The Best (And Worst) Anti-Aging Foods !

Everybody wants to look and feel young, healthy, and vibrant, but unfortunately our lives don't always make achieving that goal easy. Stress, pollution, activities, and even the food we eat can affect how fast and how gracefully we age. Are you making diet choices that will keep you looking young ?

The best anti-aging foods :

Berries like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries are especially high in Vitamin C that helps to reduce wrinkles and age-related skin dryness, fiber that boosts heart health and helps maintain a healthy weight, antioxidants that fight against environmental and dietary toxins, and polyphenols that are thoughts to battle age-related mental decline.

Green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, and swiss chard have high levels of Vitamin K that helps keep bones strong and lutein and zeaxanthin that together keep vision sharp by protecting eyes from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light.

Whole grains such as whole wheat, brown rice, and oats are full of a wide variety of nutrients and minerals that help prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, and even gum disease. Whole grains are also full of appetite-curbing fiber for help maintaining a healthy weight.

Low-fat dairy because its protein can help maintain healthy strong muscles (age-related muscle loss makes you look and feel older) while its minerals can help keep bones strong and blood pressure within healthy limits.

Water helps all of the functions in your body, including waste and toxin removal and skin rejuvenation, work better and faster. Dehydration strains body systems but is especially bad for the skin, making it appear dull, less supple, and wrinkles more pronounced (I used to remind somebody every single day regarding this !).

The worst foods for aging :

Sugar is known to accelerate aging by decreasing skin's elasticity which leads to sagging. Too much sugar can also suppress the immune system, raise blood pressure, and increase the risk of some cancers.

Salt is a major cause of hypertension, which can lead to heart disease and stroke. Excess sodium can also lead to water retention and puffiness in the face, hands, and feet.

Processed foods have high levels of both sugar and salt, plus chemicals and artificial ingredients that form damaging free-radicals in the body.

Alcohol (in excess) weakens the immune system, depletes the body of vital minerals and nutrients, and dehydrates the skin leading to dryness and wrinkles.

Via : Luxist