Women over 50 can benefit from different diets such as Mediterranean, flexitarian, DASH and MIND. The best diet is one that you can follow long-term and that makes you feel your best.
For women who are trying to transition gracefully into the next stages of life, the sheer number of dietary options is dizzying — and not all of them are good for your health.
If you’re over 50, you might be searching for a diet that enhances brain or heart health, manages menopausal symptoms, or enhances general well-being.
The following criteria were used to select the diets in this article:
Easy to follow: In addition to offering clear guidelines and simple shopping lists, the diet requires no supplements.
Adaptable: You can make changes based on your personal preferences and nutritional needs.
Not overly restrictive: You won’t need to eliminate large food groups from your meal plan.
Nutritionally balanced: You’ll consume an abundance of high-quality sources of carbohydrates, micronutrients, and healthy fats and proteins.
Evidence-based: Scientific studies confirm the health benefits of the diet.
1. The Mediterranean diet:
For nearly everyone, including women over 50, the Mediterranean diet is consistently ranked as one of the healthiest dietary regimens.
Based on the eating patterns of the inhabitants of Greece and southern Italy in the 1960s, this diet is characterized by low saturated fat content. It mainly includes vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts and whole grains and features olive oil as the primary source of added fat.
It is mostly plant-based, but it also contains small amounts of eggs, poultry, and red meat, as well as dairy and fish in moderation.
This diet lowers the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and mental decline, among other age-related chronic diseases, according to decades of research.
The flexibility of this diet also makes it superior to many other well-known diets. No food or food group is prohibited: even sweets and red wine are allowed sparingly.
2. Best for heart health: the DASH diet:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is a leading cause of death for women over 50.
Furthermore, after menopause, rates of high blood pressure—a major risk factor for heart disease—increase significantly.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is intended to be prevented and treated with the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.
It is distinguished by a low sodium content and a focus on foods high in potassium, magnesium, and calcium, all of which are known to lower blood pressure.
Sodium restrictions vary depending on personal needs. While some people limit sodium intake to no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day, others go as high as 1,500 mg. Both numbers are in line with the American Heart Association’s sodium recommendations.
The main components of the DASH diet are fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. Whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fish, and poultry are included in moderation. Red meat and sweets are generally discouraged but occasionally permitted, while processed or cured meats are prohibited.
The diet also limits salty and ultra-processed foods in favor of whole, nutrient-rich foods, which offer additional benefits, such as reduced cholesterol and better blood sugar control.
3. Best plant-based: the flexitarian diet:
The Flexitarian diet is a semi-vegetarian plan that is mostly plant-based but occasionally includes meat, eggs, dairy and fish.
It is a good dietary option for anyone who is interested in increasing their intake of fiber and plant protein, but also recognizes the nutritional value of animal products and wants to eat them as needed.
The flexitarian diet offers more iron and omega-3s from foods like red meat and fish than the vegetarian or vegan diets do. It also tends to be richer in calcium, an important nutrient for maintaining bone health in postmenopausal women.
In addition, the eating pattern has positive effects on heart health, diabetes prevention, and body weight.
3. Best for brain health: the MIND Diet:
The two main risk factors for dementia are age and gender; women are much more likely than men to have dementia. In fact, about two-thirds of people with Alzheimer’s disease – the most common form of dementia – are women.
To lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related mental declines, the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet was created. According to research, it might lower the chance of dementia.
It incorporates components of the DASH and Mediterranean diets, which have been demonstrated to promote brain health, as the name implies.
Foods like beans, leafy greens, berries, whole grains, olive oil, and fatty fish should be highlighted. Fried foods, red meats, butter, cheeses and sweets are not recommended.
4. Best for those fed up with dieting: intuitive eating:
If you’ve tried countless fad diets and are ready to leave the diet cycle for good, intuitive eating might be the perfect solution.
Chronic restrictive dieting can, in some cases, lead to a number of adverse effects, including bone loss, rebound weight gain, disordered eating and decreased quality of life.
An anti-diet program called intuitive eating aims to change your perspective on food and help you develop a healthy relationship with your body. A recent study found that intuitive eating can lessen the risk of developing eating disorders and enhance psychological health.
In this diet no food is forbidden and no rules regulate portion sizes or meal times. Rather, the aim is to assist you in relearning how to pay attention to your body’s natural hunger and fullness cues.
Further research suggests that those who follow this plan may be more likely to maintain a healthy weight, although it’s worth noting that weight loss is not the goal.
What diet works best for women over 50?
When choosing from the diets on this list, consider whether you can still get all the nutrients you need, as well as any other personal needs you may have.
Women over 50 should pay particular attention to their intake of specific nutrients, such as calcium, vitamin D, protein and B vitamins. If you feel you are not getting adequate amounts of these nutrients, simple dietary adjustments or supplements may be needed.
If your main goal is to reduce blood pressure, opt for the DASH diet. If you want to focus on self-care and a healthy relationship with food, try intuitive eating. If you’re simply aiming for a healthier, more balanced diet, the Mediterranean or flexitarian diet may be your best bet.
Also remember that you don’t need to make drastic changes to your diet. Small, incremental steps can still provide significant health benefits, even if you’re not following your chosen eating pattern perfectly.
Before making any major changes to your diet or adding supplements to your routine, consult your doctor to ensure they are in line with your needs.
Frequent Asked Questions:
What is the best way to lose weight for a woman over 50?
There is no one-size-fits-all way for women over 50 to lose weight because each person’s body is different and there may be different environmental and physical factors that affect how the body loses weight. That said, a 2021 study looked at the effect of various diets on weight loss and other health indicators in women after menopause. His findings included:
For those who are overweight or living with obesity, a low-glycemic index diet may work better at reducing body fat mass than other diets.
Low-fat diets may result in greater improvement in LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, while low-carb diets may result in greater improvement in triglyceride and HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
The Mediterranean diet can help reduce blood pressure and the risk of heart disease.
What should a 55 year old woman eat to lose weight?
To lose weight more effectively in your fifties, choose to eat more whole grains, lots of fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, healthy fats, legumes, fish and poultry. A high-protein diet has also been shown to help lose weight in people over the age of 50.
How many calories should a 50 year old woman eat to lose weight?
According to the 2020-25 Dietary Guidelines, a 50-year-old woman needs about 1800 calories per day to maintain weight, but many factors influence this estimate including medications, activity level, genetics, and lean body mass, which is the body fat weight subtracted from overall weight. To lose a pound a week, she tries to cut about 500 calories a day.
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation provides a more accurate estimate of calorie needs. That said, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor first for a better estimate of your personal calorie needs for weight loss.
The bottom line:
If you’re a woman over 50, it’s often difficult to know what diet is best, especially because you’re experiencing physical changes associated with aging.
The Mediterranean, Flexitarian, DASH, and MIND diets, along with intuitive eating, provide a variety of benefits for your heart, brain, and overall health.
Choosing the right one for you requires careful consideration of your personal goals and nutritional needs. The right choice is the diet that you can maintain long-term and that makes you feel your best.