I am steadily amazed at how relative nutrition and anti aging are connected. As a woman in my late 40s, concentrating on anti aging is important and I make sure to discuss this beauty topic on the blog often. “You are what you eat”, is not an outdated slogan but a reality to keeping our bodies in optimal shape and beautiful. Thanks to the never-ending research on this subject for the desire to learn more on what we can do to stay beautiful longer and kick aging in its ass!
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There are plenty of products to fight the dreaded aging process and even surgery if you are into that sort of thing or can afford it. What we often forget during our quest for the fountain of youth, is what nature or what we consume that can help in the anti aging arena.
Avocados For Anti Aging
Saturated fats, once thought to be dangerous, are actually good for your body and will help you to feel full longer. These same fats can also nourish and condition your hair. In addition to these healthy fats, avocado is also a powerhouse full of nutritional substances including vitamin C, E, K, folate, and magnesium just to name a few.
This fruit provides the body with over 25 nutrients including Vitamin E, protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, fiber, folate, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Copper and potassium, and is essentially what is known as a ‘complete food.’ As with any food product the benefits of the fruit yield more value internally than applying it externally, but the avocado provides essential nutrients either way.
This enhances vitality and mental acuity, and improves skin texture. Bonus: Avocados may also improve bone density thanks to the mineral boron, which helps absorb calcium, and a whole avocado contains 14 grams of fiber, which expedites the removal of toxins that can lead to aging.
Pomegranates Seeds
More than a favorite scent in your body wash, Pomegranates seeds fight the damage from free radicals while also increasing the body’s ability to preserve collagen. That’s a good thing because as we age, we make less collagen and collagen is a protein our body naturally produces and pretty much the glue that holds our bodies together. It gives our skin elasticity and actually helps to replace dead skin cells.
A UCLA study showed that older adults that drank 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily increased verbal memory performance and functional brain activity in MRI testing in only 4 weeks! Excellent for our skin and our brains with it’s anti aging properties and they aid other parts of our bodies too. Pomegranates also help our hair as that collagen gives our hair strength and more elasticity to keep our hair stronger and healthier.
Olives & Olive Oil for Anti Aging
Olive oil has been used for centuries as a tool for beautiful hair, skin and nails. Olive oil is often used for skincare because of its natural conditioning and hydrating properties and is especially helpful in repairing damage to dry or cracked skin which can make your skin look older. Aside from being a great cooking oil, olive oil has a lot of amazing benefits for skin and hair. Chock full of Vitamin E and A, olive oil has amazing anti-aging properties, treats inflammation, acne, and also aids in the moisturization of excessively dry skin and hair. This oil has the power to both regenerate skin cells and help improve the elasticity of the skin.
I know you love videos for DIY recipes, so I’ve found one that has two of the foods mentioned in this article (Olive oil & Turmeric) and think you will more than happy with this face mask to help brighten the skin.
Blueberries
These blue beauties are touted as super-foods for nothing! Blueberries are master phytonutrient superstars that are garnering more attention for skin and hair anti aging. A great source of vitamins K, C, manganese, fiber and copper. Vitamin K helps to maintain healthy hair, vitamin C strengthens the hair by building collagen, a manganese deficiency may cause hair loss and copper helps with hair growth. There are several age-related issues that blueberries assist in like loss of coordination and balance, and age-related accidents. While amazing, they can go even further according to some studies in recent years. The bottom line is they boost longevity.
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The antioxidants in blueberries help slow the aging process by reducing free radicals, fighting cancer, protecting the heart and liver, lowering blood pressing and preventing coronary artery disease. They have also been helpful with weight loss and weight maintenance and should be in your healthy eating lifestyle when trying to lose weight. Whether you eat them, create a face mask or hair mask with them, these little blue buddies are an asset to your anti aging pursuits.
Hemp Seeds
Although hemp and marijuana are members of the same species, Cannabis sativa, they’re are completely different plants and they contain only 0.001 percent Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
Now, to the good stuff! Hemp seeds are excellent for skin and hair and becoming a super-food for all their benefits. Hemp seeds are actually good for your skin by helping to improve firmness and radiance along with helping with acne and hydrating the skin. They also are the only edible source of gamma-linoleic-acid (GLA), an anti-inflammatory omega-6 fat, which forms part of the membrane that surrounds skin cells.
According to Truth In Aging:
Rich in the same essential fatty acids that’s present in skin lipids, hemp seed oil improves moisture and elasticity to the skin by lubricating beneath the surface. Unlike other oils that simply coat the skin, hemp seed oil’s penetrative properties dry naturally while locking in moisture and improving skin’s quality.
Want to get the benefits easier? Just throw a few of them in your foods. I LOVE them in my smoothies and all you need to do is sprinkle a spoonful or two into your smoothies, salads, or yogurt. Not sure where to buy them? Try here: Sunfoods Superfoods Raw Shelled Hemp Seeds Honestly, fighting the dreaded anti aging couldn’t be easier!
Tuna
Move over salmon (not really as salmon is amazing for our bodies) because Tuna is making a stand as an anti aging powerhouse and is excellent for reducing inflammation according to in-house nutritionist, Rebecca Lewis from Hello Fresh. Tuna is a omega-3-rich fish and many believe it may help keep your skin looking youthful and possibly preventing skin cancer.
According to Eating Well:
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), one of the omega-3 fats in fatty fish, has been shown to preserve collagen, a fibrous protein that keeps skin firm. And EPA in combination with the other omega-3 in fish, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), helps to prevent skin cancer by reducing inflammatory compounds that can promote tumor growth, says Homer S. Black, Ph.D., professor emeritus in the department of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
You know what else makes this fish so special and unique for anti aging? Tuna contains a high concentration of an unusual antioxidant, selenium. Selenium is one of the most treasured anti-aging mineral by many dermatologists. So, get that tuna in and fight the aging process in a new way!
Fortified Plant Milks
Not often thought of for fighting the aging process, fortified plant milks like almond, soy or hemp have excellent nutrients for optimal bone support. These are great for getting all the calcium and other nutrients without all the hormones from cow’s milk. Steer clear of the sweetened variations and know that they all go great in smoothies or just to drink alone if you like the taste. They are also excellent alternative to those with dairy allergies or if on a vegan diet.
Turmeric
Last but not least, Turmeric is a spice used in Asian cooking but also a star in Ayurveda and Chinese medicine as a healing herb. Consider turmeric a regular must-have in your hair and skin recipes so keep this spice on standby! Turmeric has been shown to help prevent cancer and even contains curcuminoid pigments that turn on genes that enhance the body’s own synthesis of antioxidants. This orange colored spice also protects brain cells and skin cells from free radical damage, which helps with wrinkles and turmeric has a warm peppery flavor which gives vegges, veggies and smoothies a pleasant and unique taste.
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This list is far from complete but I wanted to share some of the best foods that aid our skin and hair with anti aging efforts. I’m a fan of many foods on this list but some are new to me so share below what you’ve used and what you now have your eye on!
Sabrina
