Ageing gracefully is a state most people hope to achieve. Ageing is an entirely natural process, regardless of how we feel about it or that is portrayed in the media. At the heart of the ageing process are a number of biochemical changes. These changes can be supported in several ways to make it a constructive rather than destructive process.
To support good health, regardless of age, it is important to understand the changes, so that you can make the best choices for your body.
Inflammation
Inflammation is a key process to consider in the ageing process. Simply; your immune system will respond to any foreign or potentially problematic substance which enters your system with inflammation. It is a natural process designed to keep you safe, which presents as heat, swelling or redness, either inside or outside your body. Inflammation is essential to keep us alive, but it also causes damage, such as scarring and wrinkling.
Causes of inflammation
Modern life means we are exposed to pollutants from the air, in processed food, and from a number of external sources. The more pollutants or problematic substances we are exposed to, the more inflammation our body experiences, and the more rapidly we age.
How to combat inflammation
You can help combat excess inflammation by eating a diet which is high in vitamin C – meaning lots of citrus, berries and fresh vegetables. There are also high-quality vitamin C supplements available, but sourcing vitamins from food means you also gain the benefits of fibre and fluid.
Free Radicals
When we breathe, the process is known as respiration – we take in the oxygen in the air and breathe out carbon dioxide, which is the exact opposite of what plants do, which is why we need each other! Also during breathing, the oxygen splits apart, forming two single oxygen molecules — called free radicals. While these free radicals have a small amount of positive influence on our system (assisting white blood cells to reduce infection), they can also damage tissues and cause damage and decay.
Causes
The percentage of free radicals in your blood is markedly increased by stress, smoking and pollutants. When there is an excess of free radicals in your system, they stop being helpful and turn to the dark side.
Free radicals are the reason the cut surface of fruit browns and are responsible for more wrinkles that smiling and frowning put together!
Combat free radicals
To combat their influence, and the process of oxidation, we need to consume antioxidants – which are our highly coloured plant foods. The brighter and more varied your diet, the more antioxidants you take in, staving off the effect of excess free radicals.
This works as the antioxidant gives one of its oxygen molecules back to the free radical, and as a result, the oxygen stops damaging your tissues.
Glycation
Glycation is another process of ageing. A diet high in processed foods can also speed up or encourage the process of glycation; when sugar (in the form of glucose) that we eat binds to our DNA, proteins and fats and stops them doing their job.
Causes
Sugar consumption can have a cumulative effect, so glycation can be worse as we age. This can cause cells or tissue to malfunction, resulting in ageing, or disease.
Sweet treats on special occasions are not a problem, but we have become a rather sugar-heavy society, eating whatever we like without a clear picture of the consequences.
Combating glycation
If most of the time, you limit your processed sugar intake, this shouldn’t be a problem – your body tends to respond to the treatment it is given most of the time, rather than in rare instances. To slow the ageing process, it is important to reduce your consumption of high sugar foods.
Rest
Beauty sleep is aptly named. To allow your system to repair, you need good quality rest. Sleeping well and regularly improves overall health, both physical and mental, and gives your body’s natural healing processes time to work. Rest must follow action in all of nature.
The good stuff
Here are a list of foods to include in your regular diet to ward off inflammation, oxidation and glycation. They also may provide a ‘buffer’ for your system for days when your rest or diet isn’t optimal.
- Almonds
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Artichokes
- Avocados
- Beetroots
- Blueberries
- Brazil Nuts
- Brassica Vegetables (Broccoli, Cabbage, Brussel Sprouts etc)
- Coconuts
- Cucumbers
- Eggs
- Fresh, Sustainable Oily Fish
- Green Tea
- Kale
- Kiwifruit
- Lemons
Let yourself age with a positive outlook, and active body and a great diet. It’s a winning combination, backed by science!