Roll back the years by filling your plate with these youth-boosting picks
Frequent colds and infections, fatigue, aches, pains, brain fog, dry skin and wrinkles can all make us feel like we’re getting old. The truth is, what we put on our plate is likely to be contributing to our general unhealthiness. The Western-style diet is loaded with fatty and sugary foods, processed and red meats, refined grains and high-fat dairy products that can knock years off our life, but changing the way we eat can make a difference – not by consuming fad foods or expensive supplements, but by eating what most local supermarkets provide.
We’ve put together our top 26 anti-ageing heroes, so make these nutritious foods a regular part of your diet for a younger, fitter body and
Almonds
Packed with vitamin E, essential for a strong immune system and to protect the body from free radicals, which can destroy cells. Almonds also contain bone-building calcium.
Quantity: A handful of unsalted, unblanched almonds.
Alternatives:Pine nuts, sunflower seeds.
Blueberries
In an American study, older adults who drank blueberry juice for two months had a better memory and capacity for learning. It’s thought that polyphenols in blueberries protect the brain from free-radical damage.
Quantity: Two handfuls of blueberries count as one of your five-a-day.
Alternatives: Strawberries, blackcurrants.
Carrots
They’re full of beta-carotene, a nutrient that the body converts into vitamin A, which is vital for healthy eyesight and a strong immune system.
Quantity: One carrot provides your daily vitamin A needs.
Alternatives:Orange and yellow fruit and veg, dark green leafy veg.
Dates
These sweet treats are high in antioxidants with anti-ageing properties – flavonoids, for example, were described in one medical study as ‘natural gifts to promote health and longevity’.
Quantity: Eat two to four a day as a snack or use them to replace sugar in cooking.
Alternatives: Figs, dried plums.
Eggs
They contain vitamin B12 and choline, a nutrient that makes acetylcholine, a brain neurotransmitter, to help the brain to function efficiently.
Quantity: Contrary to popular belief, eggs don’t raise blood cholesterol levels. Eat one or two a day.
Alternatives: Fish, red meat.
Flaxseeds
Popular with menopausal and post-menopausal women due to their hormone-balanc
