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"In the hands of our neighbor, the morsel always appears big." - Russian Proverb

How to Eat Yourself Young

Michael F. Roizen, MD, vice president of biotechnology at the State University of New York Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, in an interview in Bottom Line Secrets (August 1, 2004), offers ten strategies for those who want to "eat themselves young"...

1. Make your plate colorful. One key to making your RealAge younger is choosing foods with lots of nutrients and few calories. In general, the more brightly colored a fruit or vegetable is, the more nutrients you'll get per calorie. Tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, squash, pumpkins, mangoes, bananas, broccoli, green beans, soybeans, red, green and yellow peppers, and dark green, leafy vegetables are all terrific, nutrient-rich food choices.

2. Avoid foods containing empty calories. The foods we use to reward ourselves, such as cookies, chips and candy, contain little or no nutrients. Their calories do nothing to benefit our health. Other sources of empty calories include white bread and white rice, which have been stripped of many of their nutrients. Better choice: Whole-grain breads and brown rice.

3. Don't skip breakfast. If you don't eat breakfast, your metabolic rate is slower the rest of the day -- meaning you'll burn fewer calories and feel less energetic. Plus, skipping breakfast causes a hunger "rebound" at around 4 pm, which often leads to overeating at night.

4. Start each meal with a little healthy fat. Eating a small amount of healthy fat (such as a half teaspoon of olive oil or a half dozen walnuts or almonds) at the start of each meal will benefit you in several ways. First, getting some healthy fat into your stomach will cause it to empty more slowly, so you'll feel fuller. Fat also slows digestion of carbohydrates, keeping your blood sugar stable (a high level of blood sugar ages the arteries), and facilitates the absorption of nutrients.

5. Eat broiled or baked fish three times a week. Fish eaters have better overall cardiovascular health and are less prone to heart attacks and strokes.

6. Eat 10 tablespoons of tomato sauce per week. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a potent antioxidant that boosts the immune system. When eaten in sauce or paste form (which allows for better absorption), lycopene (also found in watermelon, guava and pink grapefruit) appears to inhibit prostate cancer and may also decrease the risk of other cancers and keep arteries younger.

7. Keep your intake of saturated and trans fats to less than 20 grams a day. Saturated and trans fats age your body, while polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats appear to make you younger.

8. Take a daily multivitamin.  Even the best food varies in nutrient content, making deficiencies possible. Also, some key nutrients (such as vitamin E) simply can't be obtained from food in sufficient quantities.  I recommend taking a supplement that divides its daily dose into two pills, taken eight to 12 hours apart. This allows maximum absorption of calcium and vitamin C.

9. Eat with friends. Making healthy eating a pleasurable social event may be the most important thing you can do to stay young.

10. Make the place where you eat special. When people eat each meal in a designated place -- rather than eating in the car or standing in front of the refrigerator -- they make healthier food choices.

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