Time marches on whether we like it or not, but that doesn’t mean aging are an inevitability—there’s plenty you can do to keep yourself feeling healthy and youthful. Start with your diet, one of the biggest factors in how well you are. And if you are how you eat, there are better things to be than a greasy French fry or quarter-pounder, right? Those won’t help you stand the test of time, but these five foods willbe :
Berries. Don’t be blue about getting older and let a black cloud hang over your head. Razz up your diet with more than a straw-sized amount berries of any kind of antioxidant-rich treats that combat free radicals, those annoying molecules that cause cell damage and inflammation and make you look and feel older. Plus, berries pack a punch of vitamin C, helpful in saving your skin smooth and youthful.
Yogurt. Keep your campers chomping—and health—by eating yogurt, which lowers the risk of gum disease and tooth loss. Plus, calcium, potassium and phosphorus in yogurt as well as other types of dairy like fat-free milk and low-fat cheeses keep bones strong and blood pressure low.
Oatmeal. Three to five servings a day of whole grains will maintain your fighting form, warding off the negative effects of the sun and protecting against such youth-robbing ailments as diabetes, heart disease and colon cancer. In addition, they’re integral to keeping your weight in check.
Fish. Packed with omega-3s, fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, halibut, tuna, sardines and herring help keep skin healthy and reduce inflammation in joints, tissues and the bloodstream. (If you don’t like fish, you can get omega-3s from sources such as flaxseed, walnuts and pumpkin seeds.)
Leafy greens. Seeing is believing, and believe this: Preserving your eyesight is something you’ll be thankful for as the years pass. If you want to keep yourself from needing Coke-bottle glasses, reach for dark leafy vegetables like spinach, which contains plant pigments that keep ultraviolet light rays from doing damage.
