5 Everyday Foods That’s Aging You Ungracefully

There are numerous factors that contribute to how you physically age—genetics, sun exposure, smoking, lifestyle and many more. But the food you take also plays a major role on how you look and feel as you age. it can even feel like changes happen overnight, too. On day you love how glowing and young-looking your skin look, other days you notice fine lines somewhere on your face, making you look five year older.

Luckily, you can control what you see in the mirror! By avoiding these foods that seem to speed up appearance of wrinkles and dull skin, it’s achievable to look 10 years younger than your real age.

1. Microwaveable Dinners
Perhaps, you just got out of your 7 p.m. gym session and your intentions of whipping up a healthy home-cook dinner feels like a strenuous undertaking. With your extremely low energy, ou think of running to the nearest grocery for an instant dinner. But think about this first: frozen meals are high in sodium, which contributes to water retention that’s causing that bloated and aged appearance. Prep your meal before going to the gym or have some banana to refill a bit of energy so you can whip up a quick meal at home.

2. Energy Drinks
Your Red Bull habit is not doing any favor to your future 50-year-old self. All energy drinks are very acidic and high in sugar, which are the culprits of decayed and stained teeth that can age your smile. Plus, the sodium and caffeine content can cause dehydration, especially if you drink less water.

3. Ham, Sausage and Bacon
That strip of smoking hot bacon may look glorious on your plate, but we suggest swapping it for its healthier version of tempeh bacon instead. The amount of preservatives in bacon and other processed meats is quite high that it can form free radicals in the body. As mentioned, free radicals will oxidize the cells and alter the construction of your DNA. Over time, it can cause severe damage that may lead to formation of cancer cells.

4. Margarine
This popular butter substitute is rich in fats, and we all know that not all fats are created equal. Margarine—more often than not—gives fat a bad reputation. The bad component in margarine is the trans fat, which is the number one destroyer of the body’s hydration, as well as a contributor to more complicated diseases.

5. Deep-Fried Foods
Your favorite fried popiah and sotong balls may be satisfying to the taste, but not for your health. It’s not really the food that’s not beneficial for young-looking skin, but the cooking process they food needs t go through. When deep frying, the fat and oil is exposed to extreme temperature. When this happens, free radicals—the number one cause of aging skin—are formed. Not only are these foods damaging to your waistlines, but to your internal organs as well.

Overall, sticking to more natural foods help preserve your youthful beauty. For your every day meals, it’s always best to stick to fresh produce and non-processed meats and foods to ensure you look younger for longer.