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六级干货》》 作文 |阅读 |翻译 |听力
The Look Younger Diet
Is the Fountain of Youth a myth? Not entirely, many experts in nutrition
now believe, "Age fast, or age slow—it's up to you. " declares Dr. Kenneth
Cooper, president and founder of the Aerobics Center in Dallas. Jeffrey
Blumberg, associate director of the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Human
Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, agrees, "
Research shows that many so-called age-related declines in physiological
function seem to have less to do with aging than with environmental factors like
diet and exercise. "
Obesity (过度肥胖) is one of the leading causes of accelerated aging, according
to Cooper, "If you lose weight, stop smoking, and exercise," he says, "you can
slow the aging process—and make dramatic changes in your looks in a relatively
short period of time. "
A 37-year-old sales director for a Boston computer-distribution company is
a prime example. Over six feet tall, he had been considerably overweight most of
his like. Then he began to worry that his appearance could be hurting his
career. "I got tired of people thinking I was the same age as my brother, who's
nearly nine years older," he says, "When you're fat, people in the business
world assume you're out of control. "
Determined to change, the sales director entered a hospital-based diet
program and dropped over 70 pounds. "I feel—and look—ten years younger. " he
says.
At 82, Clarice R. Mc Williams, a retired business owner in Dallas, has the
appearance, skin tone (肤色) and mental agility of someone many years younger.
"Most people think I'm in my 60s. " she boasts.
Mc Williams admits genes play some role in the way she looks, but believes
diet is an important factor. "It doesn't matter how good the genes are if you
don't eat properly and take care of yourself," she says. "If you want to look
good, get plenty of rest, exercise every day, eat mostly raw fruits and
vegetables—and quit worrying. "
Says Blumberg, "There's certainly a link between good nutrition, a positive
attitude and improved quality of life. People can have a say in what's going on
with their bodies by selecting a healthful diet. "
Skin. Nowhere do the signs of aging manifest themselves more clearly than
in the condition of the skin. When your weight fluctuates, the skin stretches
with each up cycle, but it may not completely shrink back to its original size
in the down cycle. As a result, the skin may sag(松弛下垂).
A severely deficient diet can lead to skin disorders, dramatically
affecting one's appearance. By the same token, a well-balanced diet with ample
supplies of nutrients is thought by many experts to produce a glowing, younger
look.
Zinc and vitamin A are important for normal, healthy skin. Zinc helps the
skin repair itself, and vitamin A aids in keeping skin supple, preventing
dryness and helping shed dead cells. Good sources of zinc are beef, eggs and
seafood, while many dark-green leafy vegetables are rich in beta carotene, which
the body converts to vitamin A. Other foods containing ample amounts of beta
carotene include carrots, cantaloupe, winter squash, sweet potatoes, sweet red
peppers, apricots and mangoes.
Vitamin C helps improve the blood supply to the skin and aids in forming
collagen(胶原) , the fibrous protein that lies beneath the skin's surface and
gives it a smooth appearance. Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits
and juices, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, snow peas, red and green peppers,
broccoli, white and sweet potatoes, tomatoes, watermelon, honeydew melon and
cantaloupe.
Greens are excellent sources of skin-preserving nutrients and, generally,
the darker the leaves, the more nutritious. Romaine lettuce, for example has
about six times as much vitamin C and eight times as much beta carotene as
iceberg lettuce.
How food is prepared matters too. The longer vegetables cook, the greater
the loss of vitamins and texture. Don't soak vegetables when washing them, since
water-soluble vitamins such as C will be lost.
Blumberg also recommends drinking six to eight glasses of water or other
fluids each day to help keep skin and other tissues hydrated. "That's especially
important for older people," he says, "who are at risk for dehydration because
their thirst drive becomes blunted with age. " Coffee, colas and tea aren't the
best sources, since they contain caffeine, a diuretic that induces water
loss.
Hair. Healthy, shining hair is second only to vibrant skin for making one
look younger. Yet many people unwittingly mistreat their hair by eating an
unbalanced diet.
When a 33-year-old employee at a Texas corporation decided to lose weight
quickly, she went on a fad diet, high in fiber and bulk, but low in protein.
Over three months, she lost a lot of weight. She also lost a good deal of her
hair.
Dermatologist (皮肤病学家) David Alkek, a clinical professor at the University
of Texas Southwest Medical Center at Dallas, sees too many cases like this
woman's. When diets don't contain enough amino acids, the building blocks of
protein, there's dramatic increase in hair loss as the body breaks down its own
protein.
Hair and skin cells are constantly reproducing and are, therefore, very
sensitive to nutritional deficiencies, explains Dr. Alkek. Foods high in amino
acids include meats, eggs, milk, grains and legumes. Just remember that the body
cannot store protein. So foods high in protein must be ingested daily. Under
Alkek's care, the woman began eating nutritionally balanced meals, and her hair
was restored in about eight months.
Immune system. Vitamins E and C and beta carotene, known as antioxidants
(抗氧化剂 ) , are considered powerful disease-fighters, capable of slowing down or
preventing a number of ailments typically associated with aging.
A growing body of evidence suggests that aging and decline in immune
function may result in part from accumulated damage to cells caused by certain
toxic compounds called free radicals (自由基). Antioxidants seem to counteract or
impair the ability of these substances to attack healthy cells, thus avoiding at
least some of the damage. Foods containing these nutrients are being linked—by
science rather than myth—to the control and prevention of heart disease and
cancer, stroke, cataracts and to the body's ability to ward off infectious
diseases.
Good general nutrition is essential to maintaining a healthy, youthful
appearance. And the key to good general nutrition is balance. Proteins should
make up roughly ten percent of your daily calorie intake; no more than 30
percent should come from fats; and the remaining calories should come mostly
from complex carbohydrates.
1. The passage primarily tells us how to lose weight so as to improve one's
appearance.
2. Dark-green leafy vegetables are good sources of beta carotene.
3. When one gains weight, the skin becomes loose.
4. It is particularly important for the old to drink 6 to 8 glasses of
water to help keep skin and other tissues hydrated.
5. Food low in protein is harmful to hair.
6. Free radicals play an important role in immune function.
7. In order to look younger, one should cut back on fats.
8. Amino acids are the building blocks of______.
9. Genes are______than diet in determining one's looks.
10. The body changes______into vitamin A.
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发表于 2018-12-8 10:20:05