Look younger without going under the knife

Last year Americans spent more than 40 billion dollars on anti-aging products, while nearly nine million people underwent age-reversing plastic surgery. But what if we could repair our skin, diminish wrinkles and even out skin color without going under the knife? In the continuing series, “About Face: Look Younger Without Plastic Surgery,” “Weekend Today” explores the latest technologies in the anti-aging industry.

Did you know that you control 70 percent of your aging process? Susan West Kurz, author of “Awakening Beauty,” says eating the wrong foods can spike the aging process and eating the right foods can slow it down. Here's the good and the bad:

Fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables, especially those with dark colors, are loaded with antioxidants that save your cells from premature aging. Eat 3-5 servings per day of these fruits and vegetables: prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, plums, brussel sprouts, kale, broccoli, spinach.

• Blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, prunes, raisins: They are all loaded with antioxidants that save your cells from premature aging. Blueberries, for example, have more antioxidants — called anthocyanins — than any other food, three times more than the second richest sources: red wine and green tea. In one study, older people who eat strawberries had the lowest rate of all kinds of cancer. Berries are particularly rich in antioxidant vitamin C, an overall youth potion.
• Broccoli, kale, spinach, brussel sprouts: Broccoli and spinach are packed with free radical fighters, vitamin C, betacarotene, querectin, indoles, glutathione and lutein. Broccoli is one of the richest food sources of the trace metal chromium, a life extender and protector against the ravages of out-of control insulin and blood sugar.
  In women, broccoli helps the body get rid of the harmful type of estrogen that promotes cancer. Broccoli eaters also have less colon and lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. It's even been linked to longer survival in lung cancer patients.

Whole grains
Whole grains not only have antioxidants, but are also a great source for vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fiber. Whole grains like spelt, bulgar and quinoa can reduce cholesterol and high blood pressure and even help prevent heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

Examples of whole grains:

• brown rice
• quinoa
• millet
• barley
• bowl of cooked oatmeal

Servings per day: the USDA just recently recommended eating at least three servings a day.

Whole grains help flush fat and cholesterol out of your system and provide powerful antioxidants that help you stay healthier, look younger and live longer. Whole grains are an insoluble fiber — they pull the water out of the food and bind to other “unhealthy” foods you are eating.

Green tea
Green tea contains the super-antioxidant EGCG, which prevents and even reverses inflammation and the effects of oxidation — the underlying cause of aging — skin damage, scarring, and wrinkling. Research has shown that people in Eastern culture consume about four cups a day, and have reduced incidence of heart disease and cancer.

Coffee vs. green tea
Coffee has organic acids that raise your blood sugar and insulin. Insulin puts a lock on body fat. When you switch over to green tea, you will drop your insulin levels, and body fat will fall very rapidly. Green tea has about half as much caffeine as coffee.

Organics
A fruit, vegetable or food that is labeled “organic” means it has undergone minimal processing, is free of synthetic chemicals, has no genetically-modified organisms, no animal testing, is free of synthetic fragrances, colors and dyes, and all raw materials are derived from nature. If a food product is organic, there are no poisons to initiate oxidation and inflammation.

Healthy fats
Healthy fats not only reduce oxidation, but inflammation as well. They are very important to your skin's aging process.

Examples of healthy fats:

• salmon
• flaxseeds
• olives and olive oil
• nuts and seeds
• safflower oil
• sesame oil

Servings per day: healthy fats should make up 30% of your dietary intake. Meaning: if you are on a 2,000 calorie a day diet, your healthy fat intake should be between 400-600 calories.

Fat is one of the big three nutrients, along with carbohydrate and protein. We need it as an important energy source. It also is a carrier for the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K as well as being important for normal body cell function.

Foods to avoid
Foods that will speed up the aging process:

• saturated fats found in red meats
• trans fats found in donuts, pastries, muffins
• hydrogenated oils: fast foods like Big Macs, fries, fried chicken

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