How to Alter Diet to Decrease the Effects of Aging

While nothing short of death can prevent you from getting older, scientists are discovering more and more ways to prevent you from showing your age. One of the easiest ways that you can help your body look as young as you feel is to eat a healthy diet that is high in antioxidants, which many medical professionals believe play a major role in the prevention of Alzheimers, dementia, strokes and other age-related illnesses. If feeling younger is not enough, other minor changes to your daily food intake can preserve youthful vigor, firm, line-free skin and even replace hormones that your body ceases to manufacture on its own after you reach the age of 35.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Notepad
• Something to write with

1. Keep a food journal for a week. Write down everything you eat, and the time that you ate it. This is not to get an idea of your caloric intake, but rather to establish a set of eating patterns. Once you have an idea of your eating schedule and habits, then you can target things that need to be changed and decide how most effectively change them.
2. Nuts are full of B vitamins that are good for the heart and the brain. Eat at least a cup of nuts each day. Nuts are highly "anti-inflammatory," which means that they inhibit the aging process. Nuts contain hormones that keep your skin firm and healthy. Your body stops producing these hormones naturally around age 35, so a regular diet than includes nuts can actually keep your skin looking more youthful.
3. Have fish as a meal at least twice a week. Fish is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential to the growth and development of young children, and can help keep your heart and pulmonary system running reliably as you age. Work with your doctor and a dietitian to determine if you should be eating these types of foods more frequently because of an increased risk of coronary disease.
4. Whenever possible, opt for fresh fruits and vegetables over cooked or preserved ones. Eat 5 servings of fruit or vegetables each day. This is something that everyone should do as part of a healthy diet, but it turns out that people who actually meet this goal are not just more physically fit and healthier in general--they look more youthful, too. Fruits and vegetables keep your skin firmer and more capable of absorbing and holding moisture, which leads to a younger appearance.
5. Avoid artificial preservatives, trans fatty acids and saturated fats. These can actually put your body in defensive mode, which stresses your entire system and accelerates the effects of aging.
6. Choose whole grains. These help lower blood cholesterol. Three daily servings should be your goal. Many times, something as simple as changing your cereal can count as one or even two servings of whole grains.
7. Drink at least 4 glasses of water a day. This keeps muscles, skin and all bodily organs hydrated as well as improving circulation. In short, your entire body will run more smoothly if you provide it with plenty of water.

Tips & Warnings

• Check with your doctor before making major changes to your dietary habits.