10 Super Anti-Aging Foods for Youthful Skin
In having youthful, glowing and healthy skin, there is truth to the adage that you are what you eat.
Yes, there are certain kinds of foods that when eaten on a fairly regular basis can actually reflect their nutrients on our skin and make it radiant and dewy.
While oxidation and inflammation – the two processes that make our skin look dull and aged – are inevitable, there are foods that we can eat to minimize the signs of aging.
These foods are packed with antioxidants, properties that limit oxidation and tame inflammation.
Other than eating foods with antioxidants, avoiding exposure to mid-day sun, smoking, drinking, and excessively using chemicals can help our skin stay supple and soft.
All these things expose our skin to free radicals, our skin’s nemesis that ages it before its time.
Below is a list of ten anti-aging foods that can help our skin look younger than its age.
1. Water
A youthful skin is surely packed in moisture and hydration – two things that water readily gives us.
To make water work for us, we ought to drink at least eight glasses each day.
This count does not cover water in sodas or coffees, which can dehydrate the skin and make it look sallow-looking.
It is wise to keep away from sodas and coffee.
If it is not easy to do, then drink lots of water after drinking these caffeinated drinks.
Bottomline? Plain is better. Gulp water and lots of it.
2. Green Tea
A cup of tea can go a long way in our quest for younger-looking skin.
Tea, particularly green tea, is a shoo-in for its catechins, an antioxidant also found in dark chocolates and red wine.
Catechins fight free radicals like a seasoned fighter, helping the skin appear healthy.
Casual tea drinkers, however, are unlikely to see results on their skin.
This is because three to six cups of tea must be drunk each day to make teas work wonders for the skin.
3. Red Wine
Red wine does not only go well with your favorite meal, it also goes well with your skin!
It does this through its resveratrol, an antioxidant that has anti-aging properties and which effectively combats free radicals.
Let’s toast to that!
4. Wild Salmon
A first-rate substitute to meat, wild salmon is literally swimming in good proteins and omega-3 fatty acids, which make your skin glow.
To fold in wild salmon into your diet, just eat it three times a week.
Regular eating of wild salmon can result in noticeable improvement on your skin in about one month and two weeks.
Now that’s a relatively quick fix to your skin woes.
5. Garlic, Scallion, and Onion
Downright winners for all their antioxidant properties, garlic, scallion, and onion all have free-radical-fighting allium.
These three vegetables are not only good for the skin, they are also wonderful for the immune system.
So forget about their smell and have the heart to add in these veggies in your next meal.
6. Broccoli and Broccoli Sprouts
Broccoli is a big puncher in quercetin, an antioxidant that also has anti-inflammation properties that stand up against wrinkles.
Broccoli sprout, for its part, also has isothiocyanates, another antioxidant that nourishes the skin.
It has 30 times more isothiocyanates than ordinary broccoli.
7. Tomatoes
We can afford to be beautifully sun-kissed when small, round tomatoes are around.
Tomatoes are our best friends since we generally want to shield our skin from damages caused by the sun.
They do this through their lycopene, a kind of antioxidant that effectively fights free radicals.
8. Spinach
A potent weapon against free radicals is lutein, a kind of antioxidant found in substantial amount in spinach.
Lutein is so special that it gives skin an additional wall of protection against free radicals.
9. Orange and Yellow Vegetables
Beta-carotene, the much talked-about nutrient for beautiful skin, comes in plenty in orange and yellow vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes.
It is not only good for your skin.
It is also great for your eyes.
10. Berries
Berries of varied colors – red, blue, and violet – not only protect your skin cells, they also repair them.
They do this through theiranthocyanin, a powerful antioxidant.
To use berries to your advantage, pop in acai berries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, and raspberries regularly.
These nature’s super foods can help your skin from aging quickly.
Copyright © 2011 Kerlyn Bautista
All Rights Reserved
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