We have loaded you up with lots of important information about how food and optimal food choices and preparation can help you fight aging. Now we’re going to pull it all together into a manageable 10-Step Anti-Aging Diet Plan that’s based on recommendations from leading health experts and health organizations, including the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association.
STEP 1: WATCH YOUR FATS
As a general guideline, you should hold your total fat intake to 25 to 30 percent of calories, and no more than 10 percent of total caloric intake should be from “bad” fats—saturated and trans fats. Trans fat should be held to 3% or less. The remaining 15 to 20 percent of total calories that are reserved for fat intake should come from “good” fats— monounsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids.
Watching your fats is easy if you follow a few simple guidelines.
a. If you eat dairy products, choose no-fat and low-fat varieties.
b. When considering protein foods, choose fish, lean cuts of meat, egg whites, and skinless poultry. Plant-based protein is generally much lower in fat than animal foods. Choose dried beans, lentils, tempeh, peas, or tofu in place of meat.
c. Use olive oil (extra virgin if you can), which is especially rich in monounsaturated fat and antioxidants, both of which protect against aging, coronary heart disease, and cancer. Use it for stir-fry or as a salad dressing. Second best choices are flaxseed, canola, and peanut oils.
d. Avoid trans fats: read ingredient labels and look for the words “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” oil or margarine. Also look at the nutrition label for the amount of trans fat in a product. Even if the nutrition label says zero trans fat per serving, food manufacturers are allowed to say zero if one serving contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat.
STEP 2: BE NUTS ABOUT NUTS
You should be nuts about nuts, and here’s why. Several very large studies that included tens of thousands of participants from the Nurses’ Health Study, the Physicians’ Health Study, and others, found that the risk of coronary heart disease is 37 percent lower among people who eat nuts more than four times per week compared with those who never or seldom eat nuts. Experts believe the reason is that most nuts are high in monounsaturated fats, which help lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Nuts are a rich source of B vitamins, which are good for the heart and brain. They also contain healthy fats, which also benefit the heart and circulation, as well as the collagen and elastin in the skin, helping it maintain elasticity and resiliency.
Because nuts are high in calories, small portions are advised. The best way to enjoy the flavor and benefits of nuts is to eat them as a snack in place of chips or another “junk” food, or sprinkle them on cereal, salad, or in stir-fry.
STEP 3: ENJOY AN ABUNDANCE OF ANTIOXIDANTS
We’ve mentioned the impact that free radicals have on aging, so you need lots of antioxidants to fight off these nasty damaging molecules. The accumulated harm to cells, tissues, and organs caused by free radicals is a key contributor to aging and many diseases associated with growing older. Great sources of antioxidants are fresh fruits and vegetables, which are generally rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Phytonutrients (“phyto” means “plant”) are chemicals that give fruits and vegetables their color. Carotenoids, flavonoids, indoles, and catechins are just a few of the many different types of phytonutrients.
Phytonutrients and other antioxidants are especially helpful in the fight against aging and in promoting wellness. Aim to eat one or more servings daily from each of the following groups of fruits and vegetables, which are rich in phytonutrients.
Green: dark green, leafy vegetables (romaine lettuce [skip the iceberg!], spinach, kale, mustard greens, swiss chard), green peppers, broccoli, peas, avocado, celery.
Yellow/orange: carrots, yellow peppers, apricots, peaches, pineapple, oranges, yellow squash, pumpkin, yams and sweet potatoes, acorn squash, spaghetti squash.
Red: red peppers, tomatoes, blood oranges, cherries, cranberries, strawberries, red leaf lettuce, red apples.
Blue/purple: blueberries, eggplant, raisins, plums, blackberries, purple cabbage.
White: cauliflower, mushrooms, turnips, apple juice, parsnips, white onions, white peaches, garlic.
STEP 4: STOP INFLAMMATION WITH EVERY MEAL
Inflammation doesn’t just affect the joints and cause arthritis; it can occur anywhere along the miles of blood vessels in the body. In fact, recent research shows that chronic inflammation of the blood vessels is an important factor in aging and age-related diseases, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. A major contributor to that inflammation is the Standard American Diet (SAD).
That means you can begin to fight inflammation right now by making some dietary changes. You can also learn to what extent your blood vessels are affected by inflammation by asking your doctor to order a C-reactive protein test. The higher your value on this simple blood test, the greater your level of inflammation and your risk for these diseases.
You can slow down the aging process and reduce your risk for disease when you choose foods that fight, reduce, or prevent inflammation. Here are some tips.
Be sugar smart. Foods that raise blood glucose levels also promote inflammation. Choose complex carbohydrate foods—whole grains, beans, lentils, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds— and avoid or limit your intake of sugar and sugary foods, highly processed cereals and baked goods, white rice, white potatoes, white bread, and high fructose corn syrup (found in many processed foods).
Watch your protein. A high-protein diet can boost blood vessel inflammation, as high as 62% according to one study, and worsen coronary artery disease as well. Keep your protein intake to about 20 percent of your total caloric intake per day.
Eat cold-water fatty fish. Fish such as salmon, herring, sardines, and tuna contain a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which suppress the substances that cause inflammation in the body. Include these fish two or three times a week in your diet.
Include powerhouse anti-inflammatory foods daily. Many foods have been identified as possessing anti-inflammatory powers. Make sure to include as many of them as you can in your daily diet. They are as follows: members of the Allium family—onions, garlic (which also helps reduce cholesterol and blood pressure), chives, shallots; barley; beans and lentils; buckwheat; blueberries; yogurt and kefir (a fermented milk beverage); curry powder; acai fruit.
Turn down the heat. Foods that are prepared using high cooking temperatures contain advanced glycation end products, or AGEs, which trigger inflammation. When preparing meats, poultry, fish, and vegetables, healthy cooking techniques include steaming, poaching, boiling, slow-cooking (in a crockpot), and stir-frying. Limit the amounts of food that you fry, broil, grill, or bake.
STEP 5: MAKE FRIENDS WITH FIBER
It’s not hard to make friends with fiber if you follow steps 3 and 4, because they include plenty of fiber-rich foods. The Institutes of Medicine recommend the following daily fiber intake (soluble and insoluble) for adults: for men 19 to 50 years, 38 grams per day; older than 50 years, 30 grams. For women 19 to 50 years, 25 grams per day; older than 50 years, 21 grams. You can use the nutrition counter in the back of the book to help you identify how much fiber you are getting now and which foods can help you meet your goals if you fall short, as most Americans do.
The best sources of fiber are whole grains, legumes, beans, fruits and vegetables (with skins on when possible), nuts and seeds, and high-fiber cereals. If you need to increase your fiber intake, consider the following.
Add high-fiber foods gradually. If you eat 8 to 10 grams per day now, for example, increase to 13 to 15 grams for a few days, then add another 5 grams for several more days, until you reach your goal. Too rapid an increase may cause stomach upset, cramps, or bloating.
Increase your water intake as you increase your fiber to help your body adjust to the change and to prevent constipation.
STEP 6: HYDRATE YOUR BODY
Pure water is essential for hydration of the skin and muscles and to promote healthy circulation and organ system functioning, especially the gastrointestinal system. Keeping yourself properly hydrated can also significantly reduce your chances of getting cancer. Studies have shown that women who drank more water (eight glasses or more daily) had less than 50% the risk of developing colon cancer and 80% less chance of developing bladder cancer than women who drank less.
The general consensus is to drink 8 to 10 eight-ounce glasses of water per day, and this is a good starting point. However, everyone’s needs are different. The temperature of your environment, your current state of health, how much exercise you do, whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and how much water you get from your food (20% is the average) are all factors to consider when deciding how much water you need to consume daily.
You are probably drinking enough fluid if you eliminate between 32 and 64 ounces of colorless or slightly yellow urine daily. Darker urine usually indicates that you need to increase your water intake. Do not wait until you are thirsty to drink water: by that time, you may already be slightly dehydrated. The ability to identify dehydration becomes more difficult with age because the body is less able to send the brain signals that it is thirsty. To help ensure you are getting enough water:
a. Drink one glass of water before each meal and one between meals. These should be taken slowly, not gulped down.
b. Drink water before, during, and after you exercise.
c. Brighten your water with a squeeze of lemon or lime.
d. If you increase the amount of fiber in your diet, you will likely need to add 1 or 2 more eight-ounce glasses of water daily.
e. Substitute a glass of sparkling water for alcohol at social events.
STEP 7: OPTIMIZE YOUR PROTEIN INTAKE
Protein deficiency is one dietary problem most Americans do not have, but getting too much protein—and suboptimal protein—is. To this fact add another one: as you age your ability to create, transport, and break down proteins decreases. The combined result is a loss of muscle tone, the appearance of wrinkles, loss and graying of hair, less energy, joint stiffness, and a host of other difficulties. Excess protein can be converted into fat, and it also places stress on the liver and kidneys as these organs try to rid the body of unwanted by-products of metabolism. Too much protein can also cause dehydration and your kidneys to excrete calcium in urine, which increases your risk for osteoporosis.
To optimize the anti-aging power of your protein intake, first calculate your protein needs: the RDA for protein for adults is 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. Therefore, if you weigh 150 pounds, your protein requirement is 150x0.36 = 54 grams. Remember, 0.36 g/lb is an average.
a. Choose lean cuts of meat from animals that were organically raised.
b. Avoid processed meats, including hot dogs, smoked meats, bacon, sausages, ham, and cold cuts. These foods are usually high in saturated fat, sodium, and artificial colorings, flavorings, and preservatives, including cancer-causing nitrates and nitrites.
c. Include plant-based protein in your diet. Beans, legumes, veggie burgers, tempeh, and soy-based “meats” often have just as much protein, if not more, than a comparable amount of animal protein, and without the saturated fat (soybeans do contain some fat).
d. Eat protein with carbohydrates. (A turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread or tofu with brown rice are examples of this nutrient combination.) Protein takes longer to digest than carbs, so it slows down the release of glucose into your bloodstream. The result is that you will feel more energetic.
e. Eggs and egg whites are a good source of protein. Some brands are from animals that have been fed fortified feed that enhances the omega-3 fatty acid content of the eggs.
STEP 8: COOK THE ANTI-AGING WAY
It’s not always what you eat but how you prepare it that can subtract years from your life. That’s why you need to prepare your food in ways that do not promote the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), those nasty substances that accelerate aging, cause inflammation, and contribute to dozens of diseases and illnesses. Healthy cooking methods include poaching, boiling, stir-frying, slow-cooking (crockpot), and steaming; avoid baking, grilling, broiling, and microwaving. The same holds true for meals you order at restaurants.
STEP 9: STRIVE TO BE TOXIN FREE
You are surrounded by substances that cause and contribute to aging and disease, and that includes the food and beverages you consume every day. Fortunately there are ways you can avoid or minimize their harmful effects.
a. Avoid sugar and sugary foods. If you don’t think something that tastes so good and sweet could be so bad, think again. Sugar and refined carbohydrates cause inflammation, especially of the blood vessels; are associated with insulin resistance, diabetes, and ultimately the complications associated with diabetes; promote the formation of AGEs; hinder the absorption of calcium, which contributes to the development of osteoporosis; suppresses the release of growth hormone, which is responsible for the repair and regeneration of cells and tissues and maintaining bone strength, brain function, and muscle tone; and causes or contributes to dozens of other health problems. And not all sugars are created equally: fructose, for example, promotes glycation at a rate nearly seven times that of glucose. Fructose is found naturally in unrefined foods such as fruits and vegetables, but processed foods often contain added fructose.
b. Choose organic fruits and vegetables to help avoid exposure to pesticides, herbicides, and other agricultural poisons.
c. Choose hormone-free meats, poultry, dairy, and eggs. Better yet, regularly substitute plant-based protein foods for animal-based ones, as they are naturally hormone-free.
d. Avoid highly processed foods, especially processed meats such as bologna, sausage, smoked meats, and hot dogs, which often contain cancer-causing nitrates and nitrites.
e. Avoid or seriously limit consumption of refined, processed foods, as they contain artificial flavorings, colorings, and preservatives.
f. Eat fish that is as mercury-free as possible. All fish and seafood contain at least a small amount of mercury and/or other toxins, especially large fish because they usually live longer and eat other fish that are contaminated. Those with a minimal amount of toxins generally include sardines, herring, cod, pollock, salmon, and anchovies.
STEP 10: DRINK GREEN TEA
Unlike black and oolong tea, green tea is not fermented, so its active ingredients are not changed. Some of those ingredients include polyphenols, potent antioxidants that appear to help protect against various cancers. Green tea is also credited with helping regulate blood glucose levels, lowering cholesterol levels, and helping promote weight loss. The polyphenols in green tea are also believed to stimulate the production of immune system cells and to directly inhibit glycation. Studies in both humans and animals suggest that green tea may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, promote oral health, lower blood pressure, protect the nervous system, and have antibacterial and antiviral properties.
To reap the anti-aging benefits of green tea, drink at least three cups daily. Green tea does contain some caffeine, but at a much lower level than in coffee: an eight-ounce cup of green tea has about 20 to 30mg of caffeine, compared with about 100mg in a cup of coffee. Decaffeinated green tea is also available.
By Deborah Mitchell in "Foods That Combat Aging", Lynn Somberg Books (Harper Collins), USA, 2010, excerpts chapter 3, Digitized, adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.