40. Macros & Micros Made Simple for Midlife Women

In this episode of Midlife and Glowing, Alicia and Nicole cut through the nutrition noise and break down macronutrients and micronutrients in a way that actually makes sense for women in midlife.

If you’ve ever felt confused by terms like macros, protein goals, carbs, blood sugar, or micronutrients—or wondered why the way you used to eat just doesn’t work anymore—this episode is for you.

We explore why protein needs increase in perimenopause, how blood sugar stability impacts energy, mood, and cravings, and why fiber and healthy fats play a critical role in hormone balance, digestion, and long-term health. You’ll also learn why micronutrient gaps are common—even with a “healthy” diet—and how supplements should support, not replace, real food.

This is midlife nutrition without restriction, guilt, or tracking apps—just practical, supportive guidance to help you feel stronger, clearer, and more energized in this season of life.

⏱️ Episode Chapters / Timestamps
00:00 Why macros feel confusing (and why that matters)
01:10 What macronutrients really are
02:00 Why midlife nutrition works differently
03:05 Protein gaps & blood sugar stability
04:00 How much protein midlife women actually need
05:00 Carbs, insulin resistance & energy crashes
06:50 Skipping breakfast & the grazing cycle
08:00 Easy protein-forward breakfast solutions
09:55 Building real meals (not snack meals)
11:00 Fiber, digestion & estrogen balance
12:50 Healthy fats for hormones & brain health
14:30 Micronutrients, supplements & where to start

📌 Resources
✨ Daily Glow Rituals Guide → https://stan.store/thedailyglowlife/p/daily-glow-rituals-guide

🥑 Book a Nutrition Therapy Appointment → https://visit.berrystreet.co/providers/Nicole-Maholy

Transcript

0:00

If you've ever nodded along when someone said, just track your macros, but secretly thought, I have absolutely no idea what that means, then same. And this episode is for you. Or if you've tried to eat healthy, skipped breakfast because you weren't hungry, grabbed a few bites here and there all day, and then wondered why you're exhausted, foggy, or starving at night, yeah, we're talking to you too because somewhere along the way, nutrition got complicated. Buzzwords everywhere. Conflicting advice and very little explanation of what your body actually needs. In midlife today, we're breaking down macronutrients and micronutrients in a way that makes sense. No calorie math quizzes, no food guilt, no spreadsheets required. Welcome back to Midlife and Glowing. I'm Alicia. And I'm Nicole. And today we're getting back to the basics, but the kind of basics that can truly change how you feel in this season of life. Okay, Nicole, I wanna start here because I hear these words all the time. Macros, micros, protein, blood sugar, and I think most women know they're important, but they don't really know what they mean or why they should be prioritizing them. Totally and honestly, that confusion is one of the biggest barriers I see with women actually nourishing themselves well, in midlife. So let's assume someone is listening right now thinking, I've heard of macros, but I don't know if I'm supposed to count them. Fear them, avoid them or ignore them. So what actually are macros? That's such a good place to start. Macronutrients usually shortened to macros are simply the nutrients your body needs in larger amounts to function and have energy. There's three macronutrients, protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Every food you eat is made up of some combination of these three. So macros aren't a diet, they're just a food. Yes, exactly. Macros are not a trend. They're not a weight loss plan. They're not a diet. They're just the building blocks of basic human nutrition. Okay, so why does this matter more in midlife? Because a lot of us ate pretty casually in our twenties and thirties and didn't think twice about it. Right, and that's because your body could get away with more then. in midlife, hormones shift muscle mass naturally declines, insulin sensitivity changes and stress impacts metabolism more dramatically. So the margin for error gets smaller, which explains why women say nothing I used to do works anymore. Exactly. It's not willpower, it's physiology. Okay. I know from talking to you and from your one-on-one work, that protein is a big one. What are you seeing most often with midlife women and protein? The most common thing I see is that women are eating far less protein than their bodies actually need, especially earlier in the day. Like coffee for breakfast? yes, right? Coffee for breakfast, maybe a piece of toast or yogurt that only has a few grams of protein, and then they wonder why they're starving by mid-morning or craving sugar in the afternoon. We've talked about this in past episodes, but for blood sugar regulation and where your blood sugar goes, your energy and your mood follow. So blood sugar regulation is really important for great energy and protein is a key factor for keeping blood sugar stable. As are fiber and healthy fats, but protein is definitely something that women aren't getting enough of, and it's also very satiating, so it'll help curb the hunger and cravings when you're actually getting what you need. Yeah. For me, when we would have conversations about protein, you're like, are you getting enough? I'm like, oh, yeah, yeah. Plenty of protein. But when you actually look at how much protein is in the things that you think have a lot of protein, like you're surprised. I mean, you really, yeah. Have to prioritize it to get the amount that you really need, so How much protein are we actually talking about? How much should we be having? A really solid, realistic target for most midlife women is way higher than what most people think. We actually need about one gram per pound of ideal body weight per day. So a good target for midlife women is to focus on trying to get at least 30 grams of protein per meal and then work your way up from there per meal, not per day, right per meal, and then fill in the gaps with a snack. That's a good starting point. Okay, sell us on protein. Why does it matter so much right now? Protein supports so many different aspects of our health. Muscle maintenance and strength, metabolism, blood sugar stability, hormone production, recovery from exercise, feeling full and satisfied after meals and muscle loss accelerates in midlife if we're not actively supporting it. And it's important to know that low muscle mass and strength are also linked with increased risk of frailty, lower physical performance, higher risk of falls, metabolic disease and functional decline in older adults. Worse recovery outcomes after illness or injury, and overall reduction in health span, which means the years lived in good health. The protein isn't about getting bulky. Not at all. I mean, it is an important component of that strategy for when people are actually deliberately trying to bulk up. But for midlife women consuming the amount of protein that I mentioned, it's not gonna lead to you looking like a bodybuilder. It'll support healthy muscle mass and strength, but you're not gonna be looking like a professional wrestler unless you're deliberately training for that. Okay. Let's talk carbs because this is where a lot of confusion and fear lives. Yes, this is true. It's important to start out by saying that carbohydrates are not the enemy. Your brain actually prefers carbs as an energy source. So why do carbs get such a bad reputation? Because many women are unintentionally eating a high carb, low protein diet, especially your refined carbs while skipping meals or grazing, which leads to the energy crashes. Exactly this scenario is a blood sugar disaster. And again, we've talked about it a lot on this podcast. In this stage of life, we are more insulin resistant, so that blood sugar mayhem is just intensified by that style of eating. You end up on a blood sugar rollercoaster, it goes up, then it crashes, then cravings kick in, and that cycle is much harder on a midlife body. Yeah, this kind of sounds like my diet for many years. Pastas, breads, treats very little meat and, uh, skipping breakfast, but you know. Yeah, exactly. We always say when you know better, you can do better, and it's never too late to make a change. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And this is definitely not about demonizing your current, uh, routine. If this is you, that's okay. When you know better, you do better. And most people don't know this stuff, you know, like this isn't like taught to to people typically. So I know that a lot of women listening can relate because I hear that pattern from women all of the time in my nutrition work, I'm just not hungry in the morning, but then you have a little pastry or a bowl of cereal and you're set in a stage for blood sugar spikes and crashes for the rest of the day because how you start the day makes a big difference in what your blood sugar does throughout the rest of the day. Yeah. You mentioned grazing, and I feel like many of us fall into that category. Yeah, very true. Skipping breakfast, sipping coffee, grabbing a handful of something here and there. Then having a bigger dinner. Yeah, and it feels light. It feels like you're not overeating. Therefore, it feels like you shouldn't be in a position where you're struggling with your weight. Right, but metabolically it creates instability. Blood sugar never really stabilizes. Protein stays low and hunger hormones get dysregulated in this scenario. And often women will eat a bigger dinner and then still feel like they need to snack in the evening to compensate for those missed meals. So it's not a pattern that's helpful for our metabolism and overall health in this stage of life. Yeah, you know, I've always struggled with breakfast. I'm not hungry first thing in the morning, and I don't feel like eating. So what I've been doing to still support myself and not send myself into a blood sugar chaos is to just put protein powder in my coffee. Yeah. Yeah. I'm glad you mentioned that. When I work with women that tell me that they don't eat breakfast either because they don't have the time or they aren't hungry, that's often what I'll have them start with to change that habit. It's low lift. It's an easy way to shift this no breakfast pattern while still supporting your health. Most people are doing coffee or tea or something like that, and it's pretty easy to put collagen or protein powder in that. Mm-hmm. As a starting point for getting some protein. Right, and you can get unflavored, so you can't even taste it. It, right? It's just like you're drinking a normal cup of coffee. So when I was pregnant with my boys, I, you know, was having a really hard time. I, I wasn't feeling the greatest and I had a really hard time eating breakfast in the morning. And so they said. Have a protein shake. Well, back then it was a shake, and I didn't like those either. But you know, like if I would've known about the putting protein in my drink in the morning, I wouldn't have been drinking caffeine, but decaf, right? Put decaf in, you know, put a little scoop of protein powder in your coffee. That's how you're starting your day Anyhow, then you're still getting right. Some, you know, nourishment. Yeah. Nourishment and, you know, help support, um, yourself and your babies. Yeah, absolutely. She actually wanted me to have a protein shake or, you know, a shake with a breakfast, and I'm like, you know what? I'm not doing. I don't think I can do both, uh, because I really was, I wasn't, uh, gaining weight'cause I just was not, well, I was not feeling well, um, in the beginning. Okay. So what would be the alternative to that way of eating? Consistent meals, but real meals. So not snacks pretending to be meals. Exactly meals that include protein, fiber rich carbs, healthy fats. This one shift alone can dramatically improve your energy, your mood, sleep, cravings. You won't feel like you need to snack all night if you give your body what it's calling for during the day. Okay? Fiber doesn't get the hype protein does, but I do know it's important. Fiber is huge, especially in midlife. It supports digestion, gut health, blood sugar, balance, cholesterol, and estrogen metabolism. A good daily target for fiber is 25 to 35 grams of fiber per day. You know, it's funny because I, I do think of like fiber as being like an old person thing because you know, like when. You went to your grandparents' house, they always had like the fiber yogurt or like the fiber cereal, you know, because the digestion is a little bit trickier as you get older. Mm-hmm. But, but yes. Would you say that most women aren't even close to getting that 25 to 35 grams of fiber per day? Not even close. Honestly, I think most women are lucky to get even 15 grams a day. Okay. So what can you focus on to get more fiber in your diet? So fiber comes from whole foods, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains. For example, half an avocado has around six grams of fiber, depending on the size of the avocado. A cup of green beans has a little over three grams of fiber. One cup of raspberries has eight grams of fiber. A tablespoon of chia seeds has about four to five grams. One third cup of lentils is seven to eight grams. So focus on whole foods like these to get a good amount of fiber in your diet. And if we break down that 25 to 35 grams into, you know, what you should be aiming for, really for each meal, we're talking like eight to 12 grams of fiber per meal. And for those of you that may not know, this, fiber falls into the carbohydrate category. Fiber is in carbohydrates. So to wrap up the carbohydrate part of the conversation, the important thing to focus on with carbs is to choose those fiber rich sources, which we just touched on. And as we said before, carbs aren't bad. Sugar and refined carbs that you would find in soda, sweets, breads. The processed packaged foods and bakery items, those are gonna send your blood sugar on a rollercoaster ride and are not helpful for your metabolism or your overall health when eaten frequently and in high amounts, which is typical of a standard American diet. But the fiber rich sources that we talked about will keep your blood sugar stable and support many other aspects of health, like gut health and heart health. So those are the ones to focus on. So what about fats? Because that's another area people stress over. You're right. It is often fearing that they're either gonna get fat from them or they're bad for heart health. Fats are essential, especially for hormones and brain health. But the key is to focus on eating healthy fats, so things like avocado, olives, fatty fish, nuts and seeds, even grass fed butter and tallow. When it comes to fats, just focus on the quality of the foods you're eating and avoid the unhealthy options like trans fats, which would be listed as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, or they're gonna be in things like fried foods or packaged baked goods, and of course, avoiding other hydrogenated oils like margarine too. Okay, let's talk micronutrients. What are they? So micronutrients are basically your vitamins and minerals. And this is where I wanna touch on something really important because sometimes I'll hear people say, oh, I don't need a multivitamin. I eat pretty healthy. But in modern society, even women who eat well can have nutritional gaps. And I would say. Most women that eat well, we all have nutritional gaps. Things like soil depletion of minerals and nutrients, higher stress, higher nutrient demands in midlife, all of it adds up. That's why research does support the use of a high quality multivitamin in addition to a healthy diet, of course, to help fill those nutritional gaps. So supplements aren't a replacement. They're support. Exactly. Supplements should be used as exactly that. They're not a miracle pill. They are a supplement to a healthy lifestyle. You gotta have a good foundation though, with a healthy diet. But I do know that not all supplements are created equal. That is. A hundred percent true as well. Yes, quality matters. That's with anything we talk about. The quality of the food that you're eating, obviously mattering a lot. Same thing with supplements. Anything that you're putting into your body on a regular basis, the quality has to be there. So when it comes to supplements, I have been recommending them for years, of course, given what I do in my background. And I always recommend supplements that are. High quality supplements that I take myself. Ones that have quality control and we know what's in them, so we utilize those supplements. We have an online dispensary full of quality supplements, so we'll make sure to link that in the show notes for you too. So when people say they're counting their macros, is there a specific, like you should have X amount of macros per day. What they're counting is the amount of protein, carbs, and fats in their diet that makes up a specific number of calories for the day. So for example, with a ketogenic style of eating, your carbohydrate intake is very low, and your fat intake is actually really high. So there's a certain strategy. So when people are counting macros, they're typically utilizing some sort of strategy to help them with some goal. Okay. So if someone is listening, thinking, okay, this makes sense, but where do I start? What would you say? Start simple. Eat breakfast with protein, whether that's protein in your coffee or a full protein forward meal. If you can start the day with stable blood sugar, that's huge. Build actual nutritious meals instead of grazing. Aim for a minimum of 30 grams of protein per meal. Increase fiber gradually aiming for 25 to 35 grams per day. Support your nervous system with rest, and really think about your food as nourishment, like how you are nourishing your body to feel great because I think a lot of times women end up feeling overwhelmed by it or thinking of it as punishment or a chore. Just aim to nourish your body well. So just a quick recap. Macronutrients are your protein, carbohydrates, and fats and micronutrients are your vitamins and minerals. Midlife nutrition isn't about restriction. It's about support. Support for your energy, your hormones, your strength, and your future self. If this episode helped make things clearer, share it with a friend who's been confused or frustrated around food too. And if you haven't yet, leaving a review helps more women find these conversations. Thanks for being here. We'll see you next week.