forever young naturally eating

Slice and mix together oranges, strawberries, and ripe mangoes (for vitamin C), peaches and fresh or dried apricots (for beta-carotene), and tangerines (for zeaxanthin), all essential for eye health as we age. Drizzle over orange juice and spike with Cointreau for special occasions. Age-related macular degeneration is a prime cause of blindness in the over 55s, and people with a higher intake of these nutrients are significantly less likely to develop the condition.

Calcium for bone health seems to be best absorbed from dairy products. Select organic milk because, according to EU studies, it contains 70 percent more omega-3 fatty acids and higher levels of vitamins A and E than nonorganic milk. It also has 75 percent more beta-carotene and two to three times higher levels of the antioxidant plant chemicals lutein and zeaxanthin. Buy milk in a carton rather than a bottle because nutrients are lost on exposure to light. Older women should drink four glasses of low-fat organic milk a day to help guard against osteoporosis. If you find this quantity a tall order, supplement with yogurt and cheese.

It’s healthy to enjoy fine chocolate in moderation thanks to the amazingly antioxidant polyphenols it contains. Eating chocolate daily can reduce risk of circulation problems by 27 percent, lower blood pressure, increase “good” cholesterol and inhibit blood clotting, suggest studies. Choose dark chocolate rich in cocoa solids (look for 70 percent or over) and stick to moderate amounts. Try making your own chocolate drinks with fairly traded cocoa and just enough dark sugar to sweeten to taste. Milk chocolate bars containing sugars and hydrogenated oils don’t share the benefits.

Dining and snacking away from home need not be a nutritional nightmare if you follow a few simple rules and keep a good stock of healthy, antiaging foods in your handbag or on your desk at work.

If you need a pick-me-up to tide you over until lunchtime, reach for a banana, a few dried prunes, or a handful of nuts and seeds to stabilize energy highs and lows.

Brazil nuts will boost your levels of antioxidant selenium.

Walnuts are a good source of oil to ease inflammation.

Pistachio nuts are rich in cholesterol-clobbering phytosterols.

Sunflower seeds and cashew nuts help keep blood pressure healthy.

Organic carrots: their pigment may reduce the risk of arthritis.

Dried cranberries are a source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E.

If your eyes start to close midafternoon, go and breathe in some fresh air without stoppping at the vending machine en route. When you get back to your desk, drink a reviving cup of peppermint tea and snack on one of the energy boosters.

Carry the following in your bag for times when hunger or thirst strike on the run: sachets of green tea, a bottle of mineral water, an apple, small pack of raisins, easy-peel satsuma, and oat cakes.

The ultimate portable health food, apples really do keep the doctor away, suggest researchers at Cornell University, because they contain some of the highest levels of the flavonoid quercetin, a potent antioxidant plant pigment. Red apples provide the most. Flavonoidrich foods also have antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, and seem to protect against heart disease, stroke, bowel cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. Make sure you eat the skin, where flavonols concentrate.

Street food provides some of the freshest, best-tasting snacks: doughnuts fried while you wait then dunked in sugar, roasted nuts from a street vendor, cartons of stir-fried noodles direct from the wok at street markets. Enjoy such high-fat snacks occasionally for the youthinducing joy of eating for pleasure.

pigging out When eating in restaurants, start with a glass of water and salad. Those who eat greens at the beginning of a meal tend to eat fewer calories in total according to one study. To prevent the feeling of an uncomfortably full stomach, stay away from side dishes and order a main course that entails a lot of handling for small results: a platter of seasonal local seafood is a good source of antioxidant selenium and the tiny portions call for effort of fingers and brain, as does plucking leaves from a globe artichoke to dip in vinaigrette. If you want something sweet to finish, but don’t want to suffer energy dips later, share a dessert.