Anti Aging Foods

Choosing healthy anti aging foods as part of your anti aging diet is the smart thing to do!

Here’s some information on anti aging foods from a variety of sources that we’ve found throughout the years. We’ve always been interested in finding foods can help us stay healthy and live young longer.

Foods you include in a healthy anti aging diet should be rich in antioxidants.

These highly antioxidant anti aging foods may help prevent and reduce inflammation, regulate metabolism, burn body fat, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, prevent cancer, protect against heart disease, and benefit digestive health.

Antioxidants also help keep skin from aging by protecting the skin’s collagen and elastic tissue from the oxidants or “free radicals” that attack it.

Different doctors and nutritionists all have their “favorites”, but certain anti aging foods such as berries, dark green leafy vegetables, wild Alaska salmon, tomatoes, tea, nuts, beans and whole grains show up on almost every list.

Obviously, at the top of the list are vegetables and fruit!

However, a concern of eating more vegetables and fruit has been the amount of pesticides and poisons present in produce that you eat. Most conventionally cultivated fruits and vegetables have a high amount of pesticides present.

There’s a list called The Dirty Dozen of the fruits and veggies that contain the highest amount of pesticide, and if it’s on the list, then you should buy organic whenever possible. Unfortunately “organic” produce is generally less available, and therefore more expensive!

We do have a solution – you can check out this “Dirty Dozen Solution” for a tip on how to clean fruits and vegetables shown to have a high amount of pesticides present!

Vegetables are a key component of an effective anti-aging diet. Cruciferous vegetables, green vegetables, and tomatoes (yeah I know, they’re a FRUIT!!) should become part of your everyday anti-aging diet.

Eggs are also amazing – they are one of nature’s “perfect foods” – and one of the best anti-aging foods you can eat. Here’s an easy way to make “easy to peel hardboiled eggs” for a healthy snack or meal.

Berries are well known to have powerful anti aging properties, and are amazing anti aging foods. – all black and blue berries contain phytochemicals known as flavonoids-powerful antioxidants which help to protect the body against damage caused by free radicals and aging. Add them to your cereal, or yogurt.

Water Melons and Musk Melons not only have an alkalizing effect on the body but also provide the body with essential fluids necessary for performing at a healthy level.  We also discovered that Melons have some of the best nutritional profiles of all the fruits.

Avocados are a really good source of healthy monounsaturated fat that may help reduce your cholesterol. Avocado is also a good source of vitamin E and can help to maintain healthy skin and prevent skin aging. Avocados are also rich in potassium which helps prevent fluid retention and high blood pressure.

Walnuts and other Nuts are an essential part of a healthy anti-aging diet. Nuts are a great source of omega-3 essential fatty acids. Eat a handful or two a day for all your omega-3 needs. Nuts include important vitamins and minerals like potassium, iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium.

Nuts also assist the digestive and immune system, help improve skin, and are cancer fighters! They can also help to control your cholesterol level as well! We recommend around 5 one oz. servings (one ounce is about 24 almonds or 14 walnut halves) per week.

Beans & Lentils are superior anti aging foods. High in fiber, and a premium source of healthy protein and antioxidants. By the way, black beans have 40 times more antioxidants than white beans!

Whole wheat pasta and brown rice.  These foods are full of fiber and carbohydrates, and are great long term energy foods.

I grew up eating white rice and squishy white bread, and I REALLY didn’t want to switch, but now I’m glad Jenn made me do it!! Try substituting zucchini pasta and brown rice and you will instantly feel the difference in your energy level!

Yogurt is rich in important vitamins and minerals like potassium, calcium, protein and B vitamins. What makes yogurt one of the most powerful foods is the presence of the live bacteria cultures in it. This bacteria aids the absorption of nutrients in the intestines and stabilizes the immune system.

Garlic contains allicin, which is known to reduce cholesterol levels and works more effectively than aspirin in reducing the risks of heart disease. Garlic also has the side benefit of repelling vampires-and annoying admirers…of course use it wisely, because it can also repel NON-annoying admirers too!

The best way to release the allicin in garlic is by crushing it. Let it stand about 30 minutes after crushing before cooking, and avoid overcooking or you’ll lose the benefits of using the garlic altogether.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids are a family of non-saturated fatty acids essential for normal healthy growth. They have also been shown to have anti-cancer effects, especially against prostate, breast and colon cancer.

Flax seeds, walnuts, hemp seeds, wild Alaska salmon, and olive oil are all excellent sources of the Omega-3s. Wild Alaska Salmon grilled in olive oil with a crushed flax seed/hemp seed crust and a walnut salad anyone?!?

Water needs to be your primary drink. This way, you’ll be drinking a no calorie, no chemical drink all day long instead of the many, many high-calorie, high chemical alternatives. And try to limit your bottled water, because studies are increasingly showing the hazards of plastic packaging on our bodies.

Green Tea and black teas are excellent sources of potent polyphenols, strong antioxidants with cardio- protective benefits, including decreased cholesterol absorption, decreased platelet activity and reduced oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Green tea also appears to fight some cancer cells. Adding lemon to your green tea will increase your body’s ability to absorb the antioxidants in the tea by 80%!

Red Wine has a substance called “resveratrol“ that helps your body fight off age-related illnesses.

Dark Chocolate: Eating a small amount of dark chocolate is good for the heart, brain, helps control blood sugar, is full of antioxidants, and is high in vitamins & minerals.

To optimize the health benefits of dark chocolate:
1. It must be at least 70% cocoa (sugar should not be listed before cocoa ingredients.)
2. Not processed with alkali (lowers flavanols)
3. 100% Organic (no chemicals or pesticide)

And please buy Fair Trade to ensure that small farmers get a fair price for their products. Even more serious issues are slavery, child labor, kidnapping, injuries from unsafe working conditions, beatings, etc.

These Spices are all excellent antioxidant/anti aging power foods: cinnamon, turmeric, paprika, cayenne pepper, rosemary, and ginger.

So now you know that there’s a huge variety of anti aging foods…let’s start eating!