Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Nutrition Is the Key to Having Great Skin

Billions are spent on skin care products each year. These products promise younger, smoother and healthy skin. To be sure, there are exciting skin care breakthrough discoveries made each year, especially in recent years, many of them are effective but only to a certain degree. For no matter what treatments the products claim to help with, it is only just a topical application. This means the product is only applied to the outside of the skin. Youthful, healthy skin happens from the inside out. Having beautiful skin requires more than just slapping on some skin products. In order to have great skin you need to work on getting enough sleep, reducing stress levels, getting regular exercise, UVA/UVB protection and paying close attention to what you eat. We will focus on what you are eating today, for if what you are putting into your body is not clean, vibrant and nutritious, you will not achieve the best results for your skin.Healthy eating is easy, especially if you remember to ask yourself the following two questions when you shop for or prepare each meal:1. Is the majority of the food grown naturally?2. Are there some (naturally) colorful foods in this meal?If you think about the first question - are the majority of foods grown naturally. The kinds of foods that should immediately come to mind would be fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and beans. These foods should be eaten with minimal processing. Processing means food product that is close to being the way it was when it was harvested, for example, not cooked, breaded, fried, covered in cheese).If the majority of your meal is minimally processed, and you add a low fat source of protein, such as fresh seafood, chicken or another lean meat, or if you are vegetarian, beans, nuts or soy products you have the beginning of a great meal. As far as beverages, avoid soft drinks and juices (if you like fruit juice, eat the fruit instead of just drinking the juice) and reduce your sugar intake. These small steps will improve the health of your body from the inside out, achieving and maintaining a youthful and healthy glow will require less effort than you might think.The answer for the second question - are there colorful foods, is also easy. Just to be clear, we are not talking about food coloring. For help visualizing, below are a few colors from the rainbow and the effects those colors have on our health and skin.Red Foods are rich in lycopene, a proven antioxidant that helps fight cancer and aging. Lycopene aids in protecting cells from damage and help it repair itself, fighting off the effects of pollution and stress. Red Food Choices: Red peppers, tomato, apples, strawberries, lean red meats, salmon, cherries, watermelon, guava and pink grapefruit.Orange and Yellow foods are rich in beta-carotene (a form of Vitamin A) and Vitamin C. Foods of this color help protect your vision, immune system and the integrity of the skin by helping the skin produce collagen. Collagen is basically the structural support of the skin, it helps the skin maintain resiliency and assists with wound healing. Orange and Yellow Food Choices: Oranges, tangerines, carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin, orange peppers, mango, cantaloupe, peaches, papaya, apricots, Bananas, squash, yellow peppers, mango, grapefruit, corn, pears, onion and grapefruit.Green foods are rich in minerals and Vitamins, including Vitamin A, B and C. These foods will keep your skin soft and supple, preventing dry and flaky skin. Green Food Choices: Leafy greens, broccoli, herbs (basil, parsley, dill, mint), kiwi, brussel sprouts, asparagus, spinach, kale, green apples and green tomatoes.Blue, Indigo and Violet foods are rich in antioxidants and nutrients, including Vitamin A, lutein, and resveratrol. They help protect the skin on a cellular level against inflammation, aid in digestion and boost the immune system. Blue/Indigo and Violet Food choices: Blueberries, black currants, plums, grapes Blackberries, dried plums (prunes), eggplant, raspberries, raisins, elderberries, pomegranates, Purple Belgian endive, purple potatoes, purple asparagus, purple cabbage, purple figs.As you can see from these examples, the foods you eat have a tremendous effect on your skin and overall health. Indeed, it is like medicine. Eating natural colorful foods in combination with a good skincare routine, will give you fantastic skin (and fantastic hair and fantastic nails!). More than any skin cream or skin treatment alone.So the next time you go food shopping or get ready to prepare a meal, ask yourself the two above questions. If you think about each meal with the two questions in mind, you will find so many food choices available, you will never become bored and will always find variety in your foods. Your overall health and in particular, your skin will improve.

Margarita Ortega of Marvaus Concepts offers cosmetics along with information, tips and advice on living a balanced and healthy life. For more information on the remaining colors of the rainbow and other informative articles, please visit http:/

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