The world of anti-aging remedies reaches far beyond the realm of those luxe lotions and potions. To age gracefully and gorgeously, look to foods rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids. Here, five of the best ways to turn back the clock naturally.

1. Avocados are rich in vitamin E, said to keep your skin smooth and supple. To grow your own green fruit, pick up the Little Cado Dwarf Avocado Tree that Dava Guthmiller fancies as “a fabulous idea.” Shipped as a potted five gallon tree, the Little Cado grows to about 8 to 10 feet tall. And since avocados are a solid source of monounsaturated fat, you’ll also help keep your heart healthy.

2. Blueberries are loaded with antioxidants, a powerful anti-aging agent. Get your fill by guzzling POM Wonderful’s Pomegranate Blueberry blend, picked by thedelicious and gordon. “POM Wonderful mixes powerhouse pomegranate juice with sweet, mellowing blueberries to create a double whammy of antioxidants,” says the former, who notes that the tartness of straight-up pomegranate juice “makes you pucker like it’s your last kiss on earth.”

3. In addition to offering anti-cancer benefits, garlic guards against heart disease by reducing cholesterol levels and thinning the blood. The herb itself is your best source of garlicky goodness, but Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce can also help promote healthy aging - and keep those pesky vampires away. Hanaban regards the sauce as a “Vietnamese food staple,” while cvg notes that it’s “great stuff with rice and chicken.”

...continued: anti-aging eats

Although I’m always fairly adventurous when it comes to trying out the kind of good-for-you food that so many others seem to regard as incredibly off-putting, it’s lovely to have someone else out there who devotes herself to taste-testing the “food products that are fat-free, low carb, reduced sugar, reduced calorie, and everything else marketed towards people trying to live love a healthier lifestyle.”

That someone would be Tanya Taylor, food scientist and head of the fabulous IAteAPie.net. We don’t always agree (I swoon for Fage yogurt), but I owe so many fabulous food discoveries to Tanya. To name a few: Laughing Cow Wedges in Light Spreadable Original Swiss Cheese Flavor, Snapple White Tea, and Amy’s Roasted Vegetable Pizza.

About a month or so ago I decided that I had to eat a Nature Valley Peanut Butter Crunchy Granola Bar every day in order to function properly. I went out to Vons and bought, like, 80 packages of the stuff, and thus far my life has been so much the better for it.

And while it’s true that energy/nutrition bars shouldn’t take the place of a balanced meal full of fresh whole foods, there is indeed a time and a place for all that nutrient-packed convenience. Especially when you choose smart products like the ThisNext fave Larabars, most recently recommended by Paul (“I love the whole idea behind raw unprocessed food,” he says). Indeed, Larabars keep it simple, with each flavor containing no more than six ingredients (all of which you’ll mos def be able to pronounce upon reading the label, and all of which are 100 percent natural, certified kosher, non-GMO, vegan, and completely cholesterol-, gluten-, and dairy-free). “I picked these up at CostCo on a whim - and I couldn’t be happier,” says ItWasInevitable. “Ingredients for the apple pie bar: dates, almonds, apples, walnuts, raisins, cinnamon. That’s it! These are amazing and oh so good for you!”

...continued: Raising the bar

OK, so it’s been a whole week, and you’re hell-bent to stick to that New Year’s resolution to lose some weight. Calorie counting is the most obvious way to go when tracking your intake, but how do you know how much to buy of the foods you love and still stick to the diet?

WiseGeek gives you a visual cue, depicting a rainbow of foods measured out in 200-calorie increments. So if you have room for a 200-calorie snack, you can munch on a forest of celery, four Tootsie Pops, a hotdog and change or a wee snort of Bailey’s. It’s a great reference when bulding your next grocery shopping list.

If you’re one of the 80 kajillion people with ‘lose weight’ at the top of their New Year’s resolutions list, chances are you need a little assistance in working your way to a slimmer waistline. For ThisNexter GirlPaint, the website SparkPeople is “one of the BEST, if not the best, places for fitness, health and weight loss resources.” There you can have a diet plan customized just for you - completely free of charge. And, GirlPaint adds, “the food tracker is the best I’ve seen, not to mention the ‘Exercise of the Day’ feature that tells you step-by-step how to properly perform an exercise and shows you a video to ensure you are using proper form.”

GirlPaint’s also a fan of Ladies Home Journal’s Health Guides & Fitness How-To Workouts, another online resource that offers “great, FREE tools to help you get (and stay) healthy, lose weight, track your food intake and much, much more.” Through the site, you’ll find advice on sticking to your diet, personal stories for inspiration, and articles on topics such as the link between hormone replacement therapy and weight gain.

...continued: Weight-loss wonders

Is there a detox clinic that specializes in treating people who’ve consumed an excess of cheese, pumpkin bread, and pink champagne in the week between Christmas and New Year’s? Maybe not, but at least we’ve got Boots’ 5 Day Introductory Kit Total Body Cleanse. Recommended by JSung, the kit includes a five-day plan dietary supplement, face mask, salt scrub, and body brush to help clean out your system after overindulging during the holidays. Also said to rid your body of environmental impurities such as pesticides, the supplement contains antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium. By the end of the five-day program, you just might feel lighter and a little bit lovelier. “If you can get your hands on this, do!” JSung urges. “The detox drink is delicious and I noticed that my skin got better after using the kit.”

If I ate two and a half pints of Ben & Jerry’s Oatmeal Cookie Chunk ice cream every day, I’d get the 1,000 daily mg of calcium recommended for women ages 19 to 50. Of course, that would also mean consuming 2,700 calories and 150 fat grams (90 of them saturated) and thus possibly developing some sort of heart condition. So it’s fortunate that there are less artery-clogging alternatives available, many of which are featured on ThisNext.

Contrex Mineral Water, for instance, provides 486 mg calcium per bottle (plus 84 mg of magnesium). Says our shopcaster Chantel:

“The water tastes good after you adjust to the mineral taste…I was at a conference where they were giving this water away and I became very addicted. I kept at least two bottles a day in my bag and it helped flush my system before a cold could take hold.”

If you go the supplement route, Katolen Yardely’s Holistic Health & Herbal Medicine Blog suggests choosing calcium citrate over the carbonate, lactate, and gluconate forms and always going for a capsule that also contains magnesium (“a catalyst enzyme used to ensure that all the calcium absorbed into the bones, stays in the bones,” Katolen explains). One such supplement is Country Life’s Cal/Mag Citrate W/Vitamin D, which provides 100 percent of your daily magnesium needs and 40 percent of calcium (plus 25 percent of your vitamin D requirement). ThisNexter Michelle Theall recommends another cal/mag combo, Now Foods’ magnesium and Calcium Reverse Ratio Supplement. (“Say goodbye to lactic acid buildup after a race,” says the editorial director/publisher of Women’s Adventure magazine. “No more muscle cramps. Magic.”)

...continued: Bone up on calcium

In a perfect world I would dine on wild salmon four times a week - like so many health experts recommend – and get my fill of those precious omega-3 fatty acids. In reality, I really only know how to cook one dish (veggie stir-fry) and sometimes find salmon to taste vaguely of feet. So over the past five or so years, I’ve sporadically (i.e., when I’ve remembered) taken fish oil supplements to get all the many benefits of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Most prized for their positive impact on heart health, these omega-3s are also said to reduce inflammation, enhance brain function and memory, protect against various forms of cancer, balance hormones, and keep skin clear.

My supplement of choice is Nature’s Bounty Cold Water Salmon Oil, a Consumer Lab-approved supplement. ThisNexter Alex, though, considers the Pharmaceutical Grade Omega-3 supplements from Natural Factors to be “the highest quality fish oil on the web” (“Everyone should take 2 pills a day to stay healthy,” Alex adds. “Eating omega-3 fats is critical to good health and it is very hard to get enough without fish oil pills.”) And Gordon backs him up on that: “Alex does all the research and says this is the best brand so it is the one I recommend as well,” he says. “Everyone who wants to live a long, healthy life should take some fish oil supplements: myriad anti-inflammatory benefits.”

...continued: Something's fishy

Although I became intrigued by coconut oil around the time that books like The Coconut Oil Miracle and The Coconut Diet hit the shelves a couple of years ago, the only way I’ve ever used the beachy-smelling stuff is with my very divine Coconut Cream Body Oil from LaLicious. Scouring the Web for more in-depth info on the health value of consuming coconut oil, I found many a conflicting report (most of which were either of the “Coconut oil is SO GOOD for you!” or “Coconut oil is SO BAD for you!” variety). But then I discovered a post at the much-trusted Treehugger that helped clear some of the confusion. Blogger Mairi Beautyman explains:

“[C]oconut oil is the victim of an 80’s smear campaign against tropical oil producers, an attempt by domestic oil producers to eliminate the competition.

“During this time, most coconut oil was hydrogenated—a chemical alteration now proven to be detrimental to health…But virgin, one hundred percent coconut oil has a slew of health benefits, according to Dr. Joseph Mercola. ‘Close to two-thirds of the saturated fat in coconut oil is made up of medium-chain fatty acids, which have antimicrobial properties, are easily digested by the body for quick energy, and are beneficial to the immune system,’ says Mercola.”

Very much tuned into the oil’s versatility and nutritional appeal, a bunch of health bloggers and ThisNexters have proven themselves to be cuckoo for coconut. And really, who can resist a product that you can slather onto your skin and use as a butter substitute in your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe? Not Dani Katz, whose Emerald Laboratories Extra Virgin Coconut Oil shopcast reveals that “I use coconut oil for everything – as a cooking oil, a spread, even as a facial moisturizer.” Summer Rayne Oakes, who specializes in “building socially-responsible ventures through fashion and media,” recommends the same certified organic product in her “Summer’s Green Goods” list, dubbing it the “secret of the trade.”

...continued: Cuckoo for coconut oil

Although my smoothie addiction isn’t nearly as bad some other ladies I know, every so often there are those moments when all that can make me a happy is an icy-cold, thick-yet-frothy concoction of fruit and yogurt inhaled at brainfreezing-speed through a cute little bendy straw. And while I do my best to support the indie smoothie-makers of the world, I sometimes end up at Jamba Juice, where I’ll likely order something like the Strawberries Wild and then feel lame about the fact that – with just some juice, fro yo, strawberries and bananas – I could have whipped up the lovely thing all on my own.

Far more driven than I, a bunch of blender-savvy ThisNexters have been sharing their smoothie-creating secrets and revealing just how much good-for-you stuff you can cram into one yummy shake. One fave ingredient is acai, an antioxidant-rich, amino-acid-packed Brazilian fruit made smoothie-ready with Sambazon’s Açai Power Pack. Hans Rey calls acai-accented smoothies “the perfect energy boost,” and shopcaster Daize Goodwin concurs: “This is a natural energizer and it is SO good for you!! You stick it into the blender with your usual smoothie essentials and you’re ready to go for the morning.”

...continued: Planet Smoothie

For those in need of a diet makeover, ThisNext is beginning to form a mini-library of healthy-eating books suited to many a food-focused goal. Whether you’re looking to drop a jeans size or incorporate more organic food into your meals, revamping your routine with the help of a new read can be one of the simplest ways to do good for your body, mind, and even the planet.

Take Jeff Cox’s Organic Cook’s Bible: How to Select and Cook the Best Ingredients on the Market, recommended by our recently interviewed shopcaster Fanny The Fairy. With 250 recipes using more than 150 organic ingredients, the book encourages readers to support Earth-friendly forms of food production and become more connected to what they’re consuming (“I love this book because i think it’s important to know the food you eat,” says Fanny in her shopcast).

With a similar emphasis on exploring organic foods – especially of the locally, sustainably grown variety – Anna Lappe and Bryant Terry’s Grub presents healthy eating as a form of activism. In her review at Fit Fare, Sara Maamouri dubs the book “a fired-up call to action” that teaches readers “exactly what they can do to change their food future,” while at the same time serving as “a reminder that ultimately, food should be a fun, creative part of our lives, and not simply a bland and boring fuel.”

...continued: Healthy reads

I can’t be trusted with a jar of peanut butter. If there’s ever some Skippy or Peter Pan or Smuckers left around the apartment, I somehow end up spooning the stuff straight from the jar once crazy deadlines start hitting. (A while back I even went through a phase of keeping a jar of Jif inside my desk – baaaaaaad idea.) Luckily I’ve discovered the next best thing for when I’m craving peanut buttery goodness: Nature Valley Peanut Butter Crunchy Granola Bars, which are much harder to O.D. on, given their convenient little 180-calorie-per-serving packages.

In fact, practically all the products in the Nature Valley line appear to be the perfect solution for when you need a snacky little pick-me-up but don’t want to resort to junk food. ThisNext member Yumi Chen goes for Nature Valley Healthy Heart Granola Bars, which “have just the right amount of crunch and gooeyness.” Daily Mogs’ blogger, meanwhile, loves Nature Valley’s Sweet and Salty Nut Bars because they’re “more like a candy bar to me which tricks my mind and delights my palate.”

...continued: ThisNext's guide to healthy snackage

While I don’t exactly identify as a health nut, I do consider myself a health nerd, meaning that I tend to dork out over products that offer some new and possibly even weird way to get healthier. Which is why I was tickled pink to see Anna’s shopcast on Kashi’s new Vive cereal. High in fiber and calcium, Vive is fortified with probiotics, beneficial bacteria that help keep your digestive system running smoothly. I’m psyched, but for those who aren’t very turned on by the idea of a bacteria-infused breakfast cereal, here’s an excerpt of Anna’s review:

“It was sweet and crunchy and tasted mildly of graham. There are flakes, twigs and little white round things which taste like the yogurt coating you sometimes get on raisins or pretzels. If you are use to eating healthy cereals, you will probably find this cereal excellent. If you are transitioning from, oh, Lucky Charms or Froot Loops, then you will probably find it pretty good.”

...continued: Get your good bugs

Anyone who’s even remotely health-conscious knows the importance of upping your intake of antioxidants: The free-radical-fighting substances are linked to everything from cancer prevention and heart protection to better eyesight and enhanced longevity. And – unless your daily diet is very much of the meat-and-potatoes variety – antioxidants are anything but elusive. You can slurp on a watermelon slice to soak up lots of lycopene, down a glass of OJ for the vitamin C power, or crunch through a carrot to get your beta-carotene.

For some of most antioxidant-rich foods and supplements around, just take a peek at all the very phytonutrient-friendly picks popping up on ThisNext. From the indulgent to the hardcore healthy, our shopcasters know all about the stuff you need to turn back the clock and fight off disease like some kind of superhero.

...continued: ThisNext: Your #1 antioxidant source

Magnesium’s something of a wonder mineral - it helps promote proper functioning of your muscles and nerves, keeps your immune system strong and your heart rhythm steady, regulates blood pressure, and builds strong bones. The essential nutrient also, according to Kevin Dill at Low Carb HIT, helps you metabolize carbs. To up your intake of magnesium, the self-described “on again, off again low carber” recommends food sources like tofu, legumes, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, wheat bran, Brazil nuts, soybean flour, almonds, cashews, blackstrap molasses, pumpkin and squash seeds, pine nuts, and black walnuts. And for info on how much magnesium you need to get each day, check with The Office of Dietary Supplements.

Having consumed so much avocado over the last few days - how else to get through those Trader Joe’s four-packs before the stuff turns all brown and bad? - I’m psyched by low-carb blogger Carol Bardelli’s recent discovery that adding fat to veggies may make them more nutritious. According to a Wall Street Journal article highlighted in Carol’s post, the body requires the presence of fat in order to absorb some of the vitamins and anti-cancer compounds found in fruits and veggies. The article points to an Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center study finding that adding avocado to fat-free salsa - which boosted the fat content to about 37 percent of calories - resulted in test subjects absorbing an average of 4.4 times as much lycopene and 2.6 times as much beta carotene.

At her healthy weight-loss blog, Ediet.com’s “master motivator” Julia Griggs Havey posts news and advice to help readers make big strides toward shedding pounds. Here, the Awaken the Diet Within talks about the importance of writing down your weight-loss goals:

“If you have your daily plan written down, with the details of all you want to get done today, including the snacks you will carry with you and your meals chosen for the day, you will be much more inclined to avoid the unhealthy foods and actions that may throw you off track. If you can plan the activities, the errands, and all the tasks you will be doing each day from the time you get up ‘til the time you go to bed, you will be keeping yourself busy on accomplishing what’s on your daily planner, rather than spending time worrying about your weight or other things that may not be productive.”

Carb Attack tracks one blogger’s journey through the 30-in-30 low carb diet challenge, an effort to shed 30 pounds in 30 weeks. Also working to manage her diabetes, Kathryn has sought some help from Dr. Richard K. Bernstein’s book The Diabetes Diet (a low-carb solution to keeping diabetes in check). The results thus far:

“So Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetic Diet seems to be working! If you are diabetic or insulin resistant, I recommend it. It’s extremely low carb, so many people have a hard time staying on it. But I find that the good results I get make me willing to stick with it pretty well so far.”

“If I’m not liplocked to a bottle of Perrier I’m drowning at the bottom of a teapot,” says Fear And Loathing In The Kitchen blogger Tracy (a “navel-gazer self-absorbed enough to believe that her ongoing battle with weight, body image, and food addictions and obsessions makes for interesting reading,” according to her bio). “I have no idea what it’s like to actually feel thirsty.” We know the feeling: Drowning in reminders to get that 64-ounces-a-day, my fingertips are never too far from a 1.5-liter bottle of Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water.

Determined to find out whether we really truly require so much hydration, Tracy turned to Dartmouth researcher and kidney specialist Heinz Valtin, M.D. Her discovery:

“According to Valtin, when you start to get low on fluid your body will compensate by bringing fluid back out of your kidneys and by slowing the loss of water through your skin. Thirst begins when the concentration of blood (an accurate indicator of our state of hydration) has risen by less than two percent, whereas most experts would define dehydration as beginning when that concentration has risen by at least five percent - so you can absolutely rely on your thirst to tell you when to have a drink. He also found that coffee, tea etc are perfectly fine to drink and do count toward your fluid intake. And he found no studies at all showing that the magic 8 cups of water are necessary for health.”

Cheers to blogger Chris Brogan for spreading the word about the brand spankin’ new Health Hacks Podcast. Run by Kevin Kennedy-Spaien of HealthHack.com, Health Hacks Podcast is “an assortment of voices talking passionately about creative ways to get your fitness goals met.”

The most recent installment features a section on the “No S Diet” (no snacks, no sweets, no seconds), presented as a smart alternative to often-unsuccessful “substance-accounting diets” (those in which you count calories, carbs, what-have-you) and “forbidden foods diets” (diets where “you can eat as much of the good foods as you want, just as long as you don’t go anywhere near evil foods”).