Breakfast Pastries
Low energy is another symptom of the sluggish metabolism that typically comes with your 40s, so it’s important to fuel yourself with energy-efficient foods. Donuts and other sugary breakfast pastries may seem to give you a quick lift, but their refined starches will set you up for an energy crash within a few hours, making it even tougher to power through the afternoons. Save those treats for your occasional desserts and, instead, choose breakfast foods that are rich in protein and/or fiber, which will help to stabilize your blood sugar levels and provide longer lasting energy.
Anything with sugar
Eating foods that contain large amounts of sugar can accelerate sagging and wrinkling. After 30, collagen production slows and elastin, the protein that keeps the skin firm, begins to break down, causing fine lines to form. Why eat anything that can exacerbate the signs of aging? There are a few reasons why a sugar-heavy diet makes you look older. When there is an excess of sugar in your body, it attaches itself to collagen making the skin look stiff and inflexible.According to Rosenstein “losing this elastic resilience of young skin will give the skin deep wrinkles and make it look old.”
Also, after the age of 40 if you’re overweight or obese, you may be at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The reason for this is that your body isn’t breaking down the sugar you consume properly, which can put you at an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
Alcohol
The effects of drinking alcohol hit you harder once you reach your 40s. As we age, the body doesn’t metabolize alcohol as effectively because your body composition and liver function start to change as early as your 30s. When this happens, you tend to lose muscle mass, while fat content increases. All of this combined with the fact that people have less total body water as they age, and you’ll end up having more alcohol circulating in your blood stream, which can lead to sleepless nights and junk food cravings.
“It’s also increasingly difficult to get a good night’s rest with alcohol in your system. While you may have been able to get away with minimal sleep in your 20s, that’s not the case in your 30s and beyond. Sleepless nights lead to carb and sugar cravings the next day, which can contribute to further weight gain,” explains McKittrick. Additionally, alcohol makes you look older because it sucks all the moisture out of your skin, which can temporarily make fine lines appear more noticeable. Over time, if you continue to booze, your skin loses elasticity and your skin can wrinkle.
Deep-dish Pizza
Your metabolism slows down naturally as you age, and in your 40s, you’ll probably notice that it’s become much easier for you to gain weight (and much more difficult to lose it). There are certainly healthier alternatives to pizza, but deep-dish pizza is especially dangerous if you’re fighting off extra pounds, since the thick, white crust contains loads of unnecessary calories. You don’t have to swear off the pies completely – just make smarter selections. Swap thick crust for thin crust (this automatically saves 100 calories per slice), load it with veggies, and skip the meaty toppings and extra cheese.