Anti-Aging Diet Counselor Fayetteville AR

By Lisa Turner

Anti-aging. We see the term everywhere, from magazine covers and supplements labels to beauty creams and exercise regimes—all promising to make us look and feel younger. While you can’t avoid getting older, one thing is clear: The foods you eat play a crucial role in keeping your body healthy and your brain functioning well into your senior years. “Many or most of the diseases of aging, like cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, and arthritis, can be prevented by changes in diet alone,” says Shari Lieberman, PhD, author of The Real Vitamin and Mineral Book (Avery, 2007).

Researchers and nutritionists agree that eating an abundance of antioxidants, monounsaturated fats, and omega-3 fats can help you stay strong, healthy, and looking fabulous through the years. Start with the following 10 foods, all rich in these key nutrients. They’re easy to incorporate into your diet, and they all taste good, too.

Berries are packed with polyphenols, antioxidants that we know guard against age-related changes in the brain. “Polyphenols work in two major ways,” says Christopher E. Ramsden, MD, a nutritional biochemist and author of Nutrition by the Numbers (Applied Nutritional Biochemistry, 2008). First, they donate an electron to harmful free radicals in the brain, which neutralizes the free radicals and keeps them from causing damage to the brain cell membranes. Second, polyphenols block the body’s production of compounds that cause inflammation, which encourages the formation of amyloid plaques that damage the brain by killing neurons. Cherries, cranberries, and prunes also contain an abundance of these protective polyphenol compounds.
How much to eat: At least half a cup a day. Try to consume a variety of berries throughout the week, says Ramsden, because the body absorbs and uses each of them in slightly different ways.

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and kale contain a chemical compound called diindolylmethane (DIM), which, studies show, protects women against age-related hormonal changes. “As we age, the body’s ability to metabolize estrogen tends to decline,” says Lieberman. “DIM helps the body metabolize estrogen into a safer, more usable form, so it becomes protective against breast cancer and cancers of the reproductive organs.” Crucifers are also rich in indole-3-carbinol, a potent cancer-preventive nutrient. Research shows that it slows the ability of cancer cells to grow and multiply, and helps keep pre-cancerous cells from developing further. Other cruciferous veggies include cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, turnips, and mustard greens.
How much to eat: 1 cup, at least four times a week.

Garlic contains a compound called allicin that helps protect the heart in several important ways. “Garlic helps lower blood cholesterol, and slows down the development of atherosclerosis and hardening of the arteries by decreasing the thickness of blood,” says Carl Germano, RD, a clinica...

Author: Lisa Turner

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