Healthy, whole foods not only provide you with life-giving
nutrients, fuel, and keep an ideal weight, they also help keep you young. Study
after study proves that maintaining an optimum weight can add years of healthy
vitality to your life.
Ultimately, the simplest and most effective way to achieve
good health and a long life is to focus on the nutrition you are putting into
your body on a daily basis. You can add years to your life and preserve your
looks by making smarter food choices, so start right now by including more of
these amazing and antioxidant-rich foods to your diet.
Wine
Drinking alcohol in moderation protects against
heart disease, diabetes and age-related memory loss. Any kind of alcoholic
beverage seems to provide such benefits, but red wine has been the focus of
much of the research. Red wine contains resveratrol, a compound that likely
contributes to its benefit, and, according to animal studies, may activate
genes that slow cellular aging.
Watermelon
Watermelon is packed with antioxidants and can help you look
and feel younger. One particular antioxidant that watermelon contains is
citrulline, which helps rid the body of dangerous toxins, boost metabolism, and
keeps the immune system healthy. The outside rind of the watermelon contains
Vitamins A, B, and C, while the seeds contain Vitamin E and zinc. The inside of
the watermelon, which is normally consumed, is extremely porous and filled with
water that helps our bodies to stay hydrated. Try using a food processor to
combine the seeds and rind into a watermelon juice or smoothie to reap more of
the benefits of this super food.
Blueberries are one of the healthiest fruits you can eat to
fight aging. With the highest concentration of antioxidants of all berries,
they help combat both the physical and mental effects of aging. Blueberries
contain anthocyanins that have been shown to help improve memory, and even slow
the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. These fabulous berries are also a great food
to help fight inflammation, which leads to a number of diseases and contributes
greatly to skin aging. Try incorporating half a cup of blueberries into your
diet a few times a week, by eating them as a snack, or adding them to cereal,
muffins, oatmeal, or Greek yogurt.
Avocado
Avocados are chock-full of anti-aging components. They
contain high levels of Vitamin E, which is what helps you achieve perfect
glowing skin and healthy hair. They have alkalizing components to help balance
the pH levels of your body, and creates internal balance which helps prevent
disease and helps you look younger.
This food also contains monounsaturated fatty acids, that
are great for heart health and help you absorb other nutrients. This means that
when combined with tomato salsa or another recipe containing anti-aging super
foods, your body is better able to absorb all of the age-fighting nutrients.
Lemons
These citrus fruits are a rich sources of antioxidants that
prevent free radical damage responsible for pre-mature aging of your skin.
Vitamin C helps to maintain your skin’s elasticity to prevent the formation of
wrinkles and decrease blemishes.
Hailed as an item of luxury in ancient Greece and Rome
Green
Tea
Anti-aging and anti-inflammatory effects of green tea may
delay signs of skin aging, such as sun damage, expression lines and wrinkles.
Catechins in green tea can also help prevent skin cancer due to sun exposure. A
study published in the October 2011 issue of the journal "Biochemical and
Biophysical Research Communications" found that EGCG inhibited a type of
skin cancer called melanoma in laboratory animals, by inhibiting genes that
activate inflammation.
Organic
Eggs
First off, research has ended the debate, and has shown that
there is no link between egg consumption and heart disease. Eggs are now
revered as a superfood as a single egg contains 9 essential amino acids, and
six grams of the highest quality protein you can put in your body. Proteins are
nutrients that are essential to the building, maintenance and repair of your
body tissues such as your skin, internal organs and muscles. They are also the
major components of your immune system and hormones. Eggs also provide lutein
and zeaxanthin for your eyes and vision health, choline for your brain,
nervous and cardiovascular systems, along with naturally occurring vitamin D.
Leafy
Greens
Like eggs, leafy greens such as spinach, kale, turnip
greens, collard greens, and romaine lettuce, are all great sources of lutein
and zeaxanthin. Studies have shown eating foods rich in these antioxidants can
significantly reduce your risk of age-related macular degeneration, as well as
non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Greens are also packed with cancer-fighting
antioxidants like beta carotene, vitamin C, and sulforaphane. Dark, leafy
greens are also rich in vitamin K, a nutrient that plays a role in reducing
bone loss and preventing fractures.
Spinach provides folate, which research shows can
dramatically improve your short-term memory. Eating folate rich foods helps
lower your risk for heart disease and cancer by slowing down wear and tear on
your DNA. Spinach has a very high ORAC score, which is a measurement of a
food's ability to destroy the free radicals that cause damage in your body. The
higher the ORAC score, the better a food is for you.
In addition to these internal health benefits, leafy greens
help maintain glowing, youthful looking skin and ward off shorter-term
illnesses such as colds. You can be sure to get enough greens by adding them to
salads, sandwiches, or soups.
Broccoli
Broccoli is another vegetable that is awesome at fighting
physical signs of aging. Rich in Vitamin C, Broccoli helps prevent wrinkles by
synthesizing collagen to create smooth, more firm skin. Broccoli has also been
linked to preventing age-related skin dryness. Sulforaphane in broccoli helps
to rid your body of dangerous toxins by increasing the production of enzymes.
Broccoli also contains lignans, which help prevent cancer and heart disease, as
well as warding off cognitive degeneration.
Chlorella
Chlorella, a single-celled fresh water algae plant, is often
referred to as a near-perfect food. Its range of health benefits is astounding
as it boosts your immune system, improves your digestion especially if
constipation is an issue, it enhances your ability to focus and concentrate,
increases energy level, balances the body's pH levels, normalizes blood sugar
and blood pressure, reduces your cancer risk, and even freshens your breath.
Garlic
A component of garlic known as allicin, causes the familiar
strong smell and flavor, but is also an extremely effective antioxidant. As
allicin digests in your body it produces sulfenic acid, a compound that reacts
faster with dangerous free radicals than any other known compound. Garlic is
also a triple threat against infections due to its antibacterial, antiviral and
antifungal properties. It is effective at killing antibiotic-resistant
bacteria, including MRSA, as well as fighting yeast infections, viruses and
parasites.
Garlic helps relax and enlarge the blood vessels in your
body, improving blood flow, especially to your heart.This can help prevent
conditions like high blood pressure and life-threatening events such as a heart
attack or stroke. Garlic also inhibits the formation of plaques in your
arteries, and prevents cholesterol from becoming oxidized, a condition that may
contribute to heart disease. Both garlic and onions can increase your
protection against at least five forms of the deadliest types of cancer such as
breast, colon, ovarian, prostate and esophageal.
Salmon
& Tuna
Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, salmon and tuna are great foods
for staying youthful and healthy as you age. EPA is one of the omega-3 fatty
acids in these two types of fish, and it has been shown to help keep skin firm
by preventing the breakdown of collagen and reducing inflammation. This
anti-inflammatory characteristic also helps prevent the formation of skin
cancer, and you should try to eat them twice weekly in your meals.
Sweet
Potatoes, Pumpkin, & Carrots
Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and carrots all contain
beta-carotene, which gives them their orange coloring and provide a number of
healthy aging benefits. Beta-carotene contributes to healthy skin and eyes, and
helps reduce the risk of a number of diseases, including cancer, heart disease,
and osteoporosis. Beta-carotene helps protect your skin from sun damage and
signs of aging by preventing the breakdown of collagen in skin. These orange
vegetables also contain high amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, which help you
maintain a healthy immune system.
Tomatoes
The tomato is actually an anti-aging powerhouse, as they
contain large amounts of the antioxidant compound lycopene, which contributes
to heart health and can help ward off diseases such as cancer. Lycopene also
helps protect against sun damage and wrinkles by preventing the breakdown of
collagen in skin.
While tomatoes are hugely beneficial to aging on their own,
cooking these vegetables helps to release even more lycopene, and sundried
tomatoes contain the highest amount of this potent antioxidant. By regularly
adding tomatoes to your meals, you will see the anti-aging results.
Coconut
Oil
Besides having loads of health benefits when consumed,
coconut oil has also benefits when applied to the skin as a natural moisturizer
and can be used in the place of any body lotion. Coconut oil also has plenty of
anti-aging benefits that help protect the skin from free radicals that cause
skin to look older.
(Courtesy
of forwarded mail from Chang Kong)