Foods to Have:
Grapes 1 cup
Red wine 5 ounces
Olive oil 1 tablespoon
Salmon (cooked) 3 ounces
Soybeans (cooked) 1 cup
Whey 1 ounce
Also consider: Berries, whole grains, yogurt, tea, flaxseeds, avocados
Which foods keep you looking young?
There is biological aging and there is chronological aging. Can't do much about the latter, but there are some things you can do to slow down the hands of time's effects on your looks and possibly even reverse damage through good nutrition and healthy living! We'll get to food in a moment, but you want to share some other simple yet effective tips for looking your youngest!: Don't smoke: This is "pedal to the metal" on the aging process. Studies show smoking damages the basic structure of skin cells, which leaves skin looking haggard and leathery.
- Get plenty of rest: Besides literally taking years off your life, lack of sleep can make you look older than you really are. Experts suggest at least seven to eight hours of restful sleep.
- Start sooner than later: There is a rate of diminishing returns, as noticeable signs of aging start as early as the midtwenties.
- Sun of a . . . : Have a love/hate relationship with Mr. Sun. Some exposure is good because it is the richest source for our daily vitamin D supply, which also supports muscles and bones, which in turn hold up your healthy skin. But overexposure can wipe away all the good of the sun, as it can increase chances of melanoma—a deadly form of skin cancer—and ultraviolet light can also permanently damage skin cell DNA and cripple collagen that supports healthy skin cells. Use appropriate skin protection when you think you will be exposed longer than you should be!
Did you know?
Out of all the research on foods that have antiaging properties, the consumption of fruit and vegetables offered the greatest breadth of scientific support. University of St. Andrews researchers recently found that the key to a rosy, healthy-looking complexion was ramping up fruit and vegetable intake. Depending on the type and quantity of fruits and vegetables eaten, noticeable improvements could be seen as early as six weeks, when even the skin looked healthier and more attractive: Warmer and more youthful yellow and red hues were accented and cooler colors were more muted with increased fruit and vegetable consumption, mainly because the carotenoids in green, red, yellow, and orange fruits and veggies reflect in the skin's surface when we eat them habitually.
How much do you have to eat for an awesome you? Surprisingly, just three servings of carotenoid-rich produce items such as carrots, yams, spinach, peaches, pumpkin, apricots, watermelon, tomatoes, and pink grapefruits over the six-week period was enough to show noticeable improvement in that study. Not surprisingly, you will encourage you to eat these carotenoid-rich veggies more frequently (like daily!) to improve your skin and everything else underneath it!
Supplements:
Nutrient deficiencies associated with less than optimal health of hair, nails, or skin include protein, zinc, calcium, and iron, B vitamins, such as biotin, and vitamins A and C, and omega-3s. Dietary supplements can provide these nutrients, but first look to optimizing your diet before purchasing these nutrients in supplement form.
Did you know?
Yes, chocolate once again! Often the very last food that people think of for promoting healthy skin, chocolate has wrongfully been associated with poor skin health, but is now extolled by researchers for its cocoa flavanol content, which offers UV protection. A double-blind study involving thirty healthy volunteers randomly assigned them to consume daily either a high- or low-flavanol chocolate treat for twelve weeks. The high-flavanol group saw a doubling of UV protection in their skin, compared to those who consumed the low-flavanol.
Another study suggests dried prunes may help reduce skin wrinkles. Talk about food irony!
Grapes and Wine
Red wine has antiaging benefits! Lucky you if you enjoy a glass of red wine every once in a while. Resveratrol, found in the skin of red grapes, is an anti-inflammatory and can help slow the aging process. You can also enjoy the benefits of resveratrol from grape juice and fresh red grapes, too! Resveratrol has been shown in several studies to help protect the skin from UV radiation damage that can lead to not only premature aging but also cancer of the skin and other skin disorders. And eating the entire grape may help skin look younger, too. The seeds of grapes are rich in proanthocyanidins, which have demonstrated strong antioxidant protection against DNA damage to skin cells.
Olive Oil
In a review of many studies that looked at the antiaging benefits of a Mediterranean diet, it was determined that olive oil, because of its phenolic properties, exerted the most effect on preventing age-related diseases. Many of the benefits of the phenolic compounds in olive oil are due to its anti-inflammatory effects. A study found that olive oil is as effective as such over-the-counter medications as Advil for reducing inflammation!
Salmon
Salmon, as well as trout, tuna, sardines and mackerel, are great sources of omega-3s, protein, and vitamin B12, all benefiting our ins and outs. Broken and weak nails may be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency, so salmon can be great for combating that symptom—a 3-ounce serving provides 40 percent of the RDA for this vitamin! Additionally, these kinds of fish are lower than other animal proteins in saturated fat and cholesterol, both of which can speed up the aging process! What gives salmon its healthy salmon color is a phytonutrient called astaxanthin, which belongs to the carotenoid family. Research shows this powerful antioxidant fights age-related diseases.
Omega-3s play a huge role in reducing internal inflammation, which means better circulation. Low intake and body stores of omega-3 can be evidenced by dry skin or an itchy scalp. About 35 percent of the human brain consists of fatty-acids such as DHA and EPA (kinds of omega-3s), but as the years go by the concentration can decrease! A study found that brains of the elderly contained 22 percent less of these fatty acids than the brains of younger adults.
Soybeans
Soy contains many nutrients that benefit healthy aging from the inside out. One of those substances is called equol, which derived from the soy iso-flavone diadzen. As women go through menopause, youthful levels of estrogen drop, and along with them, so do skin, bone density, and the list goes on. In a cell study, equol significantly increased collagen and elastin, and caused significant positive changes in skin antioxidant and antiaging genes. The benefit of soy and the supplement equol may be a safer yet effective alternative to estrogen therapy.
Whey
Whey protein is one of proteins that naturally occur in dairy products such as cottage cheese. It is high in branch-chain amino acids, especially leucine, which is attributed to helping muscles repair and grow. Proteins are the main components of hair, skin, and nails, and most of us get more than enough in our diet. But as we age, the muscles that hold up skin begin to waste away. Consuming high-quality protein may slow down this process. Whey protein was shown to stimulate protein anabolism (muscle growth) independent of physical activity for the elderly.