Foods to Stay Young – Anti-Aging Dietary Care

Go look in the mirror right now. Do you see any signs of aging on your skin? wrinkles? Baggy eyes? Dark circles around your eyes? If you don’t see any of these, congratulations, you’re probably still in the prime of your youth. If you see them, don’t feel so bad, because everyone ages. Yes, even those of you in the prime of your youth. Aging is inevitable. What matters is how fast one ages. After all, no one wants to look 60 when they’re 30, right?

Aging is caused by many things, and in the case of skin aging, the causes range from the sun to facial expressions and even gravity. But did you know that the foods you eat can also determine how your skin ages?

Ultraviolet radiation from the sun causes our bodies to produce free radicals that slowly destroy our skin. But even without the help of the sun, our bodies continually produce these free radicals. Antioxidants keep our skin firm by protecting collagen and elastin from free radical wear and tear, and in fact, our body’s greatest defense against free radicals is when we’re between the ages of 0-27. But as we age, our body’s natural production of antioxidants begins to decline, and free radical damage increases over time because of it. Sure, our bodies are still capable of repairing the damage done, but eventual wear and tear will eventually manifest and thus aging will ensue.

So what can you do to slow down the wear and tear of damaging free radicals? Well, for one thing, people who maintain a diet of antioxidant-rich foods have been shown to age more slowly than people who don’t. People who adhere to a diet rich in antioxidants also live healthier, more active lives than those who don’t. In general, fruits and vegetables that are colorful are rich in antioxidants and are an excellent choice for healthy food alternatives. Being rich in antioxidants, they help our body to neutralize free radicals and prevent the aging process. Blueberries, cranberries, pinto beans, and artichokes are just a few of the fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants.

Another thing to keep in mind is the fact that as we age, our body’s ability to digest and absorb food begins to decline due to the decreased volume of digestive enzymes. As such, in addition to the antioxidant-rich foods you might already be consuming, supplements such as vitamin C, zinc, hydrocotyl, alpha lipoic acid, and even green tea can increase your body’s intake of antioxidants.

Stay away from foods with refined sugar and wheat as they can cause hyperglycemia which leads to inflammation and promotes skin aging. By turning into sugar, both sugar and carbohydrates have a negative effect on collagen and cause a loss of elasticity in the skin. The end result is deep wrinkles and sagging skin. In fact, nearly 50% of all skin aging damage was caused by sugar-induced hyperglycemia.

If you’re not already following an antioxidant-rich diet, start today. Following an anti-aging diet will not only help you look younger, but it will also help you feel younger.