“In the past, we could eat whatever we wanted and never gain weight; What's going on now?" Do you often think? This is something we hear very often. Millions of people over the age of 50 around the world complain about this situation and are trying to solve it. Of course, there is a reason for this situation.
Starting from the 30s, especially in the 50s, due to some hormonal changes in our body, our metabolism slows down, that is, the calories it burns to live. Our body reduces its amount. The most important reason for this is muscle loss. Unfortunately, after the 20s are over, approximately 2 kilograms of muscle loss occurs in the body every decade. To make matters worse, the remaining muscles are weak and use less energy. As a result, every 10 years, we burn approximately 85 fewer calories per day and store 7-8 kilograms of fat.
Even though this middle-age weight gain situation is frightening, it is not unsolvable. There are two things we need to do:
Building Muscle:
There are also types of sports activities. Cardio exercises, muscle exercises, balance exercises etc. All of these should have a place in our lives. But here I would like to talk specifically about exercises aimed at building muscle, because although we need to do exercises such as walking, running, swimming, cycling, which we call cardio exercise, to burn fat, we also need to increase the lean tissue that burns fat, that is, muscles. If we are not actively strengthening muscles over the age of 50, we are losing muscle every day. So, in the simplest terms, we need to work to develop our muscles two or three days a week, as well as expending energy by doing an exercise such as a 30-minute brisk walk, which we will do 5 days a week regularly.
We need to work hard to develop muscles and burn calories. There are many methods, we just need to choose the one that suits us, our physical conditions and habits. It is possible to start with light weights, work out with weights, use resistance bands, exercise with our own body weight or with equipment in the gym. replenishing its stores and It is absolutely necessary for the repair of tiny damages in the fibrils. Feeling muscle pain the day after exercise is actually a message sent to us by the body: rest me.
Smart Nutrition:
Getting enough protein
Our body creates new muscle tissue in the body from the building blocks of proteins in the foods we eat, namely amino acids, this is called muscle protein synthesis. After the age of 50, the synthesis of the hormone called Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1, which is effective in this process, in the liver decreases, and as a result, the process of converting proteins into muscle power slows down. For this reason, for those over the age of 50, we should try to take 0.8-1 grams of protein per kilogram per day, that is, 20-30 grams depending on our weight at meals and send the rest to our body between meals.
Consuming healthy fats
At the same time, since omega-3 fats have a positive effect on muscle protein synthesis, it is also important to take omega-3 regularly with foods and as nutritional support when necessary. Consuming fish such as mackerel, anchovy, salmon or sardine at least twice a week is actually enough for this. Since flaxseeds, walnuts and dark green leafy vegetables are also sources of omega-3, we need to include them in our diet.
Strengthening the intestines
The health of our intestines is also extremely important as it is related to the proper absorption of nutrients and indirectly to our body's fat burning. As it is known, there are benign and malignant bacteria in our intestines. Protecting and increasing the number of benign ones is indispensable for our general health. To protect our intestinal bacteria, we need to consume foods such as yoghurt, kefir and pickles at least one meal a day.
Drinking enough water
Clinical studies show that the metabolism works 30 percent faster in the hour following drinking 2 glasses of room temperature water. Just by drinking 8 glasses of water a day, we can ensure that our body burns 50 more calories.
Spices
Such as hot pepper, turmeric, ginger. Some spices increase metabolism There are studies showing that it speeds things up. Additionally, cumin increases the digestion and absorption of nutrients. Therefore, adding spices to our meals increases both their taste and our metabolic rate.
As can be seen, the changes to be made are simple and effective. Please do not wait any longer to initiate the change.
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