Is Your Diet Causing Wrinkles
Aging is a natural sequence of life, yet many of us
can’t face it gracefully. Grey hair, sagging skin and ugly wrinkles are by
products of the aging process. Every one of us hates wrinkles and wish they
would never occur, but aging and wrinkled skin are inevitable. As despairing as
it sounds there are solutions available to delay the advent of aging and
wrinkles.
What are Wrinkles
Wrinkles refer to those thin and creased lines that
appear on the softer portions of our body like the face, neck and hands and
results in sagging skin due to decreased elasticity of the skin.
Are you Susceptible to Wrinkles
Along with the natural aging process, exposure to sun,
wind and environmental elements cause the appearance of wrinkles in many people
over a certain age. But there are others, who are more prone to the attack of
wrinkles at an early age because of genetic factors, lifestyle and behavioral
choices. Individuals exposed to UV radiation from sunlight, either due to their
profession or location of residence as well as heavy smokers are especially
prone to the early development of wrinkles.
Individuals with lighter complexions experience
premature appearance of wrinkles, while those with darker complexions are less
prone to their development. Due to the larger presence of melanin, the skins of
the latter group suffer a reduced level of penetration of UV rays from
sunlight. Rapid weight loss over a short time span also causes development of
wrinkles because of the loss of fat cells.
Free Radicals and the Occurrence of Wrinkles
Free radical damage is considered one of the most vital
source of skin damage and appearance of wrinkles. These free radicals severely
harm the skin by breaking down the skins support structures. They diminish
elasticity of skin and the resilience of skin is lost and the aging process
sets in.
Antioxidants are meant to reduce the damage caused by
free radicals. When antioxidant protection is inadequate in our body, free
radicals cause damage. The activities of free radicals can be neutralized
through antioxidants abundant in vitamins A, C, and E, beta carotene, selenium,
zinc and more.
Thus by consuming foods and vitamins rich in
antioxidants and through the application of skin care products rich in
antioxidants, you can stall the process of wrinkling of skin.
How to Combat Wrinkles
NOTE: Always consult your physician first before
implementing any new diets, therapies and/or implementing any skin care regimen
or procedures, especially if you have existing skin conditions and/or are prone
to rashes and/or have sensitive skin and/or are allergic to certain ingredients
that may be included in any skin care formulations or are allergic to any
components natural or synthetic that may be mentioned.
There is more than one way to combat unwanted wrinkles
and creases on your skin.
As mentioned above, topical creams and lotions rich in
antioxidants, vitamin A and retinol produce greater results in concealing
wrinkle lines. Also, supplements particularly rich in vitamin E and vitamin C
work wonderfully in returning some of the lost resilience of the skin. Vitamin
K (caution if you’re taking blood thinners) is also popularly used in the
treatment of wrinkles. Also, hormone replacement therapy helps regain healthy
skin in postmenopausal women.
Wrinkle Prevention Tips
Prevention is
better than cure.
- Use
Sun block lotions every time you go out in the sun.
- Wear
sunglasses and use an umbrella or wear a hat.
- Wear
protective clothing.
- Eat
plenty of antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables.
A 50-70% Raw Food Diet
Modern advertising is constantly pounding us with ads
about how and where to eat. Or what we should be eating. Common sense tells us
that a much of this “food” is unhealthy but it taste so good that you can’t
resist. What is sure to eventually happen is a downward spiral of your physical
health if you are not willing to change your diet.
As scientific research figure out what foods promote a
strong and vibrant body, it is becoming clear that many of diseases that are
connected to aging are the result of a poor diet. Eating a diet high in raw
veggies and fruit would lower the risk of most of these diseases but are
overlooked as refined sugar and starches are the preferred food of westerners.
A diet abundant with raw food everyday will cleanse your body and began to
normalize your body fat levels. By spending less energy on digestion, your body
can detox properly and spend time repairing damaged
cells.
The most important of the anti aging foods are the ones
that are high in antioxidants. Free radicals are damaging to our bodies always
being produced as a result of metabolism, so antioxidants are needed to remove
the free radicals from the body before the particles can damage body cells. You
should eat as much raw plant life as possible, particularly raw fruits,
vegetables, and whole grains contain antioxidants. Eating raw nuts will
introduce unheated vegetable oil to your body, which supplies lots of enzymes
and antioxidants.
Eating 100% whole grains should be your focus because
the body converts the sugar in these carbohydrate sources at a slow rate. The
fiber from these grains can help you to quickly eliminate toxic waste from the
body and the grains themselves are full of antioxidants much needed by the
body. This is the type of diet consumed by our ancient ancestors, who stayed
youthful and hard working into their senior years. Health food experts have
claimed for decades about the benefits of a diet high in whole grains and the
evidence is now overwhelming. Whole grains are the best way to get your daily
supply of complex carbohydrates.
Proteins should come from beans, nuts, and seafood.
Healthy fats include olive oil and, to a lesser extent, other vegetable oils.
Try to avoid fat from land animals. I personally endorse a diet of 50-70% raw
food, just to give you a way to fit some of your favorite foods into your new
way of living. Most people come to enjoy eating these wholesome foods. And they
are able to enjoy good health longer into their senior years. An anti aging
diet would really go a long way toward feeling the way a person should as they
age.
Diet Can Help Anti-Aging
For centuries people have been searching for the
fountain of youth. Although this is in itself a fantasy you can increase your
chances of living longer by making a few adjustments to the way you eat.
Basically it all boils down to one factor diet. The old saying “you are what
you eat” holds true when it comes to anti-aging. Eating better is the key to
better health and increasing your chances of living longer.
What do we mean by eating better? Here are a few
points:
- Cutting
down our salt, and pure sugar intake
- Cutting
down but not eliminating carbohydrates
Eating more of these foods:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Legumes
and lentils (peas, beans) etc
- Whole
grain breads, rice and cereals
- All
fish except for shell fish
Added to this list are foods that give extra boosts of phytochemicals that help the immune system and a variety of
body functions. Blueberries, cranberries and strawberries all contain phytochemicals. These are readily available in grocery
stores. However to get the benefit of the phytochemicals,
these berries must be vine ripened and picked within the last 48 hours. You can
also grow these small fruit trees and shrubs yourself and enjoy that fresh from
the garden taste.
Other “super foods” include:
- Chlorella,
is a small green algae which is loaded with, proteins, carbohydrates, all of
the B vitamins, vitamins C and E, amino, enzymes and rare trace minerals
- Spirulina
is a complete plant based protein that helps the auto immune system. It also
contains trace mineral contents it helps with blood sugar maintenance and brain
function.
- Sea
vegetables (like seaweed), this would include seaweeds
like kelp.
- Broccoli
Sprouts, you can get these at many grocery stores in the produce section or at
the health food store.
- Quinoa
is a grain protein and is a good source of fiber and complex carbohydrates.
- Soybeans
and soy products like tofu or soymilk. These are also available in the produce
section of the grocery store.
- Flax
seed- this is a good source of Omega-3 oils, which are helpful in heart
conditions.
Diet is very important when it comes to anti-aging and
with these suggestions you can easily make a few adjustments to your diet. At
first it is a little hard to adjust but once you get into good eating habits
you will feel better and look better. Plus you will be able to have more energy
to do the things you want to do and get more out of life. Research has proven
that when you add exercise to healthy eating you can indeed prolong your life
by just a few simple changes to your lifestyle.
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