Eating right is one of the most important ways to prevent your body from ageing.
'The ageing process is caused by the oxidation of our cells,' says Karen Chang, dietitian in charge at Matilda International Hospital. 'Cells don't work as well as when you're young, and degenerative diseases come with age, such as cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure. So to postpone the ageing process, your diet should try to stop oxidation.'
Oxidation is prevented by antioxidants, and unsurprisingly fruits and vegetables are stuffed full of them - they include vitamins C and E, certain minerals, and also compounds such as resveratrol and flavonoids (also present in tea, chocolate and red wine), and carotenoids (like beta-carotene, the stuff that makes carrots orange).
Fat, sugar and processed food all accelerate the ageing process, says Chong. The good stuff's most effective when consumed in its natural form. 'It's very easy - instead of all those supplements, just go for vegetables and fruit.'
And even among healthy foods, rather than focusing on consuming large quantities of so-called superfoods, Chong says that the main thing is to keep the diet as varied as possible; she recommends that people try to eat foods covering the entire colour spectrum. 'We're talking about a variety of food,' she says. 'There is no magic food. If there were, everyone would eat it and no one would get old.'