Anti Aging Nutrition: 5 Foods That Will Keep You Fit as You Age

[:en]Though biology, genetics, and hormones have a significant impact on how you look and feel as you age, what you eat can also heavily influence your overall well-being. Here are 5 foods that will help you embrace the best years of your life feeling fit, revitalized, and refreshed.

    1. Blueberries

      A 2012 study of 93,000 women showed that participants who consumed increased amounts of blueberries and strawberries had a 32 percent decrease in risk factors associated with heart attacks. There is also evidence that blueberries help improve memory, decrease cancer-causing damage from free radicals, and they\’re a great source of phytonutrients called proanthocyanidins that may help fight the effects of the aging process.

    2. Oats

      Oatmeal might seem like your grandparent\’s idea of a balanced breakfast, but sometimes a classic is a classic for a reason. Oatmeal is jam packed with stuff your body craves, including antioxidants that lower your risk of heart disease, vitamin B to boost your brain function and nervous system, silicon to reinforce your bones and rebuild connective tissue, protein for increase energy, fiber for healthy digestion and regularity, and it\’s low on the glycemic index so its beneficial for helping diabetics maintain ideal blood glucose levels. Try a bowl of berry-topped oatmeal with nut milk for breakfast, bake up some oatmeal and dried cranberry cookies for a treat, or mix a handful or two of dried oats into your meatloaf for a delicious way to boost your health over dinner.

    3. Hard Cheese

      For years cheese got a questionable if not out-and-out bad wrap, getting dinged for everything from fat content to cholesterol issues, but just like eggs and olives, it turns out this delicious dairy product has a lot of great things to offer hungry customers. Cheese is naturally high in calcium, something everyone needs in order to build and maintain healthy bone density, and hard cheeses contain higher levels of calcium than softer alternatives. In addition to their ability to help fight the onset of osteoporosis, hard cheeses also contain gut-friendly probiotics. Grate some parmesan over your whole wheat pasta, enjoy some Emmentaler with your scrambled eggs, or snack on some aged Cheddar and apples.

    4. Oranges

      Loss of skin elasticity and dry skin are frequent problems we all face as we age, which is why staying hydrated is so important. Oranges are packed with water to help your skin stay plumped up and dewy, but they also contain citrus limonoids which help prevent cancer, soluble fiber to assist in lowering cholesterol, and potassium to improve heart function. Eat an orange a day or pair breakfast with a glass of fresh-squeezed juice and reap the many benefits of this sweet and tangy citrus.

    5. Grapes

      Red grape skins contain an anti-inflammatory compound called resveratrol that is being used to ward off metabolic diseases like diabetes as well as heart disease. It also shown to have a positive effect on skin, both as a moisturizing compound as well as a way to minimize fine lines and wrinkles, and there are a few studies examining its ability to protect skin from UV radiation damage, too – all of which has led to its inclusion in a number of commercial creams and ointments. Try out a new lotion or stick to the old fashioned method of resveratrol consumption by snacking on a handful of red grapes or indulging in a glass or two of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, or Merlot each week.

Source

www.care2.com: 13 Health benefits of oranges
www.NHS.com: Are blueberries a super food?
www.NIH.gov: How Resveratrol May Fight Aging
www.MensFitness.com: 20 foods that keep you young
www.ChefsBlade.Monster.com: How to Classify Cheese?
www.Healthy-Aging-For-Women-Babyboomers.com: Benefits of Oatmeal[:ar]Though biology, genetics, and hormones have a significant impact on how you look and feel as you age, what you eat can also heavily influence your overall well-being. Here are 5 foods that will help you embrace the best years of your life feeling fit, revitalized, and refreshed.

    1. Blueberries

      A 2012 study of 93,000 women showed that participants who consumed increased amounts of blueberries and strawberries had a 32 percent decrease in risk factors associated with heart attacks. There is also evidence that blueberries help improve memory, decrease cancer-causing damage from free radicals, and they\’re a great source of phytonutrients called proanthocyanidins that may help fight the effects of the aging process.

    2. Oats

      Oatmeal might seem like your grandparent\’s idea of a balanced breakfast, but sometimes a classic is a classic for a reason. Oatmeal is jam packed with stuff your body craves, including antioxidants that lower your risk of heart disease, vitamin B to boost your brain function and nervous system, silicon to reinforce your bones and rebuild connective tissue, protein for increase energy, fiber for healthy digestion and regularity, and it\’s low on the glycemic index so its beneficial for helping diabetics maintain ideal blood glucose levels. Try a bowl of berry-topped oatmeal with nut milk for breakfast, bake up some oatmeal and dried cranberry cookies for a treat, or mix a handful or two of dried oats into your meatloaf for a delicious way to boost your health over dinner.

    3. Hard Cheese

      For years cheese got a questionable if not out-and-out bad wrap, getting dinged for everything from fat content to cholesterol issues, but just like eggs and olives, it turns out this delicious dairy product has a lot of great things to offer hungry customers. Cheese is naturally high in calcium, something everyone needs in order to build and maintain healthy bone density, and hard cheeses contain higher levels of calcium than softer alternatives. In addition to their ability to help fight the onset of osteoporosis, hard cheeses also contain gut-friendly probiotics. Grate some parmesan over your whole wheat pasta, enjoy some Emmentaler with your scrambled eggs, or snack on some aged Cheddar and apples.

    4. Oranges

      Loss of skin elasticity and dry skin are frequent problems we all face as we age, which is why staying hydrated is so important. Oranges are packed with water to help your skin stay plumped up and dewy, but they also contain citrus limonoids which help prevent cancer, soluble fiber to assist in lowering cholesterol, and potassium to improve heart function. Eat an orange a day or pair breakfast with a glass of fresh-squeezed juice and reap the many benefits of this sweet and tangy citrus.

    5. Grapes

      Red grape skins contain an anti-inflammatory compound called resveratrol that is being used to ward off metabolic diseases like diabetes as well as heart disease. It also shown to have a positive effect on skin, both as a moisturizing compound as well as a way to minimize fine lines and wrinkles, and there are a few studies examining its ability to protect skin from UV radiation damage, too – all of which has led to its inclusion in a number of commercial creams and ointments. Try out a new lotion or stick to the old fashioned method of resveratrol consumption by snacking on a handful of red grapes or indulging in a glass or two of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, or Merlot each week.

Source

www.care2.com: 13 Health benefits of oranges
www.NHS.com: Are blueberries a super food?
www.NIH.gov: How Resveratrol May Fight Aging
www.MensFitness.com: 20 foods that keep you young
www.ChefsBlade.Monster.com: How to Classify Cheese?
www.Healthy-Aging-For-Women-Babyboomers.com: Benefits of Oatmeal[:]