Although there is no conclusive proof that antioxidants keep skin from aging, experts do agree they have the ability to ‘capture’ free radicals and may protect us from certain diseases. Antioxidant-rich foods can also give us a healthier, glowing complexion.
According to Susan M. Kleiner, R.D., Ph.D, a Seattle-based nutritionist, eating foods rich in antioxidants is best. “There’s no substitute for getting nutrients through food. The body absorbs and assimilates them far better than in supplement form.”
Kleiner suggests following the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Guide Pyramid, and eating three to five servings of vegetables and two to four servings of fruit each day. Choose at least one citrus fruit, such as an orange, a tangerine, or a grapefruit, for vitamin C. To increase beta-carotene intake, eat at least two orange-yellow or leafy green vegetables each day.
<b>Eat Right for Younger Looking Skin</b>
Eating healthy equals younger looking skin. Drinking a cup of orange juice and eating one raw carrot provides twice the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C and beta-carotene. The RDA for vitamin E is harder to meet, especially for those on a low-fat diet.
“Don’t be afraid to add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to your diet, or to eat some nuts or seeds,” advises Dr. Kleiner.
The following guideline can be used for RDAs for three of the most common antioxidant nutrients, vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene; good sources and how best to maximize benefits of each are included.
Vitamin C: RDA at least 60 mg. (1/2 cup orange juice = 70 mg.) Citrus fruits and juices and tomatoes are good sources of vitamin C. Eat whole fruit for extra fiber. Avoid juice in glass containers, and heat-pasteurized juice. Light and heat destroy some of the vitamin C.
Vitamin E: RDA 8 mg for women / 10 mg. for men (1 tablespoon of canola oil = 9 mg.) Good sources include nuts, seeds and their oils, fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, halibut, and trout, and wheat germ. Use canola, olive, or another vegetable oil in place of butter or margarine when cooking.
Beta-carotene: no established RDA. Expert Dr. Kleiner, however, recommends 5-6 mg. ( One carrot = 12 mg.) Orange and yellow vegetables, and leafy green vegetables, including broccoli, are all good sources. Instead of potato chips or popcorn for an evening snack while watching television, opt for prepackaged, washed and peeled baby carrots.
If you feel you are unable to meet the RDAs through diet alone, by all means take an all-in-one antioxidant vitamin supplement a day, but continue to pay attention to rich food sources.
<b>Summary</b>
Because many over-the-counter cosmetics containing antioxidants don’t have enough to be totally affective by themselves, it is best to ‘feed’ them to your skin in combination with a healthy, antioxidant rich diet for younger looking skin.
We at Savvy Spa Luxuries care about you and your wellbeing. With proper skin care, a healthy diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and ample amounts of water, you can enjoy a more fit body, improved quality of life, increased stamina, and a glowing complexion!
“Feed” Your Skin Antioxidants for a Glowing Complexion
Health in the 21st Century
People of the 21st century are obsessed with looking good and (for the most part) being healthy. Gym membership, south beach diet, Atkins diet, diet pills, spa treatments, personal trainers, cosmetic surgery … the list goes on and on.
And yet a major contributor to bad health seems to be ever present in our every day life. From child to adult, we all seem to be riddled with stress.
Growing up the doctor’s simply recommended a good diet, adequate exercise, and a daily dose of vitamins and minerals. Nowadays, they tend to be more specific … and there is a specialist for everything.
• A Nutritionist or Dietician will recommend a specialized diet depending on your goals and needs. The most basic rule is; eat a well-balanced meal.
• Where adequate exercise used to just be a jog in the park, it is now defined into two categories, each with its own set of instructors (as needed):
o Aerobic – jogging, power-walking, swimming, martial arts, dancing, etc.
o Anaerobic – yoga, Pilates, etc.
• Multi-vitamins after breakfast used to be good enough to give us the energy boost we need to function at optimum levels up to the end of the day. Now it comes in so many forms --- vitamins and minerals derived from food, regular multi-vitamin and mineral supplements, herbal supplements
• Gaining weight used to mean just getting fat, now we here talks of mass-building with the assistance of a strict diet, weight training and body supplements or muscle boosters (like creatine).
• Losing weight used to mean just getting thin, now we here people talking about getting lean and trim and cutting the fat. This is assisted by strict diet, weight training, aerobic exercise, and diet pills.
There are also different types of diagnostic tests being done to validate and ensure good health. In TV crime shows what we hear of most often in DNA testing. Although this is often used in paternity testing DNA testing could also be used to find out early what inherent diseases a person may have and how to counteract them. Diabetes, cancer, asthma, high cholesterol … all these and more can be discovered through testing and addressed either by exercise and a good diet or supplemented by surgery. Others take alternative forms of healing such as acupressure, acupuncture, and homeopathic medicine.
The most relaxing way, I’ve found, of de-stressing is to go to a health (or day) spa. You can opt for the complete weekend package which includes controlled meals and exercise, but a lot of people go for the soothing massages and the aromatherapy. Imagine going to the spa at the end of a long day. You shower, and then you lie on a table and allow the attendant to run their magic fingers on you, while the scent of essential oils wafts towards you from the oil diffuser or the scented candles. In the background are the sound of the waves on the beach and the pleasant sound of chimes and harps.
Be the healthiest you can be in the 21st century! Be it through diet, exercise, or any form of healing or relaxation exercise. Be stress free and happy!!