How To Get The Best Skin Of Your Life At Any Age
Super Skin Salad
8 leaves Red Leaf Lettuce (or other dark green lettuce)
4 stalks Purple Kale
4 sprigs fresh Dill
3 mushrooms
2 large tomatos
handful of cherry tomatoes (try growing your own!)
handful blueberries
4 pepperoncini (seeded, moisture squeezed out)
1/3 English Cucumber
4 Artichoke Hearts (canned, drained and sqeezed)
1 avocado
1 pkg Trader Joes Smoked Salmon (any salmon my be substituted)
handful of raw pumpkin seeds
We have eaten this salad once or twice a week for years. But once the pandemic hit and a stay at home order given, we stocked up on our once a week grocery visit and started having this three times a week. And that one extra serving made a difference in my skin. I never imagined having the best skin of my life at age 55! This cams recipe is enough for dinner for two people and can easily expand for more. Here is why this salad rocks:
Dark-green leafy greens are the base of this powerhouse salad and offer plenty of the antioxidant beta carotene, which helps to form vitamin A in the body which fights both acne and fine lines and wrinkles.
Purple kale is super high in antioxidants which help fight against free radicals and acts like a natural detoxifier, eliminating all of the internal body elements that lead to skin issues. Kale’s vitamin C and vitamin A content is also good for skin. Vitamin C is necessary for collagen production, which keeps skin looking youthful and aids in wound healing, and vitamin A is a compound in retinoids, which are popular in many topical anti-aging skin treatments. If you think you do not want to have purple kale, you can try this site to look for some collagen gummies as well!
Dill as well as other flavorful herbs contain flavonoids which are well-known plant-based antioxidants. Terpenoids are another antioxidant that is abundantly present in essential oils. Super good for almost all vital organs like heart, brain, liver, and kidneys, and that naturally means the largest organ of all – skin. There are also tannins, which apart from being antioxidants, tannins are the best antimicrobials as well. So really good to use against microbial infections, like viral, bacterial, and fungal infections. Plus there’s vitamin C which elevates its antioxidant status. Of course, a lot of people take products like lypo-spheric vitamin c supplements for better collagen production and to protect the elasticity of the skin. However, herbs also work wonders in strengthening and nourishing the skin. Herbs are the best natural healers and immunity enhancers so they are great to incorporate in your salad for flavor AND nutrition.
Thanks to their antioxidant properties, mushrooms can also help reduce irritation and inflammation. One study published in the Archives of Dermatological Research found that phenolic veratric acid, a compound found in mushrooms known to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, helps improve the look of wrinkles.
Tomatoes aren’t a substitute for sunscreen, but the lycopene in the fruit may have a photo-protective effect. And they are super easy to grow and fun! There is nothing that feels as good as eating something you grew yourself!
Blueberries are high in plant compounds known as anthocyanins, which have strong antioxidant properties and give blueberries their natural purple-blue hue. Anthocyanins are naturally produced pigments that give flowers their red, purple, and blue color. They’re predominantly found in the outer skin of berries. There have been a variety of studies that suggest anthocyanins have the potential to protect the skin from UV damage.
Like many members of the Capsicum family, pepperoncini peppers are rich in both vitamin A and vitamin C. The vitamin A in these peppers is important for eyesight while vitamin C is important for the production of collagen, which helps with skin health and wound healing. Another way of more permanently helping your eyesight as you get older could be through laser eye surgery through SharpeVision’s LASIK vision center, or similar companies local to you.
Because of its high water and antioxidant content, cucumber helps hydrate skin and makes it supple. Your skin also has a protein called elastin, which, as the name suggests, maintains the elasticity of the skin. Cucumber inhibits the breakdown of elastin caused by the enzyme elastase, so it helps by tightening the skin and supporting cell renewal along with building collagen. Of course, if your skin has already started sagging, you should probably look for Vancouver plastic surgery to fix it medically.
Not eating enough foods that contain vitamins like vitamin C and E, plus other nutrients, often results in low collagen production and other skin-related conditions that age the skin prematurely. Artichokes are full of vitamins C and E plus they are super high in fiber which helps your gut, which in turn helps your skin!
The healthy fats in avocado are great for moisturizing your skin. When avocado is regularly consumed, the sebaceous glands secrete the oily semi-fluid natural sebum that keeps the skin hydrated and also helps the muscles and joints stay agile. I try to eat one avocado a day!
Pumpkin seeds have a lot of zinc, which helps maintain skin elasticity and promotes healthy hair. They bring a delightful crunchy element to salads and pumpkin seeds are one of the best natural sources of magnesium-a vital mineral that can help