Women in their 40s
In your fabulous 40s, you still feel invincible-these are excellent years, in fact.

But subtle changes are occurring that need to be addressed before they become problems. Here are a few of the extremely common health shifts women experience:

Women in their 40s
Metabolism: Slowing by 2% per decade.
Muscle: Down by 7 pounds from Ten years ago.
Bone: Visiting about 1% per year as your mid-30s.
Libido: Declining as a result of high stress levels and hormonal changes.
Stress: Especially high as a result of worries about kids, parents, health, career, and finances.
Depression: More inclined now than down the road.
Establish these 8 preventative habits now and you will not merely counter these changes-you'll stay healthier, sharper, more energetic, and much more fulfilled for many years.

1. Eat lunch
Nutritionists agree that eating breakfast is crucial to keeping weight down and calorie-burning metabolism up. A single study, women who ate a huge breakfast lost 21% of the body mass after 8 months, compared with 4.5% for females on a low-carb diet who made breakfast their smallest meal. The healthy-breakfast eaters continued losing with time but they ate more total calories, even though the low-carb group started regaining weight after 4 months.

Reason: A good meal at the start of the day works in consultation with metabolism, which can be highest each day, fueling activity and preventing cravings that arise when blood glucose levels drops. (Start your entire day off right with one of these 8 ridiculously healthy breakfasts.)

2. Jump-start your metabolism
Strength-training for 6 months can raise your resting metabolism (a survey on men showed an enhancement of 7%), so you�ll use up more calories even when you�re on the sofa.

Bonus: Strength-training likewise helps you shore up bone, maintain balance, and steer clear of injury-important for shielding your skeleton both now when you�re older. Aim to exercise no less than 30 minutes most days of a few days. (Try these Top five strengthening moves for your 5 most stubborn areas.)

3. Boost calcium and vitamin D
Both of them are essential for strong bones, but some experts feel current benchmarks are so low. The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends that ladies within their 40s get 1,000 mg of calcium and 400 to 800 IU of vitamin D every day from foods like fortified milk or salmon, as well as supplements if required. Some dieticians suggest arising to at least one,000 IU a day for optimal health and wellness.

More from Prevention: The top Supplements For girls

4. Practice stress control
A healthy, calm heart beats faster if you inhale, slower if you breathe out. But stress inhibits this natural "heart rate variability," triggering unhealthy changes bodywide, including increased blood pressure, less energy for the brain, lower libido, and faster cell death. "In effect, stress makes you age faster," says Claire Michaels Wheeler, MD, PhD, author of 10 Simple Answers to Stress.

To really get your heart into a healthier rhythm, breathe through your nose for 4 beats and out for 8 at least 2 times every day or anytime you feel pressure. "That activates the vagus nerve that runs through the brain on the pelvis, relaxing one's heart, muscles, airways, gastrointestinal tract, and bloodstream," says Dr. Wheeler.

5. Get up protein
Getting foods because of the amino acids necessary to form complete proteins twice every day boosts degrees of mood-lifting neurotransmitters from the brain, which will help relieve signs of depression, like slow thinking and difficulty in remembering things (see this new science-backed strategy to boost your brain). Aim for 4 ounces of protein at intervals of meal. Good sources include fish, eggs, and quinoa. But don�t totally skip carbs: They boost mood by increasing manufacture of serotonin within the brain.

6. Be adventurous together with your partner
Try something new-and not only to bed. "When you just fall in love, dopamine centers within the brain fire constantly, and also the same occurs you do something else entirely and adventurous," says Laura Berman, PhD, director in the Berman Center, a sex therapy clinic in Chicago. "Activities like ballroom dancing or visiting a brand new vacation destination promote bonding and stimulate the libido."

The same goes for spicy play with adult sex toys. One device about the center�s website comes with a set of two lacy panties with a built-in contoured vibrator which you maybe partner can secretly trigger using a remote at boring cocktail parties. A survey conducted through the Berman Center found that females who use adult novelties (mostly in relationships) had more libido, greater arousal, easier orgasms, much less pain during sex. (Need ideas? Experts love-and use!-these 18 adult toys.)

7. Day your girlfriends
Relaxing with friends reduces stress, boosts self-esteem, and also allows you to more loving toward your companion when you're getting home. "Women are terrific at connecting socially but often allow it fall by the wayside within their 40s because of career and family demands," says Edward Schneider, MD, emeritus dean and professor of gerontology and medicine in the University of Southern California�s Andrus Gerontology Center. Women with extensive social networks through family, work, volunteer organizations, religious groups, or hobbies have lower blood pressure levels, less diabetes, reduced risk of heart disease, and half as many strokes as girls that are less well connected.

More from Prevention: The 8 Friends Each lady Needs

8. Get essential check-ups
Together with making health-boosting, stress-busting habits part of your way of life, don�t neglect these routine tests: