Eat These 9 Foods Every Day to Help Prevent Aging Over 40 💪

What if the key to not feeling old was as simple as changing the food you eat? Now, I'm sure you've noticed that what you eat seems to impact you a lot more than it used to, both good and bad. I'm gonna share the 9 foods I eat regularly to make sure I'm aging powerfully. That means having great energy, staying strong, and looking younger than my age. And I'm betting the last one, or maybe a few of them, are gonna surprise you. First up, is fish. Now, there's two big reasons I eat fish. Number one are omega-3s. Omega-3s are great because they reduce redness and inflammation. They can combat systemic inflammation, which of course is a key contributor to aging and age-related diseases such as arthritis and cardiovascular disease. And they also can improve cardiovascular risk factors. They can lower triglycerides, they can lower blood pressure, and they can reduce arterial plaque development. They're also critical for maintaining brain function and structure, and may reduce the risk of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, which are associated with aging. So scientists have looked at the role of omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA and EPA in preventing cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease over the past 20 years, and here's what they found. Studies providing EPA and DHA to adults with mild cognitive impairment or age-related cognitive decline have shown positive outcomes. So the current advice is to follow the CDC dietary recommendations, and that's consume 2 to 3 fish meals per week, or the equivalent intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, especially that DHA. These fatty acids are crucial for maintaining the skin's lipid barrier, which can help your skin feel more hydrated and prevent dryness. And omega-3s may also help prevent the skin from harmful UV radiation, which then can reduce the risk of premature age signs like wrinkles and sunspots. Now here's the other cool thing. Fish also contains creatine. Now the amount of creatine in the fish varies, but let's take salmon for example. Wild salmon contains about 1 to 2 grams of creatine, and creatine is critical for supporting the maintenance of muscle mass and strength, which of course, as we know, tends to decline with age. Creatine also plays a key role in energy production within the cells, including the brain cells, which could help counteract age-related declines in energy metabolism and cognitive function. And both omega-3s and creatine can help repair damaged skin cells by promoting skin healing and regeneration. So then your skin looks younger and more vibrant. Creatine can also help improve skin elasticity by supporting collagen and elastin production, which is gonna reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. And it can also contribute to skin hydration. So you're gonna have a more fuller, plumper, radiant complexion. Takeaway on this, I go a little past the CDC. I try to eat fish at least 3 times a week. Really, I try to go for more than that. And I also supplement with fish oil at 2 grams a day and creatine at 5 grams a day. So I make sure that I'm getting what I need every single day. Now, beyond fish, I also love shellfish. The bummer is my husband doesn't really like it, so it's one that I order out whenever we're dining out. But you wanna get into shellfish because it is a rich source of taurine. And taurine acts as an antioxidant to protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals, which then can help slow the aging process at the cellular level by preventing oxidative stress. And researchers link aging and development of chronic disease to this oxidative stress. Taurine also supports mitochondrial function, which is critical for energy production and cellular health. As we know, mitochondrial function is essential for slowing down the aging process. And taurine contributes to heart health. It regulates blood pressure and cholesterol levels and improves the lipid profile and can reduce arterial stiffness. Which of course can then help prevent the development of cardiovascular disease, which as we know is the leading cause of death. Taurine also has neuroprotective effects. It can potentially reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and it can help prevent type 2 diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity and help regulating blood sugar levels. And if that wasn't enough, it also helps support muscle function and can prevent muscle loss with aging. My recommendation is Try taking 1 to 3 grams of taurine pre-workout as well. See how you feel at that workout. Next, let's talk methylation. And there's two big superstars I'm gonna call out here. Deep green leafies. These are things like arugula and chard and kale, and then berries. So methylation, what is it? Well, this is a hugely important process that your body goes through in which a little small chemical group is added to various parts of cells to help control how they work. It's important for turning genes on and off, getting rid of toxins, and keeping our cells running smoothly. Berries. So the phytochemicals in berries have been linked to improvements in brain function and a reduced risk of cognitive decline, partly because they support that methylation process. Now, deep green leafies contain folate and B vitamins, and these are essential for the methylation process. And one of the things that methylation does is it helps detoxify homocysteine, and this is super important for heart and brain health. Now, when you have adequate intake of methylation-supporting nutrients from those deep green leafies, this is going to help with the detox process. It will promote liver health, and overall well-being. Plus, methylation synthesizes creatine and carnitine. Now, you know about creatine for your muscles and all in your neurocognitive, all the other things we've talked about. Carnitine is essential for heart health and for fat burning. So these together are hugely important for cellular energy production. When you eat methylation-supporting foods, you can help maintain energy levels and that great cellular function. And of course, that is critical for aging powerfully. Methylation also helps fix and maintain your body's tissues. Now, nutrients and green veggies, those deep green leafies, can help make and repair the building blocks of our cells, which are going to then help keep ourselves healthy and living longer. So how do I do this? I know it's really hard to put those berries into your diet, right? I make sure I eat blueberries and blackberries every single day. I buy organic. This is also one that you can buy and freeze. And then I love to do arugula salads. And I'll take Swiss chard or rainbow chard and throw it into a cauliflower rice pilaf or sauté it with mushrooms. You can also sneak kale into smoothies like you won't even notice it. And I've got lots of great recipes to show you how to sneak these things in, how to incorporate them into my Eat Protein First Smoothie Guide. So you can grab that at JJVirgin.com/loadedsmoothie. Let's talk cruciferous vegetables. I'm talking broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts. These contain compounds called glucosinolates. And these are rich in sulfur. You know that because you cook broccoli in the house and you can smell it. These are really important compounds. They help your liver remove toxins from your body more effectively, which then can reduce cellular damage and slow the aging process. Plus they have high levels of vitamin C, E, and carotenoids. And these also help combat that oxidative stress and protect your cells from the aging process. And let's not forget the fiber, cuz we need fiber for good digestive health. We need fiber to help eliminate those toxins as well. And then finally, there's also a compound called camphorol, and this helps reduce inflammation, which is another big aging driver, and also helps with maintaining cellular health. So of course, every week I like to get all my fresh vegetables, but my other trick is to get cauliflower and broccoli rice. I keep those in the freezer because they're an easy thing to turn into a pilaf, to add to soup, to put underneath a great serving of wild fish. I can make sure I can always get in some, some of this every single day. The other thing that I get in every day is green tea, and I take to the gym with me. I use green tea with electrolytes and some creatine and some taurine, essential amino acids. Take that to the gym with me. And I do this because green tea is rich in catechins, and this is an antioxidant that helps combat that oxidative stress. We keep talking about that, but it's so key to slowing down the aging process because we know oxidative stress is big contributor to the aging process and all that cellular damage and the development of all those age-related diseases. There is a specific antioxidant in green tea called EGCG, and EGCG is super powerful. It can fight inflammation, it can prevent cell damage, and it can protect against chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes and cancer. So again, all of this will contribute to better aging, better longevity. Plus, green tea has this really cool combination. It's got caffeine, but mild caffeine, not so much coffee, and then L-theanine. And together those can improve brain function and help with cognitive performance and alertness and mood. Plus, the research shows that regular consumption of green tea can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. It helps improve blood lipid profiles, it lowers LDL cholesterol, it reduces blood pressure, enhances blood vessel function. All of these things together mean a healthier heart and a better circulatory system. And so again, this is one that I just work into my everyday by taking it to the gym with me. The other thing that I work into every day is some fermented foods, and I do that with either fermented dairy or non-dairy yogurts. And I say both of those because if you've got any kind of a dairy intolerance, you may need to use a non-dairy yogurt. If you don't, I love Greek-style yogurt. It's a great source for muscle maintenance and repair, and we know that we need this, uh, sufficient protein to trigger muscle protein synthesis and reduce the risk of sarcopenia. Now, when you're eating fermented, so whether it's fermented coconut yogurt or fermented dairy yogurt, you're also going to get those probiotics, which are so important for supporting gut health. And as you know, a healthy gut microbiome proves digestion, improves immune functioning, can reduce inflammation. And the other thing with dairy yogurts and almond yogurts as well is you'll get a good source of calcium. So that's great for your bones. And when you have strong bones, now you've got a reduced risk of osteoporosis and fractures. That's super important as we age as well. Now, if you can't eat dairy you're dairy intolerant, I found a really cool coconut yogurt that I love, and it's called Siggi's. Here's what's great about this. They've added in plant-based protein. If you can do soy, the other one that's great is Kite Hill has a soy and almond blend with no added sugar. If you can do dairy, I like a plain Greek-style yogurt, and I do the fat-free, and then I add in some fat from either chia seeds or freshly ground flaxseed meal. And then of course, bone broth, cuz collagen for the win. We want to get that collagen in, boost collagen cysts. It's going to help with skin hydration, it's going to help with skin repair, it's going to give you antioxidant protection, it's going to be great for your joints. As we know, collagen can help maintain the integrity of your cartilage. And what happens as we age? Your collagen decreases. This is the most abundant protein in your body, and it's decreasing, which then increases the risk of developing all sorts of degenerative joint diseases like osteoarthritis. So if you're consuming bone broth it can help supply the body with the building blocks it needs to maintain and repair cartilage and support joint health. And bone broth is also rich in minerals like calcium and magnesium and phosphorus, which are essential for bone health. And collagen also plays a role in bone mineral density and strength. Bottom line, when you drink bone broth, it helps with stronger bones, which then can reduce the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures as we age. But there's more than that. It can also help with your skin. And the things that we've seen with bone broth and bone broth proteins is that these can help with skin moisture, skin elasticity, and skin hydration, which of course then means you look like you have less wrinkles, you have less appearance of wrinkles. In fact, there was a review that highlighted collagen supplementation for 90 days and showed that it was effective in reducing skin aging by diminishing wrinkles and enhancing skin elasticity and hydration. Now, the other place that I think of collagen helping is in gut and really helping with that leaky gut because there are amino acids in collagen, glycine and glutamine, that can help support gut health. They can strengthen the gut lining, promote that healthy gut barrier function, and reduce that leaky gut syndrome, which, as we know, leaky gut syndrome can create a whole host of health problems and weight loss resistance. And then collagen can also help with your immune system because you gotta have a healthy gut to have a good immune system. When you support gut health, which collagen can do, you help prevent leaky gut, which also supports your immune function, and that can help prevent all sorts of things like illnesses and infection. Beyond just the collagen, bone broth also has glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, which have various different health benefits, including helping the body with detoxification, improving sleep quality, and promoting antioxidant activity. And bone broth also provides hydration, has vitamins and minerals that support overall health. Consume it regularly. And think of consuming it regularly not just by drinking bone broth. I also, of course, use my bone broth protein powder, and I'll use bone broth in all my cooking. So if I'm making my pilafs, my soups, etc., I use bone broth. I do my bone broth shake, and I will do that for my smoothies. And then I also use my collagen. I'll either stir that into yogurt or I'll put that into my coffee. So really easy ways to make sure that you're getting that collagen. Every single day into your diet. Now, here's one you may not have thought about, and this is one I've been really working at getting more into my diet because I don't really like it that much. And those are beets. And the reason I'm talking beets is for the nitric oxide. Now, nitric oxide is a hugely important molecule. It's involved in various bodily processes like vasodilation, which is the widening of blood vessels, which of course is going to enhance blood flow and enhance circulation, which then is going to mean you've got good blood pressure levels, and that's going to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. So this is super important. Nitric oxide can also enhance physical performance and endurance because of that improved blood flow. This is really important for maintaining that good muscle function and physical activity level as you age. Plus, better blood flow also means better brain health because now you're going to get the oxygen and nutrients you need to the brain. So this can help maintain mental functions and reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disease. So nitric oxide has this vasodilating effect, and again, as we talked about, can lower blood pressure. This not only helps with heart health but also stroke and kidney problems. So how do you incorporate this in? I've been getting beets so that I can cut them up and put them in my salad. We'll roast some beets to put into our dinner meals, but I also kind of hedge my bets by taking a nitric oxide sausage too, cuz I'm not getting beets in every single day. Some of these other ones are super easy to get in every single day. And here's the thing, these are your fountain of youth foods. So we really want to figure out how do you get these incorporated in all the time. They're going to help keep you looking great and feeling great inside out. Now, if you're looking for more advice to guide you through the ages, you're going to want to watch this next video on my best anti-aging advice at 60 years old. These are the things I wish I had known sooner.