The Fountain (or Food) of Youth
Nutrition is not to be underestimated when it comes to anti-aging. Food alone has the power to keep us feeling and looking vibrant or to actually do the opposite (though please don’t take this to be a scare-tactic). If we look at the multiple opportunities daily that we have to invest in our future self, well now that’s something most of us can get behind. Most of us can find some motivation there, too. Let’s talk about some key foods and key nutrients.
Healthy fats, like those coming from olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, and fatty fish, serve so many functions inside the mind and body, as well as on our exterior skin. High quality healthy fats make our skin elastic and prevent it from becoming too dry, which in turn helps fight signs of aging such as wrinkles. Fats also help make up and regulate our hormones, which in turn greatly impact how we age, including how we look, feel, and think. Impressive right?
Let’s talk about proteins next. Amino acids, which there are 21 of, that make up our tissues. We have tissue of all kinds and without all the amino acids in the right amounts, our bodies don’t heal properly. Healing isn’t just for the sick, injured, or hurt. Its needed on a daily basis (and mostly occurs as we sleep). Our cells go through a lot every day, as we come in contact with a lot just living and breathing in our environment. Amino acids are needed for that cell repair (along with sleep and hydration). So, making sure we get a wide array of proteins, from plant, fish, and animal sources, is key.
Some other major players you’ll want on your anti-aging team are foods high in antioxidants, fiber, and both pro- and pre-biotic foods. Antioxidants help clean up free radicals, basically remnants of cells destroyed as they serve their purpose helping us to be incredible—fighting illness or disease, hiking beautiful places, filtering the air we breathe, you name it! These powerful plant essentials go to work ridding the body of any such disrepair, allowing us to rebuild; without this cellular clean-up, cancer can start to find a gateway. Since variety is not only the spice of life but also helps us get the widest array of nutrients, try to include fruits and veggies of ALL the colors. And keep your gut going strong with foods that include both soluble and insoluble fibers, as well as pro- and pre-biotic foods.
