It happens. Even to those with the best of genes, it happens: loose, sagging skin. It's part of the aging process, and you just have to accept it. …Or do you? Olessa Pindak, the deputy editor of health and beauty for "Whole Living" magazine, spoke with eHow about a few simple and natural regimens to incorporate into your daily routine that will help make you a lean, mean sagging-skin-fighting machine. As Pindak points out, "It can be as simple as drinking eight glasses of water a day."

Slideshow

Naturally Firming Sagging Skin

Naturally Firming Sagging Skin

By Kendra Osburn, eHow

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Overview

Incorporating certain foods rich in antioxidants, fatty acids and vitamins into your diet will help defend against sagging skin. Here are quick and easy suggestions that you can do today to ensure healthier, tighter skin in the future.

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Berries

Berries are chock full of antioxidants that will help keep your skin looking young and healthy. Pack some strawberries for lunch or add blueberries to a smoothie to get an extra skin boost alongside your meal.

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Salmon

Salmon is great for your entire body -- skin included. The essential fatty acids that salmon is known for, Omega-3s, do wonders for your skin by keeping inflammation down and clearing up clogged pores.

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Flax Seeds

If you don't like fish but still want to get invited to the Omega-3 party, flax is your new best friend. Like salmon, flax has a ton of Omega-3s and will help your skin stay soft and retain moisture.

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Nuts

Almonds are packed with vitamin E and walnuts are another Omega-3 powerhouse. Keep a little bag of these nuts handy for an afternoon pick me up that will benefit your pores as well.

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Spinach

Spinach isn't just for strength. Like other leafy greens in its family, spinach is stuffed with vitamin A and will leave your skin feeling smooth and bright. Just toss a few of these protein-packed leaves into your next salad and it'll be smooth sailing (and smooth skin) from there.

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Sweet Potatoes

Beta carotene, anyone? Sweet potatoes get their color from this redish, yellowish antioxidant, but beta carotene does more than add color to your plate -- it actually protects and defends you from too much sun (and overdosing on Vitamin D leads to wrinkles down the road).

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Roasted Tomatoes

Do you know why tomatoes are red? They contain lycopenenem, a phytochemical that gives the tomato its color while also fighting off any free-radicals left over from the last time you tanned. Like sweet potatoes, tomatoes keep your skin wrinkle free by acting as another defense against UV rays.

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Watermelon

Summer days just got sweeter. Watermelon also has lycopenenem and works to protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays. At your next picnic or backyard BBQ, in addition to lathering up the little ones in sunblock, send them off with some watermelon knowing that you're adding to their SPF, naturally.

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Mushrooms

If you're already sunburned, stock up on mushrooms. They have so much vitamin B2 working to repair any damaged tissue that you'll be back in the sunshine in no time.

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Water

If you can only make one lifestyle change at the moment, simply decide to drink more water. It may seem like an obvious answer, but if wrinkles are a result of dry, desiccated skin, then one of the best things to do is keep your whole body hydrated.

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Incorporating certain foods rich in antioxidants, fatty acids and vitamins into your diet will help defend against sagging skin. Here are quick and easy suggestions that you can do today to ensure healthier, tighter skin in the future.

Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images

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eHow: What contributes to sagging skin?

Olessa Pindak: As people age, skin begins to lose tightness, firmness and elasticity. This is because collagen and elastin start to break down. Skin is not as strong, and this contributes to the sagging. There is also a decrease in the underlying bone and muscle mass as we age. Think of your skin as a pillow and your muscle and bone mass as the stuffing. As the stuffing gets older and begins to shrink and reduce, the pillow loses its firmness. The same happens with skin. There are also a lot of unhealthy lifestyle choices we make that contribute to sagging skin -- poor diets, sun exposure and smoking. Another contributor is weight loss. A lot of people think losing weight is a good thing, but it's difficult for the skin to bounce back to its original shape after significant weight loss or constantly going back and forth between two weights. The expanding and contracting can cause sagging.

eHow: Why is it difficult to regain that firmness to our skin?

OP: As we talked about, the collagen and elastin break down as we age. Also, when we get older, collagen and elastin do not reproduce as quickly. So not only is it breaking down, but the speed at which you produce it is also decreasing.

eHow: What are good preventive measures to decrease the chances of sagging skin?

OP: The things you generally do to keep yourself healthy are important -- healthy diet, exercise, avoiding the sun. All of these general good-for-you lifestyle habits are really helpful.

eHow: You mention weight loss as a contributor. What is a healthy way to exercise and diet that will help promote skin firmness?

OP: When people are losing weight, they are often also losing muscle mass, especially if they are just dieting. Let's go back to that pillow reference. Exercise increases muscle mass, so it's like increasing the pillow stuffing. Strengthening and toning the muscle fills out the skin. Find exercises that suit your body and tone your muscle. It's normally recommended to exercise three to five days a week if you can. A sensible diet is also important. You'll want to make sure your diet is low in processed sugar. This is key because processed sugar actually contributes to skin breakdown. You'll want a diet that is high in fruits and vegetables. Interestingly, the most important nutrients to include in your diet are vitamin C and zinc because they both contribute to the rebuilding of strong collagen.

eHow: Are there body treatments that will help with sagging skin?

OP: Targeted creams are really important. Now I say this with a caveat: There is not one miracle cream that can restore collagen and elastin overnight. But there are creams and specific targeted ingredients that can make a difference when used over time and in combination with the other tips we're talking about. One of the key ingredients dermatologists often talk about is vitamin A, which is retinol. This is known for its ability to stimulate collagen and elastin fibers. Another is antioxidants. Vitamin E is an excellent example of a natural antioxidant that is in a lot of different face and body creams. You can also use vitamin E with ingredients from your pantry. Dr. David Bank shared an at-home treatment with me. Mix 1 teaspoon pure honey with 2 teaspoons of plain yogurt and 4 drops of liquid vitamin E. Combine this mixture together, then rub it on your skin. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then wash it off. It's a great at-home mask that's really simple.