By: Eliane Bejjani
The connection between food and beauty is incredibly powerful. Just by changing the foods you eat, you can radically change the way you look and feel. A raw food diet can replenish, hydrate and nourish your skin from the inside out.
When the body is unhealthy and toxic, these conditions manifest themselves externally. These could include dry skin, chaffed skin, dark eye rings, poor complexion, body odor, to name a few. Consumption of raw food and skin health is connected because raw foods translate to better health, which then improves the condition of one’s skin.
Plant based raw food also contain large amounts of antioxidants, which protect the skin against free radical damage. These antioxidants also offer great protection against sunburn.
You don’t have to be a vegan or raw vegan, just increase the proportion of raw foods and fresh juices in your diet, and you will see the difference. Eat more raw foods and your skin health will get better, too!
Here is a list of 12 things for you to start including in your diet as well as in your daily skin care.
Cucumber
Cucumbers are 95 percent water, keeping the body hydrated while helping the body eliminate toxins. Cucumbers have most of the vitamins the body needs in a single day. Cucumbers also have an anti-inflammatory quality that helps reduce swelling, making them super safe to rub over your eyes. Cucumbers are an excellent source of silica, a trace mineral that strengthens skin’s connective tissue. As well as proper construction of connective tissues in the bones, muscles, cartilage, ligaments and tendons. The high amount of vitamin C and anti-oxidants in cucumber makes it an important ingredient in many beauty creams for treating eczema, psoriasis, acne, etc. Cucumber is easy to add in your raw juices, salads, or slice up and use on your skin.
Pineapple
Pineapples soften the skin and fight free radical damage caused by the sun (and seemingly everything else). It’s most famous enzyme, bromelain, is a powerful anti-inflammatory and cleansing agent that can relieve swelling.
Spinach
Spinach is high in anti-inflammatory properties this helps flush out any toxins that might have been building up in your system and showing up in your skin. Spinach is also known to strengthen your skin tissue and when eaten regularly gives you an all over glow. Its high in antioxidants, bioflavins, carotenoids, and full of anti-aging antioxidants and minerals like vitamin A, C, and K. This makes it a nutrient powerhouse that helps to reduce environmental damage to the skin cell’s membrane which gives you wrinkles and helps keep skin stay hydrated.
Aloe Vera
It has been said to can heal just about any disease. Why, because it is anti-fungal, anti-oxidant, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory. Its great for reducing wrinkles, stretch marks and pigmentation’s. It is also an anti-inflammatory full of vitamins and essential minerals. It slows the aging of skin by delivering oxygen to your cells while still allowing the skin to breathe.
Mango
Mango is an amazing anti-aging food. Mangoes are exceptionally high in beta carotene, which the body converts to Vitamin A, as well being high in Vitamin C content. This dynamic duo of vitamins is really important for anti-aging, because they help regulate cell turnover, which is important for your skin to be revitalized. Cell regeneration is a natural biological process that replaces old skin cells with fresh new ones, and keeps your complexion looking youthful.
Goji Berries
Goji berries have anti-aging properties. It increases your antioxidant and amino acid level, which will have a great impact on the improvement of your skin. This mighty berry will also protect your skin by reducing the amount of free radicals which harm to the cells. It also increases your growth hormone levels which help replenish the youth in aged skin.
Coconut oil
COconut oil is just not good to eat, its amazing to use as a nourishing face cream, repairing leave-in conditioner or body moisturizer. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg: It’s actually beneficial in raising metabolism and boosting immunity, too. It helps strengthen underlying tissues and helps remove excessive dead cell on the skin’s surface that makes your skin rough and flaky in texture. It also great for shine and as a natural moisturizer for your hair.
Kale
Kale contains carotenoids, which are rich in antioxidants. Juicing with dark leafy greens helps fight inflammation and detoxifies the liver, which in turn detoxes the skin. Good digestion is linked to clearer skin.
Beet
Beet Juice has anti aging benefits. it preserves brain function with nitrates to improve blood flow. High in folate that fight wrinkles and other skin conditions.
Blueberries
The flavanoids in blueberries protect the body from free radical harm, shielding the skin against harmful free damaging radicals. By protecting the skin cells from damage and disintegration, the skin looks younger for longer.
Nori
One sheet of nori has a high level of omega-3 fatty acids which create natural oils, an important barrier on the skin. Omega-3s also play the role of helping to reduce the body’s production of inflammatory compounds. It is important to keep inflammation low as this can affect the aging process and how healthy the skin looks and feels.
Avocado
Avocado has a powerful anti-aging combo of Vitamin C and Vitamin E is what avocados can offer you. While the high fat content moisturizes and prevents future drying, Avocados will keep your skin youthful. The sterolin found in the oil can reduce age spots, heal sun damage and scars and increases the collagen in your skin. But avocado is not only for eating. You can also Mash up avocado with a fork and Apply it to clean skin, leave on as long as desired before rinsing.
