Posts Tagged ‘anti aging’

Best anti-aging foods you can start eating today

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

Toxins from the environment, stress, and poor eating habits can all take their toll on your skin. Fortunately, what you eat each day can prevent a lot of damage and keep you looking young, vibrant and healthy.

Nutritionists and beauty experts alike encourage a natural, wholesome diet in order to keep skin looking its best, and also confirm that certain foods have anti-aging benefits. Foods for anti aging are foods that are naturally rich in antioxidants, substances found predominately in fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts. Antioxidants help block the damaging effects of free radicals, which are unstable compounds produced in the body that can destroy healthy skin and collagen, leading wrinkles and sagging skin. If you’re already loading your plate with leafy greens and berries to improve your health, you might be fighting wrinkles in the process.

Are you eating enough of the world’s top anti-aging foods? Here are some of essential foods that need to be on your weekly menu:

Avocados- A rich source of healthy fat and minerals, avocados are a versatile vegetable that can add some fresh flavors to a dish. Avocados can help promote healthy skin tissue growth and help the body build collagen naturally.  It is a good source of Vitamin E and can help to maintain healthy skin and prevent skin aging.

Ginger- This spicy root can boost the digestive and circulatory systems. Ginger extract is also full of antioxidants that can ward off cancer and prevent toxin buildup in the body and skin. It  may also help to alleviate rheumatic aches and pains.

Wheat grain- This whole grain contains important amino acids and proteins that can help keep muscles strong, and does not cause increase in blood sugar levels. It offers lots of nutritional benefits such as extra vitamins and minerals per serving, and a high fiber content. A healthy digestive tract ensures that your body absorbs food properly and assimilates key vitamins and minerals into the cells as needed. Brown rice is another recommended complex carbohydrate, which is high in fiber and B Vitamin.

Nuts and seeds- From cashews to sunflower seeds, loading up on key granola ingredients can help you maintain your youthful looks. Raw nuts contain healthy fats that can also keep your appetite under control, improves the functioning of your digestive and immune system, improve your skin help control prevent cancer. Nuts may also help control cholesterol levels.

Berries- Berries have long been an essential food for the anti aging diet, and acai berries are considered to be a ’super food’ because of they contain antioxidants even more than blueberries. These exotic fruits have a sweet and tart flavor that can give your usual fruit salad a boost

Whether your goal is to get rid of wrinkles, improve the texture and tone of your skin, or just enjoy a healthier appearance, adding these key foods to your daily plate may help you achieve a more youthful look. So if you care about your health and you want to know the real secret to youthful skin, a slim waistline and better health, you’re going to have to educate yourself and be your own advocate. Eating healthy fats, reducing the amount of salt in your diet and focusing on a whole foods lifestyle are all effective ways to improve your health and your skin.

Get chocolicious for a beautiful you

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

Recent scientific research has highlighted the anti-ageing benefits of chocolate. Raw chocolate, in its purest form, has the highest amount of cancer-fighting, disease-busting anti-oxidants that also prevent premature ageing. That’s why chocolate is now an accepted beauty aid and forms part of many body treatments.

Chocolate is made from cocoa beans the bean’s fibrous outer layer has great anti-ageing properties for the skin to help breakdown free radicals. Not to forget that chocolate contains flavanoids, a powerful anti-oxidant. Anti-oxidant are chemical compound that reduce oxidative cell damage caused by free radicals. The damage from free radicals can lead to premature wrinkles, lines, age-spots and sagging skin. Cocoa is rich in vitamins A and E that improves blood circulation. The cocoa bean is rich in magnesium which stimulates production of progesterone, a vital hormone that tackles stress-related skin breakouts.  Chocolate also contains fats such as cocoa butter or Shea butter that are natural moisturizing agents. If this is not enough, the aroma of chocolate can signal the brain to release endorphins that help you stay happy. When you are happy you look beautiful and feel younger.

Dark chocolate is even better. It contains a large number of anti-oxidants: nearly the eight times the number found in strawberries. Its health benefits are immense.

So go ahead and pamper yourself with a chocolate treatment. It is a guilt-free way to enjoy the sinful richness of chocolate.