Improving your Skin with Anti-Aging Foods

New and improved fad diets hit the mainstream almost daily and it can be hard to keep up with what we are supposed to eat and what we are not supposed to eat. From indulging in only grapefruits, to Master Cleanses, to eating only anti-aging foods it almost becomes overwhelming.

So what can you do when you really want to combat the signs of aging and you already know that the best way is to really incorporate an effective anti-aging diet into your regime?

Well we have put together a few of the most well known and effective anti-aging diets that will get you on the right path to a younger and healthier looking and feeling you.

1.      Michael Pollan, a well know foodie has put together a whole program that is simple and straightforward. He believes that you just “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.” Well that seems straightforward enough but let’s explore that further.

Eat real food – avoid processed, boxed, fake food. Real food is in the produce, meat, fish, and dairy departments. Stay away from the inside isles of your grocery store; that food is processed and is not as healthy.

Choose food with familiar ingredients – if you can’t understand it, don’t eat it. The shorter the ingredients list the better, or better yet buy things with no labels such as fresh food. Hanging at the farmer’s market is a good idea as almost everything there is sold fresh and local and the temptations of those grocery market inner isles are not there. Organic food does cost more and farmer’s market food costs more. But healthy food still costs less than eating out and you can drop snack food and empty calorie food that waste your money and calories.

Other anti-aging food suggestions from Mr. Pollan include following the French example of eating smaller portions, no snacks, no seconds, and eating with others and enjoying the experience.

2.      The Mediterranean Diet is another very popular and effective anti-aging diet. The premise is really quite simple; we are what we eat and certain regions age well and life expectancy is high due to their diets. In the Mediterranean this is the case, so emulating their way of eating here in North America has become a model for a lot of people.

The basic diet consists of a lot of vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, whole grains, fish, moderate alcohol, and a lot of olive oil and chicken. There is less meat and dairy consumed. This diet is filled with anti-aging nutrients that work to keep you younger and healthier looking.

Along with healthier anti-aging foods, you must also involve exercise into your daily routine. Physical activity is also key to a long and healthy life.

3.      Age-Free Zone Diet is Barry Sears’ new anti-aging diet plan that expands on his earlier book, The Zone. He believes that too much insulin, blood glucose, cortisol, and free radicals are causing our aging process and he feels they can be reduced through diet and lifestyle.

Mr. Sears advocates for a low carbohydrate, high protein, but calorie restricted die that is designed to control hormones, and he also emphasizes dietary supplements. You don’t have to cut back on animal products such as chicken and beef and is great for those who don’t mind decreasing their carbohydrate consumption.

His anti-aging diet claims that calorie restriction helps lose weight and reduce free radical production that can be detrimental to your overall health and affect the aging process.

4.      The Origin Diet basic premise is that if we eat more like we did centuries ago, we will be healthier and live longer. This anti-aging diet focuses on eating more unprocessed, whole grain foods and engaging in a lot more physical activity. The author, Elizabeth Somer states that eating too much food and not exercising enough is causing 70 percent of all cancers and 50 percent of heart disease.

She feels that lack of activity is a major problem and that by eating only whole, unprocessed foods which are rich in anti-aging nutrients such as phytonutrients, your body is prepared to fight disease and control blood sugar and lower cholesterol.

The diet also contains “Stone Age Secrets” including eating wild or natural foods, eating more slowly, including six servings of whole grains, two to three servings of calcium-rich foods, three servings of starchy vegetables, and two servings of protein sources that are low in saturated fat.

So regardless of which anti-aging diet you decide to follow the one thing is constant; eating less, moving more and staying away from highly processed, empty calorie foods is key. So why not just do a little revamping of your kitchen cupboards and fridge and look forward to some yummy, fresh food and a few less wrinkles as well!