ARTICLE FOR HOSPEMAG: BY – DR. KAVIRAJ KHIALANI- CELEBRITY MASTER CHEF. 12 AFFIRMATIVE ANTI AGING FOODS

While aging is said to be a part of the life cycle and all of us slowly and gradually move towards that stage however it has also been related to the kind of food we eat and the lifestyle we live as well. In the broader sense aging has also been spoken about as when the single cells in a living organism have ceased to be dividing and being a natural process each one of us must undergo this phase at their own time and pace. 

As we all are aware of the three types of aging namely biological, psychological and social. There are also various signs of aging as well which are linked to our skin, pores, wrinkles, and fine lines, puffy eyes, etc. there are a few suggested remedies to delay these from occurring among us to an extent by taking proper care of our diets, nutrition, physical activity, etc.

Here are the top 12 Affirmative Anti- Aging Foods which we all should include in our system much before in order to reap their benefits!

1] AVOCADOS: These are power-packed with a whole lot of nutrients that add a lot of glow and shine into our skin and also add value to our meals from a king-size breakfast to a healthy avocado smoothie or simply a tossed salad! An avocado hummus, a salsa, and a sauce to go with your favorite grills is a great choice to add it in.

2. BERRIES: these are also in the category of superfoods where their essential and vital contribution is of great value into our foods from a morning bowl of cereals to a porridge, a couple of them into our shakes and a few of them with our desserts as well make a whole lot of difference looking at its positive support. Include berries to go with your whole meal pancakes, and also a part of your salad jar concepts and in dressings as well.

3. BROCCOLI: This is one of the vibrant and attractive veggies we have sister concern to cauliflower but yes much more giving in terms of quality and nutrition also. It is very popular with stir fry dishes, a nice broccoli almond soup can be enjoyed chilled and warm too, must have a couple of these in a week on our plates. Include this veggie in a blanched format, do not overcook it or discolor it while cooking.

4. COCONUTS: this one is a wonder fruit and it has so much to offer from the water to the flesh to the oil and more. Tender coconut flesh/malai is so very yum and the water is just the right one to add to our intake. Fresh coconut milk extract being used in our curries and gravies also means a lot when it comes to imparting goodness.

5. LEMONGRASS: most commonly used in making our cuppa chai used very often by most of us, the refreshing flavor and aroma are so very relaxing and de-stressing. Lemongrass is also used in our cooking for instance using it in our soups, curries, gravies, and dishes with rice and noodles as well. Must include it in our recipes and daily diets, flavor it in your drinking water as well with a little mint.

6] NUTS: essential oils, nutritionally balanced full of good qualities to offer us and help us look better and feel better. For instance, a lot of us consume almonds soaked in water overnight as one of the first things going into our body in the mornings, similarly, walnuts are considered great for brain health. Must include a variety of them from cashews, to raisins, pine nuts, pecan nuts, hazelnuts & pistachios. For example, peanut butter is a very enriched ingredient for using it in our recipes.

7] PINEAPPLE: one of the best tropical fruit we have on our side, full of essentials like vitamin C, good for the eyes, reduces inflammations, helps to fight skin damage as well. Besides pineapple is also good for blood circulation and is a great immunity booster ingredient. Include it in form of fresh-cut in salads, in our cooking, and baking/ grilling as well as it adapts itself very well.

8] POMEGRANATE: These red peals are filled with the richness of the correct proportion of nutrition including helping us control blood sugar levels, helps prevent anemia, good for our teeth, skin, and hair, helps prevent premature aging. It is good to consume as a fresh juice, add them to your fresh fruit salads, add them to your health shakes and smoothies as well.

9] SPINACH: It helps to alkalize our body, helps fight acne and wrinkles, high in iron content, contains a good number of vitamin b like B-6, B-1, Riboflavin, Folate, etc. spinach is also rich in omega- 3 and it is said that drink your greens, combine spinach into your power-packed shakers and blend them with nuts, seeds, berries and enjoy them. Cooking with spinach is also common as a part of our Indian cuisine and it can be easily incorporated into our meals.

10] SWEET POTATO: It is rich in Vitamin-D content, a generous amount of magnesium, it minimizes sugar absorption in our body, improves digestion. Sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamin b6 and a great source of ascorbic acid. Have sweet potatoes in all your regular potato recipes, substitute them, and effectively use them in a number of ways from your roasted or baked potato munchies to a nice sweet potato chaat, to interesting subzi and stuffing for your parathas too!

11] TOMATOES: They are a great source of essential nutrients and vitamins, good for the hair, skin, and eyes. They are considered anti-inflammatory, helps purify the blood, helps lower cholesterol, helps improve bone health, and reduces migraine issues as well. Tomato juice, adding them to our salad plate, into our subzis, curries, gravies, etc. tomatoes also help detoxify our body and is a great anti-oxidant as well.

12] WATERMELON: The best part being high in water content around 90 %. Helps cleanse our kidneys, strengthens the bones, it is known as one of the highest alkalizing fruit, it is heart-healthy, hydrates our skin. Watermelon helps maintain body temperature, relaxes muscles, low in calories, and good to detox our body by eating it and including it in our diets regularly. 

On A Concluding Note:

These are just a few of the many such positive foods we have around us which are truly gems and giving in nature the only thing to understand is how to accept and how to inculcate the thought of incorporating them into our lifestyle in order to make the most of them and affirm us with an energy which can help us keep aging a little away from taking over us.