For decades women (and men) have wanted to look and feel younger. We all want to rewind time and be at our best and fight off the inevitable, aging. In order to maintain an overall healthy life, the general guidelines of anti-aging is to keep away from the sun and of course lay off alcohol and those nasty cigarettes. The number one anti-aging method is eating right! Here are some age-defying foods that can roll back a couple of years for you and keep your outside AND inside looking good.

Water- Drinking loads of water should be a top priority for both men and women. Water helps us to get rid of the toxins and unwanted waste materials from our bodies and also keeps our cells plump so our skin looks nice and tight.

Green Tea- A nice cup of green tea can help protect skin cells against damage from ultra violet rays. It even can help decrease mental decline with aging and lowers risk for Alzheimer’s.

Omega-3s- As you guys should already know, this nutrient found is fish can protect our skin from sun damage and help keep our brains stay younger. If you’re not into seafood try omega-3 vitamins, they do the job just as well.

Spinach- Pretty much can’t be any better for you. This is known to have vitamin K, which can improve bone density. It also keeps our eyes at our best. Spinach has nutrients zeaxanthin and lutein, which help us by taking in the harmful light of the sun instead of our eyes taking it in. Baby spinach is also known to be a cancer preventer and an energy source.

Garlic- Yum! Being Italian I keep garlic in my diet on the regular and guess what you all should too! It helps prevents infections and prevent cell degeneration. Garlic helps keep the blood thin and also prevents heart disease. Sauté some garlic with spinach and you have the perfect anti-aging snack. Who cares about bad breath when you can live a longer life?

Tomatoes-  Although I am Italian, I am not the biggest fan of tomatoes BUT tomatoes are an amazing fruit.  Tomatoes are packed with lycopene.  Lycopene can decrease your risk of bladder, lung, prostate, skin, and stomach cancers and coronary artery disease.  It can also help eliminate skin-aging free radicals caused by ultraviolet rays.  Wow, pretty amazing right?

Avocado- So good. Avocado is a great source of vitamin E and can help to maintain healthy skin and prevent skin aging. Avocado also has a great source of potassium, which helps prevent high blood pressure.

Almonds- My mom has always made me almond milk and I am glad she has. Almonds are known to maintain speed, coordination, and balance in humans due to their high levels of vitamin E. As you get older, these things are very important to keep hold of.

Ginger- One of my favorites! It helps boost the digestive and circulatory systems, which is great for slow-moving stomachs, as you get older.  If you don’t like the taste of ginger try adding a little bit into a smoothie.

Chocolate- No, it is not just wishful thinking, chocolate actually has anti-aging benefits.  Although I’d like to say it’s the yummy white or milk chocolate that has the most antioxidants, it is  actually the dark kind that is packed full of them due to the high amount of cacao beans it is made with.  The cacao beans improve your heart and help premature aging.  It is also known to help prevent cancer.

Keeping these foods in your diet with really improve your life!  Looking better inside and out, what’s better than that?