But what if I don't eat breakfast?
"Thanks for this, Lolu! Very practical and easy to follow. Quick question though: how does this fit into an intermittent fasting lifestyle? I rarely eat before 12 noon so am I already risking a sugar crash just by delaying my breakfast? And what about my first meal, which I usually have at about 1pm... should I go with the 30g of protein, or should I be looking to have a more balanced meal? P.S. I tend to eat no more than twice a day. My first meal at about 1pm, and my second meal at about 6pm. Sometimes, it's just one meal a day. I worry sometimes that I might not be getting enough nutrients."
I love this question. You've found an eating pattern that fits your body and your life, and instead of just carrying on and hoping for the best, you're asking whether the gaps might matter. The fact that you're asking tells me you're paying attention.
You're not crashing. Your body is doing something rather clever.
The sugar crash I described in the last newsletter happens when you eat a carbohydrate-heavy meal that spikes your blood sugar and then drops it just as fast. That's the woman having cereal and toast at 7am and hitting a wall by 10am. Your situation at 10am on an empty stomach is completely different. When you're fasting, your body draws on stored glucose from the liver, cortisol mobilises energy (it rises naturally in the early morning hours), and if your fast extends long enough, you tap into fat as fuel. Your blood sugar during a clean fast is typically steady.
So if fasting until 1pm feels good to you, if your energy holds and your thinking stays clear, your body is handling it well.
When you do eat, protein leads the plate.
The 30g of protein and a "more balanced meal" aren't competing options. Protein IS the anchor of a balanced meal, not an alternative to one. And it matters even more when you're eating fewer meals, because each one has to carry more weight. Your body needs roughly 25 to 30 grams of protein per meal to properly trigger muscle protein synthesis (the process that builds and repairs muscle tissue), and in midlife that threshold becomes harder to reach and more important to hit.
At your 1pm meal: aim for 30 to 40 grams of protein, paired with vegetables, healthy fats, and some complex carbohydrates. Three eggs with avocado and leafy greens. A proper piece of fish with roasted vegetables and sweet potato. Moin moin with a real side of vegetables rather than as an afterthought. The same applies at 6pm. Protein first, then build the plate around it.
The question underneath the question.
"I worry sometimes that I might not be getting enough nutrients." Your instinct here deserves more than a quick reassurance.
When you eat once or twice a day, the margin for nutritional gaps narrows. Two well-constructed meals can cover your needs, but each plate has to be deliberately varied: protein, iron, calcium, B vitamins, magnesium, omega-3 fats, fibre, and enough overall calories to support your hormones, your bones, and your energy. On the days when it's just one meal, however generous, that becomes very difficult. And in midlife, when oestrogen is declining and your body is already working harder to hold onto muscle and bone density, those gaps matter more than they did at 30.
Four things worth considering:
Protect the two-meal days. On the days you eat later and think about skipping dinner, have something smaller rather than nothing. Even a bowl of Greek yoghurt with nuts and seeds at 6pm closes some of those gaps.
Aim for 30 to 40 grams of protein at each meal. Over two meals, that puts you in the range your muscles need. In a single sitting, your body may not use 60 to 80 grams efficiently.
Vary your plates through the week. Dark leafy greens for iron and calcium. Oily fish or flaxseeds for omega-3s. Nuts and seeds for magnesium and zinc. If your meals tend to look similar day after day, that's where the quiet deficiencies creep in.
Ask your GP for a blood test. If the worry is persistent, check your iron, vitamin D, B12, folate, and thyroid function. There's no virtue in guessing when you can know.
The question worth asking is never "is fasting bad?" It's "am I giving my body what it needs in the hours when I do eat?" For you, the answer is probably yes, with a few adjustments: protect the two-meal days, lead with protein, and give your plates more variety through the week. And that nagging feeling that you might not be getting enough? Don't silence it. Investigate it. Either way, you'll be glad you listened.
