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Foods for Better Skin
Posted on Jan 29th 2010 2:30PM by That's Fit Editors
Provided by Women's HealthFill your shopping cart with foods that will fight for your right to look and feel amazing for years to come. Researchers agree that these edibles have healing powers that can help keep you in top shape, inside and out. Start noshing on them now to save face later.
Click through the gallery below for our list of anti-aging foods.
Score your dose of vitamin E, another powerful skin protector, by snacking on almonds or pumpkin or sunflower seeds. "A lack of vitamin E can influence the quality and texture of your skin," Clark says. Without it, your skin is at greater risk of damage from free radicals. "If there is plenty of vitamin E in the membranes of cells exposed to free radicals, vitamin E will take the brunt of the attack and protect the fatty acid that surrounds all the intricate workings inside each cell," she says.
Anti-Aging Foods
Acerola Juice
Feed your face with this tart treat. It packs 3,000 times as much vitamin C as OJ, and women who get a lot of C have more vibrant skin and fewer wrinkles, reports The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (Try Bolthouse Farms C-Boost, $4.50, bolthouse.com.)
Watermelon
Reddish-orange foods like tomato and watermelon, which are rich in beta-carotene and lycopene, increase your protection against harmful UV rays from the inside out. Both vitamins settle into skin's outer layer, where their antioxidant action helps repair cells damaged by sunlight. In one French study, the dueling duo helped improve markers of skin defense against UV rays by as much as 20 percent. V8 juice is a source of both nutrients -- just make yours the low-sodium version; why risk bloating from heavy salt intake?
Hemp
The omega-3 fatty acids in hemp help your skin retain moisture so you don't look like a cast member from "Dawn of the Dead." Toss a tablespoon each of lemon juice, pine nuts, and shelled hemp seeds ($9 for 8 oz, manitobaharvest.com) into a blender with cup of hemp-seed oil ($10 for 8 oz, manitobaharvest.com), a chopped garlic clove, a pinch of salt, and 1/2 cup fresh basil. Whirl to create a delicious and healthy pesto. Worried about tripping the light fantastic after your snack? Don't be. Hemp is a different variety of cannabis, and it doesn't trigger positive drug tests
Rainbow Trout
While lotion is a great remedy to fight dry, flaky skin, changing your diet can prevent parching in the first place. The best way to keep your outer layer lubricated is to increase your intake of healthy fats. "Fat is a nutrient that protects all cells, including your skin cells," says Kristine Clark, Ph.D., R.D., director of sports nutrition at Pennsylvania State University. If you consume too little fat, your skin becomes brittle. Salmon is a great choice, but rainbow trout has almost as much eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) -- an omega-3 fatty acid that stops the stress chemical cortisol from boiling over. EPA makes trout true vanity fare because it stimulates the repair of skin cells.
Pumpkin Seeds
Score your dose of vitamin E, another powerful skin protector, by snacking on almonds or pumpkin or sunflower seeds. "A lack of vitamin E can influence the quality and texture of your skin," Clark says. Without it, your skin is at greater risk of damage from free radicals. "If there is plenty of vitamin E in the membranes of cells exposed to free radicals, vitamin E will take the brunt of the attack and protect the fatty acid that surrounds all the intricate workings inside each cell," she says.
Cucumber
The peel of this super-low-calorie fruit is made of silica, a building block of skin-plumping, wrinkle-preventing collagen. There's no recommended minimum intake for silica, but experts suggest at least five milligrams a day -- the amount you'll get in the peel of one cucumber. Tip: Go organic. Regular cukes usually are treated with a coat of gack-inducing wax to preserve their shelf life, whereas organically grown ones often are left naked.
Citrus Zest
Eating as little as 1 tablespoon of citrus zest each week may reduce your risk of skin cancer by nearly 30 percent. "Lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruit contain d-limonene, a potent antioxidant known to reduce skin cancer risk," says Iman Hakim, M.D., of the Arizona College of Public Health. Use a zester to scrape the peel (not the bitter white pith underneath), and add a pinch to salads, smoothies, or marinades.
Broccoli
Researchers at John Hopkins University found that skin treated with an extract of newly sprouted broccoli seeds and then exposed to UV radiation had 38 percent less redness and swelling than untreated skin -- and remained protected for several days. Why? The plant compounds sulforaphane boosts the activity of protective enzymes in our cells that don't usually work at full capacity, says lead researcher Paul Talalay, M.D. Steam a batch for dinner to keep your cancer-fighters on guard.
Berry Smoothie
Want to fight wrinkles in liquid form? Make this smoothie for breakfast tomorrow and impress your dermatologist -- it includes a mega dose of fine-line-preventing goodies we just mentioned and a few extra age-reversing additions just because:
This berry-based beautifier is an awesome skin-smoothing combo. With anti-aging vitamin E from wheat germ, sun-damage- fighting omega-3 fatty acids from flax seed, and vitamin C from berries your skin won't know how to thank you. "Vitamin C is essential for making collagen, tissue that literally holds your skin together and reduces the appearance of fine lines," says certified dietitian Christine Avanti, author of Skinny Chicks Don't Eat Salads. Plus, the oleic acid (a type of monounsaturated fat) in avocado has been linked to reducing wrinkles.s
What You'll Need
1 c blueberries
1 c pitted cherries
1/2 c strawberries, hulled
1/4 avocado, peeled and pitted
2 Tbsp wheat germ
2 Tbsp ground flax seed
1/2 c plain low-fat yogurt
1 c ice
Makes 3 servings. Per serving: 153 cal, 5.6 g fat(1 g sat), 23 g carbs, 35 mg sodium, 5 g fiber, 6 g protein
