How Has The Aging Process Affected YOU?

Many people consider their “prime” to be their 20s and 30s, when their skin is taut, their metabolism is efficient, their structure slender, and their energy heightened. If we only had a penny for every single time someone said, “It’s all downhill from here!”

Well, the body indeed slows down at a certain point. And your cells DO break down the older you get. But that doesn’t have to mean that it’s the end of your youthful energy and glow. You can still look and feel great well into your 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s….and so on!

It’s only a matter of feeding your body the proper anti-aging foods filled with the minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants your body needs in order to keep working properly. It has nothing to do with magic!

These foods are scientifically proven to have anti-aging properties, reversing any skin damage you might have, protecting against chronic diseases, and facilitating the healthy functioning of every system in your body.

On that note, here are the 6 best anti-aging foods that everyone over who’s 40 should eat to give them a healthy boost from inside and out!

Avocado

This is a unique fruit because, unlike most others, it’s extremely high in monounsaturated fatty acids (the healthy kind of fat!). Their high monounsaturated fat content can help promote healthy skin by supporting a healthy skin membrane.

In contrast, their high antioxidant content can fight free radicals that damage and age the skin. Avocados are comprised of 77% fats and 19% carbs, most of which are dietary fiber and 4% protein. They’re excellent for heart health too.

The bottom line of avocados is that they’re high in fiber to reduce cholesterol levels, high in potassium to lower blood pressure, and full of healthy fatty acids that are beneficial to the heart. They also have zeaxanthin and lutein, which are essential for vision.

In addition to this, avocados are also a very rich source of vitamin K, which helps increase calcium absorption and can keep your bones strong.

Dark Leafy Greens

Dark leafy green vegetables, including spinach, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, chard, and many more, are some of the most nutrient-dense foods you can find.

They’re an excellent source of antioxidants and have an essential nutrient for anti-aging: Vitamin K. Interestingly enough, vitamin K is often overlooked. Still, it’s crucial for bone density and keeping up one’s strength.

This is especially significant for postmenopausal women, a quarter of who tend to develop osteoporosis. One cup of raw spinach contains 181% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin K.

Also, a cup of raw kale has a whopping 684% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin K.

Dark leafy greens are even overflowing with eye-strengthening antioxidants, including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect the eyes from many diseases like age-related macular degeneration and even cataracts.

Papaya

This mouth-watering superfood is rich in various antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that will help improve the elasticity of your skin and lowers the appearance of wrinkles and any other fine lines. These include:

• B vitamins
• Vitamins A, C, K, and E
• Magnesium
• Calcium
• Potassium
• Phosphorus

The broad range of antioxidants in papaya helps fight free radical damage and can delay any signs of aging. This fruit also contains an enzyme called papain, which provides additional anti-aging benefits by working as one of nature’s best anti-inflammatory mechanisms.

You’ll also find it in many exfoliating products. So eating papaya, or using products containing papain, might help your body shed those nasty dead skin cells, leaving you with radiant skin!

Pro Tip: Try drizzling some fresh lime juice over a plate of chopped papaya as part of your breakfast meal. Or you can even make a papaya mask at home for your next night in!

Tomatoes

Tomatoes provide many impressive health benefits, attributed to their high lycopene content. This is a type of carotenoid, and it’s what gives tomatoes their red color. It also functions as an antioxidant, helping to reduce chronic disease risks.

Studies in human skin samples have shown that lycopene may also provide a bit of protection from the sun’s damaging rays. However, take note that this protection is extremely lower than actually using sunscreen.

Research has shown that if women would drink an antioxidant-rich beverage containing fish oil, soy isoflavones, lycopene, and vitamins C and E every day have a measurable decrease in wrinkle depth after just 15 weeks.

However, the study hasn’t been able to tie lycopene directly to these skin benefits because the beverage also contained several other ingredients.

What we DO know for sure is that pairing tomatoes with healthy fats, like olive oil or avocado, boosts the body’s lycopene absorption.

Nuts

Nuts, particularly almonds and walnuts, are one of the most essential foods you could eat for anti-aging. They include monounsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, dietary fiber, and vitamins such as vitamin E and riboflavin.

Vitamin E, specifically, is an essential anti-aging antioxidant. It’s known to protect cells and soft tissue from free radical damage and lowers the risk of cancer, heart disease, and dementia.

Most nuts are also fantastic sources of magnesium, an important trace mineral needed for over 300 biochemical reactions in your body.

It helps maintain muscle and nerve function, regulates the heartbeat and blood pressure, keeps your bones strong, and helps control metabolism.

Also, walnuts are an amazing source of omega-3 fatty acids, which protect the brain from neurodegenerative disorders and reduce inflammation throughout your body.

Pomegranates

Like many other fruits, pomegranates are full of those healthy nutrients our bodies need to function. They’re very high in potassium, fiber, and vitamin K, which help support a healthier heart.

They’re also pretty rich in many antioxidants, like flavonols, phenolic acids, tannins, and lignans.

Some studies done on humans and animals alike suggest that the antioxidants found in pomegranates can also help promote healthy skin aging by decreasing the UV damage and brown spots caused by overexposure to the sun.

These antioxidants also aid in protecting the skin’s existing collagen and stimulate the skin to make new collagen. And even though more research is needed, pomegranate seeds and their juice can provide a fast, nutritious source of antioxidants in any diet.

Takeaway

It’s about time we slow down those pesky signs of aging and genuinely glow from within! We can acquire fuel to look and feel our best by sustaining ourselves with these anti-aging foods.

As we mentioned, the foods we eat can play a significant role in the health of our skin, including how it changes as we age. In particular, foods high in protein, healthy fats, and antioxidants are linked to the biggest skin benefits.

If you’re looking for more delicious plants to try, choose the fruits and vegetables that are most profound in color. The rich shades are usually a good sign of more potent radical fighting abilities to keep your skin looking healthier and more vibrant.

And the more colors you can fit on your plate, the better. Along with eating a nutritious diet full of whole, plant-based foods, you should also consider protecting your skin by changing a few habits.

This means wearing sunscreen, staying physically active, avoiding smoking, and using age-appropriate skin care products.

So now that you’ve learned about all the yummy foods that could aid you with the aging process, which ones are your favorite? Be sure to leave us a comment to share your thoughts with us!

And if you’re looking for some more great sources on better nutrition in your everyday life, we also suggest reading: Does Your Body Need Some Extra Antioxidants? These 6 Foods Will Help!