Forget Cosmetic Surgery...Eat Your Veggies Instead

You can take every pill that claims to keep you youthful. You can pray you got your parents “good genes.” But if you want to live long and live well there are two things you must do—eat right and exercise. While there are no guarantees in life, adopting these healthy pursuits can enhance your chances of vitality and youthful vigor as you reach your 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and beyond.

Can something as simple as modifying what you eat and drink help you smooth the lines on your face or prevent future wrinkles? Erase wrinkles: NO; look younger: YES. Studies show that what you eat (or don’t eat!) has a definite effect on the health of your skin. As the outermost barrier of the body and your largest organ, the skin is continuously exposed to various sources of stress, including many environmental factors. So, although a new diet won’t clear away all your wrinkles or completely halt skin aging, nutrition can make a huge difference in both how you look and how you feel. This, in turn, can influence how young or old you appear.

Foods to Choose
Researchers are just beginning to explore the extent of your diet’s role in the skin-aging process. One study revealed that people whose diets are rich in a Mediterranean-type diet of vegetables, beans, olive oil, nuts, and multigrain breads are less likely to wrinkle than those who feast on red meat, butter, and sugary foods.

Some experts also suspect that antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E and the minerals zinc and selenium may keep wrinkles at bay by reducing the amount of potentially damaging free radicals produced by skin cells. Antioxidants act as little vacuum cleaners, eliminating those free radicals as they circulate throughout the body, preventing them from doing damage to the cells. The rogue free radical molecules are also believed to possibly fuel chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration and even aging itself. One study revealed that a supplement that included a combination of these antioxidant vitamins helped protect the skin from aging due to solar UV exposure. Another study suggests that for light-skinned people, consuming a diet rich in carotenoids (found in foods such as cantaloupe, apricots, carrots, sweet potatoes, and spinach) offers similar UV protection and may contribute to healthy skin coloring. All the more reason to eat at least two servings of colorful fruits and at least three of colorful vegetables each and every day—and you’re better off eating even more…

Studies additionally show that older people consume inadequate amounts of key
nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, magnesium and phosphorus, which play a key role in maintaining muscle and bone health. Since these factors ultimately play a role in appearance and vitality, these nutrients should be adequately included in one’s daily diet as well.

Visit the Water Fountain of Youth—Several Times a Day!
Imagine what happens to a plant when it goes without water for too long. It begins to droop, then becomes dry and brittle. Watering the plant may bring it back, but it will likely have damaged leaves. Water works similarly within people. By drinking water, you moisturize your skin from the inside out, helping to maintain its elasticity and suppleness—less drooping, less drying, and less damage. Monitoring such things as your thirst and energy levels, as well as the concentration of your urine (lighter color generally indicates better hydration), is a good way to assess whether you’re getting enough to drink.

Alcoholic beverages and caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, and colas don’t necessarily count towards hydration—they can have a diuretic effect that doesn’t really help contribute to your body’s water supply. Exercise and humid climates can affect your water level as well. Remember to drink extra water each day to account for these factors.

Be Active!
People who get regular exercise, eat healthfully and avoid tobacco have a lower risk
of chronic diseases that lead to premature death, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain cancers. They also have reduced rates of disability, better mental health and cognitive function, and lower health costs.

Conversely, individuals who are physically inactive are almost twice as likely to develop heart disease as active people. Inactivity is also linked to the development of diabetes and colon cancer, and can result in loss of muscle strength and mass, which can lead to frailty and lethal falls. Just 30 minutes of activity on most days can make the difference. The idea is to get your heart rate up for at least 20 minutes, and participate in activities that build balance, strength and flexibility. Strength training at least two days a week is a good idea as well. If you can’t do 30 minutes of exercise at a time, try it in 10-minute spurts. You can also stretch or move around when you’re watching TV, take the stairs rather than the elevator, and walk across the parking lot rather than fight for the spot closest to the door. Better still, walk to your destination.

These are things we all know, but we must make new practices habitual to reap the benefits.

The Bottom Line: You Reap What You Sow
The right kind of activity, coupled with a diet rich of fruits and vegetables and less refined and processed foods, can lead to a longer, healthier, happier life. It may not be a sure cure for crows’ feet, brow furrows, or laugh lines, but improving a few food and behavior choices could save your skin, as well as your entire body. Although studies specific to wrinkle prevention are currently limited, a host of other studies reveal that the same vitamins and nutrients that may protect your skin also are beneficial to the health of your eyes, teeth, nails, bones, and circulatory system. So, if a more youthful appearance is what you seek, then skin is only a portion of the equation. By eating a diverse diet (including at least five servings of colorful fruits and vegetables per day), adding more antioxidants and essential oils, and being more active, you can potentially bring out a healthier and younger-looking you.

Healthy Tips - Look and feel better with these easy steps!
Look for foods containing vitamins A and C, zinc, lean proteins, and essential fatty acids. These are great for healthy skin.

Leave the skin on colorful fruits and vegetables (after washing well) and choose your favorites often for optimal nutrition.

Minimize intake of simple carbs, such as enriched bread or flour products, processed and refined foods, candy & soft drinks. These are often nutrient poor & high in sugar.

Include whole-grain breads and cereals, and legumes.

Lee T. Murphy, MS-MPH, RD, LDN