The Secret To Your Best Body + Mind At Any Age
Tame your appetite, lose weight, reduce inflammation, and have beautiful skin.
Most people grow up with the misconception that getting older meant getting sicker. Many studies have shown that this is simply not true. We see people getting older and achieving their best body late into their 30’s, 40’s, and even 50’s by making sure they are always consuming enough of this one nutrient.
I am 31 years old and I can say that I have my best body yet! I am actually a lot slimmer, physically fit, and feel a lot healthier now than I did at 21. No matter your age, you too can achieve optimal health and there really is only one thing you need to do to start in that direction: eat more plants.
Let’s look at how the foods we eat can help keep us looking younger and feeling younger. I also want to point out that just on the other side of this, eating unhealthy foods can actually speed up the aging process and unfortunately even shed years from our life. Plant-based foods can do just the opposite by adding more years to your life.
Many studies continue to show that the best thing you can do for your body is to eat more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. The one thing these all have in common is fiber. The fiber in vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains helps with digestion, weight loss, heart health, and cancer prevention. It can even increase your lifespan.
Increased intake of fruits and vegetables may prevent early death, according to a review published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Researchers followed 65,226 participants from the Health Surveys for England aged 35 and older for seven years.
Those who consumed seven or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day saw a 42 percent decreased risk of death due to any cause, compared with those who consumed the least amount. Fruit and vegetable consumption was specifically associated with 25 percent and 31 percent decreased risk of death from cancer and heart disease, respectively.
Meat and dairy products contain no fiber — it’s found only in plant foods. Eating more meat, dairy and other unhealthy foods lead to worse aging. Those who consume the more “western-type” diet, which includes high consumption of red meats, dairy, and fried foods were more likely to die prematurely and suffer from chronic illnesses.
Here is a list of just some of the benefits of getting more fiber into your diet by eating more fruits and vegetables.
1. Tame your appetite
Eating more fiber can help curb your appetite by making you feel fuller for longer. When you eat a meal that's high in fiber you will actually feel satiated and this will help you from reaching for those unhealthy food cravings. Eat more, weigh less.
2. Fat Sweeper
There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber helps lower cholesterol. Soluble fiber acts like a sponge, soaking up waste cholesterol in your digestive tract and then whisking it out of the body. You can find soluble fiber in oats, beans, lentils, vegetables, and some fruits.
Insoluble fiber — found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, and bran — acts like a broom, cleaning your digestive tract.
3. Reduce Inflammation
Eating a fiber-rich diet may contribute to weight loss and by lowering excess body weight you reduce inflammation. High-fiber foods feed the healthy gut bacteria that improve immune function, reduce inflammation, prevent and heal chronic disease, and even help regulate your mood. Inflammation is the culprit of all illnesses, both mentally and physically.
4. Healthy Skin
Skin is the human body's largest organ. Eating fiber regularly can flush toxins out of the body and dramatically improve the health and appearance of your skin. The cosmetic industry is a $500 billion dollar industry! A pound of black beans can cost you less than $2. We have to remember that eating for our skin first is more important than a quick fix cream.
This is just a very small list of the benefits of what eating more plant-based foods can do for you. Until you begin incorporating more fiber into your daily diet, only then you can begin to see a lot more healthful benefits. Who doesn’t want to feel better? It’s not about living as long as you can but its more about living the best you can with the time that you have right now.
