forever young naturally eating

Sample organic wines for their lower levels of sulfites. Many people who drink organic wine report fewer allergic reactions and a less fuzzy hangover. Look for Demeter-labeled biodynamic wines.

A daily glass of beer reduces risk of contracting heart disease and cataracts by 50 percent according to a Canadian study, since beer, like red wine, contains antioxidant phenols. Choose dark beers, such as ale or Guinness, which contain almost double the antioxidants of lager, or you might like to try German hemp beer.

Be aware that imbibing more than two glasses of wine every day of the week may make the complexion look older. An overtaxed liver can’t function well enough to maintain healthy-looking skin tone and texture. Also, heavy drinking increases production of damaging free radicals while depleting antioxidant vitamins essential to skin health.

Build nondrinking days into your week: two or three alcohol-free days give the liver time to recover. Anticipation can make a glass of wine taste all the more delicious.

For optimum effects drink alcohol like the Mediterraneans, sipping a glass or two of wine with a meal. Drinking after your evening meal, especially after 10 p.m., when alcohol is metabolized less quickly, may interfere with clear thinking and the ability to make judgments, and can make deep sleep more elusive, being associated with night waking. Interrupted sleep is visible on the face as well as in lowered energy levels and memory skills.

fruit punch Apples, the basis of this warming festive punch, are valuable antiaging agents. Make the recipe using organic farmhouse cider for reduced amounts of sulfur dioxide and no artificial sweeteners. Makes enough for six glasses.

2 pints (1 liter) cider

8 cloves

2 in (5 cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

4 russet apples, cored and sliced

2 unwaxed oranges, sliced
Place the cider in a large pan with the cloves, chopped ginger, apple, and orange slices. Bring to a simmer (but do not allow to boil). Ladle into heatproof glasses.

After a period of overindulgence, take a two-week alcohol break, drinking nettle tea to support the kidneys and liver and for a mineral boost. Try a supplement of milk thistle the active ingredient silymarin not only helps the liver clear alcohol from the body, it is also rich in antioxidants. Consult a herbalist or take 80-200 mg, 1-3 times daily. (Consult your doctor if you are on medication, pregnant, or using oral contraception.)

No matter how good the intentions, it can be difficult to overpower cravings for junk food and unhealthy drinks. Some of these natural approaches may help. When you do give in, forgive yourself: if you are eating a diet based around fruit and vegetables and drinking lots of water, the occasional lapse is no cause for concern.

If some foods you crave don’t leave you feeling too good, you may have an intolerance to them. Before visiting a doctor or nutritionist, keep a record of everything you eat or drink and your reactions to them for at least three days. Some foods are well known for causing reactions, so pay attention if symptoms such as bloating, headaches, fatigue, or mood swings occur when you eat or drink dairy foods, wheat, citrus fruit, tomatoes, eggs, sugar, or caffeine.

To banish something from your diet, ban it from the house. You can’t eat what isn’t there. Enlist your family in your campaign to cut back on cookies and chips by removing those foods from family meals and snack times. Go to the supermarket without the kids to avoid pester power. If it helps to take things slowly, banish problem foods from your home, but not entirely from your life yet by eating them only at friends’ homes or in restaurants.