These foods will naturally boost your epidermal armor.
Summer is officially here!
Good News... Mother Nature provides certain nourishing foods that can safeguard us from within. Research has found that certain key nutrients from our diet can actually boost our skin’s natural sun protection and shield it from sun damage.
Warning! A healthy salad is by no means a substitute for sunblock!
Load up on these delicious, healthy super-foods and add inner protection against sunburn and wrinkles at the cellular level:
Citrus fruits:
These fruits contain the potent ingredient limonene, associated with a 34 percent lower risk of skin cancer, according to a study by the University of Arizona that included470 women and men. High in vitamin C, they are great for helping kill off free radicals that your body produces in response to the cellular damage caused by exposure to sunlight.
Carrots:
Red, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables are packed with carotenoids (beta carotene) and studies show they reduce sunburn intensity.
Red Peppers:
Just like carrots, red peppers are especially helpful in reducing sunburn intensity. Eating red can help keep you from turning red. Lycopene—the same good stuff found in tomatoes—can decrease your chance of getting a sunburn, and this goes for watermelon too. This staple summer fruit is also high in lycopene and contains 40% more lycopene than tomatoes!
Leafy greens:
The darker the green the better! Lettuce, spinach, kale, and Swiss chard are top sources of the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which halted cell growth prompted by UV light in animal studies.
Salmon:
This popular fish is a great source of oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids. In a small British study, fish oils guarded against sunburn and DNA changes that can lead to cancer.
Walnuts:
Just like Salmon, these yummy nuts are high in essential fatty acids that could guard against sunburn. Walnuts (and almonds) contain quercetin which has been shown to protect against UV damage and the wrinkle-causing breakdown of collagen.
Green Tea:
This flavored tea is full of antioxidants called EGCGs. Not only will this tea calm you down (make sure its decaf), among its health-promoting capabilities: EGCGs stopped genetic damage in human skin cells exposed to UV light in one University of Wisconsin study.
Last but not least, Dark Chocolate:
The delicious dark stuff, made of 65 percent or more raw cocoa, contains amazing antioxidants called flavonoids, which help protect the body from sun damage. Any chocoholics out there?!
Vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin”, is a critical cornerstone for long-term health. With that said, please remember to be smart with prolonged sun exposure. Before heading outdoor, dress with protective clothing and apply a good quality SPF 30 sunscreen to protect your SKIN from sun damage and premature aging.
For questions about this BLOG, sun-safety, skin protection & skin cancer prevention, or to schedule a skin screening evaluation with our dermatologists, please call our center today ~ (212) 688-5882.
Have a safe & happy summer!
Sigi Weiss is a certified Personal Fitness Trainer, by the national fitness organization W.I.T.S - World Instructors Training Schools, and a member of I.D.E.A-Health and Fitness Association-a leading organization for fitness and wellness professionals. She is also certified as a nutrition & health coach by A.A.D.P-American Association of Drugless Practitioners, and a graduate of IIN - The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Sigi is passionate about and dedicated to motivating and encouraging others achieve an improved quality of life through living a more healthy, active and fit lifestyle. Sigi has been a health and nutrition contributor to JUVA for 10 year and a nutrition lecturer and workshop leader for students, teachers and parents in local elementary and middle schools.
