Great Skin Diet

Great Skin Diet:

I have a belief that you can eat your way to youthful skin. Part of great skin is genetic, so if you are lucky to have parents that look young and wrinkle free you are ahead of the game. If you don’t have such luck, don’t fret, you can still have great skin, it may just take more work on your part.

I came up with this diet a few years back. When looking back on my childhood I came to a realization that I didn’t burn as a child, sunburn that is. Well, that’s not true, I remember burning once. Which of course got me to thinking, How and Why? So I set out to do some research. I thought about what I ate as a child and my general genetic make up. My back ground is a melting pot of cultures, but we mainly ate what our Portuguese ancestry would eat. This included but not limited to fish and leafy greens such as kale. We always had loads of vegetables and fruits. My mother rarely had anything processed in the house. We would have to resort to our friends homes for the good junk food.

Now I of course I know staying away from processed foods and sticking to a healthy diet of lean meats, fruits and vegetables is good for you. How is it good for you is still the question on my mind? What does each food item do for your body? I so set out to find out the extent of the health that they provide.

I won’t go on and on with the details and I will spare you from my long rants on the subject and summarize that fruits, vegetables, fish and kale are all power foods. Each food item can help your body in a different way, including make you have a glowing complexion and lose weight. Here is one example of how just one vegetable can help you. Kale, its under rated and you rarely hear of anyone consuming it but people really should start. Believe it or not kale is a natural sunblock. It contains lutein, as do many leafy green vegetables. Now I am not saying, “Eat a big bowl of kale and head to the beach”. Kale can certainly can help keep your skin healthy from the inside out.

So here is my Great Skin Diet: This diet will also help to shed some pounds and tone your body, which is an added bonus. I usually follow this when I have a big event, photo opportunity or when I want to feel at my very best.

Step 1: Cut out all salt

Salt (Sodium) is good for you and your body needs it but only in very small amount. You probably get plenty of sodium (Salt) and you just don’t know it. So, I have to crack the whip here, no more sodium and you are no longer able to add salt to anything. This also means no soy sauce and no potato chips. The lack of potato chips hurts me the most, as I have an addiction to BBQ chips, so I feel your pain. If you find that your food is lacking in flavor, then add spices such as pepper, oregano and basil. These are just some of my favorites.

Step 2: Drink Plenty of water and cut out Alcohol.

Most people do not drink enough water every day. Water helps to rid the body of toxins and will help your skin glow from the inside out. You should be drinking anywhere from 8 to 10 glasses per day. My advice is to drink a little bit at a time. Do not drink when you find yourself thirsty, drink before this occurs. Drinking a little bit through out the day allows the water to do the job it is meant to do. If you find it hard to drink so much water, whether because you don’t have the time or can’t stand drinking this much water, try to add coconut water into the rotation. Coconut Water is probably one of my favorite things to put in my body. Read earlier post on Coconut Water.
Also, green tea and peppermint tea are great for you and your skin. Especially peppermint, which can help blood flow. Try making a batch of tea and putting in the fridge.
Alcohol can make you look tired it you drink too much. If you love your happy hour, then stick to one glass of red wine. Red wine has antioxidants, yeah for you! Do not have a drink past 8pm though.

Step 3: Foods to Eat

Choose any of the following to eat through the day. Make sure to use as much organic and/or local produce as possible and stay away from any fish that is not wild. I like to have at least one cup of Peppermint Tea and one cup of Green Tea a day, decaf. Drink plenty of water.

Power Veggies:
Kale
Spinach
Carrots
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Broccoli
Avocado


Power Fruits:
Oranges
Tangerines
Watermelon
Strawberries
Blueberries
Pineapple
Raspberries
Blackberries
Apples
Cranberries

Power Protein:
Salmon (Wild) and smoked will work as well
Black Beans
Kidney Beans
Coconut Milk
Almond Milk
Almonds
Walnuts
Eggs

Power Carbs:
Steal Cut Oatmeal
Brown Rice
Sweet Potatoes

Three Day Example Meal Plan: Use this if you only have a few days to get ready for an event. Remember to only eat when you are hungry and to stop when you are almost full. Drink plenty of water through out the day. I put the hours in to give you an idea of the time. Doesn’t need to be strictly followed, you don’t need to starve yourself. If you’re hungry eat, if your not then don’t eat. If you have more time than two days to get your skin camera ready, then just alternate between Day 1 and Day 2. You can add and subtract any of the foods, just use the examples from above. Also, coconut water can be a great snack for mid-afternoon.

Day 1:

First thing in the morning drink Peppermint Tea. This will help get the blood circulating and break up toxins.

Breakfast: An hour after you wake up
One Cup of Steal Cut Oats made with Almond Milk and blueberries

Snack: Two to Three Hours Later

An Apple and a hand full of Almonds

Lunch: Two to Three hours later

Two cups of kale and/or spinach with 1/4 cup of cranberries, walnuts, tomatoes and 1/4 an avocado. I also like to top with or have salmon on the side.

Snack: Two to Three hours later

Orange or two clementines and a boiled egg or two depending on how hungry you are season with pepper.

Dinner: Two to Three hours later

Two cups of Sautéed Spinach and/or Kale, 1 cup of Brown Rice and Steamed Salmon. Plenty of Olive Oil.

Dessert:

One cup of Fruit and Decaf Green Tea

Day 2:

When you first wake up, a cup of Green or Peppermint Tea.

Breakfast: One Hour Later

An Orange and Omelet or Eggs Scrambled (No use of milk) with spinach, tomato, avocado.

Snack: Two to Three Hours Later

Handful of Carrots and a One cup of berry fruit salad. (Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and cranberries)

Lunch: Two to Three Hours later

Spinach salad with chopped walnuts, cranberries, avocado and steamed salmon

Snack: Two to Three Hours Later

One boiled egg with pepper and an orange

Dinner: Two to Three Hours Later

1/2 cup of Black Beans, 1/2 cup of Brown Rice or Baked Sweet Potato and One cup of Broccoli


Dessert:

A piece of fruit or small fruit salad and/or 2 oz of dark chocolate with almonds mixed in. Green Tea