Although we can't slow down father time, there are a number of things we can do to slow down the affects of aging. 

Do the best you can to stay away from the danger foods such as: 

• Salt
• Sugar
• Processed foods
  
• Greasy foods
• Excessive Calories. Studies are showing too many calories can not only increase probability of diseases, such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes, but as a result can also reduce life expectancy. Keep your calorie and saturated fat levels to a minimum. A healthy diet is important, but so is exercise to maintain a target of 5-10% below your ideal body weight.
  

• Fish - Mackerel, salmon, lake trout, herring, sardines and albacore are cold water fish which contain large amounts of omega three essential fatty acids (EFAs). EFAs are essential to life because they can't be reproduced in the body.  Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids could be the number one source of food for anti-aging.
• Garlic and Ginger - Garlic has shown to be an important factor in reducing the risk of disease. It is known to help thin the blood and reduce cholesterol levels, which is key for reducing the risk of heart disease. As well, a study mentioned in a Women and Fitness article, says "41,837 women between the age of 55 and 69 suggested that women who ate a clove of garlic at least once a week were 50 percent less likely to develop colon cancer." Ginger is known to be helpful in alleviating rheumatic aches and pains and helps boost the circulatory and digestive systems. Some suggestions for creating meals with these and other anti-aging helpers can be found in here. You may not want or have the discipline to change your diet over night, but if you can move towards including these foods into your current meals you will have noticeable results in a fairly short time. There is no time like the present to help slow down the aging process.
• Cruciferous vegetables - vegetables such as kale, turnip, sprouts, radish, cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage are known as helpful in the fight against disease for their antioxidants and vitamin and mineral content. Try to eat them lightly cooked or even raw so that their important enzymes remain intact.
• Whole grains.

About the Author

Jeff Behar, MS, MBA