Fruits And Vegetables For Vibrant Skin
Nature’s Superfood
If you want a glowing and youthful looking complexion then it is common knowledge that you need to eat a healthy diet. For sure we all know the occasional lucky person who seems to live off junk food and still maintains healthy skin but for most of us it takes a little work. And what’s more that friend of yours with the bad diet and the good skin may look good now but in the future… Well let’s just say that a healthy diet will go a long way in maintaining the health of your body and your skin as you age so it makes sense to eat a diet that is rich in nutrients. Fruits and vegetables are nature’s natural beauty foods and incorporating them into your daily diet is the only way to reap the benefits of these nutrient packed wonders of nature!
In their raw state fruit and vegetables are rich in the essential nutrients and natural enzymes your body needs to stay healthy. So for the sake of your skin make use of these health-giving foods provided by good old Mother Nature
Below we will take a look at fruits and vegetables good for skin. All fruits and vegetables have nutritional value so here we have simply picked out some of the very best ones when it comes to skin care.
Fruits Good For Skin
Apple
One of the best fruits for skin is the humble apple.
Containing around 40 calories each and packed full of skin-friendly vitamin C and a soluble fiber known as pectin apples are wonderful for their skin-healing and detoxifying properties. What’s more they are delicious too and come in a wide range of varieties.
Apples can also help to settle your digestion, ease an upset stomach, treat diarrhea and provide a tonic for the bowels and liver.
Apricot
Fresh or dried these nutrient packed little fruits are loaded with iron and beta-carotene which are both essential skin nutrients.
If choosing the dried variety avoid those that have been treated with sulphur dioxide preservative to keep the color. As natural as possible is the best way to enjoy your fruit and vegetables.
Avocado
Another nutrient packed skin food that contains high levels of vitamins A, C and E and also contains potassium and some B vitamins. Not only good to eat many natural skin care remedies include mashed up avocado directly applied to the skin.
Banana
Bananas provide your body with an ‘energy’ boost and are full of healthy skin nutrients such as potassium, Vitamins A and C, iron, calcium, folic acid and pectin – phew!
If you are trying to cut out sugary foods to improve your skin then bananas can help to satisfy those sweet tooth cravings. They are also an excellent choice of food to eat to help ease digestion or treat stomach upsets.
Berries
Blackberries, blueberries and strawberries all provide an excellent source of the skin-friendly vitamin C and also have blood-cleansing properties.
Strawberries however are known to cause allergic rashes in some people so it is important to avoid them if they do not agree with your skin.
Grapefruit
Grapefruits contain vitamin C, pectin and fiber. The bioflavonoids found in the pith and skin of the grapefruit help to strengthen the blood vessels and have anti-inflammatory properties.
Grapefruit skin can be grated and added to salads to make it more palatable. Grapefruit is also a popular fruit to use in home beauty remedies particularly as it’s delightful fragrance provides a natural pick-me-up.
Kiwi fruit
Kiwi fruit contains twice the amount of vitamin C that an orange does and around four times the amount of fiber found in a celery stick.
Lemon
The healing and cleansing properties of lemons are well documented. What’s more they contain high levels of vitamin C and skin friendly bioflavonoids.
Many people begin the day with a glass of warm water containing a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice, as this is a powerful way to cleanse the body and the skin on waking.
Melon
Melons are rich in potassium, folic acid, iron and vitamins A and C and are almost 90% water making them a gentle fruit to eat with cleansing properties for the skin. Watermelon and cantaloupe are particularly good varieties to choose.
Eat Fruit Carefully
To get the best out of fruit it is best to enjoy it as a snack in between meals, as a starter or in the early part of the day. Fruit for breakfast makes an excellent choice.
In other words it is best to eat fruit on an empty stomach. This is because you want to avoid piling fruit on top of a meal that will break down slowly during the digestion process.
Fruit needs a fast transit through your body’s digestive system and if it comes into contact with protein or starch it can cause bloating, heartburn, flatulence and stomach pain.
Vegetables Good For Skin
Artichokes
Globe artichokes contain high levels of iron, calcium, B vitamins thiamin and niacin, Vitamin C and fiber. They have excellent diuretic properties making them a good cleanser for the kidneys, liver and skin.
Asparagus
Another vegetable that has powerful internal cleansing properties is asparagus. This vegetable also provides a good source of vitamins C and E.
Eating asparagus can cause your urine to smell quite strongly on the day or day after you have eaten it but this is normal and nothing to be concerned about.
Bamboo shoots
A staple of Chinese cookery, eaten cooked or raw bamboos shoots provide an excellent dose of Vitamins A and C, calcium and iron. They are valuable as a skin-friendly vegetable because of their detoxifying properties.
Beetroot
Possibly the king of all the vegetables, beetroot packs a powerful nutritional punch as it can help to build blood and acts as a powerful tonic for the kidneys, bladder and liver.
Raw beetroot and beetroot juice is an excellent source of iron, calcium, vitamins A and C and other nutrients that are useful for maintaining healthy skin.
Avoid the pre-cooked variety of beetroot as this often contains less than natural additives and preservatives.
Broccoli
Broccoli is another powerfully packed vegetable containing vitamins C and E, iron, calcium, folic acid and beta-carotene. It is delicious eaten raw or steamed and when cooked in Oriental stir-fry dishes.
Cabbage
Cabbage is another nourishing skin food but make sure you choose the dark green varieties as these contain far more iron, vitamin C, beta-carotene and calcium than the paler types.
Carrot
Carrots are a rich source of beta-carotene as this is what gives them their vibrant orange color. They are also high in fiber and anti-oxidants that are vital for healthy blood and healthy skin.
Celery
Celery is a vegetable with cleansing properties and well known for being beneficial for people with arthritic conditions. Celery can be eaten raw in salads or cooked and added to stir-fries, soups and stews
Cucumber
Cucumber is often found in homemade and shop bought beauty preparations. It is known for it’s soothing properties and it is easy to make your own skin care products using cucumber at home.
When eaten cucumbers provide a good source of cleansing water, vitamin C, potassium and beta-carotene.