5 Beautifying Foods
It’s no secret that living a healthy lifestyle will make you look and feel great, because health radiates from the inside out. In fact, what we traditionally perceive as beautiful (clear skin, shiny hair, white teeth, bright eyes, etc.) are all actually signs of health.
While all fresh wholesome foods are great for your health, there are certain foods that are particularly beautifying, and they are:
- Avocado. Avocados contain monounsaturated fats and lots of vitamin E, which help your skin produce collagen, enhance your skin tone, and can even reduce the appearance of wrinkles – essentially, keeping your skin looking young. Our society has become afraid of the word “fat” – but monounsaturated fats are extremely good for you (reduced cholesterol levels, reduced risk of cancer and heart disease, weight loss, and more) – so don’t be afraid to eat healthy fats!
How to enjoy them: I love avocados in salads, on sandwiches, as guacamole, and even just sliced up on their own with lime juice, salt, and pepper as a snack. Apart from eating them, avocados make great facial moisturizers and hair masques. I love pampering my skin with avocado oil before bed. When I wake up, my skin feels like a baby’s bottom. Or what I imagine a baby’s bottom would feel like, at least. I’ve never actually felt one.
- Strawberries. Eating just one cup of strawberries gives you more than 100% of your daily vitamin C needs! Strawberries are also loaded with collagen, which is great for the skin. Plus, they are low in sodium and sugar, high in fiber, and the antioxidants in them boost immunity! (Read: you’ll get sick less often.)
How to enjoy them: On their own as a snack, added to cereal, granola, or greek yogurt, in smoothies, with a bit of Nutella, even added to salads!
- Blueberries. Blueberries are always high on the list of antioxidant-rich foods, which means they’re not only disease-fighting, but anti-aging too! They help keep skin youthful and elastic, and are great for the eyes, too.
How to enjoy them: Same as with strawberries. You can enjoy them on their own, add them to your cereal, mix them with some greek yogurt, blend them into a smoothie, or even pop a few in your salad.
- Leafy greens. The darker, the better. If you can handle kale or collard greens, you’re a champ, but personally, I stick to things like mixed greens and spinach. Greens contain tons of vitamins and minerals (particularly vitamin A, calcium, and iron), plus, they’re stress reducing!
How to enjoy them: The healthiest way to enjoy them is in their whole form, so raw – in salads. However if you really can’t enjoy them that way, then you can add them to smoothies or juices to get your dose of green leafy goodness. Another option is to steam them and eat them as lunch or dinner sides! - Salmon. Ah, salmon. How I love thee. High in protein and rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, it helps to boost production of collagen (healthy skin), keratin (thick, shiny hair), and melanin (skin tone). The Vitamin D in salmon also helps keep bones and teeth in tip-top shape.
How to enjoy it: Poach it, grill it, eat it as sashimi or sushi (with brown rice), or add smoked salmon slices to sandwiches. Yum!
Other beautifying foods include olives (and olive oil), almonds, seaweed, flax seeds, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, and sweet potatoes. If you found this post helpful, please hit the [g+1] button on the right. You can also share it on Facebook or Twitter!
Happy eating and happy Friday, everybody! x
