Tag: vegetables

Good skin starts with our diet.

Today I’m writing about diet and the skin. Our skin is the human bodies largest organ.

Many people spend thousands of dollars trying to preserve it, especially on their face. However, few people consider that our diet shows on our face.

Beautiful skin starts with nourishment from within.

There are hundreds of steps involved in the cycle of skin renewal, of which the foods we eat are components. The body, skin included, is constantly under construction and it uses vitamins and nutrients from food to repair and rebuild, Older cells are constantly shed and replaced by younger ones and a steady supply of key nutrients is essential to support this rapid growth. Eating the correct balance of foods feeds our skin the vital nutrients it needs to help it stay soft, supple and blemish-free.

That said, as much as we may try to resist it, our skin does naturally age. Wrinkles and age spots are the inevitable result of time, but this ageing may be sped up by overexposure to the sun, strong soaps and chemicals, as well as poor nutrition. Excessive alcohol consumption and smoking both also age the skin.

 Start with simple changes.

By eating a variety of antioxidant-rich, fresh fruit and vegetables, healthy fats from oily fish and nuts, and a varied, balanced diet. This should give optimal levels of the nutrients that are crucial for radiant skin, including beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, zinc and selenium.

Fruit and vegetables contain powerful antioxidants that help to protect skin from the cellular damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals along with smoking, pollution and sunlight, can cause wrinkling and age spots. Beta-carotene, found in carrots, sweet potatoes and pumpkin, and lutein, found in kale, papaya and spinach are potent antioxidants, important for normal skin cell development and healthy tone.

 Just add water

Skin needs moisture to stay flexible. Even mild dehydration will cause it to look dry, tired and slightly grey. Water helps hydrate your body and leads to plump, healthy skin. Adequate hydration helps flush out toxins that can cause skin problems. It is also essential for skin metabolism and regeneration.

Drink plenty of water each day – all fluids count towards our daily allowance, but water is the best. We have all heard of the recommended 6 to 8 glasses a day. However, there is a simple scientific formula to work out how much water you need. Your weight in kilograms x .03 = daily requirement of water (e.g.; 60 x .03 = 1.8 litres).

Herbal, caffeine-free teas are good too. Some fruit and vegetables, such as watermelon and cucumber, also contribute fluids – the added benefit is that the minerals they contain will increase the rate you hydrate your body and skin.

Overall, promoting healthy skin with diet is all about adopting good nutritional habits.

So, while the Christmas season is a time of celebration with friends and family, it is also a time of food and drink. In order to put your best face forward for the new year, try to make good food choices.

Drink lots of water to counter act the effects of alcohol and remember to laugh.

To all my readers, thank you for your support and have a Merry Christmas.

I hope all my subscribers enjoy their Christmas recipe.

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper

(Sources – www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.  www.webmd.com.  www.bbcgoodfood.com

A Great Coconut Curry recipe

Today I thought I would share a great curry recipe.

Since my last post, Scott and I have been eating primarily a plant-based diet.

This is intended to help our bodies eliminate any toxins and improve our digestive system. I am also hoping to shed a couple of ‘cruise kilos’. So far I am on track. We are both feeling better and interestingly our sleep has improved.

Recipes for Inspiration

There are many great recipes that I regularly use for meal inspiration and this is 1 of our favourites.

The original recipe is in a small booklet that I got from The Source Bulk Foods last year. I have made a couple of small additions.

This quick, easy and delicious meal has many health benefits.

  • Garlic contains antioxidants that protect against cell damage and ageing.
  • Onions have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
  • Broccoli is high in many vitamins and minerals.
  • Cauliflower provides a significant amount of antioxidants
  • Capsicum is very high in vitamin C
  • Studies show that tomatoes and tomato products may reduce the risk of heart disease and several cancers.
  • Turmeric contains curcumin, a substance with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

You can add or change out the vegetables to suit your tastes, or what you have in the fridge. Though it is a vegetarian curry, it can easily be changed to a meat curry by simply adding your choice of diced meat.

Coconut Curry

serves 4

Ingredients

½ onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

½ broccoli cut into small flowerets

½ cauliflower cur into small flowerets

4 small potatoes diced

½ capsicum roughly chopped

2 tbsp tamari sauce

2 heaped tbsp. curry powder

2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tin diced tomatoes

400ml coconut cream

bunch of fresh coriander roughly chopped

* Cooked rice, noodles or quinoa to serve

Method
  • In a large saucepan, cook the onion and garlic till the onion is translucent
  • add the spices and stir for a minute
  • add all the rest of the ingredients (except coriander and rice/noodles)
  • bring to the boil, then reduce and simmer until the vegetables are cooked
  • add ½ the coriander and stir through
  • serve on rice or noodles
  • sprinkle rest of coriander on top

When I first made this, I thought that the sauce would split. This is not the case.

It becomes a really creamy sauce.

 

Till the next post,

 

Live clean n prosper

Spinach and Iron – myth or fact ??

Today i’m going to tackle the myth that Spinach provides us with lots of Iron.

The idea that spinach contained exceptional levels of iron originated in 1870 with a German chemist named Erich von Wolf. Dr Von Wolf was researching the nutritional benefits of this leafy vegetable. In his notes, he accidentally printed the decimal point in the vegetable’s iron content in the wrong spot. 3.5 grams of iron suddenly became 35 grams, an extremely high amount of iron.

Those figures remained unchallenged until 1937, when it was discovered that the content was 1/10th the claim. The oversight resulted from a misplaced decimal point.

The cartoon character Popeye also popularised the idea of high iron content in spinach. In fact, spinach growers credited Popeye with a 33% increase in U.S. spinach consumption and saving the industry in the 1930s, according to Popeye’s official website.

 The nutrition facts 

Spinach doesn’t have that much more iron than other leafy greens like broccoli and kale. One cup of raw leaves has .81 milligrams of iron, while the same amount of broccoli has .66 mg. and kale has .24 mg.

Although it contains higher levels of iron and calcium, the rate of absorption is almost nil. This is due to it containing high levels of oxalic acid, a food component that inhibits iron and calcium absorption.

Despite its unusable iron and calcium content, Spinach is still a highly nutritious vegetable. It’s rich in several important minerals, proteins, and vitamins. It’s juice is also said to be the most potent for the prevention of cancer cell formation. Research has shown that those who eat spinach daily are less likely to develop lung cancer. It is also a good source of the B vitamin, Folate, that promotes normal foetal development during pregnancy.       (Source – www.innvista.com)

Spinach is often paired with dairy products, especially cheeses in many recipes. In the Middle East and Greece it is often teamed with feta or haloumi, while Italians combine it with ricotta or parmesan. However, pairing this dark green vegetable with dairy can lessen the amount of calcium your body absorbs from the dairy products.

 The different varieties

 

English spinach, or true spinach, is often confused with silverbeet. Spinach, however, has a smaller, flatter leaf and green veins, as opposed to the white veins of silverbeet.

Baby spinach is a flat-leaf green with soft, tender and mild-flavoured leaves. Usually sold pre-washed, it requires no advance preparation. Because the stems are so tender, there is no need to remove them. It’s perfect raw in salads, and can be added at the last minute to many dishes, or used in any recipe requiring English spinach.

Silverbeet is a close relative of spinach and beetroot, and is believed to have originated in the Mediterranean. Silverbeet is also best with the stalks removed and cooked. Cook as briefly as possible to retain maximum nutrient content.

 

So whichever type of spinach you prefer, continue to enjoy it. Just don’t rely on it as a source of iron or calcium.

 

Till the next post,

 

Live clean n prosper.