Is Your Food Ageing You?

Did you know that the food you eat could be prematurely ageing
you? Science has made some amazing discoveries in the last
decade in nutrition. We really should be taking note of what we
put in our mouth because more than ever, “we are what we eat”.
Do you know the impact of what you are eating? Probably not.
It’s time to find out because over-indulgence in certain types
of food cause the body to prematurely age.

Would you like some more free radicals with your lunch…? There
is frequent mention these days about ‘free radicals’ and how
they are constantly attacking the body, causing potentially
serious damage.

A free radical is the name for a molecule that has an unpaired
electron. They are a normal by-product of metabolism and without
them you would die.

To put the record straight, it’s the over-production of free
radicals that causes damage to the body. We are advised by
nutritional experts to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.

This is because they are rich in antioxidant
phytonutrients…substances that neutralise free radicals and so
help protect the body.

One of the essential tasks of free radicals is in producing
energy from the food you eat. Every time you eat, free radical
activity is intense. The more food you eat, the more free
radicals are formed, and the more antioxidants your body needs
to neutralise them. Big meals are big trouble!

Effective Antioxidants include vitamins A, C, E; minerals such
as selenium, zinc, and herbs such as aloe vera and grapeseed
extract.

The Reality of Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are root vegetables, pasta, rice, bread, grains,
fruit, pastries, cakes, biscuits, crisps, sweets etc. They are
easy to prepare, filling, tasty and cheap. Most meals are
dominated by carbohydrates, as most of us ‘full up’ on them.
When you eat carbohydrates you’re eating a form of sugar.

Carbohydrates are converted by the body into glucose, which is
either used immediately for energy, or stored in fat cells.
Carbohydrates make up an excessive proportion of the diet, add
together a lack of exercise and excess sugar and the inevitable
result is excess weight.

By reducing your overall carbohydrate intake and reducing the
size of your meals, you reduce your body’s exposure to free
radical activity, and, the amount of excess food that meals, you
reduce your body’s exposure to free radical activity, and, the
amount of excess food that gets stored as unwanted fat. A double
bonus!

Big meals are too much stress

Food is in abundance – look around the supermarket shelves at
the food mountain! Fill your trolley, take it home and fill your
kitchen cupboards – fill your plate and fill your stomach till
you can barely move. How many times a week do you overeat? How
many free radicals are attacking your body and accelerating the
ageing process? You could choose to eat less.

Think about your meals over the last week.

Better still, keep a food diary for the next week, record each
meal by drawing a plate divided up showing how much protein,
carbohydrate, fat, vegetables and fruit you eat at each
meal/snack. After a week you’ll be able to see for yourself how
much sugar you are eating.

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