If you are in your 20s, 30s and 40s, and you eat healthy, don’t smoke and you use sunscreen, you have got a good headstart.
But if you’re looking in the mirror right now and wondering where your fresh-faced complexion went, be reassured — it is never too late to fix things naturally.
To look and feel radiant you must provide your body with the raw materials (the essential nutrients) to make the best cells and hormones to keep you looking young. You need vitamin A, C and E, and fatty acids.
Eating colourful vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats, with small amounts of whole grains and fruit, and staying hydrated, could help you to look younger than your age.
What you put in your mouth affects both your physical and mental functions. Ever wonder why you’ve gained or lost a few pounds for no obvious reason? Had one of those days where you can’t seem to remember a thing? Your diet may have something to do with it.
Your diet also affects how you age. More specifically, it plays a part in whether you age gracefully or whether you show signs of early aging. While we cannot prevent time from moving forward, we can be proactive in reducing the physical and mental effects of aging. Certain foods can actually help you age slower.
While it’s not essential that you fully understand digestive and metabolic functions, understanding the basics can be helpful. Basically, all food and drink pass through the stomach, eventually ending up in your small intestine.
Your small intestine breaks down everything that you eat and drink into its basic elements, including vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Your gut delivers the vitamins,minerals, and nutrients from healthy foods into your body’s cells, which provide nourishment. Contrastly, when you eat junk, your cells – for the lack of a better term – feel like crap.
Your choice of food also affects the rate at which your metabolism either hums or sputters along. For example, protein-rich foods give your metabolism a boost, while complex and refined carbs – as they are very difficult to break down – significantly slows your metabolism.
When your metabolic rate is slow, you’re more at-risk for developing a myriad of health conditions – all of which are linked, directly or indirectly, to an impaired inflammatory response. In short, healthy food helps to keep your metabolism going. By contrast, junk food slows your metabolism – increasing inflammation, and promoting aging.
It all comes down to this: if you want to age slower, you first have to slow down inflammation and improve your metabolic health. People who show signs of aging too early in life often don’t bother with keeping inflammation in check.
But if you’re looking in the mirror right now and wondering where your fresh-faced complexion went, be reassured — it is never too late to fix things naturally.
To look and feel radiant you must provide your body with the raw materials (the essential nutrients) to make the best cells and hormones to keep you looking young. You need vitamin A, C and E, and fatty acids.
Eating colourful vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats, with small amounts of whole grains and fruit, and staying hydrated, could help you to look younger than your age.
But if you’re looking in the mirror right now and wondering where your fresh-faced complexion went, be reassured — it is never too late to fix things naturally.
To look and feel radiant you must provide your body with the raw materials (the essential nutrients) to make the best cells and hormones to keep you looking young. You need vitamin A, C and E, and fatty acids.
Eating colourful vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats, with small amounts of whole grains and fruit, and staying hydrated, could help you to look younger than your age.
The only things you can do wrong with food are to oversalt it, oversugar it, overcream it and overcook it.
- Elizabeth Peyton-Jones
The Role of Food in Aging
“Poor-quality foods, like trans fats, cause inflammation – and aging is basically a chronic inflammatory state. Can you look older because you’re eating like crap? Absolutely.
” – Timothy Harlan, MD, assistant professor at Tulane University School of Medicine Before we get to the five foods that make you age slower, let’s add another tool to your anti-aging toolkit by going over the foods to avoid at all costs! (Remember: “Prevention is the best medicine.”)
Stay away from the following accelerated aging foods:
SWEETS
Sugar overload may kick-start a process called glycation. The theory: When you eat more sugar than your cells can process, the excess sugar molecules combine with proteins, creating "advanced glycation end products" (appropriately referred to as "AGES"), explains Dr. Ostad. Ultimately, AGES may damage your skin's collagen (the protein that keeps skin firm and youthful).
Unsurprisingly, too much sweet stuff is also bad for your smile. "Sugar sticks to your teeth, encouraging bacteria, decay, and discoloration," says Brian Kantor, a cosmetic dentist who practices in New York City. If you treat yourself to something sweet, swish water around your mouth afterward to remove any buildup.
ALCOHOL
A healthy liver means healthy skin. "When your liver is functioning well, toxins that could potentially affect the skin are expelled naturally through your body," says Dr. Ostad. "But if toxins build up in your liver, and aren't broken down properly, your skin can develop a variety of issues, like acne, sallowness, and wrinkles." Drinking can also trigger rosacea outbreaks.
To top it off, alcohol is dehydrating and bad for your sleep, which was associated with accelerated aging in a Case Western Reserve University study. "Inadequate sleep is linked to wrinkles, uneven pigmentation, and reduced skin elasticity," says Dr. Ostad.
WHITE WINE
White wine falls into its own category because of its surprising dental damage. While a glass of red will give you instant "wine mouth," the acid in white wine damages your enamel and makes your teeth more prone to longer-lasting stains. So if you always end your day with a glass of chardonnay, your teeth may be more vulnerable to those coffee stains the next morning.
Here's what not to do: brush your teeth immediately after drinking (same goes for any acidic drink). Brushing already acidic teeth can further the erosion of your enamel. "You need to give your teeth time to remineralize after being bathed in an acidic beverage," says Maureen McAndrew, clinical professor at the New York University School of Dentistry. "I'd wait an hour after drinking before lifting a toothbrush."
CHARRED MEAT
That black char on your burger? It may contain pro-inflammatory hydrocarbons, which could present a problem since inflammation breaks down the collagen in your skin, explains Dr. Ostad. You don't necessarily need to banish BBQ from your vocab, but at least make sure you scrape off the black stuff, and clean the grill afterward so you don't contaminate your next meal. Related: 6 Ways to Have a Healthier Barbecue
SALTY FOODS
You might not cook with salt, but that doesn't guarantee your intake is low. "Many canned foods are preserved with sodium, which can make you retain water and cause a 'puffy' look," says Ranella Hirsch, MD, former president of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology & Aesthetic Surgery, and dermatologist practicing in Massachusetts. Watch out for these 13 foods that are saltier than you realize, and if you need a quick fix, combat fluid retention with a moisturizer that contains caffeine (it's known for reducing puffiness when applied topically).
PROCESSED MEATS
Think: Deli meat, sausage, and bacon. "Many of these meats have sulfites and other preservatives, which can trigger inflammation in the skin, and accelerate the appearance of aging," says Dr. Ostad. They also tend to be high in salt, which can make you look puffy. (Not to mention, processed red meats have been linked to heart disease.) Try swapping the deli meat on your sandwich for chicken or turkey. If you can't say goodbye for good, use less meat, and load up on veggies.
SPICY FOOD
Spicy food aggravates rosacea-prone skin, but it can also do damage during menopause. "It's believed that the blood vessels in the skin are more reactive then," says Dr. Ostad. Since spicy food dilates.
DEEP FRIED FOODS
Anything that is deep-fried is bad. This includes the pre-packaged stuff, like potato chips and French fries.
DOUGHNUT AND PASTRIES
Laced with fat, pastries contain a boatload of sugar. Excess sugar intake is tied to the early development of cancer.
Now that you know what to avoid, let’s get to the important stuff.
Here are five foods that make you age slower!
“Ninety percent of the diseases known to man are caused by cheap foodstuffs. You are what you eat.” – Victor Lindlahr
1. Beans and Lentils
Beans and lentils are packed with fiber and protein, both of which help to stabilize your blood sugar levels. Fiber helps us feel fuller for longer, while protein helps build muscle and burn fat while providing a steady dose of energy. Perhaps most important, beans are low on the glycemic (read: sugar) scale, meaning that they provide the above benefits without causing inflammation or slowing the metabolism. Both help to slow the aging process.
Black, kidney, navy, and pinto beans are all great choices, as are garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and dried peas.
2. Carrots
Carrots are one of the best health foods available, mainly due to a large helping of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant, safeguarding our cells and DNA from free radicals such as environmental pollutants. Free radicals are known to cause early aging, and beta-carotene works as a preventative measure in this regard. Carrots also contain the nutrient falcarinol , which has anti-cancer properties.
To get the most nutritional value from carrots, try eating them raw and whole. Chopping and cooking the vegetable allows some of the nutrients to “leak” out.
3. Soy Products
Products derived from soybeans such as tofu and edamame help to prevent cellular aging. Edamame has a rich supply of isoflavones , a class of phytochemicals that have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. Tofu, a favorite of vegetarians and vegans, has the same benefits of edamame, but with a healthy dose of protein and essential amino acids! Tofu is also mineral-dense, containing calcium, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, and zinc!
In short, if you want to prevent early aging, load up on soy products! (Note: If you are eating tofu, we recommend organic sprouted tofu!)
4. Salmon
As we are well-aware, diseases affecting the brain and heart tend to target older adults. A good solution is to substitute some of that red meat for freshwater fish such as salmon, which provides healthy fatty acids. Researchers state that omega-3 fatty acid can ward off age-related cognitive decline. The freshwater fish is also loaded with potassium, which may help prevent the development of heart disease.
Finally, salmon is one of the few foods that contain a good dose of selenium, a mineral that promotes thyroid health, regulates hormonal activity, and keeps the metabolism revved up!
5. Citrus Fruits
Lemons, limes, grapefruit, oranges, mandarins, and tangerines are some of the best foods to slow aging down. Let us count the ways citrus helps:
– Contains a boatload of vitamin C, which has antioxidant properties, fights infections, and limits inflammation.
– Contains anti-aging flavonoids and carotenoids.
– Wards off age-related cognitive decline, heart disease, and various types of cancer.
6.Tomatoes Prevents Breakdown of Skin Firming Agent
We can easily add tomatoes in our diet in different forms and most of us also consume it on a daily basis. If not, then you should definitely start eating after reading this.
Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, an antioxidant which prevents the breakdown of the skin firming agent in your skin called collagen. With the proper consumption of tomatoes, your skin will remain supple and elastic.
Carotenoids in tomatoes also protect skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays from the sunlight in your skin.
7.Walnuts Maintains the Rich Color of Your Hairs
If your hair turns prematurely gray then the reason behind this the lack of copper in the diet. And walnuts are the wonderful source of copper which will help you in maintaining the rich color of strands and omega-3 fatty acids with Vitamin E help keep your hair strong and shiny.
8. Pineapple Prevents Acne
This is the fruit can transform skin’s age. Pineapples have bromelain enzymes which support collagen synthesis and prevent acne that can deteriorate skin. Because this fruit is rich in Vitamin C, it does wonders for hyperpigmentation, also full of alpha-hydroxy acids known for their benefits for the skin.
9. Spices Keeps Your Skin Tight
Spices are not only made our food more interesting but they come with a range of health and skin benefits. Like “Cinnamon” increases production of Collagen and helps our skin remain tight and elastic. And if you are facing the problem of skin damage due to high blood pressure because of advanced glycation end products, consumption of cinnamon help you to reduce this.
“Ginger” has gingerol which protects our skin from UV-related damage such as spots and inflammation and Capsaicin in “Chilli peppers” reduce aging effects in skin cells.
10. Coconut Oil Prevents Skin Disorders and Inflammation
Coconut Oil contains three healthy medium-chain fatty acids that will improve your appearance and eating these fats keeps our body fuller helps in restricting caloric intake.
This oil is known for moisturizing our skin and preventing the skin disorders and inflammation. By lowering the oxidative stress and relieving stress on liver it slows down the aging process.
11.Green Tea Neutralize Free Radicals
Green tea is like an elixir that helps you in looking young, it has revitalizing effects on your skin also its photoprotective polyphenols counteract sun damage.
But, don’t drink more than two cups of green tea a day, as like anything too much of it may cause constipation and liver problems, and by drinking green tea in right amount prevents oxidative damage inside your body by neutralizing free radicals.
12. Dark Chocolate Protects You from Ultraviolet Rays
Yes, Dark Chocolates. We all love chocolates and it has amazing benefits as high flavanol dark chocolate has catechins that protect our body from the harmful ultraviolet rays and inflammation, helps dermal circulation keep years off your skin. Moreover, cocoa allows you to ward off those pesky wrinkles and dark spots. Now next time no need to think much about calories and adverse effects on skin, just eat it.
Final Thoughts
Many things can influence the health of skin: age, genetics and diet are some main factors.
Health foods, such as those mentioned above, go a long way in limiting the physical and mental effects of aging. Diet is an absolutely critical factor, and some of the most potent foods to help you age slower.
Nutrients we get through the diet, particularly, vitamin C, lycopene, zinc and selenium all play a role in protecting skin cells from damage caused by free radicals.
Vitamin C helps make collagen which is needed for skin integrity.
Eating a wide variety of real foods, especially fruits and vegetables, can provide many nutrients needed for skin health.
The antioxidant lycopene has been shown to limit damage caused by UV rays, and coffee consumption was shown to have an inverse association on risk for skin cancer.
Zinc and selenium are both needed for skin cells, to make new cells and protect from damage. Sources high in zinc and selenium include nuts, seafood, meat, dairy and legumes.
If you need additional proof, ask someone in your life who has aged gracefully to list some of their favorite foods! The chances are quite good they’ll give you some awesome items to incorporate into your diet.
Stay healthy, eat right, age slower, and age beautifully!
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