If only physically going back to your youthful days was as feasible as driving in reverse gear, is what we all wish for after crossing a certain age. As the number of anti-wrinkle, anti-ageing cream and gel starts increasing on your dressing table, the closer you get to old age. Lines, circles, marks soon replace glowing and spotless skin. While ageing is inevitable, there are ways to delay your entry in the ‘world of the aged’. We have heard almost everyone bombarding us with the nutritive values of green vegetables but if you love your present look, you will have to include more hues to your diet.

Colourful Plate
Yellows, blues, purples or reds look lovely on apparel or accessories. How about extending these to your plate? With so many colours in front of you, your appetite would surely increase without having adverse affect on your health. “The secret to youthful skin, healthy bones, sharp memory and disease prevention can be found in your fridge. The more colourful your diet, the more anti-oxidants you get. These compounds reduce overall cellular damage and prevent the hardening of the arteries that can lead to heart disease, stroke, even memory loss,” confirms Ritika Samaddar, Dietician, HOD, Max Super Speciality Hospital.

Healthy Colours
Yellow or Orange- Sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, mango, corn, and melon all contain a variety of
carotenoids, which reduce the risk of developing cancer. Regular consumption of papayas and application will help in whitening your skin and giving glow to it. Green- Vegetables such as spinach and broccoli are high in lutein, which keeps your vision sharp and clear. Green coloured amla is useful in protecting skin from environmental factors that can cause damage to your skin. Blue or Purple- Blackgrapes, jamuns, currants, egg-plants are chock-full of anthocyanins, which prevent tumors from forming and suppress their growth. Blueberries are rich in antioxidants due to which reversal of aging process becomes easier. Red- Tomatoes and watermelon are loaded with lycopene, which may protect against cancer and heart disease. Watermelon has high water content which is needed to keep your skin hydrated. Cranberries help to prevent wrinkle formation.

Chart it Out
As students, time table was an integral part of our lives though no one religiously followed it. If slowing your aging process is constantly on your mind, sticking to a diet chart is what you need to do. “After you wake up, have a glass of slush made of coriander, lemon, ginger and mint. This will refresh you and detoxify your body but don’t
strain the fibre as this will take away all healthy properties,” says Sheryl Salis, Head –Patient Care, Nutritionist and Chief Diabetes Educator, Cheeny Kum. Juices are always beneficial and so is water. “Eight glasses of water is now old formula. You need to drink at least 10 to 12 glasses as it is the requirement of the body considering your lifestyle and weather. We spend most of our time in AC rooms which can cause dehydration as a result of which there will be formation of dark circles so frequently drinking water is a must,” advices Deepshikha Agarwal who is a Mumbai-based dietician and sports nutritionist. For breakfast, you can have a bowl of cereal preferably oats. “You can start your lunch with salad and follow it with roti, one leafy vegetable dish, bowl of dal or fish which is rich in Omega 3. If not roti, you can have brown rice,” recommends Salis. Those who love non-vegetarian should opt for egg white due to proteins. “During lunch you can also have yoghurt as it has high water content,” says Agarwal. Evenings can be all about green tea and fruit chaat or sprouts. “Dinner should be more about proteins and less of
carbohydrates. Soup with salad and roti or khichdi will be good enough,” says Salis.