I’m A CEO, Founder & Mom Of 2 — Here's Why I Feel Stronger Than Ever At 45

During my 20s, my focus was set on building my career, and I thought that being healthy meant staying active. I would occasionally take off from work and run 12 miles. And at the end of the day, I wasn’t nourishing my body right. 

Sipping on green juices, eating heaps of frozen yogurt (yes, from those self-serve places), and regularly participating in happy hour culture, wasn’t enough to support my most basic nutrition needs, let alone fuel the amount of cardio I was doing.  

I was 32 and I had a pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in the lungs). While I looked fit and healthy on the outside, I was struggling with life’s most fundamental element: breathing. 

This was one of those breakdown moments that fortunately led to a breakthrough, and I threw myself into trying so many wellness modalities in a game of Marco Polo to see what would stick and actually make me feel good. 

Like a lot of women in health and wellness at the time, I went through vegetarian and vegan phases. I understand the ethical argument for these lifestyles, but—looking back—it’s not the right nutrition for my body. I was definitely not intentional with my food choices to hit my body’s protein needs, especially through the process of recovering, building a business, and becoming a parent.

Lyon has been an advocate for redefining perceptions of what an optimal protein intake for building and maintaining muscle looks like for women. In addition to speaking up about the researched-backed benefits of animal proteins. 

We even dug into the research behind plant versus animal protein when creating mindbodygreen’s protein powder, and based on the evidence, we formulated a grass-fed whey protein isolate+. The evidence was clear: it’s better absorbed and more efficient at building muscle thanks to the natural presence of the amino acid leucine.* 

While I’m targeting 150 grams each day, I'm realistically at 110 grams (with the help of a lot of Greek yogurt, whey protein, and fish). 

Just eating more protein and taking creatine doesn’t build strength though. However, they support muscle protein synthesis and help maximize the impact of my weighted workouts—which I’m doing much more of these days.* 

I found a great trainer in Miami (Ashley Damaj of Mothership Wellness), who specializes in training women over 40. Having a coach who keeps me accountable has done wonders in garnering and sustaining my motivation.

Aging can feel intimidating and like there are so many parts to it that you can’t control. But I get so excited about weightlifting that I can physically see myself getting stronger every week. It's the consistency of this exercise and the eating habits that support your movement that really shape the trajectory of how you age. 

In my 20s, vanity was the main driver of my habits. In my 30s, it was more about survival—overcoming a medical emergency, regaining my footing, and making it through the throughs of pregnancy and early motherhood. Now, in my 40s, I’m getting back to me. And it feels really good.