Authored by Crystal Crowder in Nutrition
Published on 10-09-2009

Looking younger can be as easy as changing what you eat. This doesn’t mean spending extra on specialty foods either. Most age defying foods can be found at your local supermarket or farmer’s market. Surprisingly, eating so called age defying food will actually make you look and feel younger than using creams and lotions.

Reduce free radicals and increase antioxidants. Antioxidants are key to reducing the effects of aging. Free radicals are necessary in order to maintain a healthy immune system and to turn calories into energy. However, eating more calories than you need creates an unhealthy amount of free radicals that can cause you to age before your time. As we age, internal antioxidants enzymes become less and less active. This allows the body to age faster. Eating foods high in antioxidants will replenish your body and increase antioxidant activity.

Age defying foods are actually foods you’ll want to eat everyday. Adding fresh fruits and vegetables is a great start. Fruit juices are also good choices. Beans and nuts are also considered age defying foods. Many food packages now list whether the product is rich in antioxidants and even makes suggestions for cooking and serving. See the list below for some of the top recommended age defying foods along with daily serving sizes. Note that you don’t need to eat every food every day. However, adding at least two to three to your daily diet will go a long way to a younger looking and feeling you.

Age Defying Foods

• Blueberries – 1 cup raw
• Small red beans – ½ cup dry, cook as a side
• Red kidney beans – ½ cup dry, cook as a side
• Artichoke hearts – 1 cup cooked
• Cranberries – 1 cup raw, if too tart add a small amount of sugar
• Pinto Beans – ½ cup dry, cook as a side
• Blackberries – 1 cup raw
• Strawberries – 1 cup raw
• Prunes – ½ cup dried
• Raspberries – 1 cup raw
• Apples (Red or Green) – 1 including peel
• Pecans – 1 ounce raw
• Cherries – 1 cup raw
• Pomegranate – 1 raw, 1 glass juice or add seeds to food
• Peppers – add to food, mild or hot
• Fish – 2 to 3 times weekly
• Various herbs for seasoning – ex. basil, parsley and coriander
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – add to food, especially pasta and salad

If you can’t eat certain foods, consider supplements. For instance, fish is an age defying food due to the omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin D and selenium it contains. Fish oil tablets and a multi-vitamin will help supplement the nutrients from fish. However, fresh foods will have more vitamins and antioxidants than supplements. A combination of both multi-vitamins and antioxidant rich food is best for reducing the effects of aging.

Eating age defying foods will not take years off your age overnight. The longer you wait to change your diet, the longer it will take for the desired results to occur. However, these foods will counter future effects of aging, reduce current effects and make you feel years younger.