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Last Updated on Saturday, 20 March 2010 16:48 Written by Crystal
Studies show that both how long we live and how good we feel are linked directly to the foods we eat
Good foods promote healthy processes in the body and support the critical building blocks that keep our internal engine running smooth. Bad foods lead to our engine becoming clogged, over-stressed, and old before it's time.
Bad foods can also lead to weight gains beyond what our body can optimally support. This puts further stress on our internal engine and leads to premature stress on critical systems such as our heart, joints, and bones. The good news is that foods that support a weight loss regimen, also help slow down the aging process.
Here are some food points to rememebr in the fight to stay healthy and young:
Get a daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3's are also known as the anti-aging fat and provide a range of benefits including supporting cellular health, lowering cholesterol, and fighting inflammation, which reduces your risk of heart attack, stroke, and certain types of cancer.
Walnuts, flax seed, and some leafy greens contain omega-3 fatty acides, but seafood is the best source. Especially from sources that live in the colder waters of our oceans. Studies have shown that DHA, an omega-3 acid found in cold-water, fatty fish such as salmon, herring, and lake trout, helps to keep our heart and brains healthy.
Try to include 2-3 3-ounce servings of cold-water seafood per week in your diet. And to add some variety, snack on daily servings of ground flax seed, soybeans, walnuts, spinach, or kale.
Eat antioxidant rich foods and snackas every 4-6 hours
Antioxidants slow the aging process by fighting free radicals in the body. Free radicals are those pesky little rogue molecules that roam the body causing cellular damage. And while a normal level of free radicals in the body is critical to maintaining healthy body processes, too many free radicals can overwhelm the body's protection mechanisms and lead to premature damage and destruction to body tissue and organs.
Abnormally high levels of free radicals can be caused by smoke inhalation, sun damage, and excess weight.
Including rich sources of antioxidants in our diet can help maintain a healthy balance of free radicals, which becomes even more challenging as we get older.
Vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables are loaded with these disease and age fighting substances. But as many antioxidants, such as vitamin C, are water soluble, you need a steady supply to maintain beneficial levels.
Load up on protein in every meal and snack
Protein is a critical building block in the body and is critical for the support and repair of the daily damage incurred by nearly every cell in our bodies. As we get older, this daily cellular damage increases as our systems begin to show signs of stress related to longevity.
Keeping our bodies flush with healthy, lean protein sources ensures that our bodies have the materials it needs to repair cellular damage and to maintain a strong and supportive skeletal and muscle infrastructure.
Try to make lean protein 30% of your daily diet. This would be roughly 125 grams per day based on a 1,700 calories/day diet.
Healthy sources include skinless white meat from pork, chicken, or turkey. Meat sources proved about 21 grams per 3 ounce serving.
Other sources include beans (red, black, etc.) which provide roughly 8 grams per cup, egg whites (3.5 grams per egg), and fat free milk (7.5 grams per cup).
Cheese is also a great source of protein, but is also high in fat and should be limited, especially if weight loss is a goal.
Eat plenty of fiber
Studies have indicated that fiber can reduce the risk of cancer, help maintain healthy blood sugar levels, and protect the cardiovascular systems. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, every additional 10 grams of fiber eaten daily, reduces your risk of coronary heart disease by 17%.
The recommended daily dose is 30-35 grams per day, but most Americans get less than half that amount in their daily diet.
Great sources of fiber include apples (4 grams per medium sized fruit), lentils (8 grams per 1/2 cup), barley (16 grams per 1/2 cup), raspberries (8 grams per cup), and red or black beans (10 grams per cup).
Stop eating when you're 80% full!
There are many recent studies around the concept of the calorie restriction diet. Indications are that eating less does slow the aging process.
Okinawa, Japan has one of the oldest populations in the world. Centenarians there have been practicing the 80% rule for years. The key to getting up from the table before you become full, is to eat slowly,
The brain lags the stomach when it comes to recognizing that you have eaten a sufficient amount. Eating slowly allows you maintain control over how much food you are taking in. Studies have proven that subjects who ate at slower rates felt fuller and consumed fewer calories than those who ate at a more rapid pace.
Diet plays a major role in your health and well-being. What you eat, and how much you eat, will both play a major role in your body's abilities to adapt and ward off the destructive processes associated with aging.
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