It’s never too early or too late to start eating for better health and longevity. The foods you eat today—whether you’re in your twenties, forties, sixties, eighties or beyond—will help determine how healthy you’ll be in the future and how long a future you’ve got. In fact, as we get older, our health doesn’t have to decline from chronic diseases, and our bodies don’t have to deteriorate. It’s actually normal to be healthy and disease-free as we get older. And eating whole plant-based foods is the key.
Plant-based foods contain high amounts of antioxidants, which are powerful compounds that can slow down the aging process by protecting cells from oxidative stress. Oxidative stress—often referred to as rusting of the cells—can be caused by the effects of internal factors, like harmful free radicals, and by the effects of external factors, like harmful lifestyle, and environmental and societal conditions (unhealthy foods, pollution, and racism are examples). This oxidative stress on the cellular level contributes to the conditions most commonly associated with aging: cognitive decline and memory loss, skin wrinkling, bone and muscle weakening, and vision loss and impairment.
But the antioxidants in plant-based foods can help counter these conditions. Some plant-based foods are much higher in antioxidants than others and so have more anti-aging benefits. These foods are called superfoods because they’re especially beneficial for long-term health and well-being. The most antioxidant-rich superfoods are deeply colored fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices.
Here’s a list of twenty-two anti-aging superfoods that can improve the health of your brain, skin, bones, muscles, and eyes that are also featured in the recipes in this book.