While ageing is inevitable, many of the outwards signs of growing old can be slowed - and life may even be prolonged - by maintaining a sensible approach to diet. Here are some ideas that may assist you!

• Aim at consuming a balanced diet rich in fibre. A healthy, balanced diet will help you maintain a healthy body composition & weight & provide you with the nutrients for optimal health & functioning.

• Drink more water. Every tissue, cell, organ & system is composed of water & functions optimally only in the presence of adequate water levels. Degeneration associated with ageing will occur at a quicker rate if you are dehydrated. And you can’t use thirst to help you determine when you should be drinking water, because as you age your thirst mechanism does not function as well as it should.

• Consume 5 small meals & snacks throughout the day. Your metabolism, the rate at which you burn calories for internal functions, is like an engine - the more often you give it fuel, the better it works. The rule should be that you do not go any longer than 4 hours during the daytime without eating something.

• Reduce fat, salt and sugar Intake. Limit any food choices that are higher than 30% fat content.  Certain fatty acids are necessary for good health. Unsaturated fats, especially the monounsaturated ones, are considered healthier; they are found in nuts, seeds & vegetable oils.

• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes & other drugs. These types of drugs will age you quickly.

A high intake of caffeine, alcohol & nicotine inhibits the absorption of calcium into bone & speeds up the process of bone loss. Smoking is associated with a 60% increase in eye damage, an early onset of menopause & an increased risk of cancer, liver & heart disease. Caffeine is a very powerful drug with very quick, noticeable and measurable effects on the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system and digestive system. Alcohol contributes to high blood pressure & breast cancer, & it damages your liver. It also activates an enzyme that takes up fat from our bloodstream & stores it in fat cells.

• Control your portion sizes. If at the end of the day you have eaten excess calories from any source, you will store these calories as fat. This, of course, will affect the ageing process.

• Minimise consumption of processed foods. While eating out, always order the smaller portion size where there’s choice. Pay attention to serving sizes listed on labels. Sometimes what is listed as one serving is unrealistically small, so you may trick yourself into believing you are consuming an amount low in caloric and fat content when, in fact you are eating four times the listed serving size.

• Detox once a week. When we detox, 2 things happen: Firstly, we stop overloading our body with harmful substances & secondly, we give it plenty of the right nutrients to actually speed up the elimination of toxins & promote cell renewal. According to W.H.O, Vitamins A, C and E are vital for health. Antioxidants can protect us not only against minor infections but also serious degenerative diseases, as well as conditions which come with premature ageing. Check your intake of calcium.