Our diet plays a massive role in how young, healthy, and vital we feel on a day-to-day basis.
And if you really think about it, it makes sense.
Our food choices are what sustain us.
Our body literally turns the food we eat into fuel to give us the power and energy we need to continue living, working, and thriving.
But this brings up an important question:
How important is it to eat healthy foods?
The answer?
It’s vitally important for our long-term health and well-being.
So in this post, you’re going to learn about 11 healthy foods that’ll make you feel younger for longer.
Let’s dive in and talk about healthy food options that every healthy diet needs!
1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil has a reputation as one of the healthiest fats in existence.
And researchers have confirmed that it may help to prevent many diseases that cause you to age faster.
For example, it helps to:
- Lower your blood pressure
- Reduce heart disease risk
- Prevent metabolic syndrome
- Fight cancer
It also helps with skin elasticity and firmness.
2. Tomatoes
Tomatoes boast some powerful anti-aging properties of their own.
They help to boost levels of collagen in the skin. They also give you a healthy dose of lycopene to help protect you from sun damage.
In one study, research revealed that adding tomato paste as a staple to one’s regular diet provided a 30% boost in skin protection from UV rays.
3. Blueberries
Blueberries stand among some of the healthiest foods on the planet.
For one, they’re rich in antioxidants. This means that they can protect cells from damage — especially in the brain, by changing how brain neurons communicate.
In one study, adults who drank blueberry juice for 12 weeks scored higher on memory tests than those who received a placebo.
4. Green Tea
Green tea is another food that’s high in antioxidants.
These antioxidants help to fight against free radicals, which form as a response to stress.
But green tea also works to fight against conditions like inflammation, heart disease, and diabetes. It also helps to protect your skin and may help to reduce the signs of aging.
5. Watercress
Don’t use regular lettuce (which doesn’t hold a ton of nutritional value) to make a salad. Instead, use watercress as a healthier, age-defying alternative.
This leafy-green plant provides a ton of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. It’s also a natural internal skin antiseptic and helps to enhance the oxygenation of the skin.
Adding more watercress to your diet can help you to look and feel younger and healthier.
6. Coffee
Stop reaching for a soda, sports drink, or energy drink to fuel you up. Instead, go with a cup of organic, traditional coffee brewed from high-quality coffee beans.
Coffee contains caffeine, so it’s bound to ‘wind you up’ when you hit that afternoon downer. But it’s also a super healthy, zero-calorie beverage.
It’s packed with antioxidants and even helps to slow down the visual signs of aging.
Coffee is also a diuretic, which means that it can help to reduce facial swelling.
7. Fatty Fish
Fatty fish is a known brain food.
But did you also know that it can also slow the cognitive decline associated with aging?
As it turns out, eating fish with at least one meal per week can slow cognitive/mental decline in older adults by rates of up to 13% per year!
According to the experts, the best types of fish to eat if you want to stay young and healthy are the ‘oily’ types, like salmon and tuna.
8. Plain Greek Yogurt
First off, it’s essential to understand what makes ‘Greek’ yogurt different from ‘regular’ yogurt.
Both types contain healthy levels of probiotics, vitamins, minerals, and calcium.
But Greek yogurt is different because it gets strained to remove most of the whey.
The result?
Yogurt that’s thicker, creamier, and packed with twice as much protein content.
But Greek yogurt is also good for your gut health, extending your mental health, and reducing stress and anxiety.
9. Strawberries
Strawberries are another type of berry that works wonders to help you fight off the damaging effects of aging.
They’re packed with antioxidants. But they also provide you with vital nutrients that your body needs to stay young, healthy, and rejuvenated.
Working strawberries into your weekly diet can contribute to your goals of staying and feeling as young as possible.
10. Dark Chocolate
When you start to age, one of the first telltale signs that people see is the ‘wrinkling’ of the skin.
This comes from stress, exposure to UV light, and other things.
But according to science, dark chocolate can help protect your skin from the wrinkled after effects of UV exposure.
See, cocoa beans are known for having a higher antioxidant capacity than almost any other food.
Sure, real dark chocolate is a bit more ‘bitter’ than the mostly fake cheap stuff you see on store shelves. But buying and eating the real thing can help your skin retain moisture and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
It makes you look younger!
11. Oatmeal
You likely remember eating oatmeal for breakfast as a kid.
You may still enjoy this hearty yet tasty breakfast option every morning. Perhaps with some raisins, blueberries, strawberries, brown sugar, etc.
But oatmeal isn’t just a simple and tasty breakfast option. It’s also an anti-aging food that’s filled with the nutrients your body needs to stay young, healthy, and feeling good.
First off, oats contain a lot of antioxidants. These substances share links to the reduction of aging signs.
Oats also contain a wealth of nutrients: vitamins, minerals, fiber, carbohydrates, and more.
This makes it an all-around healthy food to fuel you up, which in itself is great for keeping you young and vital.
No, it may not be a miracle cure. But it’s certainly a great option if you’re trying to pick out the best foods to fill your cabinets with.
Conclusion
There you have it.
Eleven healthy food options that’ll make you feel younger for longer.
Don’t forget — there’s no ‘miracle cure’ for aging.
It’s something we all go through.
So your best bet is to live the healthiest lifestyle possible to help protect your body from harm or damage while still living a full, productive, meaningful life.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Stay safe out there, and keep up the health-conscious choices.
Your health and youth may not be 100% permanent, but they matter!
Author Bio
Adam Marshall is a freelance writer who specializes in all things apartment organization, real estate, and college advice. He currently works with Grove at Lubbock to help them with their online marketing.
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