Culinary Secrets for Staying Young: How to Cook Your Way to Better Aging

Culinary Secrets for Staying Young: How to Cook Your Way to Better Aging

By: Kelley Herring

As we age, maintaining a healthy diet becomes increasingly important to nourish our bodies with the necessary nutrients for optimal well-being and longevity.

But it’s not just the food itself that matters – the cooking techniques we choose can also impact our health… and even the aging process!

Recent research shows certain cooking methods not only preserve the nutritional content of our meals, but also minimize the formation of harmful compounds associated with high-heat cooking, providing an optimal culinary solution for health.

Let’s explore the top five cooking techniques that can slow down the aging process and help you embrace a healthier lifestyle.

#1 – Pressure Cooking: Quick and Nutrient-Preserving Meals

Pressure cooking is a time-saving method that offers numerous benefits for health-conscious individuals.

In fact, a study published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology found that pressure cooking not only helps to reduce cooking time but also effectively preserves food’s nutritional content.¹

This is because vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are less susceptible to breaking down with the shorter cooking times and reduced exposure to heat and water that comes with pressure cooking.²

Moreover, pressure cooking also reduces the harmful byproducts of cooking – like cancer-promoting heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and acrylamide.³

Because of its unique ability to boost the nutrient content of food, reduce harmful culinary compounds and deactivate anti-nutrients, pressure cooking tops the charts for anti-aging cooking.

#2 – Sous Vide: Precise Cooking for Health and Flavor

Sous vide, a technique that involves vacuum-sealing food and cooking it at precise temperatures in a water bath, has gained popularity among home cooks and professional chefs alike.

And for good reason! Sous vide offers unparalleled control over cooking temperatures, resulting in mouthwateringly-tender dishes each and every time.

In fact, research shows that by cooking food at lower temperatures, sous vide minimizes nutrient loss and preserves the delicate culinary compounds that are responsible for taste and aroma.⁴

That’s right – sous vide promises more tantalizing tastes… and more nutrients, to boot!

When it comes to anti-aging cuisine, sous vide unlocks a whole new realm of culinary possibilities.
Indulge in a Grass-Fed Sous Vide Steak (recipe below) that guarantees tender, juicy results with a perfectly pink center, encapsulating the natural flavors of grass-fed beef.⁵

Or try a Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin, boasting succulence and rich flavors. While meat and seafood are the typical ingredients, give sous vide a try for the silkiest poached eggs, tender, buttery carrots, and even desserts like Crème Brulé!

Sous Vide Grass-Fed Ribeye Steak

USWM Shopping List

• Ribeye Steak
• Ribeye Steak
• Beef Tallow

Ingredients

• 2 Grass-fed Ribeye Steaks or New York Strip Steaks
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh herbs (optional, such as rosemary or thyme)
• Tallow, for searing

Instructions:

1. Preheat the water bath to your desired level of doneness*
2. Season the steaks generously with salt and pepper, and add any fresh herbs if desired. Place each steak in a separate soue vide bag, removing as much air as possible before sealing.
3. Submerge the sealed bags in the preheated water bath and cook for 1 to 2 hours, depending on the thickness of the steaks. This ensures the meat is evenly cooked throughout.
4. Once the cooking time is complete, carefully remove the steaks from the bags and pat them dry with a paper towel.
5. To reverse sear your sous vide steak, heat a cast-iron skillet with some tallow over high heat. Sear the steaks for about 1 minute on each side to achieve a caramelized crust.
6. Allow the steaks to rest for a few minutes before serving. This helps redistribute the juices for a more flavorful result.
7. Serve the sous vide steak as desired, whether it’s with a side of vegetables, mashed potatoes, or your favorite sauce.

Sous Vide Water Bath Temperature*

Rare: 129°F (54°C)
Medium-rare: 135°F (57°C)
Medium: 140°F (60°C)
Medium-well: 150°F (66°C)
Well-done: 160°F (71°C)

Fermentation: Cultivate a Healthy Gut and Slow Down Aging

For centuries, fermentation has been used as a preservation method.
But fermentation doesn’t just help to transform perishable foods into shelf-stable ones; it actually increases their health benefits too!

Rich in probiotics, traditional lacto-fermented foods (like sauerkraut, kimchi, and kvass) promote a healthy gut microbiome, support digestion, and boost immunity, potentially slowing down the aging process.⁶

That’s because a healthy gut microbiome is essential for overall well-being and plays a crucial role in how we age into our golden years. Fermented foods introduce beneficial bacteria into our digestive system, which helps to maintain a diverse and balanced microbial community.⁷

In turn, a healthy and happy microbiome can help to reduce inflammation, enhance nutrient absorption, and support a healthy immune system – all of which ultimately contribute to a healthier and longer life!⁸

One of the simplest and most popular fermented foods is sauerkraut. This tangy and probiotic-rich condiment can easily be made at home. Prepare a batch of Homemade Sauerkraut by combining shredded cabbage and salt in a large mason jar, and let the natural fermentation process work its magic.

Steaming: Retaining Nutrients and Texture in Anti-Aging Meals

Steaming is a gentle cooking method that preserves the natural flavors, colors, and textures of foods while maintaining their nutritional integrity.

Steaming vegetables has been found to retain a higher percentage of vitamins and minerals compared to other cooking methods. That’s because steaming minimizes nutrient loss by avoiding direct contact between food and water, which can result in the leaching of vitamins and minerals. What’s more, this delicate cooking process also helps to retain antioxidants that provide protection against oxidative damage, a key contributor to aging.⁹

By incorporating steamed foods into your diet, you can nourish your body while savoring the natural flavors of fresh ingredients, promoting longevity and vitality. Be sure to eat your steamed veggies with a healthy fat source (like grass-fed butter, ghee, coconut oil or tallow) to boost the absorption of lipid-soluble nutrients like orange-and-red-hued carotenoids.¹⁰

Raw Food Preparation: Harnessing the Power of Fresh Ingredients

Raw food enthusiasts believe that consuming uncooked, nutrient-dense ingredients can promote vitality and longevity.

And in some cases, this is true. That’s because certain foods contain beneficial compounds like water-soluble vitamins, enzymes, and phytonutrients that can easily be destroyed by heat.

For example, compounds called glucosinolates in cruciferous veggies like broccoli offer powerful cancer-fighting activity but are inactivated by most cooking processes.¹¹

By incorporating some raw food recipes into your culinary repertoire, you can create a diverse diet that includes a spectrum of organic compounds that may ward off disease and slow the aging process.¹²

Cook Your Way to Better Aging

Embarking on an anti-aging journey doesn’t have to mean sacrificing taste and enjoyment!
By implementing these five cooking techniques into your culinary repertoire, you can savor delicious meals while preserving essential nutrients and promoting overall well-being.

Pressure cooking, sous vide, fermentation, steaming, and raw food preparation offer diverse and exciting options for those seeking to maintain a youthful and vibrant lifestyle.

So, grab your apron, and unleash the potential of these five anti-aging cooking techniques to support your health and longevity today!

Dive further into Kelley’s insight into the Keto Diet and Healing your Gut HERE on our Discover Blog!

REFERENCES

1. Smith JL, Maddock JR. Preservation of Nutritional and Sensory Qualities in Foods by High Pressure. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2003;43(2):233-245. doi:10.1080/10408690390826455
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3. Isleroglu H, Kemerli T, Özdestan Ö, Uren A, Kaymak-Ertekin F. Effect of oven cooking method on formation of heterocyclic amines and quality characteristics of chicken patties: steam-assisted hybrid oven versus convection ovens. Poult Sci. 2014 Sep;93(9):2296-303. doi: 10.3382/ps.2013-03552. Epub 2014 Jun 28. (PubMed)
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9. Lee S, Choi Y, Jeong HS, Lee J, Sung J. Effect of different cooking methods on the content of vitamins and true retention in selected vegetables. Food Sci Biotechnol. 2017 Dec 12;27(2):333-342. doi: 10.1007/s10068-017-0281-1. PMID: 30263756; PMCID: PMC6049644.
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12. Miles EA, Calder PC. Effects of Citrus Fruit Juices and Their Bioactive Components on Inflammation and Immunity: A Narrative Review. Front Immunol. 2021 Jun 24;12:712608. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.712608. PMID: 34249019; PMCID: PMC8264544.