You are what you eat – this tagline just tells us how our diet matters and how it can affect our overall health. If you eat things that are harmful, you can expect your health to decline. But as you eat healthier food, you can also expect your body to grow stronger. There are a number of diets that you can follow, but do you know the essential foods that you need for a healthier body?
A balanced diet of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats is important, as well as packing it with vitamins and minerals to boost the different systems of the body. As the body ages, the different organs weaken which can lead to various medical conditions if left ignored. Some foods help in keeping the body strong and healthy, fighting off the effects of aging. Because if we have to be honest, who likes aging, anyways?
Here are foods to help you stay young (and age gracefully):
Green Leafy Vegetables
Spinach, lettuce, broccoli, and other green leafy vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals that help in boosting the immune system. They help cleanse the body from all sorts of toxins, promote a healthy digestive system, and even aid in weight loss Eat your leafy greens if you want to look young and stay healthy.
Yogurt
This creamy snack (or even meal for some) is rich in minerals like calcium, potassium, protein, and vitamins. But the biggest clincher of yogurt is the good bacteria you can get from it. These good bacteria help promote the absorption of nutrients in the digestive tract and also prevent infection.
Avocado
This green fruit is well-known for its alkalizing properties and the high Vitamin E content that helps promote healthy and youthful skin and hair. Aside from that, avocado also helps in fighting off wrinkles. A sweet and delicious treat not just for your mouth but for your face, you can use avocado as a facial mask to promote healthy skin.
Berries
Berries are very helpful in keeping the body healthy. Gooseberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries are rich in Vitamin C and minerals which promote healthy blood circulation.
Plus they’re an excellent source of potassium which helps in keeping the heart’s contractions strong. If you want to be fit, then pour in some berries in your cereals as a light snack, or even as a dessert.
Garlic
Garlic often finds a mention in numerous literature because of all the beneficial effects that it brings. One important benefit is that it helps in keeping the blood pressure within a normal range. In fact, doctors and nurses recommend including garlic in your diet if you have cardiovascular problems that involve elevations in blood pressure. Just think of garlic as a natural antihypertensive. It also helps in promoting adequate digestive function and fights off cell degeneration
Melon
Both musk and watermelons are good alkalizing agents and are rich in potassium. They also provide water to the body through the fruity fluids and jam-packed with vitamins and minerals. Because of their taste, melons are easy to include in the diet.
Ginger
Another well-known vegetable for its health benefits is ginger as it promotes healthy digestion and is important to the body. It helps keep the bowel healthy and promotes gut health. Ginger’s effects are best appreciated when taken raw, but it can also be cooked as an added ingredient in your meal.
Nuts
Nuts are the powerhouses for energy. They’re rich in sodium, an important mineral for managing the fluid levels in the body and protein for a huge energy boost.
Almonds, cashews, and pistachio give a boost of energy that you need throughout the day to fight off fatigue and keep you going.
Whole Pasta and Rice
You’re going to need a good source of carbohydrates for immediate energy. Pasta and rice are very rich in carbs, but make sure to choose the whole wheat pasta and brown rice as they have the highest content of carbohydrates that can give you the energy supply that you need throughout the day.
Although the fountain of youth remains to be a myth and there’s no way to reverse the effects of the aging process, there are certainly ways that you can fight it. Keeping a healthy diet is essential if you want to look and feel healthy and young.