What to Eat for Healthy Skin

A healthy diet and exercise regimen can very much aid to a healthy lifestyle. Put these foods (and drinks) on your shopping list to have healthy skin all season long.

Strawberries
Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C (one cup gives you over a day’s worth of this antioxidant). Vitamin C helps your body make collagen, which helps skin stay plump and wrinkle-free, and it can also help prevent and heal UV-related skin damage. Pile them on your breakfast cereal or yogurt, or enjoy them in this sweet-and-savory spinach salad with candies almonds and walnuts topped with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing..

Tomatoes
Lycopene—the compound that gives tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon their red hue—helps protect skin against sun exposure. According to a November 2012 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating lycopene-rich food consistently for several weeks may help to improve your skin appearance. Try them thinly sliced up on a homemade Margherita flatbread pizza (which is simple to create).

Four Cheese Margherita Pizza (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/four-cheese-margherita-pizza/)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
8 Roma tomatoes, sliced
2 (12 inch) pre-baked pizza crusts
8 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese
4 ounces shredded Fontina cheese

10 fresh basil leaves, washed, dried
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Stir together olive oil, garlic, and salt; toss with tomatoes, and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Brush each pizza crust with some of the tomato marinade. Sprinkle the pizzas evenly with Mozzarella and Fontina cheeses. Arrange tomatoes overtop, then sprinkle with shredded basil, Parmesan, and feta cheese.
3. Bake in preheated oven until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Cucumbers
Cucumbers nourish skin by delivering a lot of water, as well as some vitamin C and caffeic acid—two compounds that may help protect against skin-damaging UV rays. Cucumber has also long been used in Ayurveda, an Indian system of medicine, to soothe sunburn and other skin irritations. Use cool cucumbers as a topping for grilled salmon or alone as a snack with a splash of vinegar and a dash of salt.

Watermelon
Watermelon is super hydrating and also delivers lycopene, a compound that may help improve your skin’s appearance. Lycopene is best absorbed with fat, so try it as a filling snack to hold you over until your next meal.

Iced Tea
Green tea is chockfull of polyphenols — compounds that, among other benefits, may help ward off skin damage from the sun’s powerful UV rays. Give it an even more refreshing twist by adding mint and lemon.

Grilled Salmon
Salmon and other oily fish are great sources of omega-3 fatty acids — a type of fat that may help quell inflammation. That’s important when it comes to your skin. Research suggests that eating EPA — one type of omega-3 that’s found primarily in oily fish — helps lower the inflammation response that is part of sunburn, sun-related aging and skin cancer. Grilled salmon is a quick-cooking summer classic — try it glazed in teriyaki sauce for some additional flavor.

Iced Coffee
Yup, one more health benefit to add to America’s favorite beverage: it might help ward off skin cancer. Women who drank three cups of caffeinated coffee a day had a significantly lower risk of basal cell carcinoma (the type of skin cancer) compared to women who rarely drank coffee, in a 2012 study published in the journal Cancer Research. The researchers argued that men can expect the same skin-protective benefit. Skip the coffee shop and make your iced java at home with the Pioneer Woman’s recipe for Perfect Iced Coffee.

Perfect Iced Coffee
Total Time: 8 hr 10 min
Prep: 10 min
Inactive: 8 hr
Yield: 24 servings
Level: Easy

Ingredients
• 1 pound ground coffee (a good, rich roast)
• Half-and-half (healthy splash per serving)
• Sweetened condensed milk (2 to 3 tablespoons per serving)

Directions
Cook’s Note: Can use skim milk, 2-percent milk, whole milk, sugar, artificial sweeteners, syrups…adapt to your liking!
In a large container, mix the ground coffee with 8 quarts water. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for eight hours or overnight.
Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over a pitcher or other container. Pour the coffee/water mixture through the strainer, allowing all the liquid to run through. Discard the grounds. Place the coffee liquid in the fridge and allow to cool. Use as needed.
To make iced coffee, pack a glass full of ice cubes. Fill the glass two-thirds full with the coffee liquid. Add a healthy splash of half-and-half. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (can use plain sugar instead) and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the half-and-half and/or sweetened condensed milk as needed.

#bombshellglam, #healthyskin, #healthyfood, #talishabradford, #fruitsandvegetables, #icedcoffee, #ujimamagazine

Bombshell Glam Professional Make Up Artistry
Talisha Bradford
Lead Make Up Artist
Ph: (512) 300-9512
Email: bombshellglamtx@gmail.com
Website: www.bombshellglammua.com
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