Anti-Aging

eating to stay young, Blood Orange and Chocolate Trifle

Eating to Stay Young

Eat chocolate and live longer? Using a test developed by Tufts University's USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, researchers at Penn State University found that chocolate—the darker the better—contains more anti-aging antioxidants than any other food. Chocolate, however, is also high in fat and sugar, so it makes sense to eat only modest amounts of it. You should also eat lots of the anti-aging fruits and vegetables singled out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, such as kale, prunes, red bell peppers, onions and blood oranges. In addition to antioxidants, these foods provide a slew of vitamins, minerals and fiber. The recipes on the following pages highlight all of these ingredients—plus a judicious amount of bittersweet chocolate.

Your Real Age

Forget your chronological age, says Michael Roizen, M.D., the author of the best-selling diet book RealAge. Roizen promotes the idea of "biological" age—a number that takes into account your healthy and unhealthy habits. To calculate yours, take the test on www.realage.com, which asks detailed questions about diet ("How many almonds do you eat in a week?"), exercise—even how many friends you have. You may be delighted (or appalled) by the results. One F&W editor who took the test found that her healthy habits made her seven years younger.

Youth in a Bottle

Clarins Super Restorative Serum fights loss of skin elasticity with moisturizing tomato extract and seaweed ($110 for 1.06 oz. at Nordstrom's; 800-723-2889).

Clinique Repairwear Day SPF-15 protects skin with a UV- and heat-activated blend of sunscreens and antioxidants ($45 for 1.7 fl. oz.; 800-419-4041).

L'Oréal Wrinkle De-Crease tries to simulate the effects of Botox with an extract from the Indian boswellia tree ($20 for 1.7 oz.; 888-607-4287).

Erno Laszlo Intensive DéColleté Cream SPF-20 uses mulberry and wheat germ extracts to protect skin on the throat and chest ($84 for 2.1 oz.; 888-352-7956).

Ramy Ultimate Therapy Cream smooths fine lines and treats breakouts with retinol and salicylic acid ($65 for 1.7 fl. oz.; 888-550-7269).
—Jennifer Laing

Anti-Aging Facials

The Classic Carita Facial at Skin Care Lab in New York City exfoliates skin with a sunflower-seed scrub and tones facial muscles (the spa claims) with minute electric currents ($250; 212-334-3142).

The Clinical Facial Fitness Treatment at Sonya Dakar Skin Clinic in Beverly Hills, California, starts with a pumpkin enzyme peel and a mask with berry and chamomile extracts, then ends with a soothing flaxseed-oil serum ($125; 877-727-6692).

The Pro-Collagen Japanese Silk Booster Facial at Elemis in Coral Gables, Florida, uses a Japanese silk compress infused with vitamins A and E and ginkgo biloba to fight the effects of aging (from $125; 305-774-7171).

The Splurge Facial at Boston's G-Spa cleans skin with a gentle grapeseed-oil mixture followed by a moisturizing mask of baking soda, honey and green tea ($125; 617-267-4772).

The Caviar Facial at Channing's Day Spa in Chicago includes protein-rich fish roe to help skin appear firmer ($165; 312-280-1994).
—J.L.

Published January 2004