It’s not uncommon to look at celebrities and wonder if they’ve discovered some secret fountain of youth. Those who have been in the spotlight for a majority of their lives often seem to get older while managing to not actually age. While some of this is thanks to makeup, cameras, lighting, and plastic surgery, there is also an anti-aging “secret” that is helping many stars stay young and healthy: namely, plant-based, vegan, or vegetarian diets.
The list of celebrities who have given up animal products include Carrie Underwood, Natalie Portman, Ellen DeGeneres, Mike Tyson, Russell Brand, and Usher.[1] Some of these stars first chose a vegan diet in support of animal rights, while others made the decision strictly to improve their own health. Whatever the reason for their lifestyle choice, it’s hard to deny the health benefits or the anti-aging affects that these stars enjoy.
Here are just a few of the many ways your plant-based, “celebrity” diet will help you stay young:
The ads we see on television and in magazines are full of creams, lotions, and treatments that promise to make our skin look clear, young, and fresh. With the fear of things like wrinkles and sunspots increasing as we age, it’s no wonder we seek to keep our skin looking young.
However, with your plant-based diet, you can achieve the youthful, glowing skin you desire without investing a fortune in lotions and creams. By eliminating meat and other animal-derived foods, you’ve already cut down on the saturated fats that clog your pours and opened the door for clearer skin.
Now, all you need to do is make sure you’re incorporating a healthy dose of nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, sunflowers seeds, and flaxseeds into your diet. These foods are high in vitamin E, which not only protects your skin from future damage, but also helps to repair damage that may have already taken place. This means you can say “goodbye” to wrinkles and sunspots and maintain healthy, vibrant skin, even as you age.
It’s no secret that as we age, our eyes start to “go.” That’s why healthy people who have never needed glasses often find themselves wearing bifocals for reading or struggling to drive in the darkness of night. But there’s good news in the quest to halt or slow the deterioration of your eyes. Your plant-based diet is rich in eye-friendly foods, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and dark leafy greens, all of which are high in vitamin A. This essential vitamin helps protect the surface of your eye and plays a critical role in healthy vision, especially night vision, which is often the first area where people begin to notice eyesight loss.
What’s more, your plant-based diet also provides you with lutein and zeaxanthin, which are found naturally in foods like kale, spinach, and broccoli. These nutrients have been shown to promote long-term eye health by warding off cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, which can cause blurry vision and blindness.
Even if you’re only in your 30s or 40s, you may have started noticing that you have less energy than your younger, more youthful self. For most, this feeling of decreased energy only becomes more pronounced with age. But getting older doesn’t have to mean that your days of running marathons, taking hikes, or simply making it through the day without the need for a nap, are behind you.
Your plant-based diet is here to provide you with an extra boost of energy that will keep you feeling young. According to nutrition consultant, Brendan Brazier, foods like buckwheat, quinoa, chia seeds, and flax seeds are easier on the digestive system and provide a broader spectrum of nutrients and vitamins than foods that are high in sugar and refined carbohydrates.[2] This means your body is getting more energy from the foods you consume than it’s using to process them. Brazier, who works with Olympians and NFL players, has found that improved nutrition gives athletes and non-athletes alike the energy to sleep less and get more done.
While the fountain of youth may not exist, a plant-based diet could be the next-best thing — as many celebrities seem to be discovering. The best part is that you don’t have to invest extra money in products or fads that claim they will make you young. And you don’t need to spend a lot of time calculating your vitamin intake to ensure you’re getting the nutrients needed for healthy skin, eyes, and energy levels. All you need to do is make sure your plant-based diet includes a wide variety of vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fruits, and you’ll be well on your way to a more youthful future!
Charles Weller
Author