Maintaining a healthy lifestyle because especially vital as we age and our risk of certain diseases, such as brain disease, heart disease, and more, increases. And while there are several key changes you can make in order to live a long, healthy life, one of the most important aspects to consider is your diet. As it turns out, the food you nourish your body with can make or break your overall health. Luckily, there are several foods you can eat every day to promote a healthier body and brain over 50—including two simple snacks you can eat by the handful!
To discover some of the best options out there, we spoke to Alicia Galvin, RD, Trista Best, RD, MPH, and Joanna Wen, certified health coach and founder of Spices and Greens. They told us that walnuts and berries are both great, antioxidant-rich choices. Learn more about the benefits of adding these foods to your diet as you age below!
1. Walnuts
Whether you're snacking on them, adding them to your oatmeal (which offers its own great health benefits!) or mixing them into a range of delicious recipes, nuts are one powerful superfood that can do wonders for both your body and brain. And when it comes to the best options out there, Wen says that walnuts are somewhere at the top of the list. "Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, and zinc which keep cells healthy by protecting them from oxidative damage and reducing inflammation," she raves.
She explains that this is thanks to the fact that these nuts can protect your body from free radical damage: "Eating walnuts not only protects you from free radicals that can cause skin damage and wrinkles but they've also been linked to lower levels of LDL cholesterol which helps to prevent heart disease," she goes on.
But the benefits don't stop there. "Research has also shown that by eating just a small amount of walnuts you can benefit from improved blood pressure levels and metabolic rate," according to Wen. Plus, they make an ultra-tasty, ultra-satisfying snack. Yum!
2. Berries
If you're looking for something a little more on the sweet side, you may want to consider keeping your fridge stocked with healthy berries. Not only is this juicy snack perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth without loading in on processed sugar (which can lead to serious health risks), but they're also loaded with antioxidants, which means they can play a vital role in keeping your brain and body healthy as you age.
"Antioxidants are nutritional components that help scavenge free radicals," Galvin tells us. "Free radicals can cause DNA damage, age the skin, and promote inflammation—all of which become more important to manage as we age."
On top of their incredible antioxidant content, berries are also a fiber-packed food that can aid weight loss and a number of other important functions, including digestion. This makes them a great option for keeping your gut health in check, especially considering the fact that they're also rich in probiotics. And when your gut is healthy, your whole body benefits. It's a win all around!
The bottom line
Of course, maintaining optimal health as you age will require more than just adding a few foods to your diet. It's crucial to make a range of healthy decisions every day, from getting enough sleep to finding time to exercise. However, the food you put into your body plays one of the most important roles in your overall health. By adding antioxidant-rich ingredients like nuts and berries to your meals, you'll be making strides towards greater well-being all around.
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