What do you need to eat to be forever young?
When it comes to anti-aging nutrition, one cannot help but conjure up images of foods that have been given the status of life-extending superfoods in the modern world. But is it enough to eat the foods on the list all the time to stay young and beautiful?
What do you need to eat to be forever young?
Larisa Bavykina, dietitian, endocrinologist, geneticist at the Atlas Medical Center: “Today superfoods include spinach, avocado, broccoli, green salad, sweet peppers, blueberries and blueberries, nuts and seeds, olives and olive oil, red fish, yogurt. Indeed, these foods are healthy. Broccoli, for example, is rich in vitamin B9, and a handful of nuts every day reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 25% in healthy people and as much as 15% in those with diabetes. However, there is still no conclusive evidence that including a dozen certain foods in your diet will dramatically increase life expectancy. So don’t rush to the supermarket with your list, because there are at least a few more things to do.”
Eat a variety of protein
Above all, protein is needed to maintain muscle tone and prevent sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass. Include eggs, chicken, rabbit or turkey breast in your diet, eat dairy products (yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese, cheese) and a handful of unsalted nuts every day. Legumes are also a good source of protein. But you should not get addicted to protein: its excess turns into extra pounds.
Make friends with fats
Fatty acids are the basis for a healthy and youthful heart. Our ancestors had a ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 in their diet of 1:4, but we have a ratio of 1:30. For this reason, omega-6 is increasingly associated with atherosclerosis. To keep your heart going on a daily basis, emphasize omega-3 foods in your diet.
“Eat seafood and fish, especially oily fish, two to three times a week. It’s not necessarily salmon, halibut, mackerel, herring, saury, eel, omul, chinook salmon, starred sturgeon, whitefish, burbot, trout, carp, catfish, crucian carp will do. Every day in your diet should be vegetable oils, especially olive oil. Nuts, seeds, olives and avocados are good sources of fatty acids, including omega-3.
Significantly increase the proportion of fruits and vegetables
Vegetables and fruits are the best source of a number of vitamins and some active ingredients, as well as dietary fiber, which feed the beneficial gut bacteria responsible for immunity and digestive health. Where to get what vitamins and which fruits and vegetables to focus on?
“A total of four to five servings of fruits and vegetables should be eaten in a day. One serving counts as a handful of fresh or cooked fruits and vegetables. One of the servings is necessarily green (lettuce, avocado, parsley, dill, green peas, broccoli and other types of cabbage). Everything green is a source of vitamins K and B. The other 3-4 servings should be different colors: reds, yellows, oranges. These are all sources of vitamins A and C. By the way, blue is also needed in the weekly gastro palette (blueberries, blueberries, eggplant). Blue-colored vegetables and berries are champions of anthocyanins. These substances can help dilate blood vessels, which is important for regulating blood pressure.”
Get calcium from food and vitamin D from medicine
The right balance of these substances is the prevention of osteoporosis and fractures in old age. Harvard scientists and Mayo Clinic physicians insist that calcium must be obtained from food to avoid dangerous side effects. Dairy products are an excellent source of easily digestible calcium: they should be eaten every day. Green vegetables and nuts, which should also be eaten daily, also supply calcium to our body.
“Vitamin D is extremely important for calcium absorption. It is produced in the skin by sunlight, but this way of getting it is not particularly good: being in the sun without protection increases the risk of cancer. That’s why it’s best to get vitamin D in the form of a medication.”
Don’t forget water: it can save you from blood clots
With age, the feeling of thirst weakens, and we banal forget to drink as much as our body needs. And it needs 30 ml per 1 kg of body weight, that is 1.5-2 liters per day. By the way, soups, milk and other liquid foods count.
“Dehydration not only spoils the appearance, but also increases the risk of thrombosis, especially during physical activity. And this applies not only to the gym: if your body is dehydrated, you are at risk, even planting peonies in the spring at the cottage.”
What about dietary supplements?
Scientists insist that a well-balanced diet will provide everything you need. Only vitamin D can be recommended as a drug for most people.
“Today, despite the incredible popularity of online supplement markets, we have no proof of the daily need for vitamins and supplements; they are prescribed only when there is a proven deficiency of certain substances in the diet.”
How can I enhance the effects of anti-age nutrition?
The answer is simple – with proper exercise. Walk for 30 minutes every day or go to the pool 2-3 times a week, ride a bicycle. Try strength training as well, start with 15-20 minutes 2-3 times a week. Physical activity can effectively strengthen your heart muscle and keep your body toned.