While the keto diet is extremely popular and has many health benefits, is it right for all ages? Today, we’re going to discuss whether keto for women over 50 is good or bad and everything you need to know before you start it.
***And as always, before we start this, please, please, please make sure to check with your doctor or your health care provider before starting any kind of new diet. ***
I am not a doctor or health care practitioner. I’m just a woman over 50 who tries things to see if they work or not. You must do your own testing and trials to see what works for you. I try to give you the best information I can find.
Always do a lot of research before you start anything new.
Now that we got that out of the way, let’s talk keto!
What is the Keto Diet?
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Before we begin it’s kind of important to answer this question – what is the keto diet? I know you’ve heard a lot about it, but maybe you just aren’t sure exactly what it is.
Here is a very brief, and cut and dry, description of what the keto diet really is.
The ketogenic diet is a low-carb diet (high fat) that has incredible health benefits, including:
weight loss
blood sugar control
reduce risk of heart disease/heart attack
helps reduce high blood pressure
help prevent Alzheimer’s disease
and so much more!
It is very similar to the Atkins diet in that they are both low carb but with Atkins, you gradually increase your carb intake.
This article from healthline.com helps explain the difference between the Atkins diet and the keto diet.
Please check with your doctor first. Sorry, I just had to reiterate that.
Is Keto Healthy For Older Women?
It has been my experience that older women have different health challenges, or conditions, if you will. It’s important to know that what works for one woman over 50 might not work for another. Please don’t compare yourself to others, especially when it comes to your health.
To answer the question, is keto healthy for older women, yes it is but you should know, it’s not an entirely easy diet to follow either.
It requires tons of willpower and discipline, both of which I seem to have little of.
As older adults, we have been eating a certain way our entire lives so to change that up, and drastically, will take a lot of work but it will be worth it.
What is the Principle Behind the Ketogenic Diet?
So we already know it’s a low-carb diet, high in fat, but what’s the science/principle behind it? Well, by depleting the body of carbs, you force the body to burn fat for fuel, resulting in weight loss.
But there’s more to keto than that. Yes, it’s primary use is for weight loss, but what about all the other health benefits?
If you remember, I mentioned that it reduces risk of heart attack, may lower blood pressure and can help prevent Alzheimer’s – these are all things women over 50 need to worry about.
In my opinion, it’s never too late to start getting healthier and I think keto for women over 50 is a good start.
What Can You Eat and Not Eat on the Keto Diet?
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It’s important to know (gosh, so many important things to know..haha) that your carb intake for the day is fairly restricted so you need to make sure you are eating the right carbs.
Here’s a little checklist of the good carbs you can eat on the ketogenic diet.
Veggies (the number beside is the amt of carbs per 3.5 oz serving)
Asparagus 2
Cabbage 3
Cauliflower 3
Cucumbers 3
Broccoli 4
Avocado 2
Green Beans 4
Lettuce 2
Olives 3
Tomatoes 3
Brussel Sprouts 5
Zucchini 3
Spinach 1
Leafy Greens
Fruits (also 3.5 oz serving)
Unfortunately, the fruits you are allowed to eat are significantly fewer than veggies, and that’s because fruits are very high in simple carbs, which happen to contain a ton of sugar. While we want to believe eating lots of fruit and veggies are good for us, such is not the case.
Here’s a tiny list of fruits that are safe to eat on a low-carb diet. Don’t cry.
Blackberries
Strawberries
Raspberries
The end. I know. I told you it was a teeny list. You can add Cantaloupe (7), Watermelon (7) Peach (8) but in moderation.
FYI, bananas are the highest at 20 (I’m crying so hard because I love bananas so much)
Food You Must Avoid
Get the tissues. Here is what you absolutely positively cannot eat on a ketogenic diet.
Bread
Pasta
Potatoes (chips/sweet/mashed/whatever/no)
Pizza
Cookies/pies/cakes/sugar
Any type of grains
Syrups/careful of sauces and dips/honey/juices/sweetened anything
Ice cream
So you can see, that willpower and discipline are super important here if you want to succeed on the keto diet.
Sugar should be completely eliminated from your diet-remember alcohol contains sugar-sorry!
By the way, dairy is allowed on keto. Yay. That means cheese, milk, and yogurt (if you really love those items), and the fuller fat, the better. Make sure there is no added sugar in yogurt. Natural is best with a sprinkling of berries.
Yum!
Also, all animal products are also safe to eat on keto as well as all healthy fats like olive oil, butter, avocadoes, and nuts (pecans, macadamians, walnuts).
Here is a fantastic article by eatingwell.com you should check out to find out all the details of what you can eat and what you can’t eat on the keto diet.
I really want to discuss keto for women over 50 and how it can benefit you.
Health Benefits of Keto For Women Over 50
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So here we are in our 50’s now and I don’t know about you but my body has a mind of its own. There’s this muffin top thingy happening that is more of a cupcake top now. It’s out of control?
I feel most postmenopausal women are going through this.
While I do my best to stick to the keto diet, it’s hard. I love sugar and junk food. I love french fries and donuts. I love treats. Period.
But my body doesn’t. I mean, we aren’t 25 anymore. Remember the days when you could eat anything you wanted and never gained an ounce?
Ya, those days are long gone. For me, anyway.
This is where keto for women over 50 is really beneficial. You should be incorporating exercise into your daily routine (strength training is a good thing over 60!) as well but definitely, it’s a good idea to start watching not only your calorie intake but where those calories are coming from.
Remember, low carbs, high fat.
I also want to very briefly touch upon intermittent fasting to enhance the health benefits of your low-carb diet. I don’t want to confuse you or throw too much at you at once, but IF (intermittent fasting) is also a great way to control your eating so your body has a chance to repair itself.
The problem with the way so many of us eat right now is that we don’t give our bodies a chance to heal because it’s constantly working on the food we give it.
I think once you come up with a good daily diet plan and you have lots of willpower, discipline, and determination, you should be fine.
More Health Benefits of Keto For Women Over 50
I want to touch upon some of the health benefits of keto for women over 50, like the ones I mentioned above.
Let’s talk about that muffin top and the weird weight gain we have to deal with, shall we?
The mayoclinic.org has this really great article that talks about that silly belly fat, how to take it off and keep it off. You’ll see diet and exercise are part of that.
But I just want to add my two cents here, though. If you eat sugar, bad carbs, drink wine, and all those other bad things, you’re gonna gain weight and it’s no secret women gain it all around their belly.
If you stick to the keto diet and exercise, you’ll be able to lose weight and control this!
Everyone knows that sugar is bad for you but it’s really bad for your skin in case you didn’t know that. And let’s not forget that as we age, our skin already starts getting wrinkles and sags. Sugar just adds to that.
So cutting out sugar is def not a bad thing!
But let’s talk a bit about how it can prevent Alzheimer’s disease because, let’s face it, who the heck wants that?? My mom had it, and I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy. I wonder if she knew about keto for women over 50 if she would have changed her diet sooner.
According to the site Frontiers in Nutrition:
It seems that a diet based on high-fat and low-carbohydrate content induces the body to a ketosis state similar to the effect of fasting, generating a neuroprotective action on aging brain cells, reducing brain inflammation, and improving mitochondrial function.
Source: frontiersin.org
And here’s more from aarp.org
The newest science suggests that a ketogenic diet — heavy on fat and very light on carbohydrates — could improve thinking in people with Alzheimer’s disease, and that it may even help reduce the risk of the deadly brain disorder in the first place.
Source: aarp.org
Studies continue to roll in for keto for women over 50 and it only shows that it certainly can make aging easier and healthier.
Final Thoughts on the Keto Diet For Women Over 50
Check with your doctor!!!! I seriously want to shout this off the rooftop because it’s just that important.
At this stage of our lives, it’s so important to take better care of ourselves and be hyper-aware of what you eat and how often you exercise, etc. And it’s not too late to make changes either.
It’s big changes little changes, they all add up!
Here are some really good books on the keto diet to help you get started.
Remember, you are in control of your life and your health. If you want to be healthy and have good quality of life in your golden years, it’s up to you to do that.
ox iva xo
