There’s no doubt
that a healthy, varied and balanced diet plays an important role in looking and
feeling younger.
Substances such
as antioxidants and essential fatty acids help keep your mind and body fighting
fit and prevent many of the illnesses associated with ageing such as diabetes,
heart disease and high blood pressure. Adding more whole grains, fruit and
vegetables, and beans and pulses to your diet can add years to your life and
will ensure that your skin glows and you feel full of energy and vigour.
So if you want
to eat well to look and feel younger where do you begin?
The importance
of antioxidants
Antioxidants are
substances that may protect your cells against the effects of free radicals.
Free radicals are molecules produced when your body breaks down food, or by
environmental exposure to substances such as tobacco smoke, toxic chemicals or
overexposure to the sun’s rays and radiation.
Free radicals
can damage cells and may play a role in heart disease, cancer and other
diseases, and they are responsible for many of the degenerative effects of
ageing, such as loss of skin suppleness and arthritic conditions.
Antioxidants are
found in all brightly coloured fruits
and vegetables, as well as in whole grains, and they are often identified in
food by their distinctive colours – the deep red of cherries and tomatoes; the
orange of carrots; the yellow of corn, mangoes and saffron; and the blue-purple
of blueberries, blackberries and grapes.
The most
well-known components of foods with antioxidant activities are vitamins A. C,
E, and beta carotene; the minerals selenium and zinc; and, more recently identified,
the compound lycopene.
Fruits and
vegetables
It’s no secret
that fruit and vegetables provide us with the majority of the vitamins,
minerals and other compounds such as antioxidants that our bodies need to stay
healthy.
Eat daily
Seeds
Nuts
Fruit (fresh or
dried organic)
Fresh vegetables
Beans and pulses
Whole grains
Fresh herbs
Plenty of fresh
water, herbal teas, fruit (unsweetened) and vegetable juices
Eat regularly
Good-quality
organic dairy produce, such as yoghurt or goat’s cheese
A little organic
meat (if you are a meat-eater)
Oily fish (aim
for two servings a week and take advice if you are pregnant)
A little organic
rice
Good-quality red
or white wine (limit yourself to one glass)
Healthy oils (monounsaturated or
polyunsaturated), such as olive or pumpkin seed oil
Ginger and
turmeric, both spices shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic
properties
Avoid
Any food
containing transfats (currently labelled as hydrogenated fats or oils)
Salt (to season,
choose seaweed products, herbs or naturally salty foods such as olives or
celery)
Convenience
foods
Refined
carbohydrates, e.g. white bread, cakes, biscuits
White sugar
(choose honey, raw unrefined cane sugar or maple syrup to sweeten)
Fizzy or
sweetened drinks (including those with artificial sweeteners)
Processed foods,
including meat products
Crisps, biscuits
and other junk food
Artificial coloring's, preservatives and sweeteners
Finally, a
healthy diet should provide all the nutrients you need for good health;
however, because of the way our food is farmed
and prepared
today, even the best-quality products may not contain all the necessary
vitamins, minerals and other elements.
What’s more, as
we become older our bodies may not assimilate food as efficiently as they once
did.
We now know that
certain nutrients play a role in encouraging optimum health and vitality, and
supplements can ensure that we
get good levels
of these. For all these reasons a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement is
a good idea.
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