It's true what you say, you are what you eat
Top Tip 1: Cut out the sugar
In our skin sugar reacts with collagen to form so-called ‘Advanced Glycation End products’ (AGEs), which leave our collagen fibres of inferior quality. So the less sugar we eat, the better. Fructose (present in fruit) has an even higher ability to form AGEs than glucose. Many natural sweeteners like honey and agave syrup are high in fructose and should also be avoided as should sugary fruits (tropical fruits are the worst), fruit juice and dried fruit.
Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame should be strictly avoided. Not only are they nasty chemical substances, but they have also been connected to obesity and diabetes.
Top Tip 2: Eat more fat!
One of the crucial things our body and our skin needs for long-term health is fat. Studies have shown that eating more fat makes our skin more elastic and less wrinkly.
The increase in fat consumption has to be done in conjunction with sugar and grain reduction.
Monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, avocado and macadamia nut oil are well known to be good for us. However, polyunsaturated vegetable seed oils, such as sunflower oil, contain omega-6 fatty acids which can be inflammatory. So the advice is to cut out omega-6 rich vegetable seed oils, but have plenty of monounsaturated fats. Animal fats and butter, also rich in saturated fat, are also nowhere near as bad as their reputation. The message is: don't stress about saturated fat! Saturated fat is actually a vital part of our body and skin. Eggs are fine! Cholesterol is a fundamental component of our skin and is also needed to produce certain hormones and vitamin D.
Top Tip 3: Greatly reduce your grain and starch intake
Most people believe a diet rich in grains is good for our health; whole grains in particular are touted as especially healthy. But starches, the carbohydrates in grains, are simply long strings of sugar molecules and eating them will still make our skin and body age prematurely. Once ingested, our body breaks them down into sugar units to use as fuel or store as fat. So the advice is: greatly reduce your intake of grains and starches including bread, pasta, rice and potato. There are great replacements such as almond and coconut flour for baking, aubergine chips instead of French Fries and grated raw cauliflower, briefly fried in olive oil instead of rice.
With the ‘Future Proof’ way of eating you will still ingest plenty of fibre, simply from better sources. For example - half a cup of broccoli contains 2.5g of total fibre (half a cup of Brussels sprouts 3.8g), while one slice of whole wheat bread only 1.5g (source: Harvard University).
Top Tip 4: Moderate your beans and lentils consumption
Beans and lentils have a healthy reputation, but like grains they are high in net carbohydrate content. They also contain natural toxins such as lectins. I don’t object to them quite as much as to sugar and grains but there are better and much more nutritious carbs available, such as vegetables (and in moderation also sweet potatoes and winternut squash).
Top Tip 5: Eat lots and lots of vegetables
I recommend that two thirds of food on your plate should always be vegetables; fibrous vegetables should form the large base of our new healthy eating. High vegetable intake is not only associated with decreased skin wrinkling and better skin quality, but also with reduced risks of cancer, heart disease and other chronic diseases of ageing.
Vegetables will also provide you with plenty of fibre and antioxidants. However, make sure to cut down on starchy vegetables, as they can have a surprisingly strong effect on our blood sugar level. For example roast parsnips can bring up our blood sugar more than pure table sugar. Good fruit options are berries, as they are relatively low in sugar and high in antioxidants.
Top Tip 6: Don't forget your daily protein
Protein provides important building blocks for our entire body. However, our body has little capacity to store protein. So to supply our body and skin with all it needs, we have to provide it with sufficient amounts of protein on a daily basis.
Generally, animal protein such as meat, fish and eggs, contains all the amino acids we need. Plants sources of protein (legumes, grains, vegetables etc.), even those touted for being particularly protein rich, contain considerably less protein. I therefore recommend eating not only plants, but ideally also animal based foods to obtain your daily protein quota.
Top Tip 7: Fast your way to a long life
Stop grazing. We are often advised to graze on up to eight meals per day, in order to ‘keep sugar levels steady’ but this keeps sugar levels higher than needed throughout the day, which makes our skin and body age faster. To keep blood sugar and insulin levels low, avoid grazing. Irregular meal times keep your body guessing when food is next going to arrive. This optimizes cell repair.
Top Tip 8: Drink yourself young
I recommend drinking lots of green and white tea, as they are rich in antioxidants, which have been shown to be great for skin and general health. This should of course be unsweetened. I advise cutting out fruit juices and smoothies, but I also recommend avoiding milk, as it raises our insulin level much more than expected looking at its sugar content. You could replace dairy milk with unsweetened almond or coconut milk. Alcohol should also be cut down to a minimum, as it promotes inflammation.
Top Tip 9: Shun processed and convenience foods
Try to eat whole foods in their most natural state and prepare meals yourself! Processed and convenience foods almost always contain undesirable ingredients including sugar, processed carbohydrates and vegetable seed oils. They are also high in pre-formed AGEs (Advanced Glycation End products).
Top Tip 10: Spice up your life
Herbs and spices including rosemary, garlic, curcumin and cinnamon are a great addition to any skin health and longevity eating plan. Not only do spices greatly add flavour and variety of our food, but they also contain bioactive substances with positive effects on general health, skin and life span.
Dr Stefanie Williams, Dermatologist, European Dermatology – London, www.eudelo.com author Future Proof Your Skin – Slow down your biological clock by changing the way you eat. £9.99 (available www.amazon.co.uk)