As a plastic surgeon of 20 years, my job involves many kinds of so-called anti-aging procedures. But they don’t actually reverse aging. While they may make you look younger, the cells in your body won’t function the way younger cells do.
I’ve spent thousands of hours over the past 10 years learning about a way of treating patients that I was never taught in medical school or in residency. One of the most crucial things I learned is that food is medicine. Eating the wrong ones can age your insides, degrade your skin and even shorten your life.
Here’s what you won’t find me eating:
1. Burnt and charred foods
Burning or charring foods, especially meat on the grill or bacon on the griddle, causes the formation of heterocyclic amines, which have been shown to cause cancer and speed up the aging process.
An occasional old-fashioned summertime cookout is fine, but the cooking techniques I recommend are boiling, steaming, slow-cooking and low- to medium-heat baking. And of course, eating your food raw.
2. Sugary beverages
Refined carbs and sugar increase aging through inflammation and a process called glycation. Yet, the average American consumes 152 pounds of sugar every year, and about 20% of our daily calories come from sugar-sweetened beverages alone — soda, sports drinks, sweet teas, sweetened coffee drinks and juice.
One study attributed 184,000 deaths every year to the effects of drinking sugary drinks, which have been shown to cause or contribute to obesity, heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes.
3. Snack foods
This falls under the ultra-processed food category, and some of the most common ones are pies, cake, candy, chips, cookies, doughnuts and granola bars.
These contain preservatives and other chemicals produced in labs and factories to help extend shelf life. They are also low in fiber, which is an important prebiotic for your beneficial gut bacteria. Foods with little fiber are more likely to trigger blood-sugar and insulin spikes.
4. Most dairy foods
Are you hoping I won’t say anything bad about cheese? Well, get ready. Dairy products are incredibly popular, but I think, by any measure, we eat too much of them.
While there’s some research that dairy products can be a good source of nutrition, they also contain a lot of sugar (in the form of lactose, which many people are intolerant of) and a potentially inflammatory protein called casein.
But if you’re going to eat dairy, yogurt (especially the ones without added sugar) may be the best kind.
5. Super salty foods
A little salt isn’t going to hurt anyone, but too much of it is a disaster for skin as well as aging. It causes water retention, which results in puffiness and bloating.
Have you ever noticed that you have puffy eyes in the morning after eating a dinner of Chinese takeout? That’s because of all the salt and MSG (monosodium glutamate, which contains sodium).
6. Refined grains
These are grains that have been stripped of their nutrients and fiber, made into white flour, including most baked goods, pasta and white rice. Refining grains removes the bran and germ, which is where most of the fiber and essential nutrients are.
While white flour leads to a lighter product that tastes less heavy and bulky, it also digests more quickly, causing a bigger spike of glucose and subsequently a bigger spike of insulin.
Foods to help you age slower and live longer
You want to feed your body foods that promote cellular rejuvenation.
When I go grocery shopping, I like to include a good mix of fruits (apples, blueberries, kiwi, grapefruit and melons), vegetables (arugula, broccoli, carrots and spinach) and grains (wild rice, oatmeal, brown rice and quinoa).
With eggs, meat, poultry and seafood, I like to go with grass-fed, pastured or wild-caught when possible. I especially love salmon, mackerel and sardines, and lean fish such as cod, halibut and tilapia.
Of course, I understand that we only have one life to live on this planet, and there is definitely joy in having a slice of cake at your daughter’s birthday party, a greasy burger with your friends or a scoop of gelato while on vacation. A tasty splurge is totally fine every once in a while!
Dr. Anthony Yuon, MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon, award-winning author and anti-aging expert. Recognized as a leader in the field, he is highly valued for his honest approach and ability to speak to all areas of health and well-being, not just plastic surgery. He hosts the popular podcast The Doctor Yuon Show, and has appeared in television shows like Live with Kelly and Mark, The Rachael Ray Show, The Doctors, and many others. He is also the author of “Younger for Life: Feel Great and Look Your Best With the New Science of Autojuvenation.”