Sunday, December 09, 2007

Superfoods for Optimal Skincare
By Menachem Green


Better watch out what you're holding; that could be one cigarette, or beer, too many. You wouldn't want to age faster than usual, would you? Now it may make some sense to lend an ear to the cliche that we become what we eat. Practically everybody in the health world knows that what we eat, drink and take in can have visible effects on our skin. Let's go over what superfoods can you eat on your way to great glowing skin.

But now that we mentioned nutrition, let's try covering the basics of what makes your skin come alive. Keep in mind vitamin A, which happens to be one of the most necessary ingredients for skin health. Low-fat dairy products is one of its top sources. Another plus point to low-fat yogurt is that it contains the "live" healthy microorganisms that helps out in balancing the bacteria in the stomach. Other good sources of vitamin A include cod liver oil, yams, carrots, and leafy vegetables.

Aside from Vitamin A, how about having heard of foods rich in antioxidants? such as vegetables, fruits, grain cereals, legumes and nuts. The benefits of these foods for healthy skin are plentiful. The antioxidants and other phytochemicals in these fruits can protect the skin cells, so there is less chance for damage. This in turn guards against premature aging, and keeps skin looking younger longer. Yet more sources of antioxidants are whole wheat cereals, tea, black, red, and pinto beans, prunes, and pecans. By the way, remember that processed foods contain less antioxidants than fresh and uncooked foods, since the essentials can be lost in the food by storing them in the ref or the cooking process.

While some scientific health discoveries are by themselves good, they are sometimes commercialized to the point of being regarded as only hype. It is good that some ideas really survive due to their worthiness; take essential fatty acids (EFAs) for example. Essential to your skin's health, these can be part of your diet through fish, nuts, canola oil, and flax seed. What these fatty acids do is to keep cell membranes healthy, and allow nutrients to pass through.

Another important benefit is that EFA are said to protect heart health.

We also need healthy oils, which holds more nutrients than essential fatty acids. Eating good-quality oils leads to a well-lubricated and more vibrant skin. If you find cold pressed oils, get them. Only some two tablespoons a day of healthy oils can be maximized by our body; employ prudence when using oil in your food.

Recent studies show that if the chemical element selenium's levels are high, even skin damaged by the sun may only suffer minimal, if any, damage. Turn to foods like whole-wheat bread, muffins and cereals, turkey, tuna and Brazil nuts for this important nutrient.

Would this article on skin health and dietary habits be complete without touching on sugars?

Choosing the whole grain counterparts of complex carbohydrates can have an important effect on insulin levels. Processed sugars can create skin inflammations that can spoil the skin.

The amazing green tea, aside from containing cancer-fighting agents, has anti-inflammatory properties, and maintains the membrane of the cell.

Water, nature's very own toxin remover, plays such an important role in your overall health.

Drinking it during meals and during moments when you sweat a lot may help contribute to skin that is healthy and vibrant. It also helps expels toxins out of your body.

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