The Best and Worst Holiday Foods for your Skin
Photo by Azamat Zhanisov on Unsplash
We’re smack in the middle of the holiday season! Christmas parties, office events and an abundance of sugar and fat are surrounding us. This is definitely the time of the year where all of the excess sugar, salt and even alcohol can take a toll on your body. Foods that are the most nutritious for your overall health also are the best for your skin health. When you’re staying healthy and eating right, your complexion is clear and your skin has a beautiful glow. We all look forward to special food at this time of year, and they definitely can be a part of your holiday. But try to focus on the treats that usually are unavailable the rest of the year, and eat them in reasonable portions without overindulging.
Worst Holiday Foods for your Skin:
Traditional holiday drinks, like egg nog, are high in fat and laden with sugar. One cup has 10 grams of fat – about a sixth of the daily recommended amount, if you’re consuming around 2,000 calories a day. A one-cup serving also has 20 grams of carbs – or five teaspoons of sugar. Holiday meals usually feature pie (or several different pies) for dessert. That flaky, buttery crust is mostly white flour and shortening. Then there is the sugary filling. Apple pie filling can have 22 grams of sugar per serving – that’s more than four teaspoons! Creamy dips contains high-fat ingredients such as mayonnaise (one tablespoon = 10 fat grams) or cream cheese (one tablespoon = 5 fat grams). Instead, go for shrimp with cocktail sauce or salsa scooped up with baked tortilla chips.
Best Holiday Foods for your Skin:
These foods may not be your first choice during the holiday season, but they can definitely be enjoyed more frequently and without much damage to your diet.
Choose raw vegetable appetizers in a wide variety of colors. This will ensure you’ll eat a variety of essential vitamins and minerals. Carrots, for example, are rich in beta carotene and vitamins A and C, which improve your skin health. Eat nuts such as sunflower seeds, which contain vitamin E, and brazil nuts, which contain selenium, a mineral that improve your skin’s health. Nuts also contain omega 3 fatty acids. Look for foods that contain zinc, which can help reduce inflammation and bacteria production. Foods such as cocoa, chocolate, spinach, cashews, avocados, blackberries, raspberries and turkey contain zinc.
Bonus! Chocolate contains flavonols, an antioxidant that helps to fight free radicals and sun damage, which keeps the skin looking younger and more radiant. But keep your chocolate portion small – no more than one ounce!
No matter what you eat or what time of year it is, you should always practice healthy skin care. The skin is the largest organ in the body, and it is responsible for many functions that contribute to our health and well-being. The skin protects the body against physical and chemical aggressions, serves as a sensorial receptor, regulates body temperature, and supplies our cells with oxygen, water, and minerals. It also synthesizes Vitamin D from the sun, which is essential for healthy, strong bones and bone growth.
Source: http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/best-%E2%80%93-and-worst-%E2%80%93-holiday-foods-for-your-skin/ar-BBgDV8D
