Eat Right to Live Longer

Posted by Alona in Diets for WomenJul 6th, 2011 | no responses

Eating right to live longer doesn't mean denying yourself every piece of red velvet cake with cream cheese icing or always turning down that extra helping of cheesy potatoes. However, it does mean consuming a well-balanced diet that includes recommended daily portions of fruits, vegetables, dairy products and grains. Slipping an occasional sweet treat or gravy-laden piece of meat into your diet is not going to prevent your from living a long and productive life. Neglecting to include important nutrients into your diet which are known to inhibit incidences of cancer and heart disease may interfere with all that you want to accomplish in life.

Vitamins

The entire class of B vitamins, especially those containing folate, protects you from heart and brain disorders by maintaining a reduced amount of homocysteine within your body. This substance is known to be correlated with stroke, possible Alzheimer's disease and can produces arteriosclerosis in older individuals if levels remain unchecked and abnormally high. Eat beef, wheat germ and spinach to receive healthy amounts of vitamin B.

As a potent antioxidant, vitamin E inhibits the production of free radicals which contribute to cholesterol levels. It also may prevent some types of cancers from forming by eliminating those free radicals that harm DNA and facilitate gene mutation causing heritable cancers.

In addition to being good for your immune system, vitamin C also adds pliancy to arteries which reduces the risk of hardening of the arteries, a common cause of stroke or heart disease. Fruits contain vitamin C and the old saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away if proving to be true based on solid research results.

Monounsaturated Fats

Healthy aging, believe it or not, depends on receiving enough "good" fats in your diet, such as monounsaturated fats. This actually helps reduce bad cholesterol and also decreases the amount of fibrinogen in your body, an element which causes the blood to clot, raising the chances for a heart attack to occur.

In addition, to eating healthy, don't forget about exercise and the importance of getting up from behind your desk and walking a couple of miles a day.

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