Let's Talk About Nourishing Your Body and Aging Gracefully
In our previous post, we talked about skin aging. Today, we are going to talk about nourishing your body with the right food and nutrients.
For me, a great complement for every chemical or natural treatment you take to age gracefully is a balanced diet with the exact components that your body needs at a certain age to keep giving the best of you daily.
When it comes to starting any anti-aging process or treatment, is recommendable to purify the body from the inside. Especially because the accumulation of toxic waste within the body derived from eating inappropriate food and long and copious digestions, ends up being more prejudicial than you think. This toxic load reduces the space in the body as well as the oxygen flow, being one of the main causes of cellular aging.
You can find several vitamins that will help your body fight aging. Those with an antioxidant effect are particularly effective since they help you to get rid of the free radicals generated by the stress before they cause any damage to our cells.
The antioxidant foods counteract the oxidative stress that the tissues support, igniting and damaging them.
Antioxidant nutrients such as vitamins C and E, provitamin A and the minerals zinc and selenium help in the formation of collagen, the protein that forms the structure of the skin, bones, and organs. They have a similar effect on many compounds found in plants. You also need enough protein to promote proper tissue renewal.
To give you a clearer idea about which food could be more beneficial to keep your body with the highest vitality inside and outside, let's talk about vitamins with more anti-aging properties and the foods where we can find them.
Beta-carotene
These are precursors of vitamin A, which becomes retinol inside our body. They have the property to strengthen the immune system, prevent inflammation and cell damage caused by medical situations.
Foods rich in beta-carotene:
- Carrots
- Sweet potatoes
- Spinach
- Col kale
- Red pepper
- Apricot
- Peach
- Watercress
Vitamin C
It’s an excellent antioxidant and gives us a high protection against free radicals. It also helps us in the absorption of non-heme iron (the one of plant origin) and cooperates with the regeneration of vitamin E.
Foods rich in vitamin C:
- Citrus: grapefruit, oranges and lemons
- Peppers
- Cantaloupe
- Strawberries
- Berries
- Green leaves
- Broccoli
- Kiwi
Vitamin E
It’s another highly antioxidant lipid soluble vitamin. It protects the skin from UVA rays and fights external and endogenous free radicals.
Foods rich in vitamin E:
- Sunflower seeds
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Almonds
- Tomatoes
- Hazelnuts
Vitamin K
It helps with the blood clot. Aesthetically, it helps us in the prevention of the appearance of a clear sign of aging, permanent eye bags, usually caused by capillaries with effusions. It also contributes to bone health, preventing osteoporosis.
Foods rich in vitamin K:
- Dark green leafy vegetables
- Romaine lettuce
- Broccoli
- Parsley
Vitamin B complex
They have many functionalities but when we talk about beauty and aesthetic results, niacin helps us keep the skin hydrated, and biotin strengthens the hair and nails.
Foods rich in B vitamins:
- Mushrooms
- Sunflower seeds
- Potatoes
- Nutritional yeast
These aliments are not very common in our diet but if you consider them for your regular diet, they can make a huge difference, helping your body to absorb other vitamins as well:
- Black grapes with resveratrol: rich in one of the most effective antioxidants under the skin. You can eat a bowl each 2-3 days.
- Forest fruits, protection against free radicals: they are very low in sugars and very dense in protective substances against free radicals. They are ideal to add to smoothies or, frozen, to make healthy ice cream. The wild ones are more nutritious.
- Matcha green tea, full of antioxidants: It is another of the best antioxidants that exists for its richness in chlorophyll, minerals and catechins, the antioxidant substances of green tea. In this case, multiply the dose because you take the whole leaves as a powder. Take 1 or 2 cups each day.
- Turmeric and ginger, anti-aging roots: these two roots cannot be missing in the pantry of anyone wishing to prevent aging. Both have anti-inflammatory capacities, are very easy to use and give flavor to the preparations. Consume 2 slices of ginger per day. Also, do not stop using turmeric powder daily.
- Tempeh, a mix of probiotics and amino acids: It is another source of probiotics. In this case, in addition to the beneficial bacteria, you get amino acids for the formation of collagen. The tempeh of chickpeas can marinate it with tamari and mustard. Incorporate chickpea tempeh in your diet twice a week!
- Nuts, the richest in Omega-3: This is the fat with more anti-inflammatory action. They are also a source of proteins and minerals. They can be somewhat indigestible, but if you soak them one night, you will eliminate antinutrients and multiply their benefits. You can eat 5-7 daily.
You should include both skincare and an anti-aging diet in your life as a healthy lifestyle habit. No matter your age, you are always at the right time of taking care of your body from the inside, to the outside, starting from what is truly important; your health. Any beauty treatment won’t be complete or potentially effective if you are not conscious about how you treat your body and what you can improve its performance.
Feeling sensational is a decision and depends on the time you dedicate to hear your body and identify what it needs!