After writing a few posts on some great beauty products I started thinking about ways to enhance beauty through diet. Wouldn’t it be great if eating a couple carrots and an apple a day gave you luscious lips and a flawless complexion? Or better yet, what if a couple servings of a long forgotten shiitake mushroom and seaweed soup recipe were all it took to transform ho hum into hottie – Victoria Secret runway model hot that is. The elixir of beauty…oh and sure, throw in youth too…the beauty and youth cocktail. Complete with plastic sword and umbrella.
Ok, some of you are saying, “wouldn’t that be cool,” or “it’s called 3 martinis in a row,” but I am here to say that the above concepts may not be as sci-fi as you might think. I don’t want to fool anyone into believing that including fresh organic raw fruits and veggies into their diet will guarantee the physical characteristics of Jessica Biel – at least no food that I’ve come across will do that – but there are definitely ways to enhance your beauty without cracking a jar of night cream.
A few years ago I went on a 5 day raw food juice fast. For five days I drank more fruit and veggie concoctions than you can imagine. Although a bit on the extreme side and definitely not easy, I was able to finish without cheating and felt really good in the end. One thing I noticed was that my skin became clear of blemishes and had a really beautiful, healthy glow. A few friends even gave unprompted comments about my look – so, it wasn’t just me trying to justify that the pain of junk food denial was worth it.
So what are some secrets that you can incorporate into your lifestyle? Here are a few to get you started ….
Water: Let’s start with an easy one. This magical, abundant and cheap beverage will rid your body of toxins and waste and keep skin moistened and looking fresh. You know you are drinking enough if your pee is on the clear side and virtually odor free.
Carrots: These orange little goodies help against premature aging and improve skin tone. Aim for about two ounces a day. I like to keep some baby carrots in a Tupperware container in the fridge and grab a couple here and there.
Citrus Fruits: Vitamin C packed fruits help combat wrinkles and improve skin elasticity. Try eating an orange a day.
Salmon: Clears the complexion and strengthens hair due to omega-3 fatty acids, selenium and vitamin D. In addition, studies suggest Omega 3s may combat cardiovascular disease, support brain health, arthritis and depression. Be sure to eat wild instead of farmed. Salmon can contain toxins like mercury so don’t go overboard – aim for 1 or 2 servings per week.
Green Tea: Here is a good coffee alternative. Studies claim that green tea can stave off aging, cleanse and detoxify skin and increase sunscreen’s effectiveness. That’s pretty cool – aim for a cup a day.
If any of you are interested in learning more about diet beautification there is a great book by David Wolfe called “Eating for Beauty.” He is a popular and charismatic raw foodist guru. Ok, and if you didn’t know, a raw foodist is a person who consumes food that has not been heated above 115 degrees farenheit – anything “cooked” above this temperature is deemed as nutrient deficient. The book has some great information but remember, you don’t have to become a raw foodist in order to achieve a healthy eating glow.
I plan on doing weekly nutrition posts, so if there is a topic you are interested in leave me a comment and I will address it in next week’s post. Ta ta:)
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