“Your body really needs that daily stimulus to get the most benefit,” he said. “But it also becomes easier to make it a habit if you’re doing it more often. It becomes integrated into your routine.”
This life stage brings a metabolic crossroads. While your basal metabolic rate (the calories your body burns at rest) remains relatively stable until around age 60, many people in midlife still find their weight creeping steadily upward. This gain isn’t about a “slowing metabolism” in the traditional sense; it can be due to more time sitting, and less time exercising, than when you were younger — or accumulating years of small daily caloric surpluses. Meanwhile, hormonal changes can affect how your body stores fat and regulates hunger, making weight management more challenging than when you were younger.
For these reasons, nutrition is more consequential during midlife. What you eat now directly influences your risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis — conditions that often begin developing silently in your 40s and 50s before causing symptoms.
To gain health benefits from your diet, you don’t need to be perfect or completely give up foods you love. Both Fredericson and King — as well as organizations like the American Heart Association — strongly advocate for the Mediterranean diet, which is predominantly plant-based but flexible enough to fit real life.
“The Mediterranean diet has been ranked No. 1 for weight loss and overall health,” Fredericson notes. “Studies have shown that it’s an anti-inflammatory diet, and we know that inflammation is linked to so many diseases — from heart disease to even Alzheimer’s.”
Some key nutritional priorities for your 40s and 50s:
Increase your protein intake: As you begin losing muscle mass with age, your body needs more protein to maintain what you have. While the standard recommendation is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, research shows that adults over 40 benefit from more protein — approximately 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight daily. For a 165-pound person, that’s about 75 to 90 grams of protein per day. This works out to three meals that contain 20 to 30 grams of protein — a 3-to-4-ounce chicken breast, a cup of Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, a can of tuna, three eggs, or five ounces of tofu — and another 15-to-20-gram snack, like a handful of nuts or seeds, a few slices of turkey, a protein smoothie, or hummus and veggies. And it’s important to adjust the above numbers based on a person’s actual body weight.
Prioritize fiber: Soluble fiber helps manage weight, cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar — increasingly important as cardiovascular and diabetes risks rise. The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests 25 to 31 grams daily from vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes. You can get 5 or more grams of fiber in one cup of cooked broccoli, carrots, corn, or Brussels sprouts, half a cup of berries, apples, or oranges, half of an avocado, a tablespoon of chia seeds, or a serving of quinoa, beans, edamame, lentils or oatmeal.
Watch portion sizes: If you’re less active than you were at 30, you may need fewer total calories even though you need the same or more protein. Focus on nutrient-dense foods that provide vitamins and minerals without excess calories.
During these years, quality sleep becomes harder to achieve, but more important than ever. Hormonal changes, increased stress, weight gain, chronic diseases and physical changes like obstructive sleep apnea can all disrupt the restorative sleep your body needs. Research shows that too much or little sleep during midlife is linked to accelerated cognitive decline, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and higher rates of obesity and diabetes.
“The sweet spot should be at least seven hours,” said Clete Kushida, MD, PhD, chief and medical director of Stanford Medicine’s Division of Sleep Medicine, referencing the consensus recommendation for adults. “But it’s not just about quantity. Sleep quality matters too.”
And individual differences in sleep duration matter as well, King notes. Increasingly accurate digital devices worn at night can help you figure out the right amount of sleep for your own health.
To optimize your sleep, Kushida recommends establishing consistent sleep habits, including a regular wake-up time (even on weekends), morning light exposure and pre-bedtime rituals that allow you to wind down (preferably without screens, alcohol or strenuous exercise). If you find your mind racing when you try to fall asleep, Kushida suggests keeping a notebook next to your pillow to jot things down and get them out of your mind; you can return to them in the morning.
You should also know that obstructive sleep apnea and certain types of insomnia become more common in midlife. Obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing repeatedly stops during sleep, affects nearly 1 billion adults worldwide. It is far more prevalent in people aged 40 to 60 compared with younger and older populations.
And while younger adults more often struggle with falling asleep, middle-aged adults are more likely to experience difficulty staying asleep — affecting up to 22% of those in their 40s and 50s, according to the CDC. Both obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia are treatable, so if you’re experiencing symptoms don’t dismiss them as normal aging.
“If you’re getting enough hours of sleep but still feeling sleepy, it means your sleep is probably fragmented or you’re not getting enough REM or deep sleep,” Kushida added. “It would be a good idea to consult a sleep specialist.”
These are the years when many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer, begin to develop. Catching these conditions early, when they’re most treatable, can make the difference between a minor health adjustment and a life-threatening crisis. Preventive screening is one of the most important health habits you can adopt during midlife.
“The beauty of preventive care is that you can find things before they become problems,” King said. “When you catch high blood pressure or pre-diabetes early, you can make lifestyle changes or start treatment that prevents serious complications down the road.”
What screenings should you prioritize? The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends several key tests for people in their 40s and 50s: annual blood pressure checks (hypertension often has no symptoms but increases heart disease risk), cholesterol screening, Type 2 diabetes screening and colonoscopy beginning at age 45 to detect colorectal cancer early.
Women should begin annual mammograms at age 40 to screen for breast cancer, and men should discuss prostate cancer screening with their doctor starting at age 50, or earlier if they have risk factors such as a family history or African-American ancestry.
Beyond these clinical screenings, King emphasizes the value of annual wellness visits even when you feel healthy. These visits allow you to build a relationship with your health care provider, stay current on vaccinations (including annual flu shots and updated COVID-19 vaccines and, at age 50, shingles vaccination), and get advice based on your individual risk factors and health goals. Think of it as routine maintenance for your body — prevention is always easier than treatment.
“Annual primary care visits are a nice way to touch base with your health care provider and exchange information,” King said. “They can be aware of anything that’s changed with your health and help you figure out what you need to focus on.”
In your 40s and 50s, you are probably juggling everything from career pressures and financial stress to aging parents and growing children. You might feel like there’s no time left in the day to enjoy yourself. Chronic stress during these years can damage your cardiovascular system, accelerate cognitive decline and weaken your immune system.
“It’s important to manage stress or stress will manage you,” said David Spiegel, MD, the Jack, Lulu, and Sam Willson Professor in Medicine; professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; and director of the Stanford Center on Stress and Health.
Spiegel recommends stress-reduction techniques like meditation, deep breathing and self-hypnosis. His research on self-hypnosis found that people who learned these techniques experienced significantly less pain and stress, and the benefits lasted for years. He has developed a mobile app, Reveri, that teaches these skills.
Social connections also become especially important during midlife — and can help you both manage your stress and improve your long-term health. Research consistently shows that people with strong social ties live longer, have better cognitive function, and experience lower rates of depression and anxiety than those who are isolated. One study analyzing data from 2.3 million adults found that social isolation increases the risk of premature death by about 30% — comparable to the health risks of smoking 15 cigarettes per day.
“Social connection is really important for healthy aging — for your brain and for your emotional health,” King said. “Finding ways to stay engaged with others, whether through community groups, volunteer work or simply maintaining close friendships, is one of the most protective things you can do for your long-term health.”
This article is part of a series on healthy habits for all age groups. Keep reading about healthy habits to develop in your 20s and 30s, and healthy habits to maintain independence in your 60s and 70s.
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