"We are far from a diet that is good for us."

Our body has special needs at every age. Especially from midlife, with hormonal adjustments, the demands on our diet also change, says our expert and nutritionist Susanne Liedtke.

That doesn't mean we should start dieting and counting calories from now on. However, we should definitely eat more varied and cleverly to enhance well-being and minimize the risks of many diseases years in advance.

We talked to Susanne Liedtke about what happens in the body from midlife on, why nutrition is such a strong lever for more energy and well-being, and which simple changes really make a difference.

Susanne Liedtke

brings fresh air into the health debate, especially when it comes to nutrition from midlife onwards. With her platform Niemand hat es mir gesagt. the graduate ecotrophologist draws attention to connections that have long been underestimated and supports women (and men) in consciously realigning their diet. Her bestseller Alguien me dijo. has been published by Brandstätter Verlag and shows what we can do specifically to better take care of our bodies again.

Ms. Liedtke, let's be honest. How healthy is our diet really?

I find that we have strayed too far from the diet that is good for us and that our digestive system and metabolism have developed over millions of years. And that is a predominantly plant-based, high-fiber diet. The range of food and luxury items that we find in supermarkets today is indeed very tasty, but unfortunately completely lacking in nutrients and fiber. No wonder that lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases continue to be on the rise, and more and more younger people are affected. A course correction is needed. I wish more people would discover for themselves how much good they can do with the right diet.

What do we know today about nutrition that we didn't know a few years ago?

We already knew 30 years ago what a great influence diet has on our health. So, the basics have not changed. What has been added in terms of knowledge is the significance of the microbiome for our health. We live in symbiosis with our 38 trillion gut bacteria. Only if we nourish them well—meaning, consume sufficient fiber—can they do their job for us. This includes, among other things, the production of short-chain fatty acids, which are extremely important for us.

We also see more strongly today the effects of consuming sugary foods like soft drinks, as well as highly processed foods like fast food, because their availability has further increased. Almost 25 percent of adults in Germany are severely overweight. Worldwide, more and more people are developing diabetes, and in Germany now one in 10 people is affected by diabetes. These are dramatic numbers, as this is the gateway to further chronic diseases.

Can almost all complaints such as insomnia, lack of energy, belly fat, joint or gastrointestinal problems be traced back to our modern diet?

No. The causes are manifold, including stress, lack of exercise, poor sleep, an unhealthy lifestyle (e.g., smoking, alcohol), and nutrition. For women, there is at least one additional factor from midlife: the sharp decline in hormones, especially estrogens. Estrogens are much more than sex hormones; they are involved in many metabolic processes in the body. They make our cells more receptive to insulin, thereby preventing insulin resistance – thus having a protective effect. Furthermore, they promote memory performance, have a mood-enhancing (antidepressant) effect, and a beneficial influence on our bone health, blood vessels, as well as on skin and hair.

When women in menopause lose the protective effect of estrogen and continue to eat more of a Western diet, the likelihood is greater that they will subsequently experience health problems.

With your book, you want to counteract the negative developments and show how we can create a new start. What can we start with? How can we succeed in switching to a healthy diet and what should I eat daily?

We can start with very simple things, without the need for a scale or a diet. On the one hand, we can simply eat less of certain foods: meat and sausages, sugary foods, alcohol, cheese, white flour, fried foods, pre-made smoothies, and dried fruits. This leaves more room for these foods:

Vegetables and mushrooms, herbs, legumes, whole grain products, nuts, seeds and - very important - fermented foods.

If we were to eat 500 grams of vegetables a day, including lots of "greens," cruciferous vegetables, and colorful vegetables, we would be doing our bodies a lot of good. This also promotes a healthy gut flora. Then we could eat two tablespoons of ground flaxseeds every day, which have many health benefits for both men and women. Among other things, the contained phytoestrogens protect breast and prostate tissue. And if you manage to eat fermented foods every day, such as raw, unpasteurized sauerkraut or kimchi, you're ahead of the game. I would start with these three things and see what it does to my body.

What insider tip can you give at the end?

I drink LaVita every morning. LaVita convinces me because it is in liquid form, because it comes along with important phytochemicals, and because it is not highly dosed. Today we know that highly dosed is neither necessary nor good. On the contrary: it can also be harmful, for example, in the case of vitamin B12.