Food and Aging
The food that you eat can affect your appearance. A nutritionally poor diet may cause one to appear older than they are. The good news is that changing your diet is easy to do. Eating healthier foods can help your skin to look younger and make your body feel better.
Foods high in sugar and fat can not only lead to an unhealthful appearance, but can also lead to serious health conditions such as diabetes, fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular problems. Ditching the fat and sugar in favor of healthy foods like fruits and vegetables will have a positive effect on your skin and its underlying structures.
Foods to Avoid
High-Fat Meats
Processed meat products such as sausage, hot dogs, and pepperoni are usually very high in fat content. Nitrates and saturated fat found in these type of meats can lead to gastrointestinal inflammation, high blood pressure and water retention.
Fried Foods
Potato chips, French fries, and chicken wings are almost always deep fried in cooking oil that contains unhealthy fats. When eating out at restaurants, try to avoid fried items – asked for grilled or baked options instead.
Alcohol
While small amounts of alcohol may have beneficial health effects, overindulging in beer, wine, or spirits can lead to weight gain and liver issues. Alcohol dehydrates the body, and hydration is very important to skin elasticity and health.
Dessert
Most desserts are full of sugar and fat. The human body has not evolved to tolerate high levels of processed sugar. High blood sugar levels lead to an insulin spike reaction in the body, which responds by storing the excess sugar as fat.
Healthy Food Choices
We advise our patients to follow the “Mediterranean” diet – that is, a diet high in healthy fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and dairy, legumes, and fish.
Contact Alexander Ereso Plastic Surgery and Aesthetics
If you have questions about how diet affects aging and would like advice on how to improve your nutrition plan, contact us at (650) 964-6600.
