5 Ways to Fight Winter Skin With Food

Winter skin is upon us. Was that a collective sigh I just heard?

When the temperature drops, we all love rocking cozy sweaters, colorful scarves, and fuzzy earmuffs. But the flaky skin, scaly patches, and hard-to-reach itches are the not-so-beloved aspect of this season.

Rather than succumbing to winter’s wrath, try combatting winter skin from the inside out. Eating certain healthy foods and applying others topically can give your skin a smooth, rosy glow no matter how cold it gets.

5 Ways to Fight Winter Skin With Food

1. Tea

Baby, it’s cold outside! So why not curl up with a warm cup of tea? While you might not be as thirsty in winter as you were during the summer heat, staying hydrated in the cold is equally essential.

Drinking 8–10 glasses of water or tea per day can help flush out toxins, prevent the skin from drying, increase cell turnover, and keep your skin young and fresh.

Just be sure to combine drinking plenty of water and/or tea with applying plenty of moisturizer. Moisturizers help hold water in the skin’s top layer, so they work hand in hand with water. This translates into great, glowing skin despite the harsh winter weather.

2. Orange and Green Food

No, we don’t mean M&Ms! Orange veggies, such as carrots, squash, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes, are full of carotenoids.

Carotenoids increase our defense against the sun’s damaging UV rays (remember, it’s important to always use sunscreen for protection, even in winter).

They also help prevent acne breakouts and flare-ups that can make your skin blemished and blotchy. Try a pumpkin yogurt mask for a little winter skin pampering.

Green foods, such as kale and spinach, are full of vitamin C, which can act as a food equivalent of the fountain of youth. Vitamin C helps repair skin by building collagen that wards off those pesky wrinkles. Eat at least one orange and one green food every day and your skin will thank you!

3. Healthy Fats

We love fat. We aren’t talking about the kind you find in pie and french fries, but rather the healthy fats found in salmon, avocados, and chia seeds.

These foods contain omega-3 fatty acids, which aid in heart health and weight loss. But did you know they also give you healthy skin? They help reduce inflammation and prevent collagen breakdown (translation: less wrinkles).

Looking for some healthy snacks? Simply mix 2 tablespoons of chia into your yogurt for an added 5 grams of omega-3s, or sprinkle some flax into a midday cup of oatmeal.

One food that’s as good in your belly as it is on your face is avocado. Avocados contain monounsaturated fat and are rich in vitamins A and E.

Vitamin E enhances your skin’s collagen production (leading to smoother skin) while sealing in vital moisture. Try this avocado face mask and let this double-duty powerhouse work its magic on your dry winter skin!

4. Colorful Fruit

Fruits such as blueberries, blackberries, and cranberries are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants not only fight damaging free radicals in your body, but they also can fight those winter skin blues! Antioxidants help protect your skin against damage caused by the sun and harsh cold weather conditions.

Blueberries have the added benefit of containing compounds that slow wrinkles and the effects of aging. Think of antioxidants as your youth elixir, keeping you beautiful, ageless, and energized no matter what the weather has in store.

5. Salmon

Not only is it a delicious source of protein, but salmon is also full of skin-enhancing omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s allow the skin’s ceramides to hold onto water more effectively. Ceramides act as the glue that keeps cells locked together, forming a barrier that keeps hydration in. When ceramides deplete, skin grows dry and irritated. 

The healthy fats in salmon moisturize the skin from the inside out, reducing the inflammation that leads to dry skin and psoriasis. Salmon is also packed with vitamin E and zinc—both vital nutrients for maintaining supple skin (and strong hair and nails!). 

Consuming salmon just twice weekly helps your skin hold onto its natural moisture, plumps your fine lines, speeds up the healing of breakouts and rashes, and prevents dehydration and roughness during harsh winter weather. 

(Image: Shutterstock)

5 Smart, Simple Strategies for a Lean Holiday Season

It’s officially the holiday season (yay!), which means festive soirees, gift wrapping, and…sweet treats that just keep on coming.

And every year, although we swear we won’t do it again, it’s hard to avoid trying a bite of every glittery cookie, which leads to gaining extra pounds we then resolve to lose come New Year’s.

This year, we’re ready to break that same-old cycle (without sacrificing even a moment of joy).

Here are a few smart, simple ways to avoid holiday weight gain that don’t include swearing off every piece of pecan pie or avoiding eggnog for the entire season. The best part? Staying lean and healthy will allow you to feel great amid all of the hustle and bustle, so you can soak up even more of the season’s happy vibes.

1. Schedule your workouts in advance. You want your exercise routine to stay as consistent as possible. Hold yourself accountable by signing up for classes or adding your workouts to your calendar in advance. You might even want to treat yourself to some extra classes, since it’s easier to drag yourself out of bed for an early morning sweat session knowing you’ll avoid a cancellation fee and can spend your hard-earned dollars on killer gifts, instead. Bonus: The endorphin rush after class will help keep the stress of the season at bay, and you can refuel with a post workout smoothie.

2. Stay super focused on eating your veggies. Yes, we’re saying it again. If your belly is full of veggies, after all, there will be less room for multiple servings of mashed potatoes. Make sure to eat greens and other winter veggies at every meal. Throw sauteed broccoli rabe and red peppers into scrambled eggs for breakfast, wilt kale and swiss chard into a white bean soup to bring with you for lunch, and lay your salmon filet over a bed of sauteed broccoli rabe as an easy go-to dinner. Stuck with only the options available at a holiday party? Station yourself near the crudite platter and fill up. The nutrients in veggies are important for a strong immune system, and the high water and fiber content will keep you full.

3. Indulge when you actually want to. As you’re unwrapping yet another candy cane, think, “Do I really want this?” Eating mindlessly as you hop from glam parties to office cookie swaps won’t actually ever satisfy your sweet tooth. If it’s not a dessert that makes your mouth water, skip it. Save that indulgence for your Grandma’s pumpkin pie you wait for all year long, and while you eat it, savor every last bite.

4. Drink smart. Champagne is going to be flowing like crazy, so choose a night or two a week to treat yourself to a drink (or two!). Have a holiday party coming up? Save your alcoholic beverages for those nights and skip the glass of wine at your after-work sushi dinner. On the nights you do drink, start with a glass of water or seltzer with a lemon or lime and drink another in between every martini or glass of wine. Staying hydrated will keep you from overdoing it and will help prevent a hangover.

5. Prioritize shut-eye. If you don’t get enough sleep regularly, the constant go-go feeling of the holiday season will make your stress level spike, which raises cortisol in the body and leads to weight gain. Plus, you’ll be more likely to overeat as a result of fatigue. Set a bedtime you want to stick to on weeknights and try to honor it unless you have a special occasion.

After all, you’re trying to stay lean and healthy, but you also don’t want to end up spending the season acting like The Grinch.

 

7 Nutrients You Need for Healthy Hair

Healthy hair is more coveted than the perfect pair of jeans but sometimes more elusive than the perfect avocado.

While we don’t all hate the Pantene lady for being beautiful, we do have a little ounce of envy at what happens when she swings her mane around in slo mo.

Why? Because when we swing our dry, brittle, over-processed, or just generally damaged hair around, it kinda just stays in one place. And then we swing in the other direction to make sure it wasn’t just a directional fluke, but nope. Kinda just stays in place.

So what’s a girl to do to get those frazzled locks back to being commercial worthy? EAT!

As much as I love trying the latest beauty products and believe in many of them, my expertise is fixing us all from the inside out. So when it comes to sporting healthy hair, I always turn to my fork rather than the fancy stuff in a bottle.

The healthier you are on the inside, the healthier you’ll look on the outside. Your hair is no exception.

7 Nutrients You NEED for Healthy Hair:

B Vitamins: Go for quinoa oatmeal, brown rice, strawberries, green leafy vegetables, chicken and salmon. They contain the B vitamins niacin, pantothenic acid, folic acid, B6 and B12, which are responsible for strengthening hair follicles and increasing circulation to the skin.

They work to stimulate hair follicles to grow healthy hair. The complex of B vitamins is important because all of these vitamins work together. Researchers have shown that B vitamins play a role in a reduction in hair loss, a decrease in gray hair as well as longer, shinier hair.

Biotin: You don’t often find me telling you to eat liver, but it’s a very good source of biotin, which is also a B vitamin. Biotin gets special attention for its role in stimulating new cells and re-growing lost hair.

It’s still up in the air as to whether or not biotin supplementation, shampoo and hair products can do the same work as biotin in the diet, so make sure chow down on these great sources: nuts, eggs, Swiss chard, whole grains and halibut.

Zinc, Selenium and Iron: You’ll find zinc in oysters, red meat, shellfish and legumes. Selenium is abundant in butter (yes, a little organic grass fed butter is good for you!), garlic, whole grains and fish. And, iron you’ll find in dark greens, grass fed meat, sunflower seeds and even dark chocolate.

These minerals assist the body in repairing damaged hair and strengthening hair follicles. You need every strand you have, so eat foods rich in these minerals to keep your stylist in business.

Protein and omega 3s: You’ll find protein in nuts, seeds, legumes, meat and fish. Focus on fish when it comes to hair because you want both protein and omega-3s to help your hair and grow shiny.

Aside from adding these uber nutrient foods to your diet, if your hair is on the dry side, don’t wash it daily – 3 or 4 times a week is probably plenty. The oils on your scalp can revitalize the shine to your hair, so don’t go scrubbing them away with shampoo every day.

Also, limit heat based styling tools, such as blow driers and straightening irons (yes, ladies you can do this!) which can rob the hair of moisture.

If you need an immediate shine and repair for your otherwise lackluster mane, food comes to the rescue, yet again. Use one of these ingredients to add instant pizzazz. You can apply the below foods to just the dry parts of your hair, or your whole head.

• Avocado
• Argan oil
• Beer
• Moroccan oil
• Olive oil

Nutrient deficiency shows in your hair not just your mood, friends. If your diet is somewhat lacking, a multivitamin may not be a bad choice to help make the most of your pony.

So there you have it. Healthy hair starts with what goes in your mouth. So the next time you’re having a bad hair day, make it a good food day.

8 Foods for Glowing Skin

You’ve read countless tips for glowing skin in magazines and blogs and brochures. You’ve dabbed toothpaste on zits, tried cleansing pads that stung, spent a fortune on wrinkle creams, used miracle oil made from special pearls, exfoliated until you were raw, buffed massaged, and polished your cheeks, and have done embarrassing face exercises, all in the name of a younger, firmer, clearer face.

Does it feel like you’re chasing a dream sometimes? You’re not alone.

The truth of the matter is that a lot of your skin’s appearance comes from genetics. Whether you have a fair complexion, freckles, uneven skin tone or are prone to blemishes, you can’t choose to have a porcelain complexion or a lovely olive skin tone, you get what you get. Thanks a lot, Mom and Dad.

You can, however, take what you got and make the most of it. There are lots of products that help you from the outside, but you need to support that work with what you put on the inside. How many of those tips for glowing skin you read  talked about food?

Whether you’re troubled by aging skin that’s losing elasticity, dry skin that appears dull or fine lines and wrinkles, these eight foods defend the integrity of your cells to keep them as healthy as possible, which trumps the promises of whatever cream you dabbed on this morning.

8 Foods for Glowing Skin

Artichokes are one of my top ten all time fave foods. These green spiky vegetables contain phytochemicals that act as anti-inflammatory agents in the skin. If you’re seeing redness, or looking to recover from a laser treatment, toss some on your salad or snack on them right from a jar or pouch to speed your recovery.

Avocados are hydrating and help to promote collagen production, which makes for younger, firmer skin. Eat them and reap the benefits of the B vitamins and vitamin E. As if, you needed another reason to have a little guacamole.

Cantaloupe is a nutrient bonanza that I recommend all summer long to satisfy a sweet tooth and prevent dry and flaky skin. A single serving (about 1 cup) of this delicious melon provides you with more than your Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin A, the vitamin responsible for supporting your epidermal glow. Pop some melon balled cantaloupe into the freezer and use them instead of ice in your unsweetened iced green tea.

Grapeseed oil is full of proanthocyanidins (pro-ANTHO-syan-ID-ins), which act as antioxidants that help protect against free radical damage caused by pollution and the sun. It has been found to play a role in the stabilization of collagen and maintenance of elastin — important components that make up the middle layer of your skin. They add support and elasticity, preventing wrinkles and returning your face to its natural shape after you flash your killer smile. Grapeseed oil can also help hydrate and moisturize the skin and works great for sauteing due to its high smoke point, and its mild flavor works well in smoothies.

Matcha tea is a great way to stay well hydrated and load up on the anti-inflammatory benefits. Proper hydration helps prevent your skin from drying out and helps eliminate toxins. It also improves cell turnover, meaning you’ll have more healthy new cells to improve your skin tone, giving you healthy, vibrant skin. All green and black teas (unsweetened) help reduce inflammation, so if matcha isn’t your cup of tea, you can still reap the benefits. You can also throw some matcha into a morning smoothie. 

Mushrooms should be your favorite fungi. They provide B6, folate, niacin, riboflavin, iron, potassium, and selenium, all of which you need for beautiful and healthy cells. In ancient times, Chinese women ate them to promote a smooth complexion. Selenium shields newly formed skin cells from damage brought on by too much time in the sun. Those new cells keep your skin looking soft and young. Slice raw mushrooms on your salad, or toss them into your stir fry for a virtually calorie free umame addition to your dinner.

Salmon chalk one more benefit up to this superfood. Salmon is good for your brain, your heart, weight management, your immune system and it also makes your skin glow. The omega-3  fatty acids play a role in wrinkle free skin, reducing inflammation and preventing collagen breakdown. Keep salmon in your fridge and a can of salmon in your pantry as a staple so you can always pull off a healthful beauty boosting meal or snack in minutes. And, you now have an excuse to dine on salmon tartare more often. You are welcome.

Turmeric is a traditional spice that is newly hot with good scientific reason. It’s full of curcuminoids, which are antioxidant phytochemicals. Think fighting free radicals that cause wrinkles. Besides serving as a super transport for these antioxidants, turmeric is great at nourishing skin and promoting skin elasticity — preventing wrinkles and age spots. Sprinkle some on eggs or add to your morning vegan smoothie or add a spoonful to your roasted veggies before you toss them in the oven.

Organic Eggs are something everyone needs in their regular diet because eggs are healthful for so many reasons. For your skin, you need them for their zinc. Zinc is important in controlling oil content of the skin and minimizing breakouts. It’s also essential in the formation of collagen, which forms connective tissue and skin. Scrambled or sunny side up?

I hope these tips for glowing skin give you some new motivation to change up your diet and gain confidence from the inside out. Eat these foods and pull out some of those processed ones that may be clogging your skin’s inner glow. And, let me know how your skin is looking!