Nourishing New Year: A 7-Day Reset for Midlife Women

When the calendar turns from December to January, it’s natural to feel the pull of a fresh start. Whether or not you make resolutions, the new year can be a time to reset and think about what you want to do differently in the year ahead.

Only about 8% of people keep their new years’ resolution. Set yourself up for success by making one small change at a time with Midday’s 7-Day Reset Program for midlife women.

At the end of the week, we hope you’ll be inspired to repeat the practice for another seven days or choose one or two changes to keep working on until they become a habit.

1. Put a pause on alcohol

You might be surprised at how good you feel when you take a break from that nightly glass of wine. While it can feel like alcohol helps you relax or fall asleep more easily, drinking before bed actually interferes with your sleep patterns, disrupting circadian rhythms and blocking REM deep sleep.

Alcohol is also a trigger for restless legs, hot flashes and even heart palpitations in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Alcohol also interferes with weight loss and contributes to excess belly fat. Not only is alcohol filled with empty calories, but the liver also metabolizes alcohol before anything else in your body, including fat from your diet.

Finally, alcohol is also a known risk factor for certain types of breast cancer.

For the next seven days, try a fun mocktail with sparkling water and sliced cucumber, lemon, or lime in a wine glass instead.

2. Eat more cruciferous vegetables

The word “detox” is a buzzy code word for expensive supplements and unscientific claims—but there are foods you can include in your diet to support the body’s natural detoxification process.

Cruciferous vegetables such as kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage increase rates of detoxification in the body. If you have hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), you may have been told to avoid cruciferous vegetables. These vegetables have been shown, in certain situations, to interfere with how your thyroid gland uses iodine. Talk to your doctor about how much is too much.

Leafy greens are also a rich source of phytoestrogens which support a healthy hormonal balance during menopause. As a bonus, these vegetables are full of fiber to keep you satiated and have known cancer-fighting compounds. Try to include two servings a day in salads, stir-fries, smoothies, or vegetable side dishes.

3. Sip green tea

If you have been reaching for coffee or sugary drinks for a mid-afternoon pick me up, switch to green tea. Green tea is rich in polyphenols that help to decrease overall inflammation in the body.

Green tea offers health benefits including improved brain function and protection against Alzheimer’s disease, and possibly reduced risk of breast cancer. Green tea also has the amino acid, L-theanine, which counteracts caffeine to help support even energy levels while also promoting a more relaxed state.

4. Go for a walk

With wintery weather and a busy end-of-year schedule, exercise can often fall by the wayside. Sometimes just the idea of getting started in January can feel intimidating as you picture the rush of hundreds of other people starting again in the gym.

But being active does not have to mean logging hours on the treadmill or rowing machine. All adults should aim for a total of 150 minutes per week, or 30 minutes per day over five days a week. If it’s too challenging to fit in a longer single session, rack up your minutes by performing short bursts of exercise throughout the day.

While diet is necessary to support weight loss, exercise helps to keep the pounds off. Exercise is also crucial for cardiovascular health, brain health and stress hormone reduction. So, at minimum, get outside and walk briskly for 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening. Try meeting friends for walks instead of food-focused social events.

5. Get eight hours of sleep

Sleep is critical for every aspect of your mental and physical functioning. Unfortunately, women in peri- and postmenopause get the least amount of sleep of any age group.

Sleep deprivation can lead to a vicious cycle of fatigue and unhealthy food choices during the day as you reach for quick, sugary carbs for an energy boost. Sleep deprivation also increases the release of the stress hormone cortisol, which makes you more hungry and promotes excess belly fat.

The good news? A few small changes to your sleep routine can completely reverse this pattern. If you are having trouble sleeping, the first thing to do is focus on your sleep hygiene. The article linked below outlines the science-supported changes that set your body up for quality sleep. These changes need some time to take effect, so don’t worry if you don’t notice immediate changes this first week—just stay consistent and let healthy habits take hold.

6. Try intermittent fasting

For some women, intermittent fasting can be a simple way to jumpstart weight loss, especially to combat the weight that tends to creep up during perimenopause and accelerate in postmenopause. While the name may sound intimidating, intermittent fasting does not mean going without food for excessive periods. Intermittent fasting is a pattern of eating with a set window of eating and fasting.

While there are many different versions, the simplest way to get started is to stop eating at night after dinner and break your fast 12-14 hours later, the next day. This pattern limits the late-night, mindless snacking that occurs after dinner.

Try it out: For the next seven days, if you finish eating dinner at 7:30, avoid anything with calories (liquid or food) for the next 12-14 hours. If you feel great, you can even try a longer fast up to 16 hours. If you notice any lightheadedness or feel unwell, start by just limiting food after dinner.

7. Experiment with plant proteins

It’s well documented that a plant-focused diet supports healthy weight and reduces the risk of chronic disease, but you don’t have to go fully vegan to get the benefits. Try to include some version of plant protein into your diet daily this week.

Protein is essential for keeping you satiated and managing blood sugar, and there are plenty of plant-based options. Try adding beans to your salads, nuts and seeds as a healthy snack, or lentil soup for a delicious dinner. Hemp and pumpkin seed protein powders are a healthy addition to smoothies as well, providing extra protein and fiber – a win for weight loss.

Soy is also a high protein, healthy option in organic non-processed forms like tofu or soy milk several times a week.

8. Choose anti-inflammatory fats

Fat used to be the villain, but experts now recognize that dietary fat is necessary for cellular support, hormone function, absorption of specific vitamins and minerals, brain health, heart health, and more. Fat also helps to stabilize blood sugar by slowing down the digestive process.

The key is to choose healthy fats that are overall anti-inflammatory to the body. Try to include avocado, olive oil, and fatty fish like salmon and sardines daily for the next seven days. Avoid margarine and butter substitutes because their chemical composition promotes inflammation in the body.