-by Judy Karp, Century Cosmetic Medi-Spa
As an esthetician and a certified nutritionist, I truly believe we all “are what you eat.” Often times when I am working on a client at the Century Cosmetic Medi-Spa, I will often ask them about their eating habits. For instance, congested skin is very often it’s the result of too much cheese or too many sodas or fried foods. It does not matter how many facials you treat yourself to, how often you get a glycolic peel or what products you use on your face, if you aren’t filling up on fruits, veggies, fish, chicken and whole grains, along with a good amount of filtered water, your skin cannot look it’s best.
The anti-oxidants in fruits and vegetables will not only reduce the risk of certain cancers, lower cholesterol, and help repair cellular damage, but also help reduce the damaging the effects of stress, sun exposure, pollution and age. Since our bodies don’t naturally produce anti-oxidants, we must depend on fruits and vegetables to provide us with these important elements!
A few anti-oxidants that studies suggest may be the most beneficial to the skin are Vitamin E, Flavonoids and VitaminC.
Vitamin E, which is also called tocopherol, is an anti-oxidant that may benefit the cellular membranes and “oily” structures of the skin.Our skin is high in unsaturated fatty acids, which are especially susceptible to oxidation That’s why there is speculation that Vitamin E , which is fat-soluble, aids in skin protection and fighting free-radical damage, the main purpose of anti-oxidants.
The best anti-oxidants for fighting damage that results from the sun’s UV rays are Flavonoids. Green tea, grapes and grape juice, red wine and all the berries, such as blueberries, black berries, and strawberries are part of the Flavonoid family—as well as pomegranates. A few other foods to add to the flavonoid list are: artichokes, red and black beans.
Last, but certainly not least is Vitamin C. We already know that Vitamin C helps neutralize cell-damaging free-radicals. We are now also discovering that it may also aid in the production of collagen. This vitamin works synergistically with Vitamin E and Flavonoids to improve the anti-oxidant actions of each substance. The foods highest in Vitamin C are; oranges and all citrus fruits, strawberries, avocados, tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelon, yellow, red, and green peppers, apples, and peaches. There are also many vegetables that are high in Vitamin C; artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, spinach, onions, summer and winter squash and sweet potato.
The easiest way to know that you’re getting the anti-oxidant power you need from your diet, is to think about all the colors of fruits and veggies…you know, red, green, yellow ,orange and even purple (think about eggplant). Make sure you have a variety of these colors on your plate every day. Your body will thank you and your skin will thank you. Don’t forget that many of these fruits and vegetables, in addition to nourishing the inside of your body, also make great masques to apply to your face.
I’ll have recipes for you very soon.