A healthy, balanced diet, rich in fresh fruit and vegetables has a strong anti-aging effect.
Diet can help us in two ways:
- Correct nutrition helps us maintain our health. Youth is associated with a good state of health. Generally, poor health leads to early aging.
- A diet which is balanced, natural, and rich in antioxidants helps us look younger.
A correct diet associated with regular physical exercises gives a fit look to our bodies.
In addition, natural nutrients and antioxidants give our complexion the much-desired youth.
Skin, eyes, hair - they all profit from a natural and balanced diet.
What to eat, what not to eat?
Unfortunately our senses do not help us choose healthy foods.
Highly processed foods, GMOs, foods with growth hormones, additives (colorants, preservatives, sweeteners, flavor enhancers, thickeners, etc.), foods with saturated fats, sugar and salt (often hidden), look more delicious and have a "better" taste than natural foods, therefore our senses misguide us.
These very unnaturally beautiful and "tasty" foods should be avoided.
Read food labels carefully!
Avoid fast-food, junk-food, semi-prepared food, cold cuts, sweets, fried food. These "foods" have no nutritional value and, if consumed in excess, they can lead to obesity, serious illnesses and premature aging.
We have spoken about the danger which lurks in the shop windows, let us see now which food is good for us and helps us stay young.
Fruit and Vegetables
Fresh fruit and vegetables provide us with vitamins, minerals, active enzymes, and antioxidants.
Fruit and vegetables should be eaten preferably fresh and raw because active enzymes are destroyed at + 40C.
Salads will be served half an hour before meal time.
Fresh fruit should be eaten between meals, on an empty stomach. The reason is that if they are consumed together with food, fruits will ferment losing their properties and slowing down digestion.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are vitamins and minerals with a significant anti-aging effect: vitamin A, carotenoids, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, etc…
They fight the harmful effects of free radicals in the environment (pollution, chemicals, radiations, medicines, etc.) or resulting from natural metabolic processes in the body.
Foods rich in antioxidants are: grapes, citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, beans, green tea, nuts, etc...
We should consume a wide variety of antioxidants.
In addition to the anti-aging effect, antioxidants play an important role in fighting different types of cancer.
A Balanced Diet
In addition to fruit and vegetables our diet should contain other nutrients from natural foods: fibers (cereals, starches), essential fatty acids, and animal and vegetal proteins.
An unbalanced diet containing only fruit and vegetables can have negative effects on people's health.
In descending order a balanced diet comprises:
- Vegetables and fruit, preferably fresh
- Whole grains: wheat, rice, barley, etc.
- Fish
- Milk, dairy-products
- Meat
- Sweets: to be avoided
Each individual is unique and people should follow the diet which suits them.
Listen to your body, if a certain food is not tolerated by your body, replace it with another of the same category in order to maintain a balanced diet.
Talk to tour doctor and nutritionist in order to make the right decisions concerning your diet, especially if you suffer from various diseases.
How to Combine Food?
We have talked about how fruits should be eaten, but there are other rules for combining food. These rules help us obtain nutrients from food due to a correct digestion.
An incorrect digestion causes problems and even certain types of diseases over time.
Meat can be combined with vegetables and nuts and seeds.
Do not combine meat with starches (bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, etc.) We know this is bad news, we all like steak and fries, but... life is life! An exception is fish which can be combined with rice and pasta.
The explanation is that the acid environment in which meat is digested is impeded by the basic environment in which starches are digested, resulting in an incomplete digestion (bloating, partly digested food in the colon with harmful effects, possibly carcinogenic).
Moreover, do not combine meat with eggs or cheese because the enzymes necessary to these three foods do not coincide, resulting thus in incomplete digestion and bloating.
How to Eat Meals?
Meals should be served in a quiet environment, in a pleasant atmosphere, not combined with activities that distract our attention, such as watching TV.
We should be careful what and how much we eat.
Leave the table when you still feel a little hungry. Do not stuff yourselves!
Respect meal times as much as possible, the body&s biorhythm should be followed for excellent health.
Do not skip meals, especially breakfast.
After meals, especially copious meals, it is recommended to have a siesta for 20-30 min to allow the body to digest in peace. The body tells us that it needs a siesta by means of the state of sleepiness and relaxation felt after meals.
Detoxification
An important role in having a healthy look and in maintaining a good health is played by body detoxification. The liver, the colon, the kidneys and the skin are the organs which deal with this function.
A detoxified body has a beautiful and healthy appearance of skin, hair and eyes.
In order to detoxify avoid processed foods which contain additives and the excess of medicines. Avoid foods of animal origin twice a week. These are general pieces of advice which should be followed only with the doctor&s approval in the case of people with various diseases.
Add fibers to your diet (cereals, fruit and vegetable). These help colon cleansing, an essential factor in preventing colon diseases (including colon cancer).
Hydrate yourselves. Drink at least 2l of water a day, even if you are not thirsty. Hydration is one of the most important factors in the process of body detoxification.