- 1. Drink 2 antioxidant herb teas a day – Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals, naturally occurring oxygen molecules that destroy the body and have been proven to play a major part in the process of aging. Try replacing two cups of coffee a day with herb tea. Try using any of the following herbs: oregano, rosemary, bee balm, lemon balm, peppermint, sage, spearmint, savory, and thyme. These all contain high levels of antioxidants.
- 2. Eat at least one big salad every day – use both wild greens and a variety of domestic salad vegetables such as spinach and chicory. Green leaves are packed full of antioxidant nutrients that help prevent against heart disease, cancer, and other degenerative diseases that come with age. A general rule of thumb is the greener the leaf, the more antioxidants it contains.
- 3. Eat one or two Brazil nuts a day – the average brazil nut has more than the daily value fo the antioxidant mineral selenium – 70 micrograms.
- 4. Eat a handful of sunflower seeds a day – among nuts and seeds, sunflower seeds are one of the best because they are full of vitamin E. Plus they are relatively cheap.
- 5. Eat at least one broccoli spear, carrot, and celery stalk a day – they’re high in fiber and high in beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that the body turns into vitamin A. Celery also is high in apigenin, a chemical that dilates the blood vessels and can reduce high blood pressure.
- 6. Drink a fruit smoothie every day – use any fruit that you like such as apples, oranges, bananas, grapefruit, melons, or berries. Run them through a blender, not a juicer. This is because a juicer extracts the juice while getting rid of the fiber. Leave the fiber in it; it’s great for your digestive system. Also try adding nonfat yogurt or cinnamon to improve taste.
- 7. Replace one meat meal with a vegetarian dish a day – animal protein, research has shown, promotes faster aging, as well as, a number of other effects such as cancer, heart disease, etc. Try guacamole which is mashed avocado that you can add tomatoes, onion, peppers, garlic, lemon juice, and sprinkle with nuts.
- 8. Use olive oil – corn and vegetable oils are polyunsaturated oils unlike olive oil which is a monounsaturated oil. There’s a complex chemical explanation for how these differ and why monounsaturated oil is better for you. Try replacing polyunsaturated oils with olive oil in your salad dressings.
- 9. Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables – these are simply more nutritious than all the new inventions like burgers, hot dogs, pizza, and ice cream. Also, its never good to base your diet on just a couple of foods, even fruits or carrots.
- 10. Go for a walk every day – walk for at least 30 minutes vigorously. This is actually more healthy than running because running causes a lot of stress on joints.
- 11. Don’t smoke – this goes without saying
- 12. Don’t drink alcohol – if you do however, try not to consume more than two drinks a day and don’t drink every day. Your liver works hard to clear pollutants from your body and adding extra pollutants isn’t beneficial.
- 13. Don’t sunbathe ever – If you do moderate outdoor activities then you will probably get enough sun to produce an ample amount of vitamin D.
- 14. Don’t take life or death too seriously – this can age or kill you. It’s extra stress that we definitely don’t need.
- 15. Don’t let industry outvote the environmentalists – if you do, we’ll all pay the price eventually.Source:
Duke, James A. Green Pharmacy. Emmaus, PA: Rodal, 1997. Print.
