Meet Lisa: How She Entered The Endurance World At 50

Growing older is often met with acceptance, however, what if we took aging as an opportunity to continue to create our best self? In a fast-paced world, we tend to overlook the small things that will have a significant impact on our future self, especially when it comes to our health and wellness.

I sat down with someone who not only always seems to juggle what life throws at her, but surpasses her expectations. Meet my mom, Lisa Beaser, who has been using InsideTracker to help improve her training and to optimize her overall health.

She is 54 years old and to say she is a superhero is an understatement, just don’t ask to see her cape! As a single mom, she raised three children, all while excelling at her demanding profession as an attorney. As if that wasn’t enough, she is currently training for her first half-ironman. When Lisa entered her 50’s, she decided to adjust her sedentary lifestyle to a more active one so much so that running and triathlon now play a huge factor in her daily routine.

Why did you start using InsideTracker?

"I stumbled into sports (swimming, biking, and running) at a later age with encouragement from my daughter and quickly learned how important individualized coaching was. One-size-fits-all online programs left me with injuries, fatigue, and little improvement. After finding a coach that aligned with my goals and someone who recognized the unique needs of older athletes, I saw some significant improvements but still felt as if I was falling flat and couldn’t quite understand why.

Then after hearing about InsideTracker from my daughter, I realized learning about what your body needs is just as important as the individualized coaching. In addition to my new training goals, I recognized with a sub-par family health history that it would be beneficial to get a picture of what was going on from the inside."

Were you surprised by any of your test results?

"Yes, specifically my calcium levels. A physician told me that I should go on prescription calcium for my bone health solely based on my demographic. I then tested with InsideTracker where my results told me that my calcium was optimized and a supplement wasn’t necessary. Conversely, I was surprised to see that my glucose was elevated. It had never come up as an issue with any of my routine physicals with my primary care physician."

What changes have you made as a result?

“I prefer to focus on my diet rather than feeding my body with supplements, so most of the changes I’ve made are within my eating habits.”

“It’s not that the foods I added were ones that I didn’t like or enjoy it was just learning which ones will give me the most bang for my buck.”

How she took action: 

To improve her blood glucose levels, Lisa started to add more beans, berries, and avocados to her daily salad. She also added chia seeds to her cottage cheese, yogurt, and oatmeal. So what makes these additions so beneficial? They’re all packed with fiber - a higher intake of fiber has been associated with a lower risk of developing Diabetes.¹

Elevated blood glucose levels in non-diabetics can indicate an increased risk for cardiovascular disease making it one of the biomarkers weighted most heavily in InnerAge. ²  With her total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels elevated in addition to her family health history including a variety of cardiovascular diseases, Lisa also started eating more whole grains and healthy fats (from nuts, seeds, avocado, and vegetable oils). These foods are a significant part of the DASH Diet, which has been shown to improve lipid profiles and blood pressure.³

Have you seen any improvements?

“Yes! Not only am I feeling less run down, but also I’ve seen positive changes in my training and recovery. It is easy for me to fall back into my eating habits out of routine and ease. Repeated testing has kept me focused on optimizing my food selections with my focus foods.”

“Having focused on my training and diet with the help of InsideTracker, it is encouraging to know that I can be better than I was at 45 while peers of mine are suffering a variety of health issues and slowing down, I can go in the opposite direction. Back when I was 20-something, just being thin was the focus as opposed to being fit and active.’’

What’s one thing you’d like to tell others about your experience with InsideTracker?

“Just do it - get tested. It’s the best investment you can make. I have found we spend so much money on supplements, anti-aging creams, training gear, race fees --you name it; it is important to know what your body needs. The information I received from one test has changed my life for the better, proving, InsideTracker is more than a simple blood test, it is a life improvement tool. Using InsideTracker has helped me not only make better choices for my training but also for my long-term health." 

Aging is inevitable, but the choices we make on a daily basis can improve how we age. Here at InsideTracker we empower you with the knowledge and the tools on how to best enhance your health with personalized results!