Anti-Aging On Your Dinner Plate! 7 Foods to Help You Stay Young

We have all heard the saying “You are what you eat”. Yet how many of us actually eat to stay younger. Yes I did say younger. Research and science are discovering new ways every day how our food is able to help keep us younger and help our different ailments.

The foods we eat today are what our body is using for fuel tomorrow. If we eat foods that are heavy and weigh down our system and empty in nutrition, we will not have the vibrant energy and youthful looks that we want. Eating too many ‘fast foods’ like burgers and fries will not only put weight on but are also associate with many diseases. Not getting enough vitamins and unsaturated fats in the diet can leave the skin and hair looking dull and dry.

When we think of aging we often think about the external effects – the wrinkles, sagging and weight gain that makes us look older from the outside. But what a lot of people don’t realise is that we can help slow down the aging processes from the inside by eating a lot of anti aging foods.

Making sure we get enough of the right foods, ones that have antioxidants, enzymes, vitamins and minerals will not only improve the appearance, they will also help protect from disease and illness like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. So, just what are these anti aging foods?

1: Fruits And Vegetables

Probably the best foods you can eat are fruits and raw vegetables. They are loaded with vitamins and minerals and, when eaten raw, have powerful enzymes that actually help your body with the digestion process – leaving more energy for you to use on other things. Fruits and vegetables are also loaded with antioxidants which fight free radicals. Free radicals actually play a major role in aging and are thought be the major contributors to disease so the more of them you can fight off, the healthier and younger looking you will be!

2: Fish

Fatty acids found in fish are essential for preventing cholesterol build-up in arteries and protecting against abnormal heart rhythms. The Omega-3 fatty acids in particular are essential for keeping your cell membranes “fluid” which helps with a host of body functions not the least of which is younger looking skin. Thirty years ago, researchers started to study why the native Inuits of Alaska were remarkably free of heart disease.

The reason is the extraordinary amount of fish they consume. You can get these essential fatty acids from cold water fish like salmon and tuna, flax seed oil and walnuts.

3: Fiber

Fiber is key to keeping your digestive process working and it can also help keep your cholesterol levels in check. While this might not do a lot for your outer appearance, it can do a whole heck of a lot for your insides and this in turn will help keep you vibrant and youthful. It’s especially important to get enough to keep your bowel movements regular, after all, who can look energetic and youthful when they are constipated? Fiber can be found in whole grains, black beans, pears, prunes and apples. When buying whole wheat breads, don’t be fooled by the words “whole wheat” on the label, look at the ingredients and make sure the very first one is whole wheat or whole grains. Otherwise, you are not getting a full whole wheat product.

4: The Good Oil

Oil is not the enemy it has been made into. However there are good oils and bad oils. Good oils come from nuts which are rich sources of unsaturated fats. They’re also concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals and other phytochemicals, including antioxidants. Unsaturated fats are also in Olive oil. Olive oil also contains polyphenols; powerful antioxidants that may help prevent age-related diseases, lower heart disease and cancer.

5: Chocolate

Recent research has proved that chocolate has beneficial effects on human health, especially dark chocolate. Cocoa in chocolate is rich in flavonoids and antioxidants, just like red wine, tea and fruit and vegetables. Therefore, a moderate amount of dark chocolate has been proved to be good for you. It has been shown to maintain youthful blood vessels, lowers risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and dementia.

6: Wine

Red wine contains anti-oxidants, and the most important of these is resveratrol. It keeps your arteries clear of plaque therefore reducing the risk of heart disease. Drinking red wine in moderation is good for your heart, lungs, kidneys, brain and more. However it’s important you only drink two standard glasses of wine a day. Anymore and you risk the downsides of excessive alcohol intake: raised blood pressure, potential damage to the heart, liver, kidneys and brain. Over consumption of alcohol can also cause impotence and infertility, while during pregnancy it can damage the foetus.

7: Water

Finally, the last of the anti aging foods I want to talk about isn’t really a food at all – it’s water. Plain and simple water. This not only helps with the inner functions of your body but will also help your skin and hair look younger. Water is necessary for your body to digest and absorb vitamins and nutrients. It also detoxifies the liver and kidneys, and carries away waste from the body. And when it comes to digestion, it’s just not happening without water.

Fiber alone cannot aid proper digestive function by itself. In fact, without water as its partner, good fiber goes bad, causing constipation and extreme discomfort. If you’re dehydrated, your blood is literally thicker, and your body has to work much harder to cause it to circulate. As a result, the brain becomes less active, it’s hard to concentrate, your body feels fatigued, and your skin becomes dull.

This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. it is for instructional purposes Only!