Anti-Aging Diet: How to Eat to Stay Young

March 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment

foods that keep you young lookingYou can definitely improve your health with a good diet, but you can help to combat the signs and effects of aging too. There is a way to eat to help keep your body young inside and out for as long as possible. You can make these changes right now and you will start to reap the benefits right away. While consistency is key, even a few of these a day will help to make a difference.

Fruits and Vegetables

When it comes to your fruits and veggies you want intense color. Think bright orange carrots, deep green spinach, bright blue blueberries and deep red raspberries. There are others, but you get the point about the color.

After looking at color you want to look for specific antioxidants and these include zinc, vitamin C and beta-carotene. These antioxidants can protect you from a variety of things, such as blindness, premature aging, macular degeneration, heart disease and cancer.

Red wine should be added here as well. Now, this means a single serving each day and not more. Red wines contain resveratrol and this is a compound associated with lowering your risk of a variety of age-related issues, such as cancer, premature aging and heart disease.

Whole Grains

Take all of your white flour items, such as white bread and white rice, and toss them. You want food that is brown and made from whole wheat and grains. Eating a variety of whole grains at least three times a day is known to help in keeping your blood vessels youthful and in great shape. You want to go for things like oats, barley, brown rice, quinoa and wheat. Since these are all also rich in fiber it will help to keep your digestive track humming along well too.

Fish

Fish are jam-packed with Omega-4 fatty acids and these are very important in keeping you young. They can help with preventing stroke, heart disease and maybe even Alzheimer’s disease. You only need to get two servings every week to reap the benefits. Some of the best fish include salmon, tuna and lake trout. If fish is not your thing then talk to your doctor about taking a supplement instead.

Dairy

Yes, you can and should have some dairy. Dairy tends to have high amounts of both vitamin D and calcium and these are critical for healthy bones. If your bones are not strong then you risk injury which could prevent you from being active and not being active can age you. Stick with low-fat dairy to keep your risk of heart disease and high cholesterol low.

Beans and Lentils

These are protein powerhouses and protein is a critical nutrient. You can eat these types of things as is, or add them to soups, salads and other dishes. You can help to prevent diabetes and heart disease when you eat these in place of fatty meats. Talk to your doctor about how much protein you need to strive for each day. This will help to ensure that you get what you need to maintain peak health.

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Women’s Nutrition 101: More Nutrients, But Fewer Calories

February 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment

best nutrition for womenWhen it comes to nutrition for women, there are basically two things that are almost always true: you need more nutrients and fewer calories than men do. It is important to know which nutrients are the most critical and how many calories you need each day so that you can strike a balance. Having this information will help you in maintaining a healthy weight and preventing nutrient deficiencies.

Fewer Calories

As adults, women naturally need fewer calories than men do. Women who do not exercise need about 1,200 calories every day. This is considerably less than men who do not exercise. Now, if you do work out, you will need to increase your caloric intake to compensate for this. How much it is increased by will ultimately depend on you level of physical activity. There are formulas that a nutritionist can use to help you determine exactly how much you need to sustain your body. Caloric intake is a funny thing and you definitely want to make sure that you are getting enough without getting too many.

More Nutrients

There are some nutrients that women need a lot more of than men do. Iron is a good example. Women that are 19 to 50 should be getting 18 milligrams of iron each day. Now, men only need eight milligrams, so as you can see this is a big difference. Since women are consuming fewer calories and have a menstrual period every month, they need a lot more iron. There are supplements that can be taken to ensure you are getting what you need. Talk to your doctor before taking a supplement and to get some advice on which would be best for you. Since vitamin C increases the absorption of iron it is a good idea to take some more of this too. Now, you can increase your vitamin C intake by simply drinking and consuming more citrus fruits like orange juice and oranges.

Calcium and folate are two other nutrients that women need a lot more of. Calcium is critical for good bone density. When bone density is not where it needs to be, you will be at risk for osteoporosis, and from here, fractures. Since you definitely do not want to deal with broken bones, it is important to get the nutrients necessary to avoid them. If you are younger than 50 years old, you should be getting 1,000 milligrams of calcium each day. If you are older than 50, then you need 1,500 milligrams each day. This is a nutrient that you cannot skimp on. You need to make sure you are getting the right amount of vitamin D to ensure proper absorption of calcium.

Folate is a B vitamin that is critical in your childbearing years. Not having enough could result in birth defects should you get pregnant and have a baby. In addition to your baby, this vitamin is important to help protect against heart disease and colon cancer. You need 400 micrograms every day. If you become pregnant, this increases to 600 micrograms every day.

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Vitamin B12 Deficiency: It Affects More than Metabolism

February 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment

B12 vitamin foodsVitamin B12 is best known as the metabolism vitamin, but it does a lot more. A deficiency can affect quite a few things including your memory. It is estimated that as many as 15 percent of American adults are deficient in this vitamin. The severity of deficiency varies, but any degree of deficiency will lead to some symptoms, with the more severe symptoms occurring with the most severe of deficiencies.

Am I Deficient?

In the early stages, you may not really notice the symptoms because they are pretty broad. Early symptoms may include:

  • Feeling tired, weak or lightheaded
  • Pale skin
  • Bleeding or bruising easily
  • Constipation or diarrhea
  • Rapid breathing and heartbeat
  • Sore tongue
  • Weight loss and stomach upset

When this deficiency becomes more severe, you may experience the following:

The severe symptoms are associated with nerve cell damage so you definitely do not want this deficiency to get this far. Once the early symptoms start, it is a good idea to have them checked out. They may not be this deficiency at all, but it is always better to be safe than sorry.

To determine if you have the deficiency, your doctor just needs to get a quick blood test. So, this process is quick and easy and while you may feel a prick when the needle is inserted, there really is no discomfort involved. The results tend to come back pretty quickly so that you will not have to sit around wondering if you have this issue.

Correcting this Deficiency

It is important to try and get as many vitamins and minerals as possible from your diet. When you have a well-rounded diet, then deficiencies are less likely. However, if you have certain medical conditions or are vegan or vegetarian, your risk of a vitamin B12 deficiency are a lot higher. When it comes to diet, things like poultry, eggs, milk, fortified cereals and fish can provide good amounts of this critical vitamin. You should be getting 2.4 micrograms each day as an adult and the more you can get through food the better. If you are already deficient, you may need more than a good diet though.

Oral supplements are very common when it comes to this deficiency. These are generally taken once a day with a meal. These also come in a form where they dissolve under your tongue and these are said to have a better absorption rate than swallowed pills. These are also ideal for those that do not care to take pills. Some people will need to get B12 injections. How often you get these is something your doctor will determine based on the severity of your deficiency. If you have a condition that prevents you from absorbing vitamin B12 from food sources, such as pernicious anemia, you will likely need these injections for life to maintain a healthy level of this vitamin.

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Eat Your Way to Younger Skin

February 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment

eating for younger skinYou are what you eat. You have surely heard this before and it could not be more true. How you feed your body is directly reflected on the outside. The condition of your skin can be helped or harmed depending on your diet. It is important to know which foods from each food group can help you on your way to glowing, youthful skin.

Vegetables

The two top vegetables for your skin are Romaine lettuce and tomatoes. Yes, tomatoes are technically a fruit, but they are also very closely related to vegetables. Romaine lettuce is number one in terms of these two vegetables. Just six leaves gives you 100 percent of your vitamin A every day. Vitamin A is critical for cell turnover and this is necessary to prevent dull, aging skin. It also contains potassium to help with increasing circulation, oxygen and nutrients in the skin.

Tomatoes have an interesting effect on the skin. This red vegetable actually helps to calm redness on your skin. This can help to defend against issues like rosacea and even sunburn (though this is not an excuse to skip the sunscreen). Tomatoes are also high in antioxidants which help to fend off furrows and fine lines.

Fruits

If you love fresh strawberries then you are in luck. Just a single cup of these sweet, red berries has 130 percent of the vitamin C you need each day. This helps to firm and smooth the skin, as well as increase collagen production to help prevent wrinkles and lines. While research is still pretty new, some promise is shown in strawberries helping to reduce your cancer risk, so if you have sun damage this is good news for you.

Apples come in as a close second for skin-protecting fruits. In the peel of an apple lies quercetin which is an antioxidant that helps to protect your skin from burning when you are exposed to the UVB rays responsible for cancer. So, you still need sunscreen, but an apple a day could help to keep skin cancer away.

Proteins

Soy has fallen under scrutiny recently in terms of how it could affect hormones, but its benefits to the skin remain uncontested. This is known to help with skin firmness and fine wrinkles. You only need to get a little bit each day to reap the benefits.

Eggs are another food that is just being widely accepted again because people feared the yolks for so long. However, you want to eat the entire egg so that you can get the zeaxanthin and lutein. These antioxidants are known to aid in preventing skin cancer, fine lines and brown spots by protecting against the UV damage that causes them. An egg a day also tends to lead to firmer, softer and more hydrated skin.

Fats

You are going to love this because dark chocolate is good for your skin. Some spas actually have chocolate face and body facials due to how well this food helps the skin. Just a little dark chocolate every day can increase circulation and improve your overall complexion. Long-term use results in smoother, softer and more hydrated skin.

Extra-virgin olive oil is another good fat for your skin. The essential fatty acids are known to help in protecting you against UV damage. They can also help in keeping skin supple and hold in moisture.

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