Saving face

Nutritional therapist Sarah Hanson explains how to keep your skin looking younger

It is not the most pleasant form of entertainment but I often find myself gruesomely fascinated by Channel 4's 10 Years Younger in which (mainly) women who have let themselves go are transformed by botox, facelifts and new dentures. How do people let themselves get to such a state that they have to resort to these extreme measures to turn back the clock?

Fortunately, if you want to avoid the surgeon's knife, there are more natural ways to stay looking young. First cut out some of the factors that produce free radicals—destructive molecules that can damage tissue and speed up the signs of aging. You should avoid smoking, stick to government guidelines for alcohol, eat organic where possible and look at ways to reduce stress, such as meditation, yoga or massage.

Free radicals can also be made neutral by chemical compounds known as antioxidants. Some antioxidants are enzymes produced by the body, while others are nutrients that come from the diet—vitamins A, E and C and the minerals selenium and zinc. You should eat a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, especially dark green leafy vegetables. Liver, eggs, almonds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, avocados and seafood are also useful sources.

As well as neutralising free radicals, these nutrients help maintain the skin's structure. You should also eat oily fish such as salmon and mackerel and, for the B group of vitamins, wholewheat bread and pasta, brown rice, fish and dried beans.

Caffeine and fizzy drinks containing high levels of sugar deplete the body of these important nutrients and should be avoided, or at least reduced. Replace them with skin-loving water, herbal teas and green tea, which is high in antioxidants.