The Anti-Aging Diet

It might be an old saying "You are what you eat", but nevertheless, it is absolutely true! Your overall health greatly depends on not just how much you eat but also on the quality of what you eat.

It is well known that excess sunlight will age the skin, but there are some who don't realise that sugar will also take its toll on your skin condition, due to the damaging effect that it has on your immune system.  In the long term, excesses of sugar cause an attack on the immune system, blunting its response, and causing over-production of insulin, which may even result in a reduced insulin response, leading to obesity, because excess glucose is stored by the body as fat. As you age, sugar also diminishes the supply of collagen and elastin, the two natural proteins that keep your skin taut. Sugar also lessens the effect of vitamin C, which is essential for repair and maintenance of your skin. The condition of your skin will tell you that all is not well; it will appear dry, rough, leathery, saggy, harsh feeling, and lacking flexibility, so you need to take action now to improve it! There are some great substitutes for those frequent sweet sugary snacks. You can substitute foods that can be eaten with no preparation, and that are high in antioxidants and low in calories.

For example: -
*Doughnut, no, no, try instead a few Brazil nuts or almonds! Brazil nuts for example contain, in a 35gm portion, 240 calories, 24gms of fat, most of which are "good" fats, mono and polyunsaturated, 1gm of carbohydrates, vitamin E, 25% of RDA and selenium.
*Candy bar, not at all, too much sugar, a few raw sticks of carrot or broccoli are much better! Both of these are vitamin and mineral rich, with Beta Carotene, Vitamins A and E and dietary fibre.
*Potato chips, full of fat and sodium, not for me, try a muesli bar instead! These contain oats, other grains and dried fruits which provide slow release carbohydrates, making you feel full longer.

You're beginning to get the idea! Try also fresh berries, all the brightly coloured ones, blueberries, blackberries, acai and goji berries, all of which contain skin nourishing nutrients and antioxidants protecting your skin from the ravages of free radicals, excess sunlight, smoking and pollution. Also avocadoes, flaxseed and sunflower seeds for essential minerals, the effects of which are to leave your skin positively radiant!

A caution about eating fruit, although they are a good healthy alternative to junk food, bear in mind that they do contain sugar in natural form. Too much therefore may not be best for your weight control issues, it would be better to eat a larger proportion of vegetables in your diet.

You also need to maintain a balance of omega 3/omega 6 oils, the ideal sources of which are oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel and trout. Omega 3 is known to be anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant in action, and has a beneficial effect on cardiovascular efficiency, improving skin health by transporting essential nutrients around the body.

A healthy eating plan is essential, but what you drink is equally important. All those sugar rich sodas will have to go, and do not even think about diet drinks, which will only make it all worse. The artificial sweeteners in these clog up the body systems and even intensify hunger sensations, encouraging you to eat more. Instead, drink a minimum of 6 glasses of pure cold water daily, preferably half an hour before each meal. You will be surprised how much less you eat, and your skin will benefit by its improved appearance, becoming more flexible and "alive" looking!