Book Review: Forever Strong, Gabrielle Lyon, DO
Main Theme: Strength as the foundation of longevity, muscle-centric medicine, and optimizing health through protein, resistance training, and metabolic health.
Who It’s For: Anyone, especially women over 40, looking to build muscle, prevent age-related decline, and improve overall health through a functional medicine approach.
Key Takeaways
- Muscle is the key to aging well: Dr. Lyon introduces muscle-centric medicine, arguing that muscle is the true organ of longevity, impacting metabolism, blood sugar control, and overall health.
- Prioritize protein: She recommends at least 30 grams of protein per meal, particularly high-quality animal proteins, to maintain and build lean muscle.
- Strength training is non-negotiable: Lifting heavy weights and progressive overload are essential for maintaining strength, mobility, and independence as we age.
- Metabolic health over fat loss: Rather than focusing on weight loss, she encourages prioritizing muscle growth, insulin sensitivity, and energy balance for long-term health.
- Challenging outdated nutrition myths: She debunks low-protein, plant-based, and calorie-restriction trends, advocating instead for muscle-supportive nutrition.
- A proactive approach to aging: By maintaining muscle, protein intake, and resistance training, we can prevent conditions like osteoporosis, insulin resistance, and sarcopenia.
My Thoughts
I loved Forever Strong because it shifts the conversation away from weight loss and toward muscle health—something that’s especially important for women over 50, yet often overlooked.
One of my biggest takeaways was her emphasis on protein first—the 30g minimum per meal makes a huge difference in energy, satiety, and muscle preservation. This is so important for midlife women, especially during perimenopause and menopause, when muscle loss accelerates.
Her approach is science-based yet accessible, and I appreciate that she challenges outdated nutrition myths, like low-protein diets and the fear of animal protein.
However, a word of caution for those with high uric acid or a history of gout:
- High animal protein intake, particularly from red meat and organ meats, can increase uric acid levels, potentially triggering gout flare-ups in susceptible individuals.
- If you have a history of gout or struggle with uric acid regulation, it’s important to balance protein sources (including lean meats, plant-based proteins, and adequate hydration) while monitoring your body’s response.
That said, for those without these concerns, the book provides a powerful, research-backed case for prioritizing muscle and metabolic health as we age.
Dr. Lyon offers a 4-week muscle centric boot camp, which I’ve done myself. The program is a practical and designed to help build strength, improve body composition, and optimize metabolic health. It includes easy to follow along workout videos, recipes, and you can connect with the community via the feed. I appreciate the emphasis on protein targets and strength training, which is exactly what women over 50 need to protect muscle and boost longevity.