Time passes for all of us, but we don't all age the same way. You've probably seen gorgeous celebrities who look like they haven't aged since they were teenagers. Now, that incredible result probably involves some kind of cosmetic surgery and other expensive products. But that's not the only way to look and feel young for years to come. You can age beautifully and feel good, too.
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3 Best Anti-Aging Foods
Of course, eating a well-rounded diet of whole foods like fruits and vegetables is healthy for many reasons, not just anti-aging. But some foods are particularly good for combating signs of aging, so if you aren't already eating them, you should incorporate them into your diet to reap the benefits. Here are three of the best anti-aging some foods you should start eating:
Watercress
Watercress is a leafy green vegetable with a slightly spicy flavor from the same family of vegetables as kale and Brussel sprouts. It's low in calories, provides many essential nutrients, including an incredible amount of vitamin K, and offers a ton of health benefits.
As you age, you become more likely to suffer from high blood pressure and cholesterol, both of which can cause serious health concerns. Watercress contains dietary nitrates, which lower inflammation and improve blood vessel health while increasing nitric oxide levels in the blood. This helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol. One study found watercress helped decrease the amount of "bad" cholesterol in the body by more than half.
The high concentration of vitamin K in watercress is also important to anti-aging. One serving of watercress provides all of the daily recommended amount of vitamin K. This is important because vitamin K research found that sufficient levels can help prevent bone fractures by improving bone density.
As a cruciferous vegetable, watercress is an excellent source of phytonutrients and glucosinolates, which may help reduce cancer risk (among other benefits).
The best way to get the anti-aging benefits of watercress is to eat it raw. Cooking the watercress can cause it to lose some of its remarkable anti-aging properties. Consider using watercress as the base of a tasty salad or blending into a nutrient-packed smoothie to start the day off right. You could also add it to your lunchtime sandwich to spice it up a little and start seeing the anti-aging benefits. Add in some flax seeds, which are a great source of omega-3s, and you'll have an impressive defense against aging on your hands (and in your stomach).
Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is an anti-aging superfood. It can nourish your microbiome (gut bacteria), which is critical to your overall health. It may seem strange, but keeping the bacteria in your gut can significantly affect your health to the positive. One benefit of a healthy microbiome is improving the appearance of your skin to reduce signs of aging.
Greek yogurt is also more protein-packed than other yogurts. The protein can keep you feeling full and aid collagen production. Even better, the amino acids in greek yogurt help build and repair muscle.
Choose Greek yogurt as an easy breakfast or lunch and top with berries for an extra boost of beneficial antioxidants.
Just be aware of the sugar content in the yogurt. Some brands sneak in lots of sugary additives and flavorings. You wouldn't want to be eating greek yogurt for the anti-aging benefits, thinking it's a healthy choice, and then find out that you had been eating loads of unnecessary added sugars at the same time.
Sweet Potatoes
As a nutrient-dense, inexpensive vegetable, sweet potatoes are something you should start eating if you aren't already.
Sweet potatoes are orange because of the antioxidant beta-carotene that they contain. The body converts beta carotene to vitamin A which research shows helps skin cell turnover and overall skin health. It can help protect your skin from sun damage. If you use a retinoid cream, then you already know the improvements vitamin A can make to the skin when applied on top. Think of the benefits you could see by putting those same vitamins into your body by eating sweet potatoes.
Like watercress, sweet potatoes also contain vitamin C, which will stimulate collagen production and minimize the appearance of wrinkles.
One way to prepare a sweet potato by cutting it open, drizzling extra virgin olive oil over the top, and seasoning with salt and pepper before roasting in the oven. You can eat it on its own as a quick and filling healthy snack or serve it with rice and other vegetables for a complete meal packed with anti-aging benefits. The olive oil adds a nice anti-aging bonus since it has anti-inflammatory properties that make skin look younger and protects against skin damage.
With just a few simple ingredients, you can make whole meals full of foods that will help slow aging so you can feel healthy and happy.
And if you want a tasty drink to go with these foods and solidify the anti-aging effects, choose green tea. Green tea is rich in antioxidants that defend against free radicals—unstable reactive molecules that can cause damage to cells. The polyphenol antioxidants in particular help to protect collagen, improve skin elasticity, and stop signs of aging.
Improve Your Health
Adding some nutrient-dense anti-aging superfoods to your diet is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to reduce the effects of aging. These foods can help with everything from wrinkles to heart disease. You simply cannot miss out on those kinds of benefits.
The positive effects of eating these foods come from the vitamins and other nutrients they contain. You may also be able to see the same benefits by consuming the vitamins in the form of supplements.
There isn't a single cure-all for aging, but there are simple changes you can make to slow the aging process. Check out the many peptide bioregulators we offer for anti-aging and learn more about healthy living, no matter how old you are.
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