I love being in my fifties as I now feel like I've got a better sense of who I am as a person and what I need to get the most out of life, but sometimes I do wish I had a little more time to focus on myself!
During the week, I present Loose Women but as the studio filming stops I begin working on my YouTube channel, writing cookery books and looking after my two daughters, so like lots of us in our 50s, I'm winding up, not down! However, I absolutely love my bonkers life and certainly don't want getting a bit older to hold me back!
It's an exciting time but it's not all plain sailing as it does come with its challenges. I need my physical health and energy levels to keep up with what I want to do, but after going through the menopause, I have found I am more tired than when I was breast feeding - something I didn't think was ever possible.
To try to give myself an extra boost, I discovered that making a couple of simple changes to your diet can help to maintain your energy levels. As we get older, our body uses proteins, vitamins and minerals differently so we need to ensure we have enough of these nutrients in our diet to support our health and help us maintain a busy lifestyle. It turns out that having Vitamin B2, B6, C & Iron, in my diet could have helped to prevent those afternoon energy slumps, whilst protein is great for boosting muscle strength to give you that extra force you need to fight the fatigue!
Apparently not a lot of the 50+ generation know this either. Research shows that 3 in 4 people in their 50s don't realise that your nutritional requirements change as you get older, and you need more protein in your diet. A further 59% (like me) didn't know how much protein, vitamin and minerals you need to support your busy life.
I discovered 'Meritene', a range of tasty nutritional shakes and soups which are designed to support a healthy body and help us enjoy an active lifestyle. They pack in the good stuff I need in my diet, with a unique blend of high quality protein, 10 vitamins and 6 minerals, which means they're tailor made to help me release energy and reduce tiredness, whilst supporting my muscle and bone health.
Our body is such an incredible thing and we should feel proud to be over 50. Fuel your body with the right nutrients to allow you to do more, not less, as you get older.