As we age, we all have to deal with the fact that our appearance starts changing. Gray hairs begin appearing, our skin loses collagen, and wrinkles start showing up. While we can’t control genetics or some of the other factors that contribute to aging, we can definitely be conscious of our diet and avoid foods that could be leading to premature aging.
Because, the fact is, food can definitely affect the way we look, especially as we get older. Our bodies become less resilient to processed foods and rely on us more and more for proper nourishment and youth-promoting ingredients.
5 “Healthy” Foods That Could Be Giving You Wrinkles
We all know that it’s important to eat a balanced diet and avoid processed junk with lots of fat and sugar. The problem is that many of the foods we think are good for us can actually be causing us to look older than we are.
If you find yourself staring into the mirror, wishing you could fight off wrinkles for as long as you naturally can, then make sure you avoid some of these “healthy” foods you might be eating:
1. Rice Cakes
These snacks are low-fat and low-calorie, which is why they’re often thought of as a healthy go-to for curbing hunger pains. The fact is, rice cakes are actually full of simple carbs that cause your blood sugar to spike. Your body metabolizes simple carbs in the same way it metabolizes sugar, by turning the carbs into glucose. The glucose then attaches itself to collagen proteins and damages them.
2. Whole Grain Cereal
While whole grains are generally not bad for you, cereal brands often take advantage of the whole grain aspect by advertising how healthy the cereal is. The reality is that most of these cereals contain loads of added sugar in them. The sugar, in turn, causes glucose spikes that induce wrinkles.
3. Smoothies
While homemade smoothies made with only fruit and nut milk are fine to drink, many of the store-bought smoothies or shop-made smoothies are full of refined sugar that can promote premature aging. These non-homemade smoothies often contain juices, frozen yogurt, or even ice cream that has tons of sugar in them, promoting collagen damage and wrinkles in your skin.
4. Margarine
For many years, margarine was thought of as the healthier alternative to butter because of its lower saturated fat content. While fat can be good for maintaining supple skin, not all fats are good. The trans fat in margarine, for example, has been associated with increased skin wrinkling, possibly because it counteracts skin hydration.
5. Yogurt
Most of us were raised thinking dairy products like yogurt are good for us and important for our growth. While yogurt can provide healthy nutrients and probiotic qualities, yogurt can also increase inflammation in the body and oxidative stress that leads to premature aging. Many yogurt products are also high in sugar, which damages collagen.
Anti-Aging Foods to Consider
If you eat any of the aforementioned foods and need a good substitute, consider trying out some foods that actually promote youthful skin and fight premature aging. A few foods to consider include:
- Bone broth: it’s rich in collagen, which is essential to healthy, youthful looking skin.
- Citrus fruits: they’re rich in vitamin C, which the skin needs to produce collagen
- Fermented vegetables: they’ve been shown to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress that can lead to premature aging.
If you’d like to learn more about how you can naturally build more collagen for youthful skin, check out our article here.
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