Foods to eat if you want to look and feel younger

Inflammation, oxidants, starchy carbs, chemicals in packaged foods, rancid oils, insufficient vitamin and mineral intake, low-fat diets, oils high in omega-6 fatty acids, high blood glucose levels, and unhealthy gut flora promote aging, and these can be reduced or eliminated through diet. Here are the foods you should eat to keep looking and feeling healthy:

• Offal: Offal refers to the liver, kidneys, tripe, heart, and tongue of the animals. They are more affordable than muscle meat and offers many health benefits. When eating offal, make sure that it comes from pastured animals.
• Fatty fish: Fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines, and lake trout, contains omega-3 fatty acids that offer anti-aging benefits. They also help prevent serious illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease.
• Shellfish: Shellfish, such as oysters, scallops, mussels, shrimp, crab, lobster, and clams, provides high amounts of zinc. Zinc is important in boosting the immune system and preventing infections, especially in older people.
• Sea vegetables: Sea vegetables are rich in healthy minerals, particularly iodine, which is great for keeping the thyroid healthy. Sea vegetables are often used as a base for pasta, stir-fries, and casseroles.
• Fermented foods: Fermented foods such as kefir and yogurt, are essential for keeping the gut healthy. Kefir is a fermented food that serves as a probiotic, which is beneficial to good gut bacteria. It can also help keep the digestive system healthy, maintain a healthy weight, and enhance mental health. Similar to kefir, yogurt is beneficial to gut bacteria. However, it is not as good as kefir because it does not cause bacteria to thrive as well. Other fermented foods include natto, kombucha, sauerkraut, miso, and lactose-fermented vegetables.
• Coconut oil: Coconut oil is a very versatile ingredient that can keep you looking young and healthy. It can be used for cooking, for personal care products, and for treating dry skin. Make sure that the coconut oil you are using is cold-pressed, virgin, and unrefined.
• Local, raw, unfiltered honey: This type of honey is best because you are sure that it was not processed and it still is full of nutrients. Honey is anti-microbial and anti-allergenic.

If you haven’t noticed, all these foods are part of a Paleo diet. The Paleo diet is an anti-inflammatory eating plan, which is great for living an anti-aging lifestyle. Following the Paleo diet also helps reduce all-cause mortality, prevent cognitive decline, boost mood, and improve other key markers of health, such as blood pressure, blood sugars, inflammation, and cancer risk. (Related: Paleo Diet: What makes it a great diet phenomenon?.)

Other ways to look and feel younger

Diet alone cannot make you look and feel young. You also have to make some lifestyle changes to fight the negative effects of aging. Getting enough sleep and reducing stress are the main things you should consider in fighting aging. Sleep and stress are linked to cortisol levels. When you are too stressed and you do not get enough sleep, your cortisol levels increase, which is not good for your body. You can reduce stress by meditating, getting a massage, and enhancing your time-management skills. You would also want to consider exercising if you want to look younger. Try going to the gym three or four times a week and lift weights and do some sprints. You can also enroll yourself in yoga classes.

Read more news stories and studies on aging healthy by going to Longevity.news.

Sources include:

Blog.PaleoHacks.com

VerywellHealth.com

ThePaleoDiet.com