Wouldn't it be great if you could reverse the aging process??
Wishful thinking! The reality is, aging is a part of life. We may have wished we were older in our "growing years;" now we don't want to accelerate the inevitable.
But, we might be able to slow it down.
What makes a food an "Age-Less" one?
There are many factors, but for now, I wanted to concentrate on one aspect that food can help address and that is inflammation.
In order to do this, we need to understand what causes aging.
Our cells are working hard for us every minute of every day. As we age, our cells become more vulnerable to this normal wear and tear. They can't recover as well. This process occurs in our skin cells, where we can easily see its effects, but it's also occurring inside the body as well, affecting the way we feel and our energy levels.
All this hard work has its consequences. As a by-product of daily metabolism, a cell is oxidized. Oxidation occurs when oxygen acts on a substance causing a reaction, much like iron rusting or a cut apple turning brown. Our bodies use oxygen (that's a good thing), but as a result, our cells are oxidized and damaged cells called "free radicals" are formed. These cells can cause havoc in our bodies, damaging other cells in the process. If this chain reaction isn't stopped, the immune system is called upon, causing an inflammatory response. It is this process that causes our cells and our bodies to age.
Unchecked oxidation can lead to inflammation in the body – that wears down the body and makes us look and feel old.
Under optimal conditions, the body has a way to neutralize this damage, thus slowing down aging a bit. Our bodies have natural "anti-oxidants" that help repair our cells. Unfortunately, if conditions aren't optimal, the oxidation load can get too high. This heavy load can be caused by exposure to environmental toxins found in products we use around our homes or personal care. But many foods we eat can also to toxic damage to our bodies. Sugar is oxidizing, as are ultra-processed foods and pesticides on our fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, many of these foods are part of the Standard America Diet. Our bodies are being bombarded by these oxidizing and inflammatory foods every day. As a result, they need additional supplies of anti-oxidants to heal.
Luckily, Mother Nature has provided a simple way for us to get these anti-inflammatory foods (which help us age less quickly!) Anti-oxidants are compounds naturally found in the brightly colored vegetables and fruits we eat. There are many different kinds of these compounds, and each can help to protect different parts of our body. I mention their color because anti-oxidants (also known as phytochemicals) can be identified by their colors. So, the more variety of colors we eat, the more anti-aging protection we are giving ourselves. The more intense the color in a vegetable or fruit, the more antioxidant power it contains.
Now, this is a very simplified way of looking at the amazing healing power of our bodies. But making small healthy changes can add up, and over a lifetime, make big changes. One simple change is to start adding more colorful vegetables and fruits to your diet every day. Another is to minimize or eliminate processed foods containing high sugar and simple carbohydrates. If possible, start to add in organic produce in place of conventional which contains more pesticides and chemicals.
To me, "aging less" means having a good quality of life for as long as possible, not just a long life.
I hope this inspires you to explore your food choices and begin thinking of food not just as flavorful and delicious (which it is), but also as a way to keep it healthy and "age less"!
Yours in Health,
Evey
PS If you are curious what kinds of anti-inflammatory foods can be found in the Mediterranean Diet, check out the recipe below! It is one of my favorites from my cooking Mediterranean Diet program.
Mediterranean Lettuce Wraps
Mediterranean Lettuce Wraps This is a deliciously simple recipe that delivers great taste and nutrition! The Mediterranean way! It can be made vegetarian or add tuna for extra protein and healthy Omega3 fats. For more delicious recipes like these see my "Personal Guide to the Mediterranean Diet".
