You
heard the saying: “You
are what you eat.” If you eat too much or foods that are high
in fat, well there’s a high chance that you will be
overweight and suffer from health problems in the distant future, but
this is not the focus of what I want to talk about. What I really want
to discuss are the certain types of foods which can actually have a
positive effect on your skin. By this I mean, these foods can help to
prevent skin aging and the overall breakdown of skin cells,
basically
keep your skin younger and healthier looking. Consequently, one can call these foods
as “beauty foods”. Baby Boomers these days are also
trying to defy their age. Well younger skin will help them a lot
too.
You can see some of these beauty foods in this large image from Reveal
Magazine (see below).
I’d like to look at a few of these foods.
There’s nothing better than freshly grown tomatoes which will
be more nutritious and delicious compared to store purchased tomatoes.
In a sandwich or in a tossed salad, tomatoes taste great but besides
the vitamins it contains (Vitamin A and C), they also contain Lycopene
which protects skin cells and promotes faster new cell growth.
I’ve also read that Lycopene may prevent certain types of
cancer. Studies are inconclusive to-date with respect to its potential
cancer preventing properties. Regardless, you should include tomatoes
in your diet. If you are unable to or do not like the taste of
tomatoes, consider a supplement like Rosehips
which contains Lycopene.
“An apple a day, keeps the doctor away”…
Apples are loaded with vitamins, plus they are good for your skin.
The Omega 3 in fish improves not only dry skin, but it boosts your
immune system enabling you to stay healthier and I find that it gives
me a lot more energy particularly great for athletes and people who
exercise a lot. Of course due to pollution concerns, you just cannot
consume fish every day and you need to be aware of what types of fish
will contain more environmental contaminants. Generally the rule is the
bigger the fish is and if it’s a bottom feeder, then they
will be higher in harmful chemicals. What I recommend is that you take
an Omega
3 supplement on the days that you do not consume fish and
make
sure that you read the label. A quality Omega 3 supplement will
indicate that it is checked for and that it is free of lead, mercury
and other environmental contaminants plus the source of the Omega 3.
Other foods that may keep your skin young and health looking include:
various nuts, avocado, yoghurt and berries.
This is just a brief overview of our beauty foods. There are many more
and I’d have to go to great detail to discuss each one.
Generally you should include foods from each group during the week
particularly at least 1 fruit and a serving of vegetables per day. If
you cannot, I recommend that you take multi-vitamins.
They are more
convenient and you know you are getting all the vitamins in the right
doses that your body requires.
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