Food as Skin Savers?

Get Good Skin

If you can eat your way to good skin, wouldn’t that be lovely?  The truth is—you absolutely can.  Ok, we’re sick of “you’re what you eat,” but the often repeated maxim holds–at least for skin.

If food can make or break your skin, what categories of foods are skin-friendly? According to health experts, there are many:

Vitamin A

Absolutely essential for good skin. First of all, vitamin A is a well-know antioxidant, which rightly enables it to capture free radicals from damaging cells, even those on the skin. You can obtain vitamin A from fruits and vegetbles, but low-fat dairy products are best. According to nutrition expert, Liz Lipski, low-fat yogurt takes the prize.  Why? Low-fat yogurt is not only high in vitamin A, it boosts high levels of  the probiotics, acidophilus (good live bacteria), that patrol the gut to ensure intestinal health and anything that keeps digestion normal is going to be reflected in healthy skin.

Antioxidants

Deeply pigmented fruits and vegetables are colorful because of a group of powerful antioxidants, anthocyanins. These potent antioxidants protect skin against cellular damage. Now, that’s a good thing for skin cells.  A recent study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry listed its own famous quartets of health–Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and plums–they  have the highest “total antioxidant capacity.” So, load your grocery cart with the gang of four and yes, while you’re at it, don’t forget artichokes, beans, pecans and prunes–they are not far behind in their antioxidant count.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)

Don’t let the word “fatty acids” scare you–not all fatty foods are bad. In fact, some fatty foods are downright essential, even necessary for vibrant skin. EFAs contribute to healthy cell membranes and we know that cell membranes hold in water.  The healthier the cell membranes, the better they work at preserving moisture, keeping skin cells  plump and juicy. The enviable ensues:  Radiant  supple skin. But that’s not all they can do, EFAs offer protection against inflammation  and we know that inflammation harms cells. Include fish, walnuts and flaxseed oil in your diet to boost your intake of EFAs.

Healthy Oils

You’ve heard of essential oils to moisturize your skin and now…healthy edible oils can nourish your skin from inside out. Healthy oils contain more than EFAs, the nutrients also keep the skin lubricated.  When shopping for healthy oils, look for cold pressed, expeller processed or extra virgin. They are not heavily processed and do not have solvents added. Extra virgin olive oil, safflower oil, grapeseed oil are just some examples.

Selenium

Health experts say that selenium play a key role in the health of skin cells.  Selenium facilitates the uptake of nutrients, so it is highly crucial to include selenium in your diet. Turns out that selenium is found in many foods such as whole grain bread or muffins, cereals, turkey, tuna and brazil nuts.

Green Tea

The goodness of green tea is extolled in many researches–from preventing cancer to bad breath.  To add to its bunch of health accolades, it also promotes skin health.  From drinking the tea to using it as a topical application, green tea’s rich supply of catechins, potent antioxidants are good at protecting cell membranes as well as fighting inflammation of the skin. A study in the Archives of Dermatology shows that green tea can even reduce risks of skin cancer.

Water

If cells are 70% water, it goes without saying that water is essential for keeping skin cells hydrated and fresh-looking.  Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water. And don’t tell me your mother didn’t tell you….

So, if you’re looking for skin savers–just load your grocery cart with the right kind of foods.  Nature has not left us defenseless–it has equipped us with a wide arsenal to fight the conspirators of bad skin.

Know Your Acne Treatments

Is your face a showcase of red bumps and glistening spots? Do you hate words like pimples, zits, whiteheads and blackheads and they are on your face? If you do, you’re not alone.  Acne is a very common skin disorder and 40 to 50 million Americans have to deal with this problem everyday. If you’re a teenager, the chances of having them increase manifold.  In fact, 80% of teenagers have them and yes, you can blame the increase of Androgen hormone production at this volatile time of life.  But if you think age is a determining factor–not quite–acne can strike at any age.

Medically, acne is not a huge threat.  It’s not a disease but a case of clogged pore that manifest itself in acne. When sebum, produced in the sebaceous glands found under the skin is trapped inside pores because of dead cells or overproduction of sebum, bacteria grow and acne shows up.  Not a welcome guest, definitely.

If acne is not a medical threat, why do we hate them so much?  If you ever have one, you will know the emotional stress it causes–yes, even one can do the trick. Especially when it shows up at the most prominent of places–like on the nose or smack in the middle of the cheek. You want a magic wand to wish it away.  Maybe, that’s asking too much.  However, there are over-the-counter acne treatments that you can turn to for some relief.

Not all anti-acne treatments are the same.  Look for these active ingredients:

• Salicyclic acid : Unclog pores
• Benzoyl peroxide:  Kills bacteria
• Glycolic acid:  renews skin
• Sulfur : Dries sebum
• Azelaic acid:  normalizes skin

Since these different ingredients perform different tasks, it’s advisable to buy one with a combination of these ingredients.

Another word of advice, look for inclusion of natural extracts as these help to heal acne without the harsh effects. Look for:

• Green Tea:  regulates skin sebum
• Tea Tree Oil:  reduces inflammation
• Allotoin:   stimulates healthy tissue
• Licorice root:  even out skin tone
• Olive Leaf:  kills acne bacteria
• Vitamin A, C and E: provides good nutrients for the skin

If you’re worried about the amount of chemicals used, try home remedies.  Read “Banish Acne Angst With Simple Tricks.“

If acne festers and turns nasty with plus, consult a dermatologist. Severe acne can leave scars.

Anthocyanins: The Secret to Goji Berries

My mother used to have tons  of goji berries stashed in her pantry–in plastic containers, in bags and dainty packs of herbal mix.  She used it relentlessly– in soups, in herbal teas and in her main dishes.  She would brew bitter nasty tasting broth, reputedly a magic cure for any kind of ailments and then had to chase us around the kitchen to get us to drink it.

Along with Goji berries was her often repeated health adage, “Eat this, it’s good for your eyes.”  Good for the eyes– seemed absurd when you’re young and your eyes are perfectly good but that didn’t not keep her from pushing her health agenda.

While doing some research on Anthocyanins, I found that my mother knew a thing or two about Goji berries, even if she didn’t know the medical term for it.  It turns out that Goji berries are loaded with Anthoyanins, a potent antioxidant, that also give Goji berries its bright red color.

Anthocyanins are color pigments found in fruits, vegetables and flowers.  Red grapes, pomegranates, eggplants, carrots, peaches, watermelon, guava, grapefruit–to name a few–all these owe their vibrant color to the presence of anthocyanins.  What can anthoyanins do for your health?  For starters, they are supper antioxidants, scavenging the body for free radicals and neutralizing their capacity for cellular damage, thereby reducing risks of cancer. They are also anti-inflammatory agents, fighting against the stresses of aging, improving cardiovascular health and brain function.

Now, back to my mother’s fascination with goji berries.  Scientific researches concur that goji berries are in rich alpha-carotene and zeaxanthin, both anthocyanins. While apha-carotene can be readily converted to Vitamin A and serves as an antioxidant and  an immunity booster, zeaxanthin plays key role in protecting the retina of the eyes.  By absorbing blue light and acting as an antioxidant for the eyes, zeaxanthin can decrease the risk of age related macular dengeneration, a leading cause of vision problem and blindness in people over 65.

So my mother was right.   Ancient wisdom is seldom wrong–after all, goji berries were used by herbalists in China, Tibet and India for more than 6,000 years.

If she were here today, she would say, “Told you so,” and  you won’t find me  rolling my eyes.

Goji berries can be eaten as a snack–a lot of health stores carry goji berries as a healthy snack, either on its own or in trail mix.  Toss a handful into chicken soup or incorporate them in your main dishes.  Here is a simple stir fry dish:

Goji Chicken

1 thumb of ginger, thinly sliced

4 or 5 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 handful of goji berries

1 stalk of spring onion, cut into 1″ lengths

1 tablespoon of oyster sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Sautee sliced ginger, garlic and goji berries in a teaspoon of oil until fragrant.

Add sliced chicken, oyster sauce and sautee until cooked through.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with green onion.

Want to find out more about Anthocyanins?  Read Anthocyanins:  Colors of Health.

Plump Your Bone Density With Plums?

Think prunes are for the old and constipated?  Think again!  Prunes are ripe dried versions of plums–particularly the ruddy egg-shaped kind that are juicy and sweet at their peak.  Specifically, we’re talking Prunus domestica.  What if I say that prune and its younger version, plum can beef up your bone density?

According to  Bahram Arjmandi, PhD., a researcher at Florida State University,  Tallahassee, dried plums not only prevented bone loss but can also reverse it.  Preliminary results showed plums are particularly beneficial for premenopausal women–they are asked to eat 8 to 10 dried prunes a day and showed promising bone benefits.  How?  Prunes contain high amounts of  super antioxidants, polyphenols, which can restore bone mass and structure, thereby beefing up bone mineral density. Another study showed that prune’s polyphenols also enhance osteoblast (bone formation) activity.

But that’s not all.  Plums are storehouses of beneficial minerals and vitamins–high levels of vitamin C, vitamin B1, B2, B6, potassium, vitamin K, boron and dietary fiber.  Boron is known to prevent osteoporosis.

So, let’s snack on prunes and include plums in our fruit selection or toss them in our food–a natural sweet way to stay strong and bone-happy.

Plums are plentiful in the summer and make cool summer treats.  If you like to experiment with plums in food, try this plum salsa.

Plum Salsa

• 3 plums
• 1 large tomato
• 1/2 an onion
• 1 jalapeno
• few springs of cilantro

1.  Chopped all the above ingredients and put them in a large mixing bowl.

2.  Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon or 1 small lime.

3.  Drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil (optional)

4.  Add garlic salt or regular salt (if you don’t like garlic ) to taste.

5.  Toss everything together and chill before serving.

You can serve plum salsa with grilled meat or  with some good crunchy tortilla chips.  Good with satay and kebobs too.

Plump Up Your Bone Density with Plums?

By anglnwu

Prunus Domestica

Think prunes are for the old and constipated?  Think again!  Prunes are ripe dried versions of plums–particularly the ruddy egg-shaped kind that are juicy and sweet at their peak.  Specifically, we’re talking Prunus domestica.  What if I say that prune and its younger version, plum can beef up your bone density?

According to  Bahram Arjmandi, PhD., a researcher at Florida State University,  Tallahassee, dried plums not only prevented bone loss but can also reverse it.  Preliminary results showed plums are particularly beneficial for premenopausal women–they are asked to eat 8 to 10 dried prunes a day and showed promising bone benefits.  How?  Prunes contain high amounts of  super antioxidants, polyphenols, which can restore bone mass and structure, thereby beefing up bone mineral density. Another study showed that prune’s polyphenols also enhance osteoblast (bone formation) activity.

But that’s not all.  Plums are storehouses of beneficial minerals and vitamins–high levels of vitamin C, vitamin B1, B2, B6, potassium, vitamin K, boron and dietary fiber.  Boron is known to prevent osteoporosis.

So, let’s snack on prunes and include plums in our fruit selection or toss them in our food–a natural sweet way to stay strong and bone-happy.

Plums are plentiful in the summer and make cool summer treats.  If you like to experiment with plums in food, try this plum salsa.

Plum Salsa

• 3 plums
• 1 large tomato
• 1/2 an onion
• 1 jalapeno
• few springs of cilantro

1.  Chopped all the above ingredients and put them in a large mixing bowl.

2.  Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon or 1 small lime.

3.  Drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil (optional)

4.  Add garlic salt or regular salt to taste.

5.  Toss everything together and chill before serving.

You can serve plum salsa with grilled meat or  with some good crunchy tortilla chips.  For satay lovers, substitute the usual cucumber and onion duet with this refreshing alternative.

Tags: antioxidants, bone density, boron, osteoporosis, polyphenols, potassium, prunus domestica, vitamin C

If You’re Playing Catch With Sleep….

Insomnia strikes

Does insomnia stalk you in the night?  The darkness envelops you and you find yourself chasing after the elusive “shuteye” teaser? Catch me, if you can?  Well, if you are , you’re not alone.  According to the National Institute of Health, around 60 million Americans experience chronic insomnia.

So what’s  insomnia? Health experts say it’s the lack of ability to fall asleep or stay asleep on a regular basis.  If you think you have insomnia, consult your doctor and make sure it’s not an indication of other medical problems such as depression, heart disease, sleep apnea, lung disease, menopause or diabetes.

If you don’t have any major health problems, you may want to examine your lifestyle, your emotional stress level or eating habits for any sleep inhibitors.  Sometimes, the sleep problem can be dissolved by tweaking the factors that constitute your life or lifestyle.

Here’s some ways to encourage sleep:

1.  Let’s start with the obvious. Quit drinking caffeinated drink hours before you go to sleep–caffeine is the antithesis of sleep. While we’re at it, ditch  sugary snacks before zzz..time too.

2.  Are you stress?  With work? With life?  Ask yourself what good will your worrying in bed do?  Nothing! Rather than allow stress to activate your brain and keep you awake, leave them outside your bedroom.  Mentally cut them off and tell them to bug off. You’re your own bedtime psychiatrist, so there!

3.  Relax and Unwind with sleep-inducing food or drink.  This is one that works for me and I have made a ritual out of it.  An hour or so before you go to sleep, indulge yourself with some sleep-inducing foods.  For drinks–choose calming tea like Chamomile or warm milk.  Snack on foods rich in Tryptophan, an amino acid that is the precursor to serotonin, which is a necessary neurotransmitter for inducing sleep and tranquility.  Carbohydrates, certain proteins and dairy products are high in tryptophan.  Specific examples include milk, cheese, soy products, whole grains, seafood, turkey, beans and lentils.  Remember–it’s like bedtime snack, so think small portion.

Try:

• Cheese on whole wheat crackers and a cup of hot tea
• Lean turkey on pita with a heap of hummus.
• Air-popped chips with bean dip.

4.  Reduce tension.  Tense muscles can keep you awake.  Relax your muscles and ease your body into bedtime sleep with muscle relaxation exercises.

5.  Relaxation Techniques.  Sleep experts say that relaxation techniques is one of the most effective ways to increase sleep time, fall asleep faster, and feel more rested in the morning.  See this video.

6.  Exercise

Exercises tire your body and induces the feel-good hormone, endorphins.  Regular exercises (just don’t do any strenuous exercises before bedtime) help your body to sleep better.  Yoga is especially effective with its combination of deep breathing, meditation and stretching.

Scent Your Room with Tranquilizing Aromas

7.  Create a Sleep-friendly Environment.  Close shades to set the mood.  Put on some gentle, soothing music to lull you to slumber land.  If you like aromatherapy, use a diffuser to infuse air with your favorite scent.  Some people prefer to put sachets of lavender,  Chamomile or ylang ylang under their pillows or tucked inside. You know what soothes you–well–welcome them into your bedroom and allow them to put you in a sweet mood.

If you’ve done all that, and you’re still playing catch–see  a doctor.  And good luck with this sleeping malady.  Put it to sleep!

Neti Pot, Anyone?

A watering can for your nose?  Eeeks! Whoever came up the idea must be drunk or highly tormented.  Maybe, highly tormented with dripping nostrils, watery eyes and sneezing?  There is no relief and even prescription drugs cannot fully address the problem. In desperation, the water can idea was born, perhaps?

So, it was, someone came up with the idea of a Neti pot to ease nasal complications.  You can thank the Indians for this ingenious invention.  The word Neti actually comes from traditional medical term, jala neti, which means nasal cleansing.

If you’re an allergy or sinus sufferer, you may be acquainted with the Neti pot.  It works like a watering can, looks like a cross between Aladdin’s lamp and a teapot and many holistic practitioners may recommend you try one.

Neti pots works as a vessel by which you irrigate your nasal passages and in the process flush out the allergens that are causing all the classic symptoms of allergy.  Allergens in the forms of pollen, mold, pet dander, even smoke can irritate the mast cells lining the nasal passages and cause them to produce antihistamines to protect the body. Naturally, you want to get rid of these allergens and prevent them from triggering the release of antihistamines.  That where the Neti pot comes in–use it to flush out allergens, bacteria and mucous.

How do you use it?  The steps are simple and once you get used to it, it’s as easy and natural as brushing your teeth.  Here’s how:

Using a Neti Pot is Easy

1.  Use a quarter to half a teaspoon of noniodized salt to 8 ounces of warn water.  Mix them thoroughly in the Neti pot.

2.  Stand over a sink, incline your head at 45 degrees and put spout in one nostril and allow the water to drain through the other nostril.

3.  Repeat with the other nostril.

4.  Gently blow to clear nasal passages completely.

Use Neti pots about twice a day during allergy season, especially in the morning and after spending time outdoors.  An Italian study published in the International Archives of Allergy found that nasal flushing is a mild and effective way of treating seasonal allergies and can markedly reduce the use of antihistamines.

You can purchase a Neti pot from most health and drug stores and online.  They are relatively inexpensive and maybe a viable option to treating allergies without taking medication.

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A Crazy Good Thing: Nuts About Nuts

Mixed nuts: Credit: www.cleanfoodconnection.com

I’m nuts about nuts.  My husband can tell you that.  In fact, I fell into his trap with his constant supply of Macademias.  We were involved in a long distance relationship (he’s from America and I live in Singapore, then) and every time, he came to visit, he would tote bags of macademias.

Like the sultan who couldn’t kill the storyteller (One Thousand and One Night story?)–she was smart enough to end the story on a cliff-hanger, whatever that means.  My husband would entice with his salty crunchy treats and I would be helpless.

If you ransack my pantry, you will find an assortment of them.  Now, I don’t’ snack them with  guilt–yes, they have high fat content but there are too many reasons to lay them off.  According to a recent study of more than 64,000 Chinese women, those who had peanuts every day cut their risk of developing diabetes by 21 percent.

Not a peanut person?–I’m not either–researchers assure that other nuts are just as effective.  Take your pick–walnuts, almonds, cashews and yes, macademias.  An ounce a day would not pack on pounds, they added.

Nut fame is not limited to diabetes control–it has high levels of monunsaturated fats that are actually twice as good for your heart as a low-fat diet. Nuts have other nutrients too–Vitamin E, magnesium, copper and phytochemicals that are linked to heart health.

But that’s not all.  Nuts like walnuts are loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids that can help lower cholesterol.  Pistachios have phytosterols, Vitamin E and L, arginine and monounsaturated fat that can lower the bad cholesterol while raising the good cholesterol.

So, what do you say– join me in my nutfest?  Snack on them–you can make your own trail mix with your favorite nuts and dried fruits.  Just buy an assortment of your favorite nuts  (preferably unsalted) and toss them together with some dried fruits.  Put them in an air-tight jar so they last longer.  Bag them and  take them with you to work, to school or whenever you feel a food attack.

Nuts are versatile.  You can toss them in your stir-fry, in your deserts, and  cereals for texture and crunch.  You can also chopped them finely to coat your meat to provide crunch and flavor.

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