What women want ...

Congratulations on being part of the group of women receiving the very first issue of The Snack Bar …

We’re beautifully surprised, because at the time of writing this first issue, we’ve got 1023 subscribers 🤩 

How did we decide on calling this The Snack Bar?

First, because it’s a casual place to hang out and get bite-sized pieces of reliable and inspiring information that we can easily and quickly digest.

Second, because of the play on words … this is a newsletter primarily about nutrition and strength training, or ‘snack’ 🍱 and ‘bar’ 🏋🏽‍♀️

In this issue we’re going to address one of the two main concerns you’ve shared with us through our questionnaire and in-person interviews.

1. Maintaining strong bones as we age (see below)

But before we dive into that, let’s take a look at the answers over 1,000 women shared with us about the 4 key questions we’ve been asking.

What are women most concerned about?

The top concerns are maintaining bone and muscle strength (31.71%) followed by managing weight gain, hair and skin health (29.27%).

The next two concerns that came an equal second are our hormones, mood and energy (17.89%) and our mental and emotional health (17.89%).

This gives us plenty to write about as we dive into the latest research, trends and resources to help with each of these concerns.

What is most important to women?

The most important thing is fitness, nutrition and self-care (35.71%) with personal relationships (22.45%), new experiences (21.43%) and personal growth (20.41) all being significant aspects of life to pay attention to.

This was great to see because fitness, nutrition and self-care is exactly what we imagined The Snack Bar would be all about!

And of course, we will also dive into relationships, life-purpose and new experiences, inviting experts and guest authors to join us and share their wisdom and inspiration.

What is most challenging for women right now?

The top two challenges facing women are being able to sort through vast amounts of health and well-being information (32.95%) and the challenge of new life stages (32.95%).

And we agree!

Sorting through all the health information for you is exactly why we exist … to provide you with a reliable and evidence-based source of education.

And we also empathise with you so, so, so much about the challenge of our new life stages, because we’ve been going through that too.

We will absolutely dedicate time to this and will bring in other experts as well.

What would women like to solve right now?

Our opened-ended question gave us some real talk about what's bothering women over 40 and 50 and how we all thrive.

The most common were health concerns, mental well-being, financial health, and personal growth …

… and this word cloud gives you an idea of what showed up most often.

So, yes, we HEAR you about ‘weight’ being the most common challenge and will definitely be coming to the rescue on that.

We will also provide you with recommendations about expert workshops, meal plans, and different dietary approaches.

And we won’t stop there.

We’ll be bringing you chill-out sessions, money masterclasses, and 'me-time' tips as well.

Meme of the Day

Love Your Bones!

Do you remember when we women were limited to light dumbbells, hydraulic machines, and aerobics?

What if we told you that the key to strong, invincible bones - at any age - lies beyond those pastel-colored weights?

Meet Professor Belinda Becks, a pioneering woman who has blazed a new trail in the world of strength training.

Ascending the ranks of a male-dominated field, she's rewritten the rules with one groundbreaking study.

It's about time we got something tailored to our needs, right?

Belinda's ground-breaking research, known as the LIFTMOR study, has given us an extraordinary revelation.

Get this: Women can not only slow down osteoporosis and bone weakening by lifting heavy weights, but we can actually reverse bone loss.

Yes, you read that right – reverse it!

For years, we'd believed lifting weights wasn't much help in our battle against osteoporosis.

But here's the catch.

The problem wasn't with weight training – it was the false assumptions about us as women!

Prior research had women lifting weights that were too light to make a real difference.

Poor assumption, huh?

Approximately 10 million Americans over the age of 50 have osteoporosis, with a further 34 million at risk. Osteoporotic fractures in the USA are extremely common, with an estimated 1.5 million women suffering fragility fractures each year.

Imagine the countless women over the years who could have benefited from this research earlier had we not been weighed down by the stereotype of being "frail and weak."

It’s ironic that we became ‘frail and weak’ because people were afraid we are ‘frail and weak’. 🙄 

But let's not dwell on the past.

Instead, let’s embrace what we now know – we are strong, we are mighty, and we can lift heavy!

And now is not the time to sit back.

Especially for us women in our fabulous 40s and 50s.

It's time to take the reins back, strengthen our bodies and prevent bone weakness.

As the saying goes, "Knowledge is power."

But in this case, knowledge is strength – literally.

Are you ready to answer the call to strength?

Because here comes the Strong Woman Project app, launched by the unstoppable Rhoda Lucas.

→ Join the waitlist for the Strong Woman Project app

It's designed to guide you through your strength training journey, helping you become the strongest version of yourself, inside and out.

Let's build together a future where every woman knows her strength isn't just skin deep but bone deep.

Let's lift heavy and live a beautiful life.

Stay strong,

The Snack Bar xx