As you age, you need to fuel your body to preserve as much ‘youthfulness’ of your brain and hormones as possible.
Many of you are already healthy eaters. So today I want to focus on an aspect I see missing in our community- a focus on building muscle mass through exercise and eating protein.
Why those two? Hang in there, I’ll explain it. Read on to uncover why exercise and protein are my top two tips for supporting your hormone-brain axis.
Two Simple Tips To Boost Your Hormone and Brain Health
Exercise is essential for brain health over time- it’s possibly THE most important thing you can do! Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, balances your blood sugar which your brain very much prefers, and even forms synapses for memory and learning! (1)
Muscle is metabolically healthy tissue that serves you well, as you may have learned in our recent Toxic Mold Masterclass with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon’s talk.
Staying strong with weight-bearing exercise, backed by plenty of protein, will:
Boost your sex drive & confidence (2)
Increase your energy
Speed up your metabolism
Decrease stress and anxiety (3)
Strengthen immunity
Boost mental fitness
Tip #1: Eat More Protein
According to author Cynthia Thurlow, we need about as many ounces of protein in a day as our body weight (4). So if you weigh 100 lbs, that’s 100 ounces. Right now, you may only be getting 25%- 50% of that!
So at least moving the needle upward is important, focusing on a big dose of protein at every meal and snack. This can be eggs, meat, collagen powder, almond butter, fish, pumpkin seeds, etc.
You can get Cynthia’s new book, Intermittent Fasting Transformation: the 45-day Program for Women to Lose Stubborn Weight, Improve Hormonal Health, and Slow Aging, here.
According to my recent experiments with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), I was not getting enough protein, and I also had too many carbs at the wrong times.
By the end of my experiment, I had gained about five pounds of muscle. All by simply eating more protein, timing my carbs earlier in the day, and pairing them with fats and protein!
The brand of CGM I used was Nutrisense, and I recommend it for at least a month. A dietician is even included in your first month’s fee.
Tip #2: Exercise
Another way to build muscle mass is through exercise. But obviously, make sure you pair it with the diet recommendations above for much better results.
Many folks in our community are not working out hard, whether due to chronic illness, aging, or just inexperience. Honestly, any of these barriers can be broken.
Need some inspiration? Check out the two interviews linked below. Both are with friends of mine who’ve overcome chronic illness, workout hard, have great muscle mass, and teach others how to do the same.
Customizing Your Exercise Routine After 50 and in Illness with Debra Atkinson
The Best Exercise for Hypothyroidism & Mold Toxicity with Dr. Emily Kiberd
While I may be a tiny little thing, I love to exercise! I lift weights and do Pilates, and I know that is going a long way to my healthy aging. I’d love to hear what you plan to do to ‘bulk up!’
Is your brain inflamed? Learn five simple lifestyle and diet hacks you can use to de-flame your brain & feel like yourself again!
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is an acupuncturist turned functional health coach and has worked with thousands of clients since 2004.
She is the founder of FunctionalDetoxProducts.com and the author of The Ultimate Guide to Toxic Mold Recovery: Take Back Your Home Health & Life, available in audiobook, Kindle and paperback on Amazon.