When the Headlines Don’t Reflect Our Lived Experience: A Response for Women in Their 40s and 50s

As a clinical Dietitian and Nutritionist team, and as women in midlife ourselves, we’ve had a front-row seat to both the research and the lived experiences that shape women’s health. So when we read the recent New York Times article on protein, we appreciated its intent: to offer clarity in a space crowded with conflicting messages. But, as practitioners who specialize in nutrition for women in their 40s and 50s, we also clearly saw what was missing—a critical part of the story.

In a time when nutrition advice spreads quickly, often reduced to soundbites, trends, and viral claims, we value efforts that push back against misinformation. But we also know that in trying to speak to the general population and attempt to simplify complex science, mainstream reporting can sometimes leave out important nuances in a conversation, and those nuances matter, specifically in this instance, for midlife women.

The New York Times article wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t complete either. And when messages like this land without context, they risk slowing the momentum for women who are just beginning to understand their changing bodies and want to support them more intentionally. As we read the article, we couldn’t help but think—there’s more work to do! Not to defend our approach, but to step up and advocate for midlife women who are so often left out of the conversation.

Why “Enough” Protein Isn’t Always Enough in Midlife

The article challenged the public’s rising interest in protein, asking whether it’s scientifically justified or just another wellness trend. It leaned heavily on the current Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of 0.8 g/kg/day, stating that this level is “adequate” for most healthy adults and cautioning against higher intakes. While it acknowledged that “teen girls, women, and older adults” might need slightly more, that point was only expanded on for “older adults”, 60-65 years and older.

The science on protein in midlife is growing. A 2024 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that midlife individuals, consuming around 89 grams of protein per day had significantly better odds of reaching age 70 without major disease, cognitive decline, disability, or poor mental health compared to those consuming the suggested RDA intake. For perspective, current federal recommendations suggest about half of that, recommending 46 grams of protein per day for women ages 31-51+.

Other studies support what many women already feel in midlife—and what we see every day in our practice—increasing total protein (especially when spaced throughout the day), leads to better energy, improved body composition, reduced cravings, and more muscle retention through perimenopause and beyond.

The issue we have with the article, and what caught our attention wasn’t just about the grams or guidelines, it was one word—enough. It appeared casually in a subheading, but it stuck with us for days. While women in midlife are navigating hormonal changes in perimenopause and menopause, alongside age-related muscle loss, chronic under-fueling, and pervasive fatigue, what’s enough on paper isn’t translating into feeling well.

Women in midlife weren’t acknowledged in the article as a sub-population that may benefit from more protein outside of a vague nod to “teen girls, women, and older adults” as possible exceptions. In our opinion, it fell short of doing the due diligence this group truly deserves, and frankly needs, especially when midlife women (ages 40-59) make up over 42 million people, or about 13% of the U.S. population according to U.S. Census data.

Only in the comments section was it mentioned that a follow-up article on protein and menopause specifically might be coming. We hope it is and we’re looking forward to reading it. Because while research is still catching up—largely due to long-standing underfunding of women’s health—what’s emerging clearly supports the need for tailored nutrition strategies for midlife women, and, yes, more protein, especially as women navigate perimenopause and menopause.

It’s disappointing to see another important health conversation unfold without fully including us. We need guidance that reflects our full lived experience and our desire to feel strong, energized, and capable in this season of life. Honestly, it felt a bit like The New York Times saw the momentum around protein and seized the chance to join the conversation without taking the time to truly consider the groups most impacted by their message.

When the overall message is, You’re probably eating enough protein, it may sound reassuring, but for many middle-aged women, that message can silence curiosity or become the very reason not to explore a change that could significantly benefit them. And the truth is, many women in midlife are already under-nourishing themselves without realizing it, and especially when it comes to protein. That baseline of “enough” then becomes the very thing holding them back from feeling better.

The Federal Protein Guidelines Were Designed to Prevent Deficiency, Not Optimal Health

The current RDA for protein of 0.8 g/kg/day was never intended as an ideal target—it was designed to prevent deficiency. Leading experts now recommend a daily protein intake of 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg/day for individuals looking to maintain muscle mass, manage weight, support metabolic health, as well as for older adults. For a 150 lb. woman in midlife, that’s 82–109 grams per day, not the current RDA around half that amount. So when The New York Times says “most people” are meeting the recommended amount, they’re technically right, but functionally wrong.

More protein doesn’t mean endless protein, but it does mean more than what was designed to simply avoid deficiency. As smart, resourceful, and capable women (and yes, privileged to be asking these questions), we’re not looking to avoid deficiency—we want to thrive!

Breaking the Cycle of Less: Why Midlife Women Deserve More

In a world shaped by diet culture, especially one that targets women relentlessly, the message has always been “less”: eat less, weigh less, take up less space. The hundreds of women we’ve worked with over the years come to us caught in a mindset of restriction—constantly trying to remove foods from their plate out of fear that adding anything, even something nourishing, will lead to weight gain, and with it, a loss of confidence, respect, or approval. This conditioning runs deep. It’s generational. Many of our clients still carry the emotional weight of being told they were “too fat” or “not enough” based on someone else’s standards of beauty.

We can’t help but feel that The New York Times article subtly reinforces the very cycle of “less” that women have been conditioned to follow for decades. By downplaying the need for more protein and framing higher intake as unnecessary or potentially harmful without adequately addressing the unique physiological changes or social challenges women face, it sends the message that aiming for more is excessive, and subtly tells us: you’re asking for too much.

“Most Americans Get Enough Protein” Is Incomplete

Research shows that when and how protein is distributed throughout the day matters especially for muscle retention and metabolic health. So while you might walk away from this article thinking, I’m good, I’m eating enough, the truth is that might not be the complete story, and for many women in their 40s and 50s, it’s not.

We’ve seen it time and again, women under-fuel at breakfast and lunch, and especially protein sources, only to backload later in the day at dinner. This pattern can contribute to more muscle loss and subsequent fat accumulation, blood sugar crashes, and cravings—while slowing metabolism over time. Even if you’re meeting the minimum RDA for total protein, that’s just one piece of the puzzle.

A small randomized controlled trial published in The Journal of Nutrition found that participants, both men and women, who distributed their protein intake evenly across meals (approximately 30 grams per meal) experienced a 25% higher 24-hour muscle protein synthesis compared to those who consumed most of their protein at dinner.

Why is this important? Muscle protein synthesis is the body’s natural process of building and repairing muscle tissue—essential for maintaining strength, mobility, and metabolic health as we age. Muscle mass begins to decline as early as age 30, at a rate of 3% to 8% per decade, with that rate accelerating after age 60. Supporting this process through both adequate total protein intake and evenly distributed protein intake can help reduce the risk of physical decline and disability later in life.

Without this kind of insight, women miss a powerful opportunity to support their changing physiology at the very stage of life when muscle preservation or retention arguably matters most.

The Gender Gap in Research

It’s worth noting that part of the reason women are often left out of these conversations is because they’ve been left out of the research. A recent report from Harvard Medical School points to a long-standing underrepresentation of women in clinical trials, sex-specific analysis in research, and specific health recommendations and care—especially aging women—which has led to gaps in treatment.

Like so many other women, we’ve tried to navigate a health system that was never built with us in mind or at least significantly. From inadequate period education to fragmented pregnancy care, from the silence around postpartum mental health, to the complete absence of real support for the very real symptoms of midlife and menopause—women are rarely a priority.

Without accurate representation in the data, women’s health care will continue to be built on models that don’t reflect our biology or lived experience. And how long do we wait for more inclusive studies, better training for medical providers, and a shift in how we design and deliver healthcare before becoming advocates of our own health? When we insist that every health decision be validated by decades of data, we risk missing the forest for the trees.

So, What Now?

The truth is, no single article, nutrition study, or guideline can fully account for the complexity of each woman’s body especially during a time of such profound change. Functional and complementary medicine principles remind us that nutrition has to be individualized, taking into account everything from stress and sleep to movement, health history, and hormones. At the same time, conventional research often relies on averages and population-wide recommendations that don’t reflect these unique realities, and we’re not convinced our health system has the capacity for more holistic care.

And nutrition research is notoriously frustrating. Many studies rely on self-reported dietary recalls which are flawed at best, and long-term nutrition data in women, particularly during midlife or menopause, is sparse. And yet we continue to treat research as the only form of truth, often ignoring what women are experiencing in real time in their own bodies.

This isn’t about rejecting science—it’s about using the science we have and layering it with clinical experience and our lived reality. We can still ask smart, critical questions of the research, even when the data isn’t perfect or randomized controlled trials are limited. But to present outdated recommendations as complete ones? That’s a missed opportunity, and a disservice to midlife women. When we already have promising evidence pointing us toward better outcomes, and lived experiences confirming those shifts, it’s not just reasonable to act—it’s smart. Increasing protein in midlife isn’t hype. It’s a powerful lever for better health.

Experts like Dr. Stacy Sims and Dr. Peter Attia, both cited in The New York Times article, are helping elevate protein’s role in women’s health and aging. But this conversation is far from new. Researchers globally have been calling for higher protein recommendations for years, and not just for older adults, but specifically for women in midlife, because the science is mounting, helping us thrive well beyond midlife.

What’s different now is that women are listening. We’re tuning in. We’re asking quality questions about how to fuel our bodies through this next chapter—and we’re unwilling to settle for generic advice that doesn’t reflect our needs.

For many women in their 40s and 50s, increasing protein is the first domino—the simple shift that makes everything else start to fall into place. We’ve experienced it in our own bodies. We’ve witnessed it in countless women we’ve had the pleasure of supporting. This isn’t a trend. It’s a movement toward nourishment, strength, and our long-term health.

A Call for Nuance. A Call for Action.

We’re not here to refute The New York Times, we’re here to expand the conversation it started. Because thriving in midlife doesn’t come from following generalized advice. It comes from tuning in. From noticing the small shifts—more energy, fewer cravings, less brain fog—and understanding that maybe, just maybe, your body is asking for something different.

For many women, increasing protein is the first step that makes a big difference. It’s not everything, but it often unlocks the rest.

So here’s our invitation for you: 💌 If this message resonated with you, consider sharing it with a friend, sister, colleague, or loved one who’s also navigating midlife. Because rising tides really do lift all boats, and every woman deserves access to information that sees her, supports her, and invites her to feel strong, nourished, and empowered in this season of life.

Together, we can help shift the story for midlife women everywhere so that these next decades are filled with confidence, energy, and the health we all deserve.

You don’t need the perfect evidence to trust what your body is telling you or showing you. You just need permission to listen. You deserve more than just enough.

Let’s keep moving toward that together.

References:

https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2021-03/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans-2020-2025.pdf

https://ajcn.nutrition.org/action/showPdf?pii=S0002-9165%2823%2966282-3

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9235827/#s0002

https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/how-has-our-nations-population-changed.html

https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/43411/WHO_TRS_935_eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

https://www.jamda.com/article/S1525-8610(13)00326-5/fulltext

https://www.clinicalnutritionespen.com/article/S2405-4577(24)00176-1/abstract

https://www.jomes.org/journal/view.html?doi=10.7570/jomes20028

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316622009087?via%3Dihub

https://www.clinicalnutritionjournal.com/article/S0261-5614(23)00110-3/fulltext

https://hms.harvard.edu/news/how-gaps-scientific-data-lead-gaps-care-aging-women