Midlife Gut Crisis
We go through many life stages and most are fairly eventful. After 20 years of growing and developing the body is fully formed and ready to take on all adult life can throw at it. Having children, earning a living, falling in love, setting up a home can be very rewarding but also extremely demanding on our physical and emotional health. By the time we hit 40 general wear and tear from living can reduce the body's ability to bounce back from set backs and illness or cope with regular late nights, indulgent excesses and life's little traumas. Some would say they generally feel poorer and that's not just from the cost of living and bringing up children but poorer in health. We might hit 40 complaining of poorer skin, energy levels, hair quality, bladder function or digestion. Combine not feeling as sprightly as we did at 20 with falling levels of personal satisfaction and emotional happiness and its not surprising mid-life crisis looms. It's now recognized that both men and women can have a mid-life crisis although women not only have to contend with this emotional minefield, they also have the joy of a biological menopausal hormonal roller-coaster to look forward to. A male mid-lifer may last a few years but for some women it could go on for 15!
Emotional and biological changes associated with midlife can make the gut more vulnerable to poor health. As the digestive system is in the frontline of good health, it's important to protect yourself from digestive mid-life crisis.
Keeping Your Gut Youthful
A physiological study once said there are 3 indicators to a male mid-life crisis. He either buys a bright red turbo charged vehicle, has an affair or buys a caravan, so ladies don't be too down hearted if a camper van appears on the drive, it's probably the best option. I would say there are other signs, such as reduced energy, poor concentration and most noticeably a bulging waistline. Keeping weight down is much harder for both men and women alike once they hit 40 as metabolism naturally slows. This could also mean our internal mechanisms generally slow up so guts don't just get bigger, they can also become less responsive and more dysfunctional. Weight gain is only one of the many indicators that internally things aren't as efficient as they once were but that doesn't mean you have to resign yourself to a slow down, you just need to be more health aware. Maintaining high energy levels, strong immunity and good health is still perfectly achievable it just involves a bit more effort. If you are feeling run down in your 40's the best place to start turning things around is by boosting your gut health. Be good to your gut and it will help refuel the rest of your tired body and mind. Mid-life doesn't need to be a crisis, with kids out of the way and more personal freedom it can be seen as a refreshing new start. Begin in a small way by refreshing your good gut bacteria. Any benefits will encourage you to tackle other aspects of your health such as weight gain and low energy. Get to grips with the small things and overhaul life doesn't seem so challenging. For example just increasing your intake of plant based foods such as vegetables and fruit may seem a small step but if you add in a few more small changes that makes you feel healthier you might end up thinking crisis, what crisis?
Many see mid-life as an emotional phase but actually it can often be emotionally draining because you feel physically below par. Boosting your energy through managing stress, increasing pleasurable activities and good diet may not have seemed so important in the past but now they can make a big difference to how you feel about yourself and how you view your future.
Try This
Write up a mid-life wish list of all the things you would like to improve in your life. Select one such as losing weight or increasing energy and make this your priority. Write a list of all the things that will make a difference such as diet, exercise, boosting good gut bacteria and then write beside each one of these heading small actions that are easily achievable such as eating more veg, cutting down on refined carbs or walking to work. If you achieve one of these a week, by the end of the year, just think how much better you could be feeling about yourself.