20 BEST ANTI-AGING FOODS THAT WILL HELP YOU STAY YOUNG
20 BEST ANTI-AGING FOODS THAT WILL HELP YOU STAY YOUNG
Nobody wants to look older before their time. But did you know there is a way to slow down the aging process that doesn’t involve black magic and selling yourself to witches?! Yup, the key to slowing down the aging process lies in eating the right food. In this article, Beauty and Tips takes a look at 20 best anti-aging foods that will help you stay young for longer.
You always knew food was good for your overall health. A clean, well-balanced diet can fight disease, reduce your risk of developing illness, protect your immune system, energise you and so on. But did you ever stop to think that food can also preserve the youthful, blemish-free glow of your skin so that you stay looking young for as long as possible?
Aging is something we all have to go through at some point. We can’t stop the sands of time, and we can’t turn the clock back (despite trying SO HARD!). But what we can do is we can slow down the aging process, so that we don’t look or feel older than we really are.
If you want to hold onto your beauty for as long as possible, here are 20 best anti-aging foods that will help you fight aging. These foods protect your skin, your heart and even your brain.
Leafy Green Vegetables
Let’s face it. We all told our moms we suddenly weren’t very hungry and that we’ll just watch TV whenever we saw her dump some spinach or kale onto our dinner plates, totally ruining the burgers and fries effect. Or maybe we told her we were on a diet.
“How can you be on a diet? You’re only seven!”
Gulp. So we had to eat the horrifying leafy greens or get grounded.
Turns out, leafy greens aren’t so bad after all, and they are one of the best anti-aging foods. Not only can you season them for taste, but they also keep you looking beautiful by hydrating your skin. The likes of broccoli, kale and spinach are absolutely stuffed with skin-protecting antioxidants.
Tomatoes
Ah tomatoes. As luscious as a pair of red lipstick lips, as tasty as a kiss. Tomatoes are technically a fruit, and they’re just dandy, if you’re looking to put the brakes on the aging process.
This is because they’re rich in a pigment called lycopene. You might not have heard of lycopene before, but it’s responsible for the tomatoes’ striking red colour. And it’s this pigment that reduces the damage done to your skin by the sun’s UV rays. See, for all the sun’s awesome (we love you, sun!), it’s a bit of a two-faced character. It wants to make us feel good in the summer, but too much time spend under it can cause really bad skin damage that leaves us looking older than we actually are.
Pomegranates
Some people are a bit funny about pomegranates because they have a tendency to get stuck in their teeth. This is true, but we don’t think that’s really a good reason to avoid a fabulous seed that prevents premature aging by warding off skin damage.
Yup, if you want to stay looking visibly young for as long as possible, adding pomegranates to your diet is a swell idea. They contain punicalagin, a nutrient that prevents the breakdown of collagen. And collagen is kinda important if you want to look after your skin! You can add pomegranates to your smoothies (in which case they definitely won’t get stuck in your teeth), to your bowl of oatmeal, or to your cakes. Yummy!
Turmeric
Another one of great anti-aging foods is turmeric, which is technically a spice. If you cook with spices, the chances are high that you’ve already cooked with turmeric. Popular in hot Indian dishes – especially curries – turmeric doesn’t target your skin like a lot of the other foods in this article does. Instead, it keeps you young by looking after your brain. In other words, it reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Tentative research has found that Alzheimer’s may be caused by the build-up of too much plaque in our brain. Because turmeric contains a plaque-fighting compound called curcumin, it might be able to stop that particular possible cause of Alzheimer’s. So add a dash of turmeric to your meals as you cook. You can sprinkle it on your scrambled eggs, add it to your curries, your vegetables and anything else you can think of.
Oranges
Oranges are also a part of great anti-aging foods, they reduce visible signs of aging by looking after your skin. How? For one thing, they’re rich in water, which means they are able to properly quench your skin’s thirst, keeping it hydrated. They also contain lots of vitamin C, a vitamin that’s essential in the production of collagen. And without enough collagen, your skin can start to crack and age real fast.
Eggs
How do you like your eggs in the morning? Poached? Scrambled? Boiled? Or maybe you don’t like eggs at all!?
If you don’t like eggs, it might be time to start trying to fall in love with them. As well as containing lots of beneficial protein, eggs are a great way to protect your eyes from age-related degeneration. It’s all about dat yolk. It’s rich in nutrients that can prevent the development of cataracts.
Avocados
Avocados are one of the best anti-aging foods ever.
Yes, you’ve probably heard people tell you that avocados contain lots of fat: “She’s trying to get healthy, yet she keeps eating avocados. Who does she think she is?”
But actually, avocados contain the good type of fat (yes, there is a big difference). And this good type of fat looks after your skin, helping it stay hydrated. It also absorbs the nutrients and vitamins needed by your skin.
Garlic
Nutritionists, health experts and dieticians all around the world are pretty unanimous when it comes to advice on garlic: They believe you should eat it everyday. That sounds tricky, but garlic can be added to SO many dishes. Moreover, how about garlic bread at the side of your meals, too? In fact, you might not realise the variety of dishes that garlic can be added to, for both a taste and a health kick.
Garlic is also one of the amazing anti-aging foods, it offers many health benefits, not least it ability to reduce your risk of stroke and heart disease. When it comes to fighting aging, garlic helps by fighting inflammation and reducing cartilage damage done by arthritis.
Rooibos Tea
Rooibos tea – otherwise known as red tea – is rich in polyphenols. In case you didn’t know what these are, polyphenols stop your skin from aging before it’s time. It’s healthier than coffee, and hydrates your skin rather than dehydrates it.
You may not have heard of it before, but we’re pretty sure every major supermarket chain stocks it now. Alternatively, you can find it in a health food store.
Green Tea
If you want to mix things up a bit, or want a tea that packs an even more powerful health kick, try green tea. Green tea is rich in antioxidants, and fights skin cell degeneration. In this way, it makes sure you stay looking as young as possible.
Honey
How about adding some sweet honey to your tea for a warm taste of comfort? Honey is both an antioxidant and anti-viral. People often use it as a face mask because it works wonders for the skin. It also deserver a place in our list of fabulous anti-aging foods.
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts have developed a bit of a bad reputation and are on many peoples’ “foods to avoid” lists, simply because they can cause excess gas. Okay, so that is a pretty good reason to avoid them. But get this: Brussels sprouts protect your skin, thereby eliminating any visible signs of aging. Surely that’s a good enough reason to start eating them again?!
Brussels sprouts are loaded in folate, and vitamins A and C. Folate can reduce the damage caused to your skin by the sun, as can vitamin A. Vitamin C, meanwhile, helps with the production of collagen, which your skin needs to remain supple and fresh.
You don’t have to boil them like your mom did either. Roast them and coat them in olive oil for flavour.
Strawberries
Ever been challenged to a race by your child?
“I’ll race you to the top!” they say excitedly.
Each time you hear it, you die a little inside. You start eagerly, running up the hill faster than them. Then, after five seconds, you literally die.
If we get older and don’t look after ourselves, this will happen. Our heart starts to feel older than it is, and it can’t keep up with our kids anymore.
To keep yourself feeling young at heart (sorry), consider adding strawberries to your diet. Tasty, colourful and oh so healthy, strawberries are super rich in the kind of flavonoids your heart is craving.
Salmon
Another one of great anti-aging foods is salmon. This oily fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which you need as much of as you can. The trouble is that it’s kinda hard to find in food, with salmon being one of the few sources. Omega-3’s are important because they can prevent skin cancer from developing and spreading.
Milk
Milk is a funny one, because there are many detractors who say that there are better sources of calcium elsewhere. But when it comes to a double punch of calcium and protein, there aren’t many better, tastier, more filling and more convenient sources than a chilled glass of milk.
Whether you do as some Americans do and combine it with some cookies at night, or just pour it onto your morning cereal, it’s important that you get a decent dose of calcium each week. Why? Because calcium strengthens bones. Weak bones become thinned bones, which in turn become a disease called osteoporosis. This is a debilitating disease that generally older people get. Their bones become brittle, and they fracture easily.
Drink milk to stay as strong and physically active for as long as possible.
Grapes
Despite being the food of choice of idle Greek gods, grapes are often overlooked in health and beauty articles. We can’t understand why, because these delectable little fruits are rich in resveratrol. What does resveratrol do? It lowers inflammation, which is an important battle in the war on aging. Resveratrol also lessens the damage caused to your skin by the sun’s UV rays. Despite this, you should always apply sunscreen.
Watermelon
Another one of fabulous anti-aging foods is watermelon; it nourishes your skin with its vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and water content. It prevents discolouration and wrinkles.
Oatmeal
How about combining milk with oatmeal? It’s a winning combination! Oatmeal is rich in fibre, a key nutrient that helps to ward off a number of chronic disease that we generally associate with aging – heart disease, cancer and respiratory problems in particular.
To really slow down the aging process, add fresh fruit to your bowl of oatmeal, such as strawberries and apple. These two fruits in particular are rich in flavonoids (apple is also rich in fibre), and will look after your heart and skin.
Blueberries
Blueberries are also one of the best anti-aging foods. Lots of people who are looking to clean up their diet assume they have to stop snacking.
Take it from us: You don’t have to stop snacking. You just need to get smart about the way you snack. Instead of munching on candy bars at work, munch on blueberries instead. Blueberries are arguably tastier than candy bars anyway, and they’re also richer in antioxidants. In fact, among all fruits they’re probably the most antioxidant lean. The kind of antioxidants they house fight age by slowing down – or preventing altogether – cognitive decline.
Get on ‘em, girls!
Mixed Nuts
Don’t fancy blueberries every single day? Mix them up with some nuts! Nuts definitely deserve a place in the list of amazing anti-aging foods. There isn’t really such a thing as a bad nut. But there are certainly nuts that prevent age-related diseases better than others.
Almonds, walnuts and pistachios are all your friends right now if you want to stay feeling as young, fresh and vibrant for as long as possible. They reduce the risk of heart disease, respiratory issues, and cancer. Take a small bag to work with you and pick at them as the day goes along.
What are your favorite anti-aging foods?
Stay happy and healthy!
from Beauty And Tips Magazine
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