Protective Superfoods to Slow or Even Reverse The Ageing Process

Would you like to have vibrant, keep youthful skin that radiates with true vitality from within? Add these

10 delicious foods to your diet, and you will see definite improvement in the texture, tone, and health of

your skin.

Spinach – to nourish dry skinDark leafy greens like phytonutrient-rich spinach supply bioflavonoids, vitamin E and folate, both critical

for the activity of neurotransmitters and for discouraging the activity of tumours, especially breast,

stomach, skin, and colon cancer. Spinach does wonders for women’s health, dramatically reducing the

risk of diseases like ovarian cancer and osteoporosis. It ranks at the top of the list of vegetables with the

highest ORAC value (antioxidant potential), which makes it a wonderful food for nourishing skin from

within and warding off free radicals which accelerate skin ageing. Spinach also gives you vitamin E’s sub-

groups - alpha, beta, gamma, and delta - which can reduce levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), which is a

risk factor for heart disease and is also linked to cellular ageing. Add this superfood to pretty much

everything: curries, soups, stir-fries, smoothies, and salads.

Lemons – to cleanse and alkaliseContrary to popular belief, cellulite is not caused by fatty tissue, but rather a build-up of toxins. Eating

too much red meat and processed foods can create an overly acidic internal environment. Enter the

bright, beautiful lemon, which is a great alkaliser and fantastically easy to include in your daily diet. In an

alkaline state, every system in the body works at its highest performance level and you’ll soon notice the

knock-on effects – fewer health hassles, but also subtle changes to your looks – glowing skin, eyes that

look brighter and white. Lemons are high in vitamin C, which helps with speedy skin repair, another

process that slows as we age. Vitamin C is also needed to produce collagen, the vital protein that keeps

skin looking young. Give your day a powerful alkalising start by drinking lemon juice and warm water

before you do anything else.

Brazil nuts – to fight acneMeaty and uniquely flavoured, Brazil nuts are packed with fats that are good for your dry skin, plus

they’re a great source of micronutrients and protein and provide significant antioxidant benefits. Brazil

nuts pack a powerful punch of flavonoids and omega-3 essential fatty acids as well as magnesium and

zinc, which help to fight sugar cravings. They are also one of the richest dietary sources of selenium,

something most of us, particularly women, do not get enough of. Studies suggest that optimal selenium

intake is linked to a reduced risk of breast and prostate cancer. As a beauty bonus, selenium has a

potent anti-inflammatory effect which makes it a great weapon in fighting skin disorders like acne,

eczema, and psoriasis.

Pumpkin seeds – to strengthen nailsOur nails are an important indicator of our health, and one of the first places that nutrient deficiencies

are signalled. For example, a lack of zinc in the diet can cause nails to become weak, bendy, and prone

to splitting, and also result in white spots on nails. Zinc is the most utilised mineral in your body, it’s

responsible for activating over 200 enzymes, and is essential for skin cell growth and renewal. Pumpkin

seeds are a very good source of zinc, along with iron, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, and B-group

vitamins. Add raw pepitas to smoothies and cereal or muesli mixes, stir into muffin mixes or scatter on

top of a baked fruitcake.

Flaxseed – for split endsFlaxseeds and flaxseed oil are an excellent source of the skin-softening omega-3 fatty acids, as well as

carotene and vitamin E, nutrients that feed natural healthy skin and hair. Your cell membranes are

mainly composed of essential fats, and the quality of fats you eat shows directly in your skin and hair.

Flaxseed oil not only keeps skin soft and supple, but will have a noticeable effect on hair. Hair condition

can be one of the first things to deteriorate when the body is lacking in essential nutrients, and omega

3s are to dry, fragile, flyaway hair and split ends, what rain is to a desert. Flaxseeds are also rich in

protective phytonutrient lignans, compounds which are broken down in the gut into hormone-like

substances that help protect against cancer, plus they help balance your body’s hormones and keep skin

youthful.

Garlic – to get your glow onMake garlic a daily ritual; it contains sulphur compounds that are a must for gorgeous skin and

phytonutrients that scavenge skin-ageing free radicals. In lab tests, garlic helped fibroblasts (the cells

that maintain skin’s structural integrity) to live longer and reproduce more healthily – which equals

firmer, plumper skin. It also boosts immunity, is a powerful antibiotic and detoxifier, and promotes

circulation, helping skin to glow naturally. Use garlic to add flavour and nutrition to almost any dish,

including fish, vegetables and beans, or even raw in fresh vegetable juices.

Aloe vera – to ease bloatingApart from being uncomfortable and unattractive, bloating can lead to disease, as an unhealthy gut and

poor nutrient uptake can have many undesirable knock-on effects. Aloe vera – best known for its skin-

soothing benefits when applied topically – also has an important role as an internal tonic, to balance

intestinal flora and to alkalise and detoxify the gut, which not only eliminates excess gas and reduces

bloating, but also improves skin tone and texture. Add fresh gel to juices or smoothies, or drink it in tea.

Parsley – for sallow skinParsley is an underrated skin food. Each little sprig contains heaps of nutrients, including beta-carotene,

vitamin B1, calcium, folic acid, and chlorophyll. It is the chlorophyll which is responsible for its time-

honoured use as a breath freshener; it also has a cleansing and deodorising effect on the whole body.

Parsley acts as a blood purifier, which helps to keep your skin tone vibrant, as it plays a role in the

formation and maturation of red blood cells. Parsley is also rich in iron – gram for gram, parsley has 25

times more iron than liver. Add parsley to soups, salads, quiches, grilled fish, or add a bunch to your

carrot juice.

Cacao – to counter free radicalsWrinkles, fine lines, and sagging skin are triggered and then accelerated by the action of free radicals in

the body, which destroy healthy skin cells. You already know that chocolate is a good source of

antioxidants which fight free radical activity, but the health properties attributed to it are due to cacao –

not the butter, milk, sugar or salt used to make chocolate. The active compounds in cacao include

flavonoids, theobromine, epicatechin, antioxidants and caffeine. Eating raw cacao has many health and

beauty benefits: it has a protective effect on the brain, as it increases blood flow to areas responsible for

memory; it contains brilliant levels of magnesium, the most relaxing antispasmodic minerals; and it

contains chemical neurotransmitters that cause us to feel blissful. Add raw cacao powder to smoothies

for a hit of antioxidants.

Coconut oil – to fight fungal infectionsYes, it’s a saturated fat and we’ve been told for years that it elevates cholesterol. But there are different

types of saturated fat, and coconuts contain the healthiest type – medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs)

that actually help you to lose weight because, unlike other fats stored in the body’s cells, the MCFAs in

coconut go straight to the liver where they are converted into energy. As well as tasting and smelling

gorgeous, coconut is an amazing oil for your dry skin, taken internally or applied externally. It also has

antimicrobial, antifungal and antibacterial properties, so it’s excellent for fungal skin infections or flaky,

irritated skin.