08/31/2026
Four Things I’m Focusing on at 48
Lately I’ve been looking at my body a little differently. I’m 48, and instead of simply accepting that feeling heavier, puffier, more tired or craving sugar is just what happens as we get older, I want to understand what my body is actually doing and what I can do to support it.
I think I have four main goals right now.
1. Support my metabolism.
At this age, hormones absolutely become part of the conversation. During perimenopause and menopause, declining estrogen can change where we store fat, affect insulin sensitivity and make it easier to lose muscle. And muscle matters because it is metabolically active tissue. So when I say I want to “increase my metabolism,” what I really mean is that I want to protect and rebuild muscle, move more, eat enough protein, sleep properly and keep my blood sugar more stable. I don’t want to starve myself into being smaller. I want my body working better.
2. Support my lymphatic system.
I’ve become fascinated with the lymphatic system because it is essentially one of the body’s transportation and clean-up networks. It moves excess fluid out of tissues, carries immune cells and helps transport waste products toward the organs that eventually process and eliminate them. Unlike the circulatory system, it doesn’t have a heart pumping it around. Muscle contraction, walking, breathing and movement help keep lymph moving.
So rather than thinking of it as some dramatic “detox,” I’m thinking about supporting a system my body already uses every single day: moving, sweating, drinking water, eating real food and using herbs such as cleavers as part of that bigger picture.
3. Increase the antioxidants coming from my food.
This one makes more and more sense to me the more I learn. Our bodies constantly produce unstable molecules called free radicals as part of normal metabolism, and we’re also exposed to things like smoke, pollution, UV light and other environmental stressors. Too much oxidative stress can damage cells, proteins and DNA. Antioxidants help neutralize some of those reactive molecules before they can do damage.
To be clear, the goal isn’t to flood myself with antioxidant supplements. Our bodies already have their own sophisticated antioxidant systems. I want to give those systems the raw materials they need through colourful plants, berries, herbs, vegetables, good food and freshly pressed juices. Blueberries, beets, carrots, leafy greens, herbs, tomatoes - suddenly I’m looking at these foods as more than ingredients. They are resources for the body.
4. Pay attention to parasites, gut health - and what may be driving my sugar cravings.
Parasites are not some bizarre, far-off possibility. Humans are exposed to microorganisms and potential parasites through food, soil, water, animals and our environment throughout our lives. And when you look at the modern diet - enormous amounts of refined sugar, ultra-processed food, low fibre and disrupted gut health - I think it makes sense to pay much closer attention to what may be living in and influencing the gut.
I’m particularly interested in the relationship between my sweet tooth and what is happening in my digestive system. I don’t want to assume that every sugar craving proves I have parasites, because cravings can also be affected by blood-sugar swings, hormones, stress, sleep and habit. But I do want to reduce the amount of sugar I’m feeding myself and create an internal environment that supports beneficial gut organisms rather than constantly feeding the things I don’t want thriving there.
So for me, this is less about becoming afraid of parasites and more about becoming aware of the ecosystem inside my body. What am I feeding every day? What am I encouraging to grow? And what changes when I remove some of the sugar and start giving my body more whole foods, fibre, herbs and nutrients?
And maybe there is a fifth goal underneath all four of these:
Build muscle and stabilize blood sugar.
Because those two things connect almost everything I’m trying to accomplish. Muscle helps with metabolism. Movement helps move lymph. Better blood-sugar control can reduce cravings. And eating enough protein and whole foods naturally pushes out some of the highly processed food.
I’m not trying to wage war against my body because I turned 48. I’m trying to understand it better.
More plants. More movement. More muscle. Less sugar. Better sleep. Herbs where they make sense. Paying attention to what my body is telling me instead of waiting until it has to scream.
To me, getting older isn’t the problem. Not changing how we care for ourselves as we get older seems to be, though. I think the real work is learning what our bodies need now and being willing to change with them.
