ANTI-AGEING FOODS- HERBS & SPICES

            Besides accentuating the flavor of your favorite foods, spices can spice up your life by boosting immune function. Garlic has been shown to prevent heart disease, cancer and has anti-biotic properties. For best results use fresh garlic cloves and mash, and add it to dishes just prior to serving. Cinnamon, cumin, clove, black pepper, mustard, hot pepper and chilli powders can act as anti-oxidants, anti-cancer elements and can actually raise the metabolism of the body and aid in fat burning, even in small doses!

             Studies advocate an anti-oxidant supplement consisting of beta-carotene, Vitamins C and E, as 'nutritional insurance' against cardiovascular diseases, cancer and aging. Although such pills are not to be mistaken for substitutes to a well-balanced menu, pills containing 6 to 15 mg. of beta carotene, 250 to 500 mg. of Vitamin C and 133 to 533 mg. of Vitamin E are advisable on a daily basis, particularly if you are on a low fat diet. The latter is found in cereals, almonds, hazelnuts, wheat germ, sunflower oil and corn puffs and retards aging. Selenium found in wheat, rice, oats, corn, garlic, onions, turkeys and fish and alpha-lipoic acid found in potatoes and red meats are new and powerful anti-oxidants. The latter has even been shown to slow down the progression of HIV infection to clinical AIDS.

                   The fact is all of us want to stay healthy and increase our chances of living longer. So make it a point to pick up these anti-ageing foods on your next trip to the supermarket. Chances are, what you choose will determine how long you live and how young you stay along the way.