| Good nutrition plays an important part in protecting us | | | | banana or orange as a mid morning snack. Add kidney |
| from the free radicals in our environment. The ageing | | | | beans and grated raw carrot to salads, chilli con carne |
| process is associated with cell damage caused by | | | | and stews. Try baby leaf spinach in place of lettuce on |
| free radical molecules. Free radicals can cause the | | | | your salad, and add to pizzas. Fruits and vegetables |
| break of down cells in our body and make us age | | | | are also a good source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. |
| faster. The effect of this can be skin wrinkling and | | | | Ideally, 3 out of 5 of your daily portions should be |
| mottling, hardening of the arteries, arthritis, Alzheimer's | | | | vegetables, as they contain more fibre and less sugar |
| and coronary heart disease. Free radicals are also | | | | than fruit. |
| associated with the development of cancer cells in our | | | | With our hectic lifestyles, we often eat convenience |
| bodies. | | | | foods to save time on preparation, and many people |
| Antioxidants are natural anti-aging substances which | | | | are deficient in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants |
| can neutralise the free radicals in our bodies and | | | | found naturally in food. If you smoke, drink excess |
| protect us from cell damage. It is believed that | | | | alcohol, live in a built up area with pollution from cars |
| antioxidants help reduce the aging process and protect | | | | and factories, or suffer from stress, then you are |
| us from the diseases of old age. Many fruits and | | | | more at risk from the damaging effects of free |
| vegetables contain high levels of antioxidants which | | | | radicals. If you find it difficult to eat at least 5 portions |
| protect us from free radicals. | | | | of fruit and vegetables a day, then consider taking a |
| ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) units are | | | | nutritional supplement. Here are some anti-ageing |
| the new way to measure the antioxidant goodness of | | | | supplements which you can buy from health stores: |
| fruits and vegetables. ORACS were developed by the | | | | Lycopene is a powerful natural antioxidant, which helps |
| National Institute on Aging in the US. If food has a high | | | | to neutralise cell damaging free radicals. Pycnogegol is |
| ORAC value, it provides better protection against | | | | an extract from bark of the French maritime pine tree. |
| damaging free radicals. Fruits and vegetables with high | | | | It contains a natural blend of bioflavonoids and helps |
| ORAC scores include bananas, blueberries, broccoli, | | | | combat the harmful effects of cell damaging free |
| raw carrots, cranberries, pecan nuts, red kidney beans, | | | | radicals. Selenuim is seen as one of the best natural |
| kiwis, oranges, prunes, red cabbage, red peppers, | | | | antioxidant sources. It is often combined with vitamins |
| spinach, strawberries and tomatoes. We all know that | | | | A,C and E. |
| we should eat at least 5 portions of fruit and | | | | The most important change we can make to improve |
| vegetables a day for a healthy diet. Some health | | | | our health and reduce the risk of age related diseases |
| advisors now recommend that we eat 8 to 10 portions | | | | is to improve our nutrition. More and more people are |
| a day. | | | | concerned not only with staying healthy, but looking |
| You can easily include these healthy fruits and | | | | younger as they get older. Someone in their fifties who |
| vegetables into your diet. Try adding blueberries, | | | | has a healthy lifestyle and high quality nutrition can look |
| prunes or strawberries to your breakfast cereal, and a | | | | as if they are in their thirties. |