It is never too early to start eating foods that support the immune system, slow down the aging process and help with weight loss in the process. Eating whole foods is a good habit to get into while staying away from highly processed foods that are full of chemicals and high fructose corn syrup.
Here Are the Top 5 Anti-aging Foods:
1. Nuts, Seeds and Oils
Choose from olive oil, walnut oil, macadamia nut oil, sesame oil and enjoy a handful of nuts on your salad or for a delicious snack.
2. Non-GMO Soy Protein
This does not mean eating every product made from soy. This means good quality tempeh, tofu or soy milk keeping in mind you only need 26 grams of fermented soy protein per day. Fermented soy means the soy has been through a fermentation process very similar to beer allowing 2 powerful antioxidants genestein and daidzen to be released in the soy.
3. Mushrooms
Look for shitake, cremini, portabella to name and few and make sure you cook them for maximum benefit. Mushrooms are known for building the immune system however they must be cooked to reap the health benefits.
4. Fish
Omega 3's are one of the most important nutrients to slow down the aging process from the inside out by reducing inflammation. All diseases begin as a result of inflammation somewhere in the body. Choose wild salmon or your favorite fish and if you are not a fan of fish, look for a good quality supplement that shows DHA and EFA on the label. 1,000 mg. daily is a good dosage.
5. Eggs
They have gotten a bad rap in years past but eggs are good for you full of good quality protein and all the vitamins and minerals are in the yolk. Enjoy an egg white omelet with one whole egg to get all the vitamins and minerals found in the yolk.
You can age gracefully by slowing down the process from the inside out. If you can't pronounce the words in the ingredient list, it is not something you should eat. Every time you see a product that says "fat-free" on the label, it means sugar. The food manufacturer has to replace the fat with something and it is usually sugar so replace any "fat-free" foods with whole foods. Eat from the earth.
Sherry L. Granader is a Sports Nutritionist, National Speaker and Spokesperson, Author of 2 healthy cookbooks, Writer, Ghost Writer, Nationally Certified Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer. She has shared the stage with such celebrities as Whoopi Goldberg, Suze Orman and the late Governor Ann Richards and served as the On-Air Nutritionist for QVC television in the United States and the UK. She has cooked for her favorite bodybuilder, Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk) and his family, shared her nutrition expertise with Chuck Norris on the set of his movie "Sidekicks" and appeared on 8-time Mr. Olympia, Lee Haney's Championship Workouts on ESPN. Sherry hosted her own "Healthy Living" show on PBS for several years. For more information on Sherry, visit www.sgfit.com or write to Sherry at [email protected].
