Articles About Your Health
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Beauty from the Inside Out
by Keri Glassman, M.S., R.D., C.D.N
Does your skin glow?
Glowing skin is a sign that you're treating yourself right! Your skin is often the most obvious indicator of your general health and it's often where the first signals of nutrition problems and/or dehyrdation show themselves. Dull, sallow or blotchy skin can be a direct reflection of the "stuff" you're eating and drinking. Good skin needs the right balance of vitamins, minerals (and water!) to look its best.
True Lemon is one of the ways you can be good to your skin. Adequate hydration is the first step in helping your skin look supple and True Lemon is an easy and refreshing way to help you drink your recommended amount of water every day (without adding any "bad stuff".) Every packet of True Lemon also has 25% of your daily Vitamin C requirements, and Vitamin C requirements helps in the build-up of collagen, which reduces wrinkles. When you skin has more collagen, your skin retains its elasticity and wrinkles take longer to form. (And who doesn't want that?!)
Other vitamins, minerals and foods that are particularly good for your skin include:
Vitamins and Minerals:
Protein:
Keep nails strong and moisturized by eating plenty of protein. Protein helps in the build up of keratin. Keratin is the substance that makes up nails. Skinless, boneless chicken breast, lean turkey, tuna and beans are rich in proteins.
Vitamin B:
Food that is rich in vitamin B makes your hair shiny. Important sources of this vitamin are eggs, milk, green vegetables and poultry. Silica is important to keep your hair elastic, shiny and healthy. Raw oats, cucumber skin, onions and bean sprouts are rich in this mineral.
Zinc and Calcium:
Both these minerals help in eradicating pimples. Zinc is found in oysters, turkey, seafood, eggs and milk. Calcium is no doubt good for your bones, but helps in clearing your skin too. Calcium rich foods like skim milk, low-fat cheese and yogurt. These foods not only remove pimples but reduce wrinkles as well.
Vitamin C:
Vitamin C helps in the build up of collagen, which reduces wrinkles. When your skin has more collagen your skin retains its elasticity and wrinkles take longer to form. Kiwi fruit is the best source of vitamin C. Other good sources are oranges, mango, honeydew, papaya and True Lemon(!).
Vitamin E:
Vitamin E is known to ease the swelling and redness associated with sunburns. Swelling causes the stretching of skin that in turns leads to wrinkle formation. Eat plenty of peaches and blueberries to increase the build up of vitamin E in your body.
Vitamin C and Iron:
Vitamin C and iron together help to reduce the dark circles under your eyes. Eat skinless chicken and red, yellow and orange peppers. These are rich in both and will help in reducing dark circles.
Water
Staying hydrated is especially important during these hot summer months. Dehydration can lead to heat related illnesses such as dizziness, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. You may already know that staying hydrated is good for body temperature regulation. You many also know that it is crucial for optimizing metabolism and other bodily processes. But, did you know that staying hydrated is also important for beautiful skin?
Consuming enough water is key to staying hydrated and it is also the best way to add back in the moisture you have lost in your skin as well as increase your energy - making you look and feel great! Water helps to protect your skin from becoming too dry, cracking, itching and chapping as well as help to heal your skin from damage. It helps refresh your skin, giving it a natural glow. What more could you want during this sleeveless shirt wearing season?!
Foods
Fish: Eating oily fish like salmon that contain omega-3 fatty acids will help hydrating and nourishing skin. (And wild salmon is the best type of salmon to buy because it has the highest levels of Omega-3 fatty acids.)
Almonds: These nuts are known for their anti-aging properties. They contain a lot of vitamin E and have a high amount of fatty acids that help to keep your skin supple. Almonds also contain antioxidant selenium. A handful is enough since almonds have a lot of calories.
Tomatoes: Tomatoes contains skin-cancer-fighting antioxidants: beta-carotene, vitamin C and lycopene. Eat tomatoes in any form and you will ingest these antioxidants. To increase the body's absorption of lycopene cook tomatoes in a little olive oil.
Apples and Celery: To remove stain from the enamel of your teeth eat crunchy foods like apples and celery
Remember: Eating healthy is one of your best beauty secrets!
Keri Glassman, M.S., R.D., C.D.N. is a registered dietician, an author and president of Keri Glassman, A Nutritious Life.. She appears regularly on news programs as a nutritionist. Keri has also launched a new line of skincare products called Skin Appetit which contain 8 extracts from super foods to help feed and hydrate your skin. It is designed to smooth lines, fortify, strengthen, hydrate and repair skin. Used in combination with proper hydration and vitamin C, Skin Appetit will help to maximize your skin's potential for looking beautiful! To download a $1.00 coupon for Skin Appetit, click here:
To read more about Keri, click here
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