it is not just what we eat that can impact health. How we eat is also important to prevent aging. Improper dietary habits and excess consumption of foods containing sugar, trans fat (hydrogenated oil or saturated fats), refined and processed foods, certain artificial ingredients is known to accelerate aging and have adverse effect on the overall health.

• Eating quickly under pressure or stress causes production of stress hormones that can divert blood away from the stomach and into the extremities, making digestion a challenge for the body. It also makes it harder for body to absorb the nutrients it needs. In addition, stress can sometimes lead to over-eating with psychological disturbances. The end result of digestion problem is the accumulation of toxins which could leads to diseases.
• Soda, caffeinated drinks and alcohol dry the body out, Dehydration can set in quickly, and causes a number of health problems. Artificial sweeteners in soda known as aspartame is excitotoxic to neuron.
• Frequent meal skipping (dietary lapses) can erase years from one’s life. Eating a lot in one meal and then not eating or eating less for the next 24 hours should also be avoided.
• Do not wait until really hungry before eating because of the ghrelin – a hormone made by the digestive system that regulate appetite. Extreme hunger can lead to overeating because “hungry” signal can stimulate the brain by releasing more hormone ghrelin that increase the appetite.
• Lack of proper nutrition can happen when imbalanced meal is a habit. For example, always consume quick and easy foods such as snacks. Crucial nutrients (lean protein, whole grains, antioxidants, vitamins) are probably deficient.
• People who regularly socialize at restaurants are at a greater risk of obesity than those who do not. Eating a lot in one meal such as a buffet meal frequently will pose serious health problems.

Foods To Avoid

• Over-consumption of sugar (or sugar from artificial sweeteners) has long been linked to aging. Sugar damages biomolecules (protein, DNA) via a mechanism known as glycation (non-enzymatic glycosylation). Glycation is one of the major mechanisms contributing to the normal aging process (see article “Glycation And Aging | crosslinking theory of aging”). Glycation is one way large biological molecules (proteins, DNA) can be cross-linked via sugar. Glycation occurs very often in the connective tissue protein – collagen. In the skin, when skin collagen are improperly cross-linked, this would  leads to wrinkles and sagging skin. Sucrose – the refined, highly processed and crystallized version of sugars can damage biomacromolecules and cellular structures through glycation mechanism. A chains of chemical reactions of glycation eventually leads to a buildup of toxins called AGEs (advanced glycation endproducts). AGEs build up in the body, they damage protein, DNA, cell membrane, and the cellular engine-mitochondria. There’s evidence that they can do as much or more damage to the health. In addition, free radical intermediate byproducts such as hydrogen peroxide and other harmful intermediate side products are generated as well as the associated increase in chronic inflammation. (see article “free radical theory of aging” and “inflammaging” for how free radical and excess chronic inflammation can contribute to aging process). It appears that fructose and galactose have approximately ten times the glycation activity of glucose, the primary body fuel. For example, food or beverages with added high fructose corn syrup (HFC) should be avoided. Foods sweetened naturally tend to more healthier.
• Saturated fats found in meat and full-fat dairy products — cause the brain to age more quickly. A large percentage of processed foods contain trans fats, which contribute to chronic inflammation in the body known as inflammaging. In addition, trans-fats promote insulin resistance, high cholesterol, and obesity.  Foods containing trans fats and hydrogenated oils have been found to shorten telomeres of chromosomes and increases cellular aging. Cooking oils high in omega-6, low in omega-3 should be avoided. When cooking, healthy oils such as olive oil, avocado and other monounsaturated fats should be used. Avoid deep-fried foods can reduce the exposure to trans fats.
• Too much salt is not good. Not only does salt dehydrate the body, but excess salt also contributes to kidney disease, high blood pressure and interferes with bone metabolism. High-salt diet combined with lack of physical activity can cause cognitive decline in older people.
• Refined and highly processed foods usually is not beneficial to health. Processed foods include refined grains (refined carbohydrates), processed meat and pasteurized dairy products.
  • refined carbohydrates (refined starchy carbohydrates) (e.g.white flour) set the stage for insulin resistance. Refined carbohydrates cause body’s blood-sugar levels soar, and the pancreas generates too much insulin into the bloodstream to help cells convert the food’s energy (glucose) into fuel. This consequence of  of insulin resistance is the development of such age-related diseases as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and heart disease. Whole grains are healthy carbohydrates to eat. Because the outer layers of the grain are left intact, whole grains digest slowly and steadily, and the sugar is released into the blood gradually. Refined grains basically have their nutritional value stripped to make it easier for the food factories to produce and store. The effect of refined grain is very similar to the effect of sugar to the health. Although whole wheat is healthier relative to processed wheat, whole wheat contains a unique carbohydrate (not found in other foods) Amylopectin-A, which has been found to increase blood sugar higher than even pure table sugar. In fact, amylopectin-A raises blood sugar more than almost any other carbohydrate source. Wheat-based foods such as breads, bagels, cereals, muffins, and other bakery often cause much higher blood sugar levels than most other carbohydrate sources. Furthermore, processed grain products typically have all sorts of added ingredients that make their health-obliterating effects even worse. This can be excess salt, sugar, and artificial ingredients.
  • processed meat also cause aging and disease, especially colon and rectum cancer. Processed meats include those that have been smoked, salted, or preserved with chemicals. One example is lunchmeat containing nitrates.
  • processed pasteurized diary product contain inactivated digestive enzymes which hinders digestion. It also makes about 50% of the calcium not usable by the body. What’s left is a lot of milk sugar (lactose)
• Beef, pork, and poultry from force-fed non-natural diets production process