"Eat Yourself Younger" with healthy food and eating (book review)

Back in April last year I blogged about a fantastic health book called “Eat Yourself Younger” and seeing as I like eating and I want to starve off the ageing process so this book sounded ideal to me! 

“Eat Yourself Younger - Take Years Off Your Looks with This Revolutionary New Eating Plan” by Elizabeth Peyton-Jones is known as the “The Youthing Guru” and for her youth-enhancing detox diets. She has quite a celeb following so if it is good enough for them...

As the summer months approach, it means one thing - BIKINI TIME. So this means a bid from me to focus on my health, fitness and wellbeing (oh and looking acceptable in a bikini). Time to consult the book again.

the book is full of hints & tips to a better body

Elizabeth believes that we can slow down the dreaded ageing process by fighting ageing effects and promote health and well being such as:

• restore balance functioning
• lower body fat
• encourage good sleep
• better skin, hair and nails
• promote high energy levels
• healthy weight 

How? 
With the food choice that we make. 
Easy! 

Two of the main things that have caught my attention in particular reading it this time round is the effects of “eliminative slowdown” and how much your body hates sugar.

easy to read &full of scientific back up

Eliminative slowdown:

Eliminative slowdown I hear you say? Yea I didn’t really understand first either.  But basically it is all to do with your digestive system. According to Peyton-Jones, a “well functioning digestive system is central to the youthing process…and when the gut becomes sluggish…[organs] are put under intense strain.”

That actually makes sense. 

As a result, things like skin and nails become undernourished. So it makes 100% sense why eliminative slowdown is the biggest ager.

If like me you experience symptoms such as bloating, indigestion and IBS (I write this whilst sipping a peppermint tea to soothe my tummy ache right now), eliminative slowdown may be affecting you! 

Good news is she says you can improve your gut with healthy foods such as broccoli, cabbage, celery, cucumber, garlic, lettuce, onions, spinach, apples, avocado, raisins, oats, chickpeas, basil etc - this is just a touch of the iceberg (lettuce) as to what can be eaten to help!  

the poisonous sugar

Sugar:

The other thing that really caught my eye is how destructive sugar can be on your body! Destructive might sound like an over statement but it really is! 

we all know and have been bombarded with the everyday foods that we love and shouldn’t consume too much of, obvious ones such as red meat, caffeine, salt etc and I know that sugar obviously isn’t great for you but I underestimate how bad it was for you. 

Peyton-Jones says that sugar is the number one ager for the body. The three main reason why:

• create acidity 
• cause inflammation 
• disturb hormonal balance 

(read the book and this jargon will make much more sense)

Sugar slows the body's ability to regenerate itself and can trigger a range of degenerative diseases!!! In one study, sugar even decreased the lifespan of roundworms that had been genetically modified to live longer than normal! 

If you find yourself with symptoms such as flabby belly, mood swings, puffy eyes, sluggishness and spots, chances are that your diet is high in sugar. This rings true sometimes for me which totally baffles me as generally I try to steer clear of too much dessert/treats (although sometimes that 3pm slump just won’t shift without a sweet hit!) 

But Peyton-Jones says sugar is found in EVERYTHING and it seems it is even lurking in what you and me probably thing of "health foods" like a little troll lurking under a bridge. Fruit, low fat yogurts, crunchy granola and cereal bars...All filled with sugar!

Help is on hand though and Peyton-Jones offers tips for making your life sweet without too much refined sugar, such as only having one piece of fruit a day, making your own sauces and salad dressings, and adding cinnamon to add sweetness to foods.

Remember though – everything in moderation. If you follow a healthy diet then the odd bit of sugar or steak isn’t going to do you any harm! Life is for living after all and what would life be without a bit of cake sometimes!

If you are keen to get fit and give the body bit of a detox, this no fad approach to your eating habits will help! I must admit, it is a bit too good for me, so won't be following all the advice but some of the good habits have sunk in! If you are looking for a good bit of advice about healthy eating then this is a great book! 

The beauty of it too (no pun intended) is that she encourages us to eat to be beautiful and healthy - this is a way of life, not a fad diet that restricts you're food intake, so this is right up my street. 

If you have read it, leave a comment with your thoughts! 

x x x