Inside Health Magazine: A Better You Starts With What's Inside May. 2016 | Page 5
Tips&
Trends
Look
and feel
Great!
Tips for Eating to Age Well
Build a healthy
microbiome
As we age, the microbiome—bacteria and other
microbes that live in our gut—tends to decrease
in diversity and shift towards more harmful
species. Besides supporting your microbiome
with probiotic supplements, consider natural
food sources like yogurt and eat a wide variety
of vegetables and fruits to provide material to
nourish good bacteria. It may be one reason
why eating more produce has been linked to
longevity.
A multi-vitamin
a day keeps
the…
The importance of vitamins
and nutrients in supporting
the normal function of our
body are well recognized. The
multi-vitamins of today are
very different from those in the past. Look for a
multi-vitamin sourced from whole food, which
your body is more likely to recognize as food
and more easily absorb. Some of the best whole
food multi-vitamins on the market also include
guaranteed potency probiotics, enzymes and
superfoods.
Eat raw
When food is cooked, many
of the nutrients and all digestive
enzymes contained within are
destroyed. Try to incorporate some raw food into
every meal, and consider converting 2 or 3 meals
a week into a raw meal. In addition,
raw food contains ATP (Adenosine
triphosphate), a key molecule
that transports energy
within the cell.
Have heart
Skip soda; drink water
Sugary sodas cause inflammation and damage
that may shorten telomeres—the protective caps
on the ends of DNA. Short telomeres have been
shown in conjunction with premature aging
and a wide range of other health challenges.
A December 2014 American Journal of Public
Health study of 5,300 healthy adults found that
drinking 20 ounces of sugary soda daily sped
up biological aging by 4.6 years, which
is comparable to the effects of smoking.
The cardiovascular system is one of the
primary areas of the body that can become
challenged with age. With this in mind,
incorporate heart-healthy foods into your
diet. Some favorites include fish high in
omega-3s (salmon, tuna, mackerel,
herring and trout), healthy nuts
like almonds and walnuts, or
tomatoes, which provide
lycopene, vitamin C and alphaand beta-carotene. Looking for a
supportive supplement? Consider
the enzyme nattokinase, which
has been shown to break down fibrin
(clots) in blood, which
encourages healthy
circulation.
INSIDE HEALTH • 5