Cucumber: Cucumber is a virtually a cure-all full of hydrating enzyme-filled water, and hydration is key for youthful, smooth skin. It also contains vitamins B and C, zinc, iron, folic acid, calcium, magnesium and potassium. And it has anti-inflammatory properties, which is why you put the chilled slices over your eyes for a DIY spa treatment - this really works!
Seaweed: Seaweed is rich in B vitamins and minerals such as iron, which helps with healthy blood flow to contribute to radiant skin. It is also naturally low in (bloating) sodium, but high in iodine, to help your thyroid and metabolism function at its peak. Order a seaweed salad when you go for sushi, make it yourself - or add spirulina to your smoothies or diet.
Kale: The sexy, good-for-you green is an excellent source of the beauty vitamins A, C, and E, which have potent anti-aging properties and help promote healthy new cell growth. Kale is also loaded with minerals, such as magnesium and calcium that healthy skin needs. Make a green juice or massage a kale salad stat.
Papaya: Papaya’s gorgeous reddish color is due to its high content of beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body, and acts like a mechanic of on-going skin repair. The enzyme papain is used in all kinds of exfoliating facial masks, but when you eat it, it contributes its cleansing properties to your digestion and promotes both bright skin and eyes.
Raw sauerkraut and other probiotic-rich foods: Probiotics are one of the biggest beauty secrets for clear, radiant skin. They encourage the growth of friendly gut flora that helps keep your digestion in check, so there's better nutrient delivery to the skin and entire body. And they help make B vitamins, critical for energy and beauty overall. How to eat more? Add a scoop of sauerkraut to a rice or quinoa bowl with steamed veggies for a zing.
Pumpkin seeds: A handful of these are like taking your B vitamins and biotin, an essential nutrient for strengthening hair, nails, and skin. Pumpkin seeds are also high in minerals, such as zinc, which in deficiency can lead to issues such as acne. Sprinkle them over anything from yogurt and salads to rice bowls and fish.
My personal favorite: chia seeds: They're an unbelievable source of essential fatty acids that nourish the skin and scalp. Chia seeds also contain skin-saving antioxidants (in the ballpark of blueberries) that fight free-radical damage. Be sure to soak them first before eating, or add them to a pudding or smoothie.
Cabbage: The humble cabbage is actually a wonderful beauty food. It's high in fiber and contains the compound sulforaphane, which promotes anti-aging antioxidant activity in the body. It's also high in vitamin C. How to eat more? Add sliced purple cabbage to your salads, add it to brown rice, soup, egg dishes, sandwiches.....anywhere!!
Lemon: I recommend starting each day with hot water with the juice of 1/2 a lemon. It gives you a boost of vitamin C, and this simple drink starts you off in the day hydrated, and with a perfectly balanced pH. Lemon’s enzymes have also been shown to help rejuvenate liver tissue and help support skin collagen.
~thanks to Kimberly Snyder
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