When you turn 40, your metabolism can start to slow down. Metabolism is the many chemical reactions that maintain your body healthy and functional. However, when the term is used in casual speech, it usually refers to the process through which your body converts food into energy.


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It might not surprise you if you find yourself gaining weight if you are over 40 and still consume the same amount of food as you did in your 20s. A person's metabolism normally slows down by 5% every ten years after the age of 25.


Your body turns the food and liquid you consume into energy through a process known as metabolism. This process releases the energy your body requires to function by combining oxygen and the calories in meals and beverages. Your metabolic rate affects how quickly you burn calories, which affects both how quickly you lose weight and how easily you gain weight.


Dr Cijith Sreedhar, Chief Medical Officer, Prakrithi Shakti, Naturopathy shares how women tcan boost their metabolism after 40.


All the body functions slow down with age. One can follow the following five aspects to improve the metabolism:


Physical activity: Include yoga, weight training, being active throughout the day, any form of sport, walking, jogging or swimming four-five days a week.


Eating at least 30 to 40 grams of dietary fibre, fermented-rich food (pro, prebiotics) every day.


Drinking two to three litres of water, and herbal tea (including herbs, and spices).


Ensure to have seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep every night.


Expose oneself to the five elements of nature (sunlight, earth, water, space, air)


What are a few lifestyle changes a woman can implement to manage weight?


- Being active in the form of any physical activity, can be a simple step too.


- Intermittent fasting or fasting once a week with more rest periods


- Eating a fibre-rich diet.


- Practice mindful eating.


- Set a regular sleep schedule, if the sleep cycle is varied, especially in women, it affects the hormonal regulation activity in the body which might increase body weight.


- Drinking water. Try to do mouthful drinking, where you leave the water in your mouth for about 30 seconds.


- Get into the habit of prioritising themselves.


As bone density in women starts to diminish after a certain age, how to cope with it and avoid the consequences


The main cause of reduced bone density is the lack of ca+2 and vitamin d in the body. As most women don`t expose their bodies to direct sunlight the vitamin d in the body is reduced which in turn results in the loss of ca+2 too. The following will help.


Sun exposure for vitamin d with the intake of good fat (avocado, nuts, coconut butter, ghee), vitamin- c, vitamin k, and magnesium-rich food (A diet consisting of more vegetables, and fruits for its vitamins and minerals).


Adding calcium-rich food throughout the day (1000 to 1200 mg per day).


Physical activity which includes stretching and strengthening


As there is a rise in cardiac issues in women, what are a few recommendations to maintain a healthy heart according to naturopathy?


Enough sleep, in quality and quantity


Follow a regular pattern of sleep (7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep) daily.


There should be a gap of a minimum of two hours between dinner and bedtime.


Avoid blue and bright light exposure instead prefer low-lying dim lights of yellow, red and orange colours.


Avoid the usage of electronic gadgets, strong beverages, heavy physical activity and late-night binging before sleeping.


Don`t engage in stressful thoughts or plan for the next day while going to sleep.


Try to recollect the happiest moment of the day


Have a warm water bath or a hot foot bath before bedtime.


"Early bird and late night owls"- ensure that 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. is the sleeping window.


Once you get up from the bed expose yourself to natural light.


A nap can be taken in the afternoon post-, for 15-20 minutes.


Manage weight and stress in the form of physical activity and healthy eating


Physical activity:


Being constantly active is more important than being intensively active.


Do what you love doing - select activities based on your personal needs and preferences, and don`t follow the crowd.


Try to include different varieties of exercises like walking, swimming, climbing, cycling, sports activity etc.


Healthy eating:


Eat fresh rainbow-coloured raw food


Include seasonable fruits and vegetables


Include 50 per cent raw food daily


Once a week - Go completely raw, with thick smoothies, gazpacho, soups (thick and thin), juices, intermittent fasting and fasting.


What to Avoid


Processed - When ingredients such as oil, sugar, and salt, are added to food and packed (Eg. simple bread, cheese, tofu, canned tuna)


Refined - Food that has been processed in some way or changed (white bread, rice, noodles, cakes, flavoured yoghurt)


Grilled - A form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food commonly above, below or at the sides.


Fried - Food cooked in a pan that contains hot fat or oil.


Food additives - Substances added to food to preserve or enhance taste, appearance or other sensory qualities.


Food preservatives - Prevent the growth of micro-organisms such as yeast, and slows the oxidation of fat that cause rancidity (packed refrigerated, frozen, canned, dried food).


Junk food - High in calories from sugar, fat, and sodium with little or no dietary fibre, protein, vitamins, and minerals (cakes, biscuits, hot chips, burgers, pizzas, sugary drinks, sweetened caffeine drinks. alcoholic drinks, gluten-rich food etc.).


Refined oils - soya bean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, palm oil, rice bran oil


Salty, sugary food, dairy food products.


Intake of saturated fat and animal protein