Foods for Healthy Skin

The skin is the window to the entire body,” says dermatologist Joely Kaufman-Janette, MD, assistant professor and director of the Aging and Geriatric Skin Center at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. “Part of choosing a diet for good looking skin is just eating to keep yourself healthy because your health is reflected through your skin.” Many of the nutrients and “good” fats we eat as part of a healthy diet enhance the skin’s elasticity and help create the appealing glow of healthy skin. Eat well and avoid foods high in saturated fat, says Dr. Kaufman-Janette, and you’ll see how it can result in good skin.

Tropical Fruit

Eating guava, pineapple, papaya, kiwi, and other tropical fruits that contain vitamin C will help defend your skin against damaging free radicals. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that is naturally found in the skin, so eating tropical fruits and other vitamin C–rich foods can replenish your skin's stores. Vitamin C also helps your body produce collagen, a protein that helps keep your skin firm and elastic.

Blueberries Fight Aging Skin

Antioxidants help fight the signs of aging skin, and blueberries are a great source. Rich in vitamin C, blueberries can play a healthy role in an otherwise decadent dessert and taste great as a cereal topping and tossed into salads. Other sources of antioxidants that you can include in your healthy diet are red wine and dark chocolate. Kaufman-Janette also offers this tip: Eating fruits and veggies in their fresh, raw form provides more antioxidants than when cooked

Broccoli

This cruciferous veggie is high in antioxidants, including vitamins C and E. The vitamin C in broccoli aids in collagen production and keeps your skin healthy and supple, while vitamin E protects your skin cell membranes and guards against UV radiation damage

Fish Provide Healthy Oils

Fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids should be part of a healthy skin diet. “Omega-3s are a great source of oil for the skin without clogging the pores,” says Kaufman-Janette, clarifying that omega-3s must be eaten or taken as supplements. Many people try to cut all fats from their diet, but without some fat, your skin may suffer. Omega-3 fatty acids are considered healthy fats, and a diet that is too low in healthy fats can lead to “dull, dry skin,” she warns

Almonds

These nuts are one of the best food sources of vitamin E. Eat whole almonds as a snack or add sliced almonds to salads, cereal, yogurt, stir–fry or baked goods. You can also toast almond slivers and serve them on top of fish, chicken, or even rice or pasta dishes. The vitamin E in almonds can help nourish your skin and protect it from the sun's damaging UV rays. Just be sure to eat them in moderation, since almonds and other nuts are calorie–dense.

Water Hydrates Your Skin

“There are molecules in the skin that actually bind water,” explains Kaufman-Janette. “Your skin will not be as plump if you are dehydrated.” Skin also becomes dry when it loses too much water, so you need to drink plenty of liquids to replace daily water loss. Water is also a good alternative to sugary beverages that could negatively affect your skin by causing insulin levels to rise and fall dramatically

Whole Grain Pastas and Breads

Another skin–friendly antioxidant is the mineral selenium, which is found in whole grain pastas and breads. Selenium helps protect your skin against environmental damage and promotes elasticity and general skin health. High–dose selenium supplements have been linked to health problems, so it's always best to get your selenium from delicious food sources.

Green Tea Helps Skin and Overall Health

Green tea has two benefits for your skin: It contains antioxidants, which may fight the effects of aging, and drinking it is a good way to stay hydrated. When given the option, choose green tea over beverages that don’t promote skin health. This is one of Kaufman-Janette’s recommended strategies for healthy skin — and overall health. She says, “If you can substitute a good choice at every single meal for a bad choice, you’ll start to look and feel healthier

Health Benefits of Yogurt

Yogurt is a calcium powerhouse and a source of high-quality protein. Yogurt is nutrient rich because it is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals for its calories!

The nutritional and caloric contents of yogurt are similar to those of the fluid milk from which it is made. So, it is an important source of calcium, protein, vitamins A, riboflavin, phosphorus and potassium.  In fact, one serving of yogurt contains about as much potassium as a banana (around 400 mg).

Following are some important benefits of yogurt

1. Aid in digestion

Yogurt is made by bacterial fermentation of milk, a process that may boost digestive health because it produces the same good bacteria found in the gut. Plus, some yogurt contains additional good bacteria known as probiotics. MayoClinic.com reports that probiotics may help with digestion and irritable bowel syndrome, as well as diarrhea following treatment with antibiotics, which kill off both good and bad bacteria

2. Source of Vitamins

One serving is a significant source of potassium, phosphorous, riboflavin, iodine, zinc, and vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid). Yogurt also contains B12, which maintains red blood cells and helps keep your nervous system functioning properly. "Vitamin B12 is found mostly in animal products, such as chicken and fish, so strict vegetarians can easily fall short.

3. Help against weak bones and osteoprosis

Yoghurt provides calcium to help maintain bone density and strength throughout life. "Low fat yoghurt is a great source of calcium which we need for strong bones," according to food coach and dietitian Sasha Watkins.

BDA spokesperson Rebecca Dunn says: "Adults require 700mg of calcium per day and one standard pot (150g) of yoghurt will provide a third of this. Calcium is important at all ages, as it promotes healthy teeth and bones and prevents diseases such as osteoporosis."

Osteoporosis is a disease that causes the bones in our body to become fragile and prone to breaking. The National Osteoporosis Society says it's important to have a well balanced calcium rich diet to provide all the nutrients your bones need, and to make sure you get enough vitamin D.

4. Provide "Good Bacteria"

he words "live and active cultures" on the container mean that your yogurt has probiotics, beneficial bugs that live in your digestive tract and help crowd out harmful microorganisms that can cause intestinal infections. (Only a very small number of companies put yogurt through a post-pasteurization process that kills off all bacteria). But many varieties now also contain special strains of probiotics meant to help regulate your digestion or strengthen your immune system.

5. Help in Lactose intolerance

Although the lactose content of yogurt is naturally lower than milk, research has shown that the lactose that is present in yogurt is better tolerated by individuals with low production of lactase (hypolactasia) than lactose in an equivalent quantity in milk.

This may be due to several factors including the activity of live bacteria in the yogurt or the digestive action of other enzymes on lactose such as bacterial β-galactosidase. The increased viscosity of yogurt compared with milk has also been suggested as a potential explanation, as this may result in slower emptying from the stomach and thus a longer transit through the gastrointestinal tract, which in turn may improve the absorption and reduce the amount of lactose present in the colon.

Why To Add Fiber in Your Diet?

Fiber is something the body needs but never actually digests - in fact, it remains more or slows digestion, which helps lower cholesterol and blood glucose. Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, remains unchanged all the way to the colon, making waste heavier and softer so it can shimmy through the intestines more easily. Regardless of these differences, neither type of fiber is ever absorbed into the body. less the same from plate to toilet. It comes in two varieties, soluble and insoluble, and most plant-based foods contain a mixture of the two. Soluble fiber turns to gel in the stomach and 

Skipping out on a daily dose of fiber often leads to constipation, which can make going to the bathroom painful and uncomfortable—hence the term “backed up.” Eating too little fiber can make it tough to control blood sugar and appetite because fiber regulates the speed of digestion and contributes to satiety (aka feeling full). There can be too much of a good thing, though. Overdoing it with fiber can move food through the intestines too quickly, which means fewer minerals get absorbed from food. It can also result in uncomfy gas, bloating, and cramping, especially when fiber intake is dramatically increased overnight.

So, it is very important to choose the diet with balanced amount of fiber. Here are some high fiber foods you can add to your diet to make it a healthy one. Just click below to explore.

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Why To Eat Fruits?

Fruit has been recognized as a good source of vitamins and minerals, and for their role in preventing vitamin C and vitamin A deficiencies. People who eat fruit as part of an overall healthy diet generally have a reduced risk of chronic diseases. USDA's MyPlate encourages making half your plate fruits and vegetables for healthy eating.

Fruit are important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, fiber, vitamin C and folate (folic acid). Try incorporating blueberries, citrus fruit, cranberriesor strawberries which contain phytochemicals that are being studied for added health benefits.

Following are some important benefits of fruits

Fruit consists for the largest part of water

Just like the human body does. If you think about it, it's logical to consume food that contains as much water as your body does

Fruit Is 100% Bad-Cholesterol Free 

No doubt about this reason. Too much cholesterol is not good for our bodies and fruit doesn't contain much cholesterol. Animal products like meat and dairy contain a lot of cholesterol.

The Miraculous Healing Effects Of Fruit 

Spectacular stories about people that cured from cancer by a strict diet of raw fruits and/or vegetables are well known but do we want tobelieve them? We still don't know that much about fruit and its contents

Fibers

We do know now that a diet with plenty of fibers helps against corpulence, high blood pressure, and other factors that increase the chance for a heart disease. The food that contains these healthy (natural) fibers is.... right: FRUIT!

Fruit is not expensive at all 

Did you always think that fruit is an expensive product? Take a good look at how much money you spend on other food. It could be worth something to replace some of those expenses with fruit.