Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, had said, “Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you’ve got to start young.”
So, whatever your age at present, it is never too late to start caring for your skin and overall health. Invest in the right care now to reap a good anti-aging harvest in the coming years.
You need not spend a fortune on fancy creams and lotions to look younger and more beautiful as you age. Just make sure you feed your skin and your body certain nutrients that have a profound influence on how you age.
Here is a list of nutrients you must include in your diet NOW to age so beautifully it hardly looks you are aging!
After age 40, muscle mass declines at a rate of 1-2 per cent each year. Imagine how much muscle you may lose by the time you reach 50 or 60! This can render you fragile.
Protein is essential for each cell of the body, including skin, nails, and hair. Experts recommend 1.2 grams of protein per kg of body weight for older people.
Pump your body with chicken, yogurt, fish, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans, and eggs.
These are healthy fats that are found to:
All of the above can help you look and feel younger and fitter. Good blood flow is the secret to a naturally glowing skin and shiny hair.
Munch on walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, Brussel sprouts, purslane, and fatty fish like tuna, salmon, sardines, and mackerel.
Coenzyme Q 10 is the chief energy supplier to your body cells. It declines with age. That’s why elderly people feel tired quickly. This antioxidant keeps oxidative stress in check. If you have this enzyme in sufficient amount in your body, you will be fitter in mind and body as you age.
Eat peanuts, soybeans, fatty fish, chicken, spinach, broccoli, lentils, oranges, and strawberries frequently for adequate supply of this enzyme.
Saturated fats, like red meat, are not bad, but in conjunction with abusing your health can have negative consequences. When combined with sugary foods like pasta and cake, the fats build up in your arteries resulting in strokes and heart attacks; that’s the long-term effect anyway. The reason for saturated fats becoming the demon-to-slay in the public conscience for 50 years was actually the result of bribes taken by researchers from companies invested in the sale of sugary foods. This was brilliantly highlighted in a New York Times article which includes the surfaced evidence of bribery and corresponding literature.
That silly thing on every old cereal box is just ridiculously inaccurate. The base layer suggests 6-12 servings of grains a day, which certainly went a long way in making sure that our nation is one of the more obese on earth today.
Lack of zinc in the body is found to accelerate aging. Zinc is important for healthy hair and nails. This minor mineral is an important part of red platelets. It does significant functions in the body.
You need not much zinc; it’s a trace mineral. But, make sure your body gets a supply.
Eat foods like meat, shellfish, oysters, lobsters, crab meat, chickpeas, lentils, beans, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, squash seeds, peanuts, cashews, almonds, quinoa, wild rice, oats, eggs, milk, cheese, and dark chocolate.
Selenium is yet another trace mineral that helps to prevent age-related issues. Research shows that this mineral is linked to longer telomeres, which are caps on chromosome ends that regulate aging of cells.
You must eat Brazil nuts, seafood, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, yellowfin tuna fish, and turkey for your supply of selenium. Be careful with Brazil nuts, as they contain highest amount of selenium. Eating too much can cause selenium toxicity.
Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant. It prevents wrinkles and fine lines. Do you know this element is responsible for the distinct red color of raspberries and grapes?
So, eating raspberries and grapes is a good idea to get your supply of resveratrol. You can also have some red wine. Pistachios and peanuts are also great sources of this antioxidant, so are cranberries, mulberries, and blueberries.
Vitamin A is essential for skin and eyes. Topical application of this vitamin is found to reduce wrinkles, enhance skin smoothness and tone. This vitamin helps to slow down aging of internal organs too.
Eat lots of carrots, mangoes, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, leafy greens, salmon, eggs, cheese, nuts, and other orange and yellow colored fruit and veggies.
Vitamin B12 declines in the body as a person ages. Lack of this vitamin can lead to mobility issues and problems in cognitive functions later in life.
Alas, this vitamin is found only in animal foods. Vegetarians can get their supply from dairy foods. However, vegans may find it difficult to get this vitamin.
Vitamin B12 is found in ample amounts in meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy.
You must take supplements in case you don’t eat the above foods.