Source: Jolene Hart, Beauty Is Wellness
Remember the old saying “you are what you eat?” In the endless pursuit of beauty and wellness, trends are gearing towards returning to naturals and all that is wholesome. It turns out that the key to attaining the highly desired youthful appearance and healthy, radiant skin begins from within. Simply stated, what you put into your body has just as much, if not more direct impact on your looks than topical products.
At a recent Green Your Beauty event in New York City, Jolene Hart, a former beauty editor turned Beauty & Health Coach and founder of Beauty Is Wellness educated fellow beauty enthusiasts on how simple diet and lifestyle changes can address and prevent common beauty concerns like acne and signs of aging.
In addition to being the largest organ in your body, your skin is last to receive nutrients and is the first to lose them. Therefore, one should approach food selection process just in the way as choosing a beauty product– paying close attention to desired ingredients, actives and quality over quantity. Here are some of Jolene’s tips on how be a “beauty foodie:”
- “Beige is bad,” is the famous quote of Dr. Jeannette Graf, a leading skin science expert and board-certified dermatologist. Very much like beige can be a no-no in fashion, “beige” foods, such as processed breads and grains have unwelcome health effects as they are virtually stripped of their nutrients and are handled with difficulty by our digestive system. Instead, turn to colorful fruits and vegetables.
- Don’t forget your greens. Often discarded and overlooked, greens (kale, spinach, beet greens, swiss chard) are great for balancing the pH of your body, not to mention their high mineral content. A great way to incorporate your daily dose of greens is to go for an all natural green juice or smoothie.
- Bring on the berries. Not only are they sweet and delicious, especially during this time of year, but berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries) are full of antioxidants, and vitamin C, which supports collagen.
- Lean, (not so mean) protein. Protein-rich fish, chicken, walnuts and almonds are loaded with collagen-boosting nutrients and keratin, which supports strong, healthy hair and nails.
- Make time for (green) tea. Long honored for its health benefits in the eastern cultures, green tea is also a powerful wrinkle blocker.
- Detox. Instead of loading up on coffee, try a glass of warm water with lemon to start your day. It will kick-start your digestive enzymes, detox your system and brighten your skin from within.
- Beat the stress. Stress causes premature aging and unwanted weight retention. If you want to relax, opt for some foods that release stress-busting nutrients into your body: dark chocolate (between 60%-70% cacao), oatmeal and chamomile tea.
- Shield your skin from within. Red and orange colored beta-carotene-rich foods are packed with vitamin A, which helps protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays. If you are planning to spend some serious time in the sun, try to load up on tomatoes, carrots, watermelon, etc. at least two weeks before hitting the beach. Don’t forget your sunblock, either!
Jolene Hart is a regular contributor to wellness and lifestyle publications including Organic Spa, InStyle,Prevention, Healing Lifestyles & Spas,Yoga Journal, Allure, Delicious Living, Dr. Oz’s YouBeauty.com, Philadelphia Styleand The Huffington Post‘s Healthy Living section. Read along with her Beauty Is Wellness blog to learn more about her passion: the link between inner health and outer beauty, and the impact that our daily health and well-being have on our appearance. She promises to inspire you with ways to look and feel your best every day!
Credit: beautypress.com
