First, i think the fact that you can attack lower ages players allows you to make a lot of resources, a lot more than those wich are stolen. From the enlightment age you get Training blessing, so you get the chance to make a lot of attacks in a small time.
Second, try to change the layout of your town and protect the resources that you need.There are many ways to avoid being attacked a lot. One of them is the TC outside the walls. You'll be probably defeated but with the treaty no one else will attack you. I don't think it takes a genius to understand that.
Another i find good is concentrating on a single resource.Spend your gold on walls as soon as you can when you are looking for food, and leave the food outside the walls to be farmed when you don't need it.
Third, as Blacknife said, start updgrading the defenses, i don't know if that's your case but i see a lot of active players in EA/IA with medieval defenses. Understand that with industrial age army if i see a medieval catapult and the chance to get 200/200 ( not a lot then) i'm surely going to attack as i'll probably lose no troop and make another battle.
hope this was helpful