Top therapist and dietician Marisa Peer takes you through an alphabet of anti-ageing foods. Want to look younger? Well, if we really are what we eat, wise food choices can lead to a younger, healthier body, as well as boosting vitality and improving mental agility.
Top therapist and dietician Marisa Peer has devised an A to Z of superfoods, packed full of essential nutrients to allow you to age without feeling or looking older. "These wonder-foods include the vitamins, supernutrition and antioxidants that are essential to antiageing," says Marisa, whose new book You Can Be Younger, is published this week.
"The list is not meant to replace your diet, but to help ensure you always include them in your meals. And the more of these foods you include, the healthier you will be. In just a few weeks, you can look and feel 10 years younger."
One of the best foods of all, avocado contains more potassium (which lowers blood pressure) than bananas. It is also rich in glutathione, which protects the body from toxins, helps neutralise bad fat and is the most powerful antioxidant, fighting the free-radical damage to cells that accompanies ageing.
Truly a superfood, broccoli boosts the immune system and contains more calcium than any other vegetable. It also has properties that fight bone loss and cancer. Rich in iron and folic acid, it contains quercetin, which protects against heart disease and heart attacks.
Carrots lower cholesterol and their orange pigment boosts immune function and protects against cancer and strokes. Their high levels of vitamin A are excellent for maintaining healthy skin and they're really are good for eyesight - the betacarotene in them protects eyes from diseases that occur with ageing.
This treat is full of antioxidants, which fight ageing and cell damage. Dark chocolate also contains vitamin B6 and tryptophan, which converts to serotonin, a chemical that helps fight depression.
The most complete food on the planet after breast milk, eggs contain every amino acid the body needs. They're a great source of lutein, which protects against macular eye degeneration - the most common cause of blindness in the UK. You can safely eat eggs every day.
Omega 3 oils found in salmon, tuna, sardines and herrings may slow damage to your DNA and protect against inflammation and other ageing processes. Omega 3 oils also have blood-thinning properties that protect arteries and lower blood pressure.
This helps to maintain blood circulation and oxygenated blood helps keen skin, hair and nails strong and healthy. Garlic also contains many antioxidants, is a natural antibiotic and decongestant and lowers cholesterol.
Organic coldpressed honey has a very healing effect. As a sugar, only a small amount is needed, so take no more than half a teaspoon a day. Heating honey causes it to lose essential vitamins, so don't put it in hot drinks or cook with it
Iceberg lettuce fights harmful free radicals and boosts the immune system because it contains manganese, magnesium, potassium, iron, phosphorus and calcium. It also protects your heart, lowers cholesterol and protects against viral infections.
Japanese green tea is full of anti-ageing antioxidants and contains methylxanthines that boost metabolism, help burn fat more rapidly, especially around the stomach, and also lowers cholesterol.
Mackerel is an inexpensive oily fish high in essential oils, vitamins and minerals and rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. These "good" fats help with hormone balance and ensure that the skin stays hydrated.
The skin of nuts is full of anti-ageing flavonoids. And all nuts are full of protein, fibre, essential fats and many vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, which improves recall.
Anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and antiviral, onions are also full of digestive enzymes that detoxify and boost the immune system. Red onions are by far the best.
A great inner cleanser, parsley is full of vitamins C and A and some B, as well as iron, calcium and potassium. Parsley is a natural diuretic and some nutritionists regard it as one of the most powerful foods on earth.
A rice-like seed, quinoa is an energy-sustaining food eaten by many top athletes. It is considered a super-food because it contains all eight essential amino acids and is rich in calcium and iron.
Red fruit and veg like raspberries, strawberries, red peppers, red cabbage, red broccoli and red onions are preferable to green varieties as they have so many more powerful antioxidants that can fight heart disease and prostate cancer and minimise stroke risk and degeneration of the eyes.
Full of antioxidants, spinach can help deter stroke, cancer, heart disease and high blood pressure. Spinach is among the top 10 super-foods because it contains lutein and zeaxanthin, which are both thought to be especially strong anti-ageing compounds.
Uncooked Veg. Cooking your vegetables can destroy many nutrients. Steaming veg or boiling in less water preserves nutrients. Eat raw veg as often as you can and lightly cook at other times.
All veg are wonder foods. Go for deep green, richly red or purple or bright orange and yellow to get the maximum amount of antioxidants and vitamins for your body. Veg have a high water content and when you eat water-based food as opposed to drinking water, your body keeps the water for longer.
The safest and best natural zero-calorie sweetener around, xylitol not only has none of the risk factors associated with artificial sweeteners, but it also helps to re-mineralise teeth and is a favourite of dentists.
Grapefruits, melons, pineapple, lemons, squash and turnips have high antioxidant content, which helps to detoxify the body. The more richly yellow, the richer the antioxidant content. Grapefruits also contain compounds that lower blood pressure, reduce plaque in the arteries and help lower cholesterol.
Thinly slice zucchini (courgettes) to use in place of pasta as a base with sauce for meat or fish so you avoid the starchy pasta carbs that can cause inflammation and excess weight because of the high sugar content.
You Can Be Younger, by Marisa Peer, is released on Thursday, priced £11.18, from amazon.co.uk.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/z-superfoods-eat-yourself-younger-3305091#ixzz2yFk6Kr8aFollow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook
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