Are You Eating Your Way Into Old Age?
Most people aren’t comfortable with getting older, especially when it starts to show in their physical appearance.
The situation becomes even worse when you think you look older than you are, and this can become a source of great stress and emotional discomfort.
Even if you don’t think you look old, doing one of those popular online tests that tell you how old your body actually is (based on your lifestyle) can certainly be scary stuff. I recommend you stay away from these sites!
So can we fight back against the ageing process? Well, while there may not be an anti-ageing elixir, proper skin care and a healthy lifestyle can prevent us from looking old prematurely.
Indeed, we know that what we eat can dramatically affect how we age. Timothy Harlan, assistant professor of medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine, explained: “There’s an incredible amount of evidence that says that eating junk puts your body into an inflammatory state. Poor-quality foods, like trans-fats, cause inflammation – and aging is basically a chronic inflammatory state.”
Research has shown that foods containing too much sugar or processed carbohydrates lead to the production of advanced glycation end products. These are not only linked to conditions like heart disease and diabetes, but they can damage the collagen and fibres in the skin.
Foods that are ageing you
If your diet contains lots of crisps, french fries, sugary foods like doughnuts, processed meats, high levels of red meat and considerable amounts of alcohol, you’re arguably eating yourself into old age. These foods are known to contain high levels of bad fats, calories and advanced glycation end products, also known as AGE’s.
Sugar and fructose are both extremely potent pro-inflammatory agents that create AGEs and speed up the aging process. In addition, these also increase leptin and insulin levels, which also contributes towards premature aging and age-related chronic degenerative diseases such as heart disease.
Fighting back against ageing
It’s never too late to turn your diet around and start fighting back against the signs of ageing. While lotions and potions have their benefits, they can only do so much if you’re not eating the right things.
To reduce the physical effects of ageing, it’s important to fill your diet with vitamins A, B and C, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, thiamine, riboflavin and minerals.
Some of the best foods for this are seaweed, fresh water fish, leafy greens, lentils and oatmeal. Seaweed is rich in minerals and protein, which helps to restructure collagen and regenerate elastin. This improves the subtleness of skin. Lentils also contain beneficial proteins, in addition to fiber and antioxidants.
Meanwhile, leafy greens boast antioxidant vitamins that reduce inflammation. You should also add more fresh fish to your diet as these contain omega-3 fatty acids that fight inflammation, while oatmeal which contains vitamin B, thiamine and riboflavin promotes skin health.
Copyright © Quinessence Aromatherapy Ltd 2014. Written by Sue Charles
