Soda

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The chemicals and sugar in soda are not good for long-term health. Drink more water.

Get Support

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It is so hard to go at it yourself. You want a buddy to partner with who can encourage you and you can inspire them. Trade ideas and support each other.

Check Your Vitals

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Have your vitals checked. Often, hormones and metabolism change as you age. You want to know what is going on with your body so you can supplement it properly for peak performance. Thyroid can also be an issue so it is important to manage your health with a good physician.

Related: This Is Exactly How to Lose Body Fat This Year

Chew Slower

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We often don't allow ourselves to enjoy our food because we swallow it before tasting it. Chewing your food fully also allows your stomach to begin the digestion process.

Take Supplements

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As we age, our bodies may have vitamin or mineral deficiencies. We want to make sure we are still getting enough vitamins like calcium. Again, this is something you can have tested.

Limit Processed Foods

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As a rule of thumb, you don’t want to eat something with a long list of ingredients, especially if you cannot pronounce them or know what they are. If they sound like chemicals, they are, and putting them in your body is not good.

RELATED:5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Losing 160 Pounds

Avoid Alcohol

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While we all love to have a good time, alcohol is the enemy of a healthy lifestyle. It not only affects your diet, it wreaks havoc on your mind too. If you don’t want to go cold turkey, limit it to the weekends or once a week. You will quickly see how much better your body and mind function, and you won’t even want it. The same is true for sugar. It is a drug that messes with your mind. Once you have some, your mind is triggered to want more. So limiting sugar intake will lead to fewer cravings and less overeating.

💪🔥Body Booster: Your body will run more efficiently if you get most of your daily calories at lunch (before 3 p.m.).

As a certified fitness, nutrition and mindset expert, I specialize in and I’m proud to say I’ve helped what must be close to 100,000 individuals from all walks of life, ages, abilities, disabilities, colors, creeds and cultures in 77 countries all over the world, achieve their health and fitness goals in body and mind, including obtaining a toned and defined six pack through balanced nutrition and exercise. I’m the UK Sunday Times Best Selling author of Eat Your Way to a Six Pack and dedicate my life to helping others truly live instead of just exist. My approach is firm with compassion, in fact some say I’m a Sergeant Major with love. But to keep people engaged long enough to make a life changing experience, a tight ship must be run, without too much room for error. I have tens of thousands of inspirational stories from people all over the world who have changed and, in many cases, saved their lives through my programme, The Six Pack Revolution.

Six packs truly are made in the kitchen and a balanced diet is crucial for achieving and maintaining a six pack because it provides the necessary nutrients to support muscle growth and recovery, while simultaneously reducing body fat. Without proper nutrition, you will not develop the fat loss and muscle definition needed for a visible six pack, unless you are genetically gifted. I must throw out a disclaimer that not everyone has the six symmetrical separations and therefore the shape will differ from person to person.

If your goal is to achieve a six pack, you need to be ready to change your relationship with food, drink and yourself. If done correctly, this journey will be one of physical and mental health, you will be nourishing your body and mind, and this will pay dividends in every area of your life. You will be removing all the poor nutritional choices of the past and replacing them with an abundance of healthy whole foods, a balance of macronutrient ratios and you will likely be increasing hydration levels with more water intake. When you put all of this together, you will be surprised how quickly results can come. It’s very important that you feed and nourish yourself to a six pack and never starve or malnourish yourself instead. Read on for 8 ways to eat your way to a 6-pack.

Increase Your Protein Intake

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The first dietary change I recommend for those aiming for a six pack is to increase their protein intake, combined with the correct balance of carbohydrates and healthy fats each time they eat, whether that be a meal or a snack. Each macronutrient however must be chosen wisely for optimum results, always opting for the cleaner, healthier version. Our most important macronutrient is protein and is crucial for muscle repair and growth, which is essential for developing a defined core. Additionally, protein helps to keep you feeling full and satisfied, reducing the likelihood of overeating.

Stay Hydrated

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We must stay hydrated at all times with plenty of water, 3-4 litres per day.

Eat Whole Foods

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Our foods will consist of whole foods such as lean proteins, grains, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats to provide essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Balance Your Plate

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The balance on the plate and what we eat at the same time is paramount and we must pay attention to the portion sizes of each macronutrient to avoid overeating, which can lead to excess calorie intake and hinder fat loss efforts.

Related: 15 Proven Ways to Sculpt Your Dream Body by An Expert Coach

Avoid These Processed Foods

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Some healthier processed foods are OK if they are convenient and help us to remain on track—however, processed foods high in sugars, salts, unhealthy fats, and additives are out of the question as they can contribute to inflammation and weight gain.

Say No to Alcohol

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Alcohol should not be consumed as it is high in empty calories and will hinder your results. Once you achieve the new body and mind you dream of, then you can find a balance in your life where you can keep your results and still party twice per week.

Do HIIT

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Exercise is important for your muscle tone, bone density, joints, mindset, posture and is a huge investment in your future. You should be exercising into your nineties and beyond and it should be non-negotiable. Training for a six pack does not require thousands of sit-ups. A full body HIIT-type workout schedule will bring your results much faster.

Think About Your Nutrition, Not Your Calories

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The most common mistake people make when attempting to achieve a six pack is thinking that they need an extreme calorie deficit. If you drastically reduce your calorie intake in an attempt to lose fat quickly, you will actually slow down your progress considerably. The healthiest and fastest way to lose fat is on the most calories possible. For example, let’s say your maintenance calories are 2,250 per day. You would lose more fat faster on 2,000 calories than you would on 1,000 calories. If you drastically drop your calories, this can lead to nutrient deficiencies, metabolic slowdown, muscle loss, and ultimately, will hinder fat loss. Also, calories are a fraction of the story. The most important part is the actual nutrition itself and balance of the plate of food, balanced throughout the day with hydration. This will balance your body and its hormones and then your body can work at its optimum.

Related: Benchmark Your Progress with Our Lean Body Mass Calculator

The Benefits of a Balanced Diet Go Beyond a Six-Pack

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When the body works at its optimum, it burns fuel efficiently (FAT) and builds and maintains muscle mass. Your hair, your skin, the whites of your eyes, your teeth, your nails all become more radiant and chronic illnesses are vastly improved if not brought into remission. That’s not all, a balanced diet isn't just about physical health, it profoundly influences our mental well-being by creating hormonal equilibrium. The interplay between nutrition and hormones highlights how our food choices impact our overall health, physically, mentally and emotionally.

💪🔥Body Booster: Eat whole foods like lean proteins, grains, fruits, veggies, and healthy fats. They provide essential nutrients and antioxidants for better health.

Scott Harrison is a celebrity personal trainer, nutrition expert & founder of acclaimed fitness programme The Six Pack Revolution. His UK Sunday Times bestseller Eat Your Way to a Six Pack’ is out now. Follow Scott & The Six Pack Revolution on Instagram.