Midlife Matters: Diane Amelia Read
Nutritional shifts for women over 50 can do more than improve physical health, they can unlock energy, clarity, and even desire.
Last year, I started feeling … flat. Hot flashes were back after a ten-year absence. My libido had quietly ghosted me. I was “soft” despite regular exercise and relatively mindful meals. My energy? Okay … -ish.
I was told that all these things were “just aging,” but at 66, I wasn’t ready to settle for it.
So, I opted into a 90-day hormone-balancing program centered around some major nutrition shifts. The anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense eating plan effectively eliminated some staples of my life in Mexico: gluten, corn, dairy, and alcohol. Goodbye tacos and margaritas.
“It’s just three months,” I soothed myself. Getting my ME back seemed worth the price.
From Foggy To Clear (And 7 Pounds Lighter):
Just a week in I was surprised to find I could hardly keep up with the volume of food I was supposed to eat. The guideline for eating 30 plants a week proved challenging, but fun.
The second surprise: Reconnection with my brain. I’d forgotten what it felt like to be fogless. To wake up ready and stay clear all day.
And the third surprise: Despite the occasional dalliance from the nutritional guidelines for the weight maintenance plan, I lost seven pounds and my muscles toned up noticeably from the program’s Pilates-based workouts.
Best of all, my frisky returned.
How Nutritional Shifts Help Women Over 50 Balance Hormones And Reduce Inflammation:
Turns out, inflammation isn’t reserved for joints or injuries … it’s deeply connected to our hormonal landscape. When we eat in a way that calms systemic inflammation, our body is better able to regulate estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, insulin, and even testosterone. These hormones don’t just affect weight and mood, they influence libido, cognition, energy, and sleep.
Chronic inflammation fueled by processed foods, excess sugar, alcohol, and certain food sensitivities (yes, even “healthy” foods can be a poor match for you) throws hormonal communication off course.[1] By shifting to a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory diet, you’re not just “eating right,” you’re clearing the static on your body’s hormonal frequency. Your liver, gut, and endocrine system can do their jobs more efficiently, restoring natural rhythms, increasing sensitivity to feel-good hormones, and yes … reigniting desire.
It’s not magic. It’s matching the right fuel to the engine.
The Spark Isn’t Gone, It’s Buried:
One of the most powerful lessons I learned? When your body starts whispering … or yelling … it’s not betraying you. It’s inviting you into deeper partnership. For me, food became a way to listen. I stopped eating from intellect and started tuning in.
Despite the initial sense of deprivation, I’m sticking with the nutrition plan. Turns out, tacos taste crisp and delicious on a thin slice of jicama or in a lettuce wrap. And although I dip into all the restricted areas from time to time, saying “no thanks,” most of the time is easy because doing so protects how great, how at ease in my body, I feel.
But I know such radical change isn’t for everyone, so …
Four Nutritional Shifts For Women Over 50 That Boost Energy and Balance:
If you’ve been feeling flat, foggy, or just not like yourself, here are four gentle paths to take:
1. Eat More Protein In The Morning:
Start your day with 20–30g of protein to stabilize blood sugar, reduce cravings, and fuel your brain. Try eggs, Greek yogurt, chia pudding, or a smoothie with protein powder.
2. Add Healthy Fats To Every Meal:
Your hormones are made from fat. Avocado, nuts, olive oil, and wild salmon all support hormonal health … and skin hydration.
3. Crowd Your Plate With Color:
Leafy greens, bell peppers, berries, cruciferous veggies … these anti-inflammatory foods help your liver process excess estrogen and support gut health.
4. Notice How You Feel After You Eat:
This is big. Certain foods might be sapping your energy or clouding your mood. Keep a light food-and-feeling journal. No guilt. Just data.
Let Food Be A Love Language:
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about partnership with your body, your pleasure, your vitality.
Midlife doesn’t have to mean giving up on desire, energy, or feeling good in your own skin. It means you’re finally in the season where you get to choose what truly supports you.
And sometimes, that choice starts with breakfast.
[1] Harvard Health Publishing – “Foods that fight inflammation”
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation
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About the Author:
Diane Amelia Read is an experienced growth partner, health and mindset advisor, stereotype disrupter, and surfer wannabe. She’s a Reiki Master Teacher, podcaster, StreetWise MBA graduate, and samba singer, Law of Attraction mentor, and motivational speaker.
Her mission is to make the world a more loving and interconnected place by helping women love themselves first so they can bring their most joy-filled awesomeness to everyone and everything else without depleting themselves
As a Mind & Body Alchemist For Women Over 50, Diane Amelia’s unique personal transformation toolbox is chock full of options for midlife women ready for sustainable improvement in their health, confidence, mindset, income, community, or all of the above.
