Women Skin Care & Beauty Blog

No matter how hard you try to avoid them, the signs of aging will show up sooner or later. And the problem is not just restricted to wrinkles and fine lines on your skin, but extends to physiological and psychological changes as well. Despite modern medicine advancing by leaps and bounds, there is still no ‘magic pill’ to prevent the aftermath of aging. Diet can obviously play a very important part in deciding how gracefully you age and whether your health remains intact throughout the aging process. But then is there anything such as an anti-aging diet?

Perhaps there is! Some foods and drinks contain powerful components called phyto-nutrients, which are believed to hold the key to long-life. These are actually anti-oxidants which destroy disease-causing free radicals in your body. You may not be aware but these ‘free radicals’ are oxygen molecules which can hasten the onset of diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Other than antioxidants such as these, some other foods also enhance the rate at which you age by causing cellular inflammation. So, an ideal anti-aging diet should consist of foods which are anti-inflammatory and rich in antioxidants.

Therefore such a diet can never include trans-fatty acids, sugars, starches and saturated fats. Ideally you should look at diets comprising of:

• Cold water fishes such as salmon which are rich in omega 3 fatty acids. This acid offers a multitude of health benefits.
• Avocado, which is a great source of monounsaturated fat, which is healthy and helps reduce bad cholesterol from your body. It is also a good source of vitamin E which prevents signs of aging from showing up on your skin in the form of fine lines and wrinkles. Being rich in potassium it also helps you keep blood pressure under check.
• Berries are a great source of antioxidants and phyto-nutrients. All black and blue berries help reduce the number of free radicals in the body.
• Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and sprouts which can significantly reduce the amount of toxins in your body. These are best eaten raw or very mildly-cooked so as to keep the important enzymes intact.
• Nuts, which are not only great sources of minerals but also help you control the levels of cholesterol in your body.
• Wholegrain foods, which provide soluble dietary fibers and also large amounts of phyto-nutrients.
• Yogurt which has probiotic elements. These help in introducing good bacteria to your intestines particularly when you have yogurt with active cultures.
• Whole meal pasta and rice which gives you complex carbs. This helps you stay energetic and beat lethargy, which is a vital sign of aging.
• Soya which helps stabilize estrogen levels after menopause. Unstable estrogen may hasten aging post menopause and fermented Soya products can help you prevent that.
• Lots and lots of water everyday. Provided you are drinking clean water, there is better way to flush out toxins from your body and keep your skin fresh and radiant.

It’s not necessary to have all of these as a part of your diet, but you should definitely try to include as many as possible. Remember that anti-aging diets are simple and effective and there is nothing miraculous about them!

Everywhere you look antioxidants are creating quite a buzz. Such has been their popularity that you might wonder whether they are the only to stay healthy these days! Not only are antioxidants known to help you with diseases such as arthritis, hypertension, asthma and problems such as infertility, they are also promoted as great anti-aging substances. They indeed have some great health benefits and so, it will do you a world of good to know more about them.

Do you know that most of your health problems are caused by the process of oxidation? Due to various reasons such as stress, pollution, poor diet, radiation, pesticides etc, free radicals are released in your body. These are nothing but unpaired oxygen molecules which tend to oxidize cells, enzymes, and tissue by pairing with them quickly.

Continuation of this process and presence of a large number of free radicals can trigger a total physical degeneration. Antioxidants, as their name suggests, prevent this from happening by destroying free radicals effectively. In fact research shows that intake of antioxidants via diet or supplements can significantly increase your chances of living longer and healthier.

In preventing oxidation, antioxidants help you avert diseases such as:

• Various types of cancer
• Coronary artery disorder
• Muscular degeneration and Alzheimer’s.

So, this brings us to the most important question: which are the best antioxidants? Here is a list which will enlighten you in this regard:

• Alpha Lipoic acid, which is found in abundance in meat. This antioxidant can help you get rid of glaucoma and diabetes.
• Astaxanthin, which is the substance that imparts a pink color to salmon. It is said to be 500 times stronger than vitamin C as an antioxidant!
• Beta-carotene, which is found in carrots and tomatoes. This antioxidant can help you treat gastritis and also boost your immune system. You should know that beta-carotene should be taken in natural forms and not as an artificial supplement because the synthetic form has only one active molecule instead of two.
• Ubiquinone. This substance is found in fishes such as mackerel and sardines and beef. Peanuts and spinach are also good sources. It is usually used for cardiac insufficiency, wherein it helps to strengthen the heart muscles. It can also counter the effect of histamines and so, is quite useful in case of allergies and asthma. This is available in the form of expensive supplements and so, you can try the cheaper fishes to get the benefits of this supplement.
• Cucurmin. Mainly found in turmeric, this antioxidant can help you get relief from stomach pain and nausea, liver problems related to non-secretion of bile, menstrual cramps. It can also serve as an anti-inflammatory agent for treating arthritis, asthma and eczema. However, this can thin your blood and so; you may want to consult a physician first.
• Cysteine. This antioxidant is found in eggs and dairy products. It facilitates the absorption of iron in your body and promotes natural healing.

Your best bet is to use these uncommon antioxidants in their natural forms. Supplements may be good, but why go artificial when natural alternatives are available?