It seems we’re all trying to find the “magic bullet” that delays the natural aging process. Put an antiaging label on most any product, and it flies off the shelves.
Yet if you’re trying to look your best without going under the knife, a secret ingredient might be right under your nose. Some experts say one answer to aging gracefully can be found in the grocery store — in fruits, vegetables, green tea, and a host of other healthful foods that are rich in antioxidants and other potentially age-deterring compounds.
What Is Aging?
Of course, the signs of aging include not only wrinkles, but also memory loss, decreased brain function, and an increasing risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer. Healthy aging is also defined as living a longer, healthier life. And many studies have documented the link between a healthy diet and prevention of age-related or chronic diseases.
Adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity, adequate rest, avoiding tobacco, and a diet full of healthy foods and beverages can be the best defense against aging.
“Dietary choices are critical to delay the onset of aging and age-related diseases, and the sooner you start, the greater the benefit,” says Susan Moores, RD, a spokesman for the American Dietetic Association.
Antioxidants and Inflammation
Some foods and beverages contain powerful substances called phytonutrients that some believe are capable of unlocking the key to longevity. Phytonutrients, which are members of the antioxidant family, gobble up “free radicals” — oxygen molecules that play a role in the onset of illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease.
As we age, we become more susceptible to the long-term effects of oxidative stress (a condition where the body basically has too many free radicals) and inflammation on the cellular level. The theory is that antioxidants and other age-defying compounds help cells ward off damage from free radicals and minimize the impact of aging.
We all age with the passing of time. It is an inescapable part of life. However, with an effective anti-aging diet plan, we can halt the aging process for a life of wellness and longevity.
The Aging Process
Although we grow wiser with age, our body’s natural process is to begin slowing itself down. After a certain age, or age range, we do not require as much energy as we did when our bodies were still developing and growing. One example for the reason behind this decreased energy need is our bones decreased ability to deposit calcium into our bones at or around 35 years old. There are literally hundreds of cellular processes that require energy during our first half, but not as much thereafter.
The aging process also involves the generation of unstable molecules known as free radicals at a cellular level in our bodies. Free radicals, as you may have heard, are the culprit for a multitude of health conditions due to their ability to interrupt the normal cell process. Common results of free radical activity include wrinkling of the skin, degenerative eye diseases, and cancer.
The Anti-Aging Diet
Antioxidants
It would make sense that if free radicals are the enemies, then we need a weapon of defense to stop the fight, better known as aging. Fortunately, scientific research has uncovered the ever-so-powerful effects of antioxidants. Even better, antioxidants have been found in a number of foods. Vitamin A, C, E and the mineral, selenium, known as the ACES, have been found to be the answer to destroying free radical activity. Beta-carotene, lycopene, and lutein have been singled out as extremely potent antioxidants. A short list of foods rich in antioxidants include:
Oranges Carrots Pomegranates Blueberries Strawberries Soy Almonds Avocados Sweet potatoes Apricots Wheat germ Tomatoes Spinach Pink grapefruit Broccoli
A word about selenium: Although selenium is not actually an antioxidant compound, but rather a mineral, it remains a beneficial component to the anti-aging diet. It differs from the other compounds because it is strictly found in the soil. It finds its way into our food supply in two ways: either from the direct contact with the produce we eat or through the meat of the poultry and beef we eat that are raised on selenium-rich soils where the feed is grown.
Calorie Requirement
A major piece to the anti-aging diet puzzle is the nutrition equation of calories in vs. calories out. As mentioned earlier, the human body needs fewer calories as metabolic functioning winds down to second or third gear. Hence, in order to maintain a healthy body weight as we grow older, we need to eat less to keep the unused calories from landing into storage space of hips, thighs, belly and such. The importance of this calorie reduction cannot be understated since a healthy weight is vital to the prevention of several age-provoked diseases. Examples include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and some cancers. Here are a few ways besides eating less to keep metabolic activity as high as possible:
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Loss Weight Diet and Free Diet Articles Explains how to cut calories and reduce fat in a diet. Recommendations on achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, and selection of low-calorie, reduced fat foods and beverages. Provides free diet information, and exercise plan, with an explanation of each phase including low carb diets, diet reviews, and other health information
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