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5 min read<\/p>\n5 min read<\/p>\n
THERE\u2019S A QUESTION<\/strong> I\u2019ve been hearing from my clients lately. Given everything currently en vogue in the wellness world, you’d think it\u2019d be about protein timing, carb cycling, or maybe even creatine. It usually comes from guys in their late 30s and 40s, athletes I\u2019ve worked with for years who by any reasonable measure are doing everything right. It sounds something like this: I feel like I\u2019m starting to slip, like things that used to work aren\u2019t working the same way. What can I do to maintain what I’ve got\u2014and keep feeling good for the long haul?<\/p>\n What they\u2019re describing is the difference between fitness and what we’re calling strengthspan. How long are you able to stay mobile, sharp, and capable while avoiding the aches and pains that sometimes come with age? It\u2019s a different goal than the next 12-week cut, and it requires different thinking. The habits that got you to where you are now aren\u2019t necessarily the ones that carry you to 70 with your joints intact and your body feeling so good you can run a marathon or still sprint 100 meters<\/a>.<\/p>\n And yes, these things matter. Aging through the decades doesn’t need to mean losing your ability to move and be athletic and hang with younger guys, because fitness and nutrition science is letting us prolong our peaks for so much longer. <\/p>\n How? When it comes to nutrition, here’s what I’m actually telling clients about how they should be eating. Check out the whole new MH Maximum Strengthspan program<\/a> to learn more about how you can combine your healthy diet with smart, sustainable training, too.<\/p>\n MOVE ONE: Don\u2019t Eat the Same Thing Every Day<\/p>\n Consistency is almost always the right call. I\u2019ll say that until I\u2019m blue in the face. But there\u2019s a version of consistency that quietly works against you, and it\u2019s when your food rotation gets so narrow that your gut starts to reflect it.<\/p>\n Why This Works:<\/strong><\/p>\n Pick three theme meals a week that aren\u2019t your usual, then keep the plate math the same. Variety feeds your gut, widens your nutrient net, and keeps food fun. <\/p>\n How to Do It:<\/strong><\/p>\n Here are some quick combos you can actually add: <\/strong><\/p>\n Keep things simple and make changes each week as needed.<\/p>\n MOVE TWO: Don\u2019t Shortchange Antioxidants. Powders Can’t Do All the Work.<\/p>\n Supplementation is great, but it\u2019s meant to supplement an already balanced diet. You need to eat real food\u2014especially when it comes to brightly colored fruits and veggies. <\/p>\n Why It Works:<\/strong><\/p>\n Loading every plate with three to four colorful, antioxidant-rich foods expands your \u201cnutrient net,\u201d increasing variety and giving you a greater opportunity to enrich your micronutrients with each meal. <\/p>\n How to Do It:<\/strong><\/p>\n MOVE THREE: Don\u2019t Put Collagen in Your Coffee<\/p>\n Your skin and tendons will lose collagen as you age, so you might add a supplement to your stack. But if you’re putting a scoop of it in your hot coffee, you’re shortchanging yourself from the important qualities you’ll get, because heat denatures collagen protein. <\/p>\n Why It Works:<\/strong><\/p>\n Think of the pairing like building a house. You need a foundation, and then all the inner workings of a home. Including anti-inflammatory foods and collagen builders throughout the week helps strengthen the body.<\/p>\n How to Do It:<\/strong><\/p>\n Doing all of these pairings helps to engage the food matrix and all its synchronicities. <\/p>\n MOVE FOUR: Don\u2019t Skip Fiber<\/p>\n Fiber and regular bowel movements go hand in hand. You don’t need to fibermaxx<\/a>, but you should make sure that you have a minimum intake for a healthy gut (and longevity). <\/p>\n Why It Works:<\/strong><\/p>\n Meeting your 38 grams of fiber each day can reduce your overall mortality risk by nearly 50 percent. <\/p>\n How to Do It:<\/strong><\/p>\n That\u2019s the secret to life. Fiber and pooping regularly so that you can detoxify your body. <\/p>\n The Longevity Brain Blend Smoothie<\/p>\n Here\u2019s why it works: <\/strong><\/p>\n You might not love the ingredient list here at first glance, but the kefir, tofu, and white beans together put you in the 28 to 35 gram protein range without any powder. Blueberries and cocoa stack polyphenols. The matcha\u2019s L-theanine pairs with its caffeine for a focused, steady rise that\u2019s different from how straight coffee hits me. There’s less edge, with more even energy. And the beans plus chia feed the gut microbiome in a way that mirrors what researchers actually see in long-lived populations. <\/p>\n Ingredients (1 big 18\u201320 oz)<\/strong><\/p>\n Directions<\/strong><\/p>\n Blend until ultra-smooth. Pour into a clear glass.<\/p>\n \u200bAdaptations: <\/strong>If you need to go dairy-free, swap kefir for unsweetened soy milk, and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Add more protein: a quarter cup of extra tofu or 2 tablespoons of hemp hearts. To reduce caffeine, cut the matcha to 1\/2 teaspoon or skip it entirely. Sweeter, bump the cocoa, add almond extract, and finish with crushed pistachios on top.<\/p>\n \u200bApproximate macros: Protein ~30 to 35 grams | Carbs ~55 to 65 grams | Fiber ~12 to 15 grams | Fat ~8 to 10 grams | Calories ~450 to 520<\/p>\n Check out all of our the videos in our Maximum Strengthspan program, available exclusively for MH MVP subscribers, here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
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