You may have heard the old adage by the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, when he advised us to ‘Let Food be Thy Medicine and Medicine be Thy Food’. Now, let’s apply this wisdom to our pursuit of the holy grail of health and beauty – so we’ll always look and feel much younger than our age!
To successfully reverse the unwelcome effects that come with the process of getting older, we must make eating the right selection of foods our top priority. The following 10 foods primarily help to reduce and counter the impact of free radical damage (which causes cell ageing and those pesky wrinkles!), increase collagen production and improve eye, brain and joint health.
Eat your way to good health and younger-looking skin with these 10 wonder foods:
Load up on a variety of high anti-oxidant superfruit. Blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, black currants, pomegranate and blood orange are known to provide Vitamin C and compounds such as anthocyanins and flavonoids, which help not only with wiping off free radicals but also boosting immunity and cell regeneration.
Make your salad bowl as colourful as possible! Don’t miss benefitting from Mother Nature’s treasure chest of minerals and vitamins which we need constantly for everything from cellular repair, protection and regrowth as well as for better skin and energy.
See also: 10 Healthy Asian Salads To Make, 5 Things To Note For Building Healthy Salads
Iron deficiency is not something most of us are aware of, but this condition can create real problems as we age! Fight off anemia and you have better chances of staving off oxidative stress, tissue damage and accelerated ageing.
The right way to enjoy the sweet things in life is to learn to enjoy chocolate in its original form – raw cacao. Cacao contains anti-oxidants, minerals, fibre protein and heart-healthy fats. No wonder it’s the ancient food of the gods!
See also: 6 Biggest Chocolate Myths Debunked
Fish such as fresh salmon, tuna, cod and sardines contain healthy doses of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, valuable in not just reducing the risk of heart disease but also playing a positive role in longevity and weight management.
See also: 6 Fresh, Delicious Salmon Recipes
Is there anything this humble tea can’t do? Skip your regular coffee and opt for this marvel in a cup, richly laced with antioxidant polyphenols, which studies have shown to slow ageing. Drink about 3-5 cups a day for the best outcome.
See also: 5 Amazing Health Benefits Of Green Tea
We don’t have to eat too much of these powerhouses to claim their benefits! For example, brazil nuts and pumpkin seeds contain the mineral selenium which aids the body in producing the anti-oxidant glutathione. It also aids in slowing down skin ageing.
See also: Must-Eat Super Seeds That Are Sure To Help You Lose Weight, 5 Reasons To Eat More Nuts Now
Pass the red wine, please! The process of creating red wine, which includes fermenting the skin and seeds of grapes, is what maximises wine’s antioxidant properties. Although, one glass a day is enough for the health benefits to kick in and drinking more than this apparently has the opposite effect.
Once tomatoes are cooked, lycopene (the bright red carotenoid) is released. This is not just nature’s own version of a sunblock; lycopene also helps prevent bad cholesterol formation, heart disease and even certain cancers.
This humble fruit, with its high water content, does wonders for the skin. The silica in its peel helps reduce wrinkles and increase collagen production.
For more food health tips, read 6 Tasty Yet Healthy Foods You Need In The Kitchen, 10 Foods To Always Have In The Fridge For Weight Loss and 10 Foods Great For Thicker Hair.
Written by: Sally May Tan, Wellness Whisperer, Founder of Catalyst Health Asia and Amazon Bestselling Author of Wellness The New Luxury. Her book (priced at S$49.00) is available at Times, Kinokuniya, MPH, Amazon and Kindle.