7 Alternative Health Tips to Stay Healthy and Fit After 40
When you reach the age of 40, your body undergoes important changes: the first white hairs and wrinkles appear, your energy levels vary and your sleep patterns might also be different. The body enters a phase of maturity which can be compared with a second phase of puberty, with hormonal disruptions and physical changes. You might notice that your metabolism is not as fast as it used to be and the risk of accumulating a few extra pounds is frightening you a bit. However, change should not scare you, but rather challenge you to find the best possible ways to help your body and mind.
In order to stay healthy and fit after 40, learning to relax is crucial. It is possible to learn how to embrace this phase and give yourself the adequate amount of rest you need. If your life is chaotic, busy and stressful, if your to-do list is always full to the brim with unchecked boxes, learning to rest and properly take care of yourself is a must.
Alternative medicine provides a wide range of tips and activities you can try out to be your healthiest and happiest self after 40. In this article, we are going to list some simple yet effective steps to stay fit, manage weight and promote well-being:
1) Keep Active, but Don’t Overdo It
Physical activity is perhaps the first and most important tip to embrace this new phase of your life.If you desire is to be your fittest and healthiest self after 40, you should also learn to abandon perfectionism and build a sustainable workout routine. Make sure your schedule suits the current needs of your body, no matter what other people do. Your physical activity should not just be another annoying chore in your to-do list, but rather a nurturing part of your day that gives you something meaningful in return.
The greatest tip is to work with your body, and not against it. Don’t overexert yourself, but rather find what works the best for you and what makes your feel at your best.
This said, it is true that a great reduction in muscle mass happens in your body once you reach your 40s. Moving forward, the loss of lean muscle mass is around 1-2% per year. The reasons behind this physiological transformation are linked to the great hormonal changes which take place in the body, especially for women who enter menopause.
To keep active and fit, you should ideally choose low-impact activities, alternating light aerobic exercise with muscle strengthening at least 3 times a week.
Yoga and Pilates are incredible low-impact workouts that will help you improve your muscle strength, body posture and flexibility. Another great low-impact activity is Tai Chi, a practice related to Kung Fu. Tai Chi is not only a great way to improve your strength and flexibility, but much like Yoga, it is also a way to get in touch with your inner self and find calmness.
Lastly, another great low-impact workout is water exercise, like aquagym, water pilates and swimming. Water is great as it provides a weightless environment, and it is particularly indicated to prevent joint problems and relieve pressure on the joints and spine.
Just remember that the most important thing is to choose something you actually enjoy, something that gives you energy, but also stability and peace.
2) You Can’t Pour From an Empty Cup
You can’t help but saying yes to your friends, relatives, partner or kids whenever they ask for help or assistance. More often than not, you end up taking on way too much and putting other people’s needs first. As a result, you frequently feel drained and completely out of energy. Sounds familiar? Then you might need to find new ways to restore your energy levels and re-establish your priorities.
Learning to relax and unwind your mind is crucial for people of all ages. It is particularly important after 40, as aging and hormonal changes inevitably affect your sleeping patterns, making you more prone to develop insomnia or other sleep disorders. If your routine is chaotic and your to-do list is always full to the brim with tasks to tackle, learning to take a break and let go is an essential component of your health and well-being.
Embracing relaxation can take many shapes and forms: you might want to develop a soothing night routine, or perhaps schedule some “You” time every week. Bottom line, you should always make sure you have plenty of chances to rest and recharge throughout the week. And you should never feel guilty about it.
Let go of the idea of having to be productive all the time, or the urge to assist literally everyone whenever they need you. You can’t be there all the time, and you can’t keep everything religiously under control. And that’s completely fine. Once you let go of perfectionism and the urge to rescue others by completely depriving yourself of your energy, you will be able to gain your light back and be the best support to yourself and others when they truly need you.
3) Break Unhealthy Habits with Crystals
Breaking bad habits that don’t serve you is a rather important step towards a healthier and happier you.
If you cannot seem to break unhealthy eating patterns, for example, the reason might be deeper than you think. When you crave a particular food and you can’t resist the urge to eat it, this might be an indicator that the food itself has an emotional function. It might give you comfort or relief, and it might play a role in your emotional balance. This means that changing a particular habit can take time, patience and endurance.
However, the healing properties of crystals can help you promote the change you want to experience in your life. Thanks to crystals, you can sort of reprogram and rejuvenate your energy and your relationship with food.
The best crystals for this purpose are Amethyst, Blue Apatite and Sodalite. For centuries, Amethyst has been a stone associated with sobriety, and its delicate energy can help you make healthy food choices and avoid excesses. Blue Apatite has a similar effect, and it also provides clarity and helps you choose wisely.. Thanks to Blue Apatite, you will be able to understand what it is that you need and what you need to eat to achieve your objective. Lastly, Sodalite is able to regulate your hunger levels and drive you towards healthier foods.
To get started with these crystals, cleanse them by washing them with gentle baby soap and leave them for a full night under the moonlight. Then, keep them directly on your skin or hold them frequently in your hands before and after meals, and ask their energy to direct you towards positive choices.
4) Eat Yourself Healthy
In your 40s, it might be just a bit more difficult to lose weight and get rid of excess calories. However, this is not a disease or a real problem. It is rather your body’s way of slowing down and taking it easy. In order to stay fit and healthy during this phase of your life, you shouldn’t deprive yourself of all your favorite foods in fear of gaining weight. You can rather slightly modify your diet and choose fresh, healthy and delicious meals to fuel your body without feeling deprived.
Aim to limit your consumption of processed foods and prefer home-made alternatives prepared with whole foods and the freshest ingredients.
Say yes to fresh fruits and vegetables, but also lean protein, whole grains and seeds. You can also try to implement more plant-based foods to your diet, as by doing so, research shows you can cut your risk of heart failure by up to 40 percent!
You can replace milk and dairy products with plant-based alternatives, such as oat milk, cashew/ brazilian nut milk and tofu. In order to get an adequate amount of protein, always aim to eat cereals and legumes together: rice and beans, pasta and lentils, hummus and pita bread, and so forth. Don’t forget to implement good sources of fat by using coconut or extra-virgin olive oil, and eating foods such as avocado, walnuts, flax and chia seeds.
5) Discover Herbal Remedies
Herbal remedies are a fantastic way to optimize your body’s performance and regulate its functioning. Herbal teas, in particular, are medicinal drinks obtained by cooking or infusion of herbs, flowers, barks and seeds.
Plants can be used in their dried or fresh form, and the benefits are virtually endless. According to your specific needs and situation, a Pharmacist or Herbalist can help you choose the best herbal teas for your body. Many of these herbal remedies have been use for centuries for treating very diverse conditions or help the body detoxify.
Turmeric infusions, for example, regulate digestive functions after a meal, and they contribute to the detoxification of the liver. Turmeric is also a great anti-inflammatory plant and it can be safely taken on an empty stomach. Turmeric powder can be added to drinks and foods, and if you sprinkle black pepper on top of it, the beneficial effects are going to significantly increase.
If you struggle with slow digestion, bad breath and intestinal gas, a fennel infusion might be a great natural remedy to try out. You can also munch on fennel seeds at the end of a meal, to improve digestion.
Ginger is also a great ingredient you can consume to digest better, but also to deal with nausea and dizziness. Ginger is a powerful anti-inflammatory plant, and a pain-reliever.
To improve your sleep pattern and to keep stress at bay, try valerian, hawthorn, chamomile, rose and lavender tea.
6) Heal your Body with Intermittent Fasting
Numerous studies have proven the incredibly healing effects of fasting on the human body. However, enduring longer periods of fasting is not possible for everyone. This is why intermittent fasting provides a valid alternative to regular fasting, as it consists of short periods of fast followed by a slot of time reserved to eating.
The simplest and easiest way to implement intermittent fasting to your routine is to fast for 16-20 hours, and eat all your meals within 8-4 hours. You could, for example, have an early dinner, skip breakfast the next day and wait until lunch time. This is the most common type of intermittent fasting and it is ideal for weight management. A 20 hours fast, instead, is known as the monk fast, and it is associated with cellular repair. Intermittent fasting is a great way to make sure you don’t eat too many calories and a fantastic tool to boost your metabolism too!
Some individuals also go on 24-30 hours fasts, and these can be repeated twice a month up to a maximum of two times a week.
Another form of intermittent fasting is to eat normally and fast every other day, with the possibility of eating a maximum of 600-800 calories per day on the fasting days. The idea is to severely restrict your calories during fasts, and eat normally the next day.
Intermittent fasting is not only able to prevent cellular aging and boost your metabolism, but also decrease inflammation and prevent neurodegenerative diseases.
7) Sound Therapy
The healing properties of sounds can play a big role in your physical and mental health. Several scientific studies have proven that listening to specific sounds can have a strong impact on neural activity, feelings and emotions.
People suffering from senile dementia are able to hum or move to the rhythm of music if they are exposed to a song that they may have heard in their youth. In normal conditions, the same patients might not be able to access their cognitive and cerebral faculties.
Other studies have shown that babies respond to music and to the voice of their mother when they are still in the mother’s womb.
Sounds essentially penetrate the subconscious mind and they are stored in the long-term memory. The goal of sound therapy is to help people experience a state of total relaxation by listening to the sound of Tibetan bowls and other instruments designed for these sessions.
By inducing a state of total calmness and peace, the body and the mind are able to recover and heal. Even the most skeptical people manage to lower the stress levels once they engage in this practice.
In order to find the perfect healing session for you, you can research sound therapy centers in your area, or join a group event. Sound therapists are often available for one-on-one sessions too. You can also find many free sound healing videos on the internet, and this way you can discover which sound works well for you.
We hope you enjoyed this list of alternative health tips to stay fit and healthy after 40. If you liked this article, make sure you share it with a friend of family members who might benefit from it. Thank you so much!
