Drink green tea – Known in my world as the true elixir of youth – drinking green or white tea is perhaps the easiest and most relaxing way to infuse our bodies and brains with age-defying antioxidants. Both provide over 4 thousand bioactive compounds including the famed “flavonoids” like berries and dark chocolate. One particular flavonoid – EGCG, unique to green and white tea, is one of the most potent antioxidants scientists have ever identified. Be sure to brew your own as bottled or powdered teas have little to no beneficial antioxidants.
Spice up your dishes with ginger and turmeric – These 2 spices jack up the flavor of your dishes and provide the unbeatable, youth-enhancing combination of potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power. Like other spices, ginger and turmeric provide a bounty of healthful phytochemicals. The flagship anti-aging compound in turmeric is called curcumin, and it also provides turmeric’s deep, golden yellow hue. Dried ginger even beats out fresh ginger in its anti-inflammatory prowess.
Eat more lentils – Lentils are arguably the most youth-enhancing “starch” nature has to offer. They provide a dense package of nutrients including: healthy vegetable protein, fiber, antioxidants, potassium, magnesium, and more folate than any other food. Like their legume relatives, beans, they are especially valuable for appetite and weight control because of their high-fiber and protein make-up (excess body fat is a major age-accelerator). In contrast to their bean cousins they tend to cause less gas and cook quickly.
Snack on roasted soy nuts – A handful of roasted soy nuts is a stellar and tasty anti-aging snack. They have a glowing nutritional pedigree including omega 3 fats, antioxidants (vitamin E and selenium), and several key nutrients beneficial for blood flow, including potassium, magnesium, and phytoestrogens. Good blood flow is fundamental to optimizing youthfulness.
Enjoy wild Alaskan salmon – Occasionally available fresh, frequently available frozen, and always available canned; this superstar protein is in a league of its own when it comes to helping you stay young. Wild Alaskan salmon is exploding with several key anti-aging nutrients including omega 3 fats, vitamin D, selenium, and the algae-derived powerful antioxidant pigment astaxanthin. Wild Alaskan salmon is the only protein food I know of that can provide the triple threat for combating aging – lowering inflammation, boosting blood flow, and reducing oxidation!
