Most of us want to prevent ageing, reverse ageing or just age gracefully. All of us want beautiful, glowing, radiant, shining skin and hair. We spend literally thousands of our hard-earned money on skin and hair treatments and products at beauty salons to achieve that look. But the question is: Are those products really worth the price we pay when we can achieve these things by simply changing the food we eat?
Beauty is not an overnight miracle. The secretto flawless, blemish and acne-free skin lies in nutrient-rich foods in yourplate. Changing your diet is an underrated, efficient route to clearer,younger-looking skin.
Conventional wisdom tells us that glowing, healthy andclear skin truly begins from within. What you eat also affects your organslike hair and skin. Everything in the body is connected; so if your diet isn'thealthy, it will damage your metabolism, cause weight gain, and even damageorgans such as your heart and liver and most likely show up on your face.
Here are a few beauty-boosting, nutrient-rich foods,vegetables rich in naturally-occurring vitamins, minerals and antioxidants thatall work together to create beauty from the inside out.
WALNUTS
Walnuts have many characteristics that make them anexcellent food for healthy skin. Packed with healthy essential fats,antioxidants, vitamins, trace minerals, protein and fibre, walnuts are averitable superfood. The crunchy black and the regular brown dry fruit enclosedwithin help enhance skin and hair wellness.
Walnuts are enriched with the goodness of minerals,vitamins, natural oil, selenium, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids likeomega 3 that work in the best way to make our skin and hair strong and healthy.Made up of 65 per cent fat and about 15 per cent protein, walnuts are known forbeing high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids.The walnut, black and the regular brown both has been widely incorporatedinto skincare, haircare, beauty, aromatherapy and cosmetic products in India sincelong back .
You can include walnut in your breakfast byadding it in cereals like oats, cornflakes, muesli.
Consuming walnuts helps the skin look younger andhealthier as it helps strengthen the membranes of your skin cells, locking inmoisture and nutrients that keep it plump and glowing and keeping out toxinsthat can damage skin cells,
You can also use walnut oil topically to help easedry skin. Anecdotal evidence suggests that walnut oil may help keep skinmoisturized. It may nourish skin from within. Walnut oil is great forfighting wrinkles. The vitamin E in walnuts oil may help fight the freeradicals caused due to stress. And its regular application can actually helpthe fine lines and wrinkles to disappear with time.
Daily intake of 3-4 walnuts may boost overall blood vessel’sfunctioning, thus bringing oxygen and nutrients to each and every cell whichhelps the skin to glow naturally and help your skin regain that healthy glow. Walnutoil contains potassium which is essential for regeneration of cells and henceaccelerates hair growth. Regular application cleans scalp by removing dirt and preventsdandruff.
Sweet Potatoes
Want to be more attractive at no cost? Eat sweet potato. Theyare affordable, easily available and delicious. Shakarkandi chaat is one of theeasiest and popular ways in which sweet potatoes are consumed in India.
Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of themagical skin-brightening combination of Vitamin A, E and Vitamin C whichare important not only for general wellbeing but also slow down the ageingprocess. Sweet potatoes are also full of biotin, which stimulates hair and nailgrowth.
It is also a good idea to add some sweet potatoes to yoursalads too since the sugar in sweet potatoes is released at a slow pace makingit easier for our body to absorb. Sweet potatoes have a low glycemic index andwith over 6 grams of fibre per cup, help to regulate and potentially improveblood sugar. They can fight premature ageing and have the ability to give arejuvenating look to your skin. They contain skin-friendly nutrient vitamin Cwhich has antioxidant properties and stimulates the production of collagen thatcan combat ageing and dryness.
Mix half a cup cooked sweet potatoes paste with one tsp milkand one tsp honey and apply on skin evenly. Wash off after 30 minutes forrejuvenating, radiant skin
You can also simply rub a sweet potato slice on your facein a circular motion for 20 minutes. If you feel the potato slice has gone dry,use another slice
Just boil and smash a cup of sweet potato and mix wellwith two tablespoons of beer. Apply the mixture to your face, neck and openareas and leave it on for 20 minutes or allow it to dry naturally and then washyour face with lukewarm water. Then apply a light toner or a moisturiser
Boil and mash sweet potato, add the honey and mix well.Apply evenly to face. Leave on for 20 min and wash off with warm water
Chia Seeds
Another greatoffering from the mint family, Chia seeds are an unsung hero that can dowonders to your beauty regimen. Chia seeds are a nutritional powerhousecontaining 20% more protein than soy beans, plus added Omega-3’s that arecritical to help prevent hair loss. This humble superfood are packed withminerals and fibre and the perfect balance of essential fatty acids which canhelp fight early signs of ageing, reduce acne scars, and give you that radiantglow from within. These tiny black seeds are one of the healthiest foodson the planet which helps stabilise blood sugar levels, promotes smoothdigestion and bone strength, as well as enhances hair and skin health.
TRYTHIS
Mix 4 tablespoons of coconut oil, half cup of honey,and a tablespoon each of chia seeds and apple cider vinegar. Heat this mixturefor 30-40 seconds so that all the ingredients get mixed properly. Apply themixture on the hair strands and let it sit for 30 minutes. Wash off for a shining,long hair
Take 2 tablespoon chia seeds in a bowl and add few dropof hydrating coconut oil and heat the mixture to achieve soothing lukewarm temperature.Apply this paste directly on scalp / skin and allow to dry. Wash off with cleanfresh water.
Alternatively, people with oily or sensitive skin canswap oil with filtered water and soak the seeds overnight to get the gel-liketexture
Take 2 tbsp chia seeds,½ cup virgin coconut oil and 1 tsplemon juice. Mix all ingredients well in a glass bowl /jar to get paste andapply the paste on your skin areas in face, neck and open area. Wash the skin withfresh water and pat dry.
PINEAPPLE
This wonder food is said to have originated from SouthAmerica and discovered on the island of Guadalupe in 1493 by Europeans. Theskin of pineapple is used to make alcohol, animal food and vinegar.
Drinking, eating, and topically applying pineapple juiceon a regular basis is a powerful, proven way to achieve clear, radiant skin.
Known as the king of tropical fruits, pineapple is richin nutrients and antioxidants. Eating pineapple improves digestion, reduceinflammation, and removes toxins from the body. Pineapple juice contains apowerful enzyme called bromelain, dietary fibre and vitamin C which hasthe ability to aid digestion and keep you acne, pimple and wrinkle-free.Pineapple juice contains 120% of the daily recommended value of vitamin C whichhelps to contend the free radicals thus helps in the prevention of manydiseases including prevention of pimples, acne, blemishes and wrinkles.
The presence of bromelain helps exfoliate deadskin cells and make the skin firm and flexible. Pineapple juice provideselasticity and beauty to the skin by the synthesis of collagen. The formationof collagen also prevents wrinkles on the face. Pineapple juice improves skinhydration and make your skin clear by exfoliating the skin and also shows theway to the dead cells from the skin.
It’s rich source of antioxidants and vitamin C is said toboost your immunity that it will make your skin smooth, supple andradiant. Pineapple contains vitamin A and vitamin B whichhelps remove the problems of brittleness and dryness in nails and crackedand split of feet.
