Showing posts with label anti-aging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anti-aging. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Avocados: Creamy, Delicious and Extremely Nutritious

Aside from being one of the tastiest additions to a boring salad, avocados are rich in nutrients that good for the body - inside and out!

Avocados are a good source of vitamin K, dietary fibre, vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate, copper and potassium.

Avocados have a high fat content, but this 'fat' is 'good fat' that the body needs for optimal health. A typical avocado contains 30 grams of fat, but 20 of these fat grams are health-promoting monounsaturated fats.

Health Benefits
Take a few minutes and read: The Health Benefits of Avocados  

Looking for a natural do-it-yourself avocado beauty treatment? Check out: 4 avocado beauty treatments 

Nutritionista's Recipe Corner:

Energy-Full Warm Salad

This is a layered salad; the layers are as followed:
Brown rice
Mixed raw salad greens
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced avocado
Cooked shrimps
Chopped coriander

Add chickpeas to one side of the plate, and two artichoke hearts and a few green olives to the other side.

For the dressing, mix:
Lemon juice
Agave nectar
Crushed garlic
Ground ginger
Mustard seeds

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and Bon Appetit!

Stay Healthy!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Berry Delicious!

Who doesn’t love munching on fresh berries? They’re the perfect snack for any kind of day, and you have options – Gotta love options!

Blueberries, strawberries, cranberriesblackberries or raspberries. Eat them separately or mix them up.

Berries are full of powerful nutrients that feed the body and fight disease, while satisfying the taste buds and belly. They are full of vitamins, fibre and antioxidants.

Benefits:
  • Improve vision
  • Improve memory
  • Lowers blood cholesterol levels
  • Reduces the risk of arthritis
  • Protects the brain and central nervous system
  • Helps slow down neural aging and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease
  • Reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes
  • Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease
  • Aids in constipation and digestive conditions
  • Cranberries and blueberries contain a substance that may prevent bladder infections
  • Slows aging 
  • Reduces body fat 
  • The antioxidant compounds found in berries may even help reduce the severity of certain types if cancers by decreasing cellular growth and division in cancerous tumor
Interesting info:

One cup of strawberries contains over 100 mg of vitamin C. We need vitamin C for immune system function and for strong connective tissue. Strawberries also add a bit of calcium, magnesium, folate and potassium and only 53 calories

One cup of blueberries offers a smaller amount of vitamin C, minerals and phytochemicals for only 83 calories. The same amount of cranberries is similar, but with only 44 calories

One cup of raspberries offers vitamin C and potassium for 64 calories

Make sure to wash your berries properly...



Nutritionista's Recipe Corner:

I made this 'Berry Platter' for Nour's birthday. It tasted as good as it looks...

All you need is:
- Fresh mint leaves - Slice each leaf in half
- Sliced strawberries
- Blackberries
- Toothpicks


Stay Healthy!






Sunday, March 21, 2010

From Dull to SKINtastic!

'March is Nutrition Month'

Let’s face it our diet affects everything in our body. Food fills you up, gives you pleasure and plays a vital role in how you look, feel and age. You’re a walking product of everything you’ve chosen to consume. Doesn’t it make sense to nourish your body with the best possible ingredients???

Your skin is yours FOREVER… The best advice I’ve ever gotten: “Take care of your skin NOW! It’s the one thing you can’t fix later on. It’s the one thing that will make you look youthful or make you look old.”

True, True and Very True!

The Basics:
Beta-Carotene rich fruits and vegetables are essential for healthy skin, scalp and mucous membrane. These include tomatoes, squash and carrots. For a complete list click here.  

Introduce Omega-3 and Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids into your diet. It’s the single most important factor in preventing dry skin. They promote longevity by decreasing cholesterol, improving insulin sensitivity, reducing inflammation and facilitating weight loss. These include salmon, mackerel, flax seeds, olive oil, dark leafy greens, avocado, soybeans, tofu, miso, nuts and seeds.

Orange seafood, such as salmon and lobster, contain astaxanthin a potent antioxidant that protects skin from environmental damage, age spots and wrinkles.

Nuts and seeds are rich in vitamin E, which protects the skin from UV sun damage.

Foods rich in vitamin C promote anti-aging, skin-firming collagen and antioxidants. For a list of vitamin C rich foods click here.  

Unrefined whole grains help repair aging and damaged skin, hair and nails. Their high fibre content will help fill you up with fewer calories. For a list of whole grains click here.

Water is important to the well-being of your skin. Water keeps skin hydrated and keeps cell walls strong. You should drink 8 glass (8oz = 1 glass) of water per day!

Some of us don’t absorb all the vitamins and nutrients we need from our food. Take a multi-vitamin to get the essential nutrients your body needs.

Anti-Aging Super Foods:
Tomatoes, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, berries, grapes, garlic, onions, citrus fruits, green tea, soybeans, tofu, miso, salmon, mackerel, herring, turmeric, cinnamon and cumin.

Reduce Puffy Eyes:
Asparagus and parsley reduce bloating. Bananas and citrus fruits are potassium rich, which help maintain a good balance of fluids. Cayenne and pepper help with circulation and lymphatic drainage around the eyes.

Acne:
Beta-carotene also converts to oil reducing vitamin A that helps protect skin from acne. Leafy green vegetables contain B vitamins that minimize swelling, which reduces pimples. 

Dull Skin:
Green and orange vegetables increase vitamin A levels, which makes skin cells shed faster for a radiant, glowing complexion. Soybeans and yams contain plant estrogens, which help brighten skin.

No-No's:
Refined, white, carbohydrates
High sugar intake
Exposure to the sun without the use of sunscreen!
Smoking
Too much alcohol consumption
Make sure you clean your face regularly and exfoliate to allow your skin to breath

For Skin Cleansing Advice and Products CHECK OUT:
Let's Get SKINtimate
GLOW BABY GLOW
the MASK

Nutritionista's Recipe Corner:

Spicy Carrot Soup
2 teaspoon Sunflower Oil
6 Carrots, chopped  
1 Apple, chopped
1 Onion, chopped
1 tablespoon Curry Powder
2 cups Vegetable Broth
1 cup Almond Milk



Heat the oil in the pot and cook the curry powder for one minute.
Add the carrots, onion and apple to the pot, stir well and cover.
Leave pot covered over low heat for about 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, move the ingredients from the pot into a food processor and add the two cups of vegetable broth and the one cup of almond milk. Process until smooth. Move back into pot, heat and enjoy!

 Stay Healthy!