I want this chapter to motivate you to take a hard look at your eating habits and to opt for the most nourishing choices possible. Just as you have personally tailored your skin care regimen to fit your needs, you will have to decide how your diet needs to change to support your anti-aging efforts. You have learned about the key internal aging processes: inflammation, glycation, protein deprivation, and hormonal imbalance. The Lancer Anti-Aging Diet gives you a way to eat that will combat internal aging. The chapter wraps up with a list of the top anti-aging foods that will combat all the internal aging processes.
Refined and processed food is the mainstay of the Western diet. If you want to slow down aging, you have to stop eating anything that comes in a package. A big part of adhering to the Lancer Anti-Aging Lifestyle is replacing dead processed foods with whole foods in their natural state. The more processing a food goes through, the more living enzymes and nutrients—and that includes vitamins, minerals, and fiber—are lost. The nutritional deficiencies that result always show up in your skin. In addition, packaged foods have low water content. “Live” foods, especially raw vegetables and fruits, contain more water and add hydration to the body. You know how essential good hydration is for healthy skin. The better the quality of your food, the healthier your skin will be.
The live nutrients that are processed out of convenience foods are replaced with synthetic vitamins and minerals. Other ingredients are added to make the food look better and last longer, including preservatives, coloring, texturizers, emulsifiers, softeners, and many other toxic substances. The manufacturers use deadly ingredients like unhealthy fats and copious amounts of salt, sugar, or sugar substitutes to preserve color and flavor. Your taste buds are affected by the overdose of salt and sugar, and over time you become addicted to high-flavor foods. The natural taste of real food does not even register once you become accustomed to the sledgehammer flavor of processed food.
Foods that have been overly processed supply only empty calories. The only nutritional value of empty-calorie foods is to provide simple carbohydrates for energy. They offer a quick energy boost in the form of sugar, but are without protein, fiber, or healthy fats. You have to learn to look at foods in terms of the total value of the calories. Here is an example. You could treat yourself to a cookie that contains white flour, saturated fat, and sugar. Empty calories are digested very quickly, leaving you hungry and craving more sugar. If you opted for a small square of 70 percent chocolate, you would get fiber, protein, anti-oxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids. As you read through this chapter, you will learn to discriminate and to make the right food choices to keep your skin fresh and glowing.
The standard American diet (SAD) is a prescription for obesity and serious illness. If you collated the food factors that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and intestinal disorders, you would discover that the SAD or Western diet has all of them in abundance:
SAD could not be a more appropriate acronym. Sixty-six percent of American adults and 42 percent of children are overweight or obese. Those staggering numbers constitute a health crisis, and the concern is becoming global. One explanation for the drastically rising obesity rates in the United States is the grossly disproportionate amount of food Americans consume on a daily basis. Americans eat an average of 3,800 calories a day when they should be eating between 2,000 and 2,500 calories per day. A consistently high daily caloric intake can result in a weight gain of roughly thirty pounds a year. But the situation is even grimmer. Here is a breakdown of the Western diet:
This is a disaster. The most popular vegetable in the country is potatoes. Most people eat nothing green. Americans are simultaneously overfed and undernourished.
I recommend that you revamp the breakdown of the standard American diet for the sake of your skin. You have to eliminate refined food from your diet and focus on food in its natural state. The breakdown I would suggest is:
The reasons for this breakdown are explained in the pages that follow.
To live longer and look better, your overall daily caloric intake should be somewhat below the recommended 2,000 calories—say, 1,600 to 1,800 calories—unless you are an athlete. If you are like most people, you will have to reduce the amount of food you eat and avoid empty calories.
Instead of eating three square meals a day, I suggest trying four to six mini meals. Eating smaller amounts of food more frequently will help you maintain energy and optimal nutrient levels. Infrequent eating can cause your body to go into stress mode between meals. Eating small meals every two or three hours regulates the flow of insulin and prevents blood sugar and insulin spikes.
As you saw from my recommended nutrient breakdowns, I am a proponent of a high-protein diet. Hair, skin, nails, muscles, bones, and organs all need a constant supply of protein for growth and repair. Every cell of the body needs protein to maintain life. The amino acids L-lysine and L-proline create collagen. As you know by now, stimulating collagen production is the key to younger-looking skin. Protein is the only food group that stimulates muscle growth. When you eat protein, it repairs the cells in your muscles and stimulates the growth of new ones.
Proteins are composed of twenty-two different amino acids. Eight of them, called essential amino acids, cannot be made by the body, which is why you have to have an external supply. Good sources for protein that correspond to anti-aging nutrition include:
Soy products are a source of protein, but I advise you to limit how much soy you eat. Soy has phytoestrogens that can disrupt your hormone balance.
Protein requirements are complicated, because the amount needed changes with age. Women need roughly 46 grams of protein a day from the age of fourteen on; men 56 g after age nineteen. During pregnancy and lactation, the daily recommendation goes up to 71 g. You can calculate your protein intake based on your ideal weight; online calculators will do it for you. Most people find it easier to use calories. If you want your protein to be 40 percent of your daily calories and you are eating 2,000 calories a day, you should aim for 800 calories from protein. Plan to have protein several times throughout the day to keep your body functioning well.
I want to give you general guidelines for improving the quality of the food you eat with your skin in mind. You have to remodel your eating habits if you want to look your best. Here are some tips for nourishing your body in a way that makes you glow.
Conventionally raised foods often contain hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. The “cides” are designed to be toxic. The hormones can disrupt the balance of your hormones. These substances have been linked to a variety of diseases and health conditions. In terms of aging, your body does not recognize these chemicals, which will result in an inflammatory response.
Industrially raised livestock live in deplorable conditions and are fed a cocktail of growth hormones, steroids, and antibiotics. Rather than being fed their natural diet, they are stuffed with foods to make them bulk up faster. When you eat conventionally raised animals, you get a dose of what they eat. The chemical mix can create hormone imbalances in your body that can lead to inflammation.
Staying hydrated is essential for beautiful skin and good health. You need water to digest food, circulate blood, and flush out toxins, to name just a few of its functions. Men should drink about 3 liters (thirteen cups) of fluids a day, and women 2.2 liters (about nine cups). That number represents total beverage consumption including fluids found in the foods you eat. On average, food contains about 20 percent of your fluid intake. If you exercise and sweat, you need to drink more to compensate for the fluid loss. The same is true for hot, humid weather and high altitudes. Illnesses or health conditions can cause the loss of fluids as well. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding need to increase water consumption.
Some studies have shown that people often confuse hunger with dehydration, and eat fewer empty calories if they are well hydrated. If you wait until you are thirsty to get a drink, you are well on your way to being dehydrated. Get in the habit of replacing the empty calories of colas, energy drinks, and fruit drinks with plain water. Drink filtered water if possible to avoid impurities.
I can tell by looking at patients if they are properly hydrated. The external signs of dehydration are dry, brittle skin; dark circles; and fatigue that shows in the eyes. Being well hydrated stabilizes the skin barrier, which moisturizes your skin and provides the proper medium for cell turnover and collagen production. Dark under-eye circles mean more than just being tired. Dehydration and improper nutrition cause those dark circles. If you sip water all day, you will see an improvement.
Most cows are fed hormones to keep them lactating year-round and increase milk production. When you drink milk or eat cheese, ice cream, and yogurt, you are getting a dose of hormones—particularly estrogen—that can cause health issues in men and women. Dairy products form mucus in your body, which contributes to inflammation. I recommend reducing dairy consumption significantly and sticking to hormone-free dairy products if you continue to eat dairy.
Eating too much sugar can lead to insulin resistance (see here) and intensify glycation, a principal process of internal aging that breaks down collagen. Sugar can weaken the immune system. A suppressed immune system is not effective at fighting off bacteria, a leading cause of acne and other inflammatory skin conditions. Sugar contributes to an acidic internal environment that is hospitable for bacteria in the digestive tract. Consuming too much sugar can contribute to constipation, which is bad for your skin. In addition, yeast likes sugar and proliferates if you have an excess, which promotes yeast infections. The more toxins and bad bacteria that are trapped in your body, the less healthy your skin will look and the quicker it will age.
Wheat is highly acid forming and inflammatory in the body. Most wheat now is genetically modified, and serious health conditions are beginning to be linked to genetically modified wheat consumption. Gluten is a protein in wheat and other grains that are staples of the SAD. Some studies have shown that up to 40 percent of adults have some form of gluten or wheat sensitivity or intolerance. Reducing gluten in your diet is important if you have acne-prone, rosacea-prone, or sensitive skin. Without gluten reactions, metabolism for collagen synthesis will improve, a great anti-aging boost.
Most of the salt in the standard American diet is from food that is processed and prepared, because salt is a flavor enhancer. Shellfish and sushi have high salt contents, as do dairy products and most condiments. Sodium is essential in small amounts to maintain the right balance of fluids, to transmit nerve impulses, and to help the contraction and relaxation of muscles. Aside from fluid retention, salt can irritate the lining of your pores, because excess is eliminated through your skin in perspiration. Iodized salt exacerbates acne. If you want to keep your skin clear, cut back on the salt.
There is no one-size-fits-all recommendation for daily sodium intake. The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend between 2,000 and 2,300 mg a day. A lower-sodium diet of 1,500 mg a day is good for people who are over fifty or are of African American descent. The fact is that the average American gets about 3,400 mg of sodium a day, way beyond the recommended amount. Read labels for sodium content and be careful about your sodium intake. When eating out, ask that your meal be prepared salt-free. When cooking yourself, use herbs and spices to flavor your food. Note that sea salt has just as much sodium as regular salt.
You need healthy fat in your diet, but the wrong fats will age you. Fat is important to brain function, dissolves and transports vital nutrients, and adds flavor. The worst fats to consume are trans fats and saturated fats. The latter are found in meat and dairy products. They raise your bad LDL cholesterol and lower your good HDL cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Trans fats are most commonly found in processed foods such as commercially baked goods and margarine, in which unsaturated fats have been processed to give them a longer shelf life. Trans fats increase levels of bad cholesterol, lower good cholesterol, and promote inflammation, obesity, and insulin resistance.
Good fats are monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fat is found in poultry and plant and seed foods like olive oil, avocados, and nuts. These oils regulate insulin and blood sugar levels. They raise good HDL cholesterol and lower bad LDL. Polyunsaturated fats are found mostly in plant-based foods and oils such as corn, cottonseed, sunflower, and safflower oil. These industrial vegetable oils are widely used in processed foods. They do have a good effect on cholesterol and reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. The problem is that common vegetable cooking oils contain very high omega-6 fatty acids and low omega-3 fats. An imbalanced omega-6 to omega-3 ratio promotes inflammation, which you definitely want to avoid.
Omega-3s are the superhero of polyunsaturated fats. After adipose tissue, the body part that contains the most fat is your brain. All the cells in your brain are rich in polyunsaturated omega fatty acids. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA); eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA); and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are omega-3 fats that are derived from what you eat. A diet rich in omega-3s decreases cardiovascular diseases, lowers blood pressure, improves brain function, and fights inflammation.
When oil is heated to a high level, the oils and fats oxidize. Eating something that is already oxidized will contribute to the production of free radicals and oxidative stress. Oils that are reused in big restaurant fryers are especially harmful, because the fats get very thick and are hard for your body to eliminate. These fats contribute to poor circulation and a weakened metabolic process, which is a formula for skin aging. Healthy skin needs good circulation and metabolism to get oxygen to the skin for collagen and elastin production.
Artificial sweeteners may not have any calories, but they contribute to weight problems. The body judges the number of calories in food by how it tastes. Sugar substitutes separate the taste of sweetness from calories. When you drink a diet soda, your taste buds communicate to your brain that energy is coming in, but your body does not get the fuel it expects. The body acts as if the artificial sweetener is glucose and stimulates the release of insulin. If the artificial sweetener is in baked goods, the carbohydrates and fats are more likely to be stored as fat rather than burned for energy. For a moment of simulated sweetness, your metabolism switches off, the body is put into storage mode, and hunger for sugar is stimulated. Artificial sweeteners interfere with your body’s natural regulating processes and can upset your food chemistry. They have the potential to spark allergic reactions and excite inflammation and panic attacks. Artificial sweeteners are particularly bad for those with acne-prone, rosacea-prone, or sensitive skin.
Though caffeine might wake you up, it does so by stimulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Too much coffee, cola, and chocolate can set off a full-fledged stress response and increase cortisol levels in the body. Excess cortisol accelerates the aging process, thinning the skin and creating fine lines and wrinkles. Coffee is a diuretic that dehydrates the body.
An alcoholic drink dehydrates your skin and depletes vital nutrients, giving you a dulled appearance. Since alcohol lowers inhibitions, drinking can melt your resolve to eat well so that you binge on salty, less healthy food. Drinking alcohol also causes facial blood vessels to dilate, which results in facial flushing. Repeated overindulgence can create permanent red, spidery veins. If you have rosacea, sensitive skin, or acne, excessive alcohol can exacerbate flare-ups. Drink moderately—no more than one or two drinks a day. A good strategy is to drink a glass of water every time you have an alcoholic beverage.
That means bread and other baked goods. Candida is a form of yeast that lives in the gastrointestinal tract, mouth, and vagina. Eating more yeast stimulates the yeast to cohabitate with sugars, creating a highly glycemic state and glycation. The yeast/sugar overflow causes inflammation.
You should replace all the processed foods with living foods that are packed with enzymes and phytonutrients. Though eating fruit is better than eating sugary snacks and desserts, fruit is sweet and should be eaten in moderation. Your consumption of vegetables can be limitless.
Carbohydrates are your body’s first choice for energy. Making the distinction between simple and complex carbohydrates will help you to make the right food choices. Simple carbohydrates, such as potatoes, cookies, cakes, and crackers made with white flour, break down into sugar or glucose very quickly. A number of factors affect the speed with which food is digested. Processing foods often strips the hard-to-digest outer protective layer of grains and vegetables, the reason why refined ingredients are converted to glucose easily. Fiber in food slows its digestion.
Simple carbohydrates flood the bloodstream with glucose, which travels to the tissues in your body where the cells use it as fuel. Complex carbohydrates—vegetables, fruits, and whole grains—take longer to break down in your body, so a spike in blood sugar is avoided. Sustained energy is produced. Since complex carbs take longer to digest, you do not get hungry as fast.
Glucose enters your cells to provide energy with the help of the hormone insulin, which is produced by the pancreas. When there is a spike in glucose, insulin drives down blood sugar levels by storing the energy in fat cells. If your blood sugar levels are consistently high, your pancreas keeps pumping out insulin in an attempt to control the glucose. This stage of chronically elevated blood sugar is called pre-diabetes. If this situation persists, your cells will stop responding normally to insulin—in other words, insulin resistance develops. Among the factors that lead to insulin resistance are genetics, chronic stress, obesity, and inactivity. When your body is in a state of insulin resistance, the glucose has difficulty entering the cells. Eventually, your body is unable to make enough insulin to keep the glucose within the normal range. This is how Type 2 diabetes develops. Once you understand this, you can see the benefits of time-released energy from complex carbohydrates.
Having an excess of glucose circulating in your blood will accelerate one of the key aging processes in your body discussed in chapter 2. The sugar molecules that are not used for energy or stored as fat attack protein and lipids in the process of glycation. If you want to look younger, you have to shift the balance of the food you eat to more protein and vegetables and minimal simple carbohydrates.
My rule of thumb is not to eat anything white, and that includes:
All the nutrition has been stripped from white flour and white rice, because the bran is milled from the outside of the kernel. Make the shift to whole grains, which are the seeds of the plant and contain the nutrients and energy to support the plant’s growth. Whole grains are high in fiber and put the production of glucose on a time delay. Experiment with brown rice, quinoa, barley, buckwheat, and bulgur as replacements for pasta made from white flour or white rice.
You can manage your blood sugar with your diet by paying attention to the glycemic index of food, which is the rate at which a carbohydrate enters the bloodstream. The lower the glycemic index, the more slowly sugar enters the bloodstream and the more consistently energy is delivered to your cells. Since food with a low glycemic index is slow to break down, its impact on blood sugar is less dramatic. Eating low glycemic index foods will manage insulin production. Your body will burn energy instead of storing it as fat. You will also slow down glycation, the aging process that destroys collagen.
The glycemic index measures the rate at which carbohydrates are converted to sugar and enter the bloodstream. The lower the number on the glycemic scale, the more slowly sugar enters the bloodstream and the more consistent energy delivery is. You can find thousands of listings online if you would like to check the glycemic index of a specific food. For a quick reference, here are some examples that illustrate the difference between whole grains and refined flour, sweet fruits and vegetables and those with lower sugar content, and processed snacks:
| FOOD | RATING | GLYCEMIC INDEX |
|---|---|---|
| Bagel | High | 72 |
| Whole-grain bread | Low | 50 |
| White bread | High | 71 |
| Baguette | High | 95 |
| Cashews | Low | 22 |
| Peanuts | Low | 14 |
| Yogurt (low-fat) | Low | 14 |
| Ice cream | Medium | 61 |
| Popcorn | Medium | 55 |
| Corn chips | High | 74 |
| Pretzels | High | 81 |
| Apples | Low | 38 |
| Bananas | Low | 52 |
| Cherries | Low | 22 |
| Grapefruit | Low | 25 |
| Oranges | Low | 44 |
| Grapes | Low | 46 |
| Pineapple | Medium | 66 |
| Strawberries | Low | 40 |
| Watermelon | High | 72 |
| Asparagus | Low | 15 |
| Broccoli | Low | 15 |
| Carrots | Low | 49 |
| Cucumber | Low | 15 |
| Parsnips | High | 97 |
| Eggplant | Low | 15 |
| Green beans | Low | 15 |
| Green peas | Low | 48 |
| Lettuce | Low | 15 |
| Potato, baked | High | 85 |
| Potato, new | Medium | 57 |
| Spinach | Low | 15 |
| Sweet potato | Low | 54 |
| Tomato | Low | 15 |
| Yam, boiled | Low | 35 |
To keep your complexion clear, select foods with a low glycemic index. Pay special attention if you have acne-prone skin.
When estrogen levels begin to fall, aging happens. The loss of estrogen has a devastating effect on the skin. Natural plant estrogens are found in foods and herbs. Eating more of these foods can be helpful during and after menopause or any time of hormonal imbalance. The list that follows is a compilation of the best food sources for estrogen. These foods provide vitamins, minerals, fiber, and essential fatty acids as well. Since I give a printed copy of the estrogenic and androgenic foods to all of my anti-aging patients, I want you, an associate patient, to have them, too:
There are times when you might want to inhibit estrogen so that androgens are more dominant. Testosterone gives you energy and muscle mass. It thickens skin and makes it firmer. There are medical conditions that are treated by inhibiting estrogen, including breast cancer, PMS, fibroids, and ovarian cysts. The body converts androgens to estrogen. By eating androgenic foods, you are regulating your body’s natural production of estrogen. The foods on the androgenic list are:
You have learned how to evaluate the anti-aging attributes of food in a number of different ways in this chapter. I want to wrap it up by giving you a list of the most powerful anti-aging foods. You should post it on your refrigerator and carry a copy with you to refer to when you are at the market or a restaurant. Incorporating these foods into your diet will brighten up your skin, supercharge your energy, lighten your spirits, and get your body working like a well-maintained machine.
Avocados: A rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids and biotin for healthy skin.
Berries: Loaded with anti-oxidants that neutralize free radicals, they contribute to collagen production. The darker the berry, the higher the content of vitamins C and E.
Brazil nuts: High in selenium, a mineral that repairs cell damage and slows down the skin’s aging process.
Carrots: A great source of vitamin A, which is important for skin health. Beta-carotene and lycopene protect your skin from the sun and repair skin cells. Carrots are high glycemic, so do not go overboard with them.
Celery: Celery has a high water content that is good for your skin.
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans): These little beans are an anti-aging powerhouse. High in protein and fiber, they contain quercetin, which has anti-inflammatory properties. The manganese and copper support cell metabolism.
Cod: Aside from omega-3s, this fish contains selenium, which is a safeguard against sun damage.
Cruciferous vegetables—bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale: Protect against cancer and reduce oxidative stress. All are high in anti-oxidants and have some omega-3s.
Cucumbers: The high water content is great for your skin, and the silica in the peel boosts collagen production. Try to find cucumbers that have not been waxed.
Dark chocolate: The resveratrol and flavinols promote circulation and protect against moderate sun damage.
Eggs: A great source of protein, eggs are rich in iron and biotin, which keep your hair and skin full and healthy. Try eating just the whites to avoid cholesterol problems.
Guava: Packed with vitamin C, the anti-oxidant that boosts collagen production.
Kelp: This sea plant has high levels of vitamins C and E, which protect fats in the skin’s moisture barrier from free radical damage.
Kiwi: Ounce for ounce, kiwi is the most nutrition-dense fruit. Fiber, phytonutrients, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc make this small fruit a super food.
Lean beef: A good source of protein and iron—but eat in moderation.
Mango: This vitamin-C-rich fruit helps to alkalize the body, improves digestion, normalizes insulin levels, and boosts the immune system. High levels of vitamin E are good for skin health.
Melons: High in water content, but also high glycemic, melons should be eaten sparingly.
Pomegranate seeds: Rich in ellagic acid and punicalagin, which fight free radical damage.
Romaine lettuce: High in vitamin A, which revitalizes the skin by boosting cell turnover.
Sardines: High in omega-3 fatty acids, promoting hair growth and shine.
Spinach: High in folate (vitamin B9), which aids in the production and maintenance of new cells; in vitamin C, which the body needs to produce sebum to keep skin looking young; and in lutein, for eye health.
Sunflower seeds: Contain lignin phytoestrogens that prevent the breakdown of collagen and strengthen the skin’s lipid barrier.
Sweet potato: Beta-carotene makes this vegetable a powerful anti-oxidant and a source of vitamin A.
Tomatoes: Along with anti-oxidants, tomatoes contain lycopene, which protects from UV damage. Eat in moderation, because tomatoes are acidic.
Walnuts: High in omega-3 fatty acids. Their anti-inflammatory power can relieve skin diseases such as eczema.
Whole grains: High in fiber, whole grains keep blood sugar levels stable and reduce glycation.
Wild salmon: An important anti-aging food, filled with omega-3 fatty acids that improve brain function and reduce inflammation.
Zinc, copper, selenium: These minerals are essential for collagen production. Zinc strengthens the immune system. They can be found in chicken, lean beef, walnuts, and chickpeas.
I have intentionally not given you a set diet, because these seldom carry over into your life once you have finished the two weeks or thirty days of extreme deprivation. You may follow rigid meal plans for two weeks and feel great. Once you are left to your own devices, though, you will gradually revert to those unhealthy eating habits. My goal is to give you the information you need to create an anti-aging eating strategy that works for you.
If you have to, keep track—on your phone, on your laptop, or in a notebook—of the calories and protein content of the food you consume. Online trackers will analyze the food you eat nutritionally, which makes it easy. Check to see if you are eating protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats in the right proportions.
To close the chapter, I have to say that no one is perfect. You can have that piece of birthday cake, slice of pizza, or cheeseburger now and then. Feeling deprived is not good for you. Just make certain you do not stray every day. Recently, I had an experience that taught me a lesson. My wife and I were at LAX about to catch a plane. There happens to be a fantastic Mexican food place at the terminal that I could not resist. I splurged on a tostada that was delicious going down—but I woke up the next morning with puffy eyes and a bloated stomach. A few minutes of enjoyment was not worth the consequences. My physical reaction made it clear that I had done a good job cleaning up my act in the food department. My body was so used to healthy, pure food that the hit of simple carbohydrates and unhealthy fat was a shock. The message was clear: My body works better when I eat well. It would be unrealistic to think that I will not be tempted again, but for now, I know what is good for me.
The final phase of the Lancer Anti-Aging Lifestyle triad is exercise to rev up your circulation, prevent muscle loss, and stimulate cell renewal. I am not asking you to become a workout fanatic. If you incorporate a moderate physical activity into your life most days of the week, you will see and feel big differences in no time at all. The next chapter will motivate you to get moving and beat aging at its own game.