You know the old adage ‘you are what you eat’? Well, it really is true and even more significant the older you get. Because what you put into your body radically affects the way it functions as you age, from your energy levels and how you feel to your skin and how you look.

In fact, certain foods specifically impact areas where you’re most likely to see the first signs of ageing, like your joints and of course your skin. Registered dietitian and speaker at the Positive Ageing Edutalks and Expo, Lila Bruk, says it is these foods that form the basis of so-called positive ageing diets, and that can help to slow the ageing process.

Take a look at Lila’s top 5 age-defying diet tips:

• Include plenty of vegetables and fruits in your diet, especially the brightly-coloured variants, as they contain higher levels of antioxidants. Go for cruciferous veg like cauliflower and broccoli, and fruit such as berries and red plums – they all contain antioxidants as well as vitamin C, which aids collagen production
• Drink more tea. Almost all kinds of tea (especially Rooibos) contain anti-ageing antioxidants. Increase your cuppas per day, but be sure to enjoy them without the milk and sugar
• Up your intake of nuts, olives, olive oil, avocadoes and seeds – these items all contain healthy unsaturated fats that are important for maintaining the health and integrity of your skin
• Heap on the fatty fish (e.g. salmon, pilchards, trout and snoek). These fish types contain omega-3 fatty acids, which have an anti-inflammatory effect. Inflammation is one of the causes of ageing – prevent that and you radically slow down the ageing process. Omega-3 fatty acids also keep your brain healthy by helping to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and dementia
• Lycopene-rich foods (e.g. cooked tomatoes and watermelon) help to improve the skin’s defences against UV rays and as such, the signs of premature ageing

Hear more from Lila Bruk at the Positive Ageing Edutalks and Expo

Lila will be sharing more information around these tips as well as further details of slowing the ageing process through correct nutrition with visitors at the Positive Ageing Edutalks and Expo on2-4 March 2012.

The Positive Ageing Edutalks and Expo takes place from 2-4 March 2012 at Misty Hills Hotel in Muldersdrift, Gauteng. It’s a three-day mind, body, soul event that promises to enlighten you on the latest, progressive thinking around healthy ageing and how to practically improve your health, lifestyle and wellbeing.

You can meet the experts, attend their workshops, watch live demonstrations and take time out to personally experience the regenerating effects of the therapies on offer – all in one venue!

Ticket prices for the edutalks range from R350 to R100 per person. Each talk is costed separately and, as there are limited seats available, pre-booking is essential. Expo tickets cost R95 per person.

Weekend packages that include discounted accommodation rates at Misty Hills Hotel are also available. Depending on your particular interests, you can choose to attend one or all speaker workshops, or different combinations thereof.

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