Beautiful Skin

Beautiful Skin from your Kitchen

You can get plenty of nourishment for your skin from a natural diet. All you need to know is which fruit or cereal gives you the vitamins you need for a flawless and glowing skin

Oranges
What they do: They are loaded with Vitamin C, which protects your skin from damage from environmental factors like ultraviolet rays. Vitamin C keeps your gums healthy and helps your skin make collagen, which is necessary to keep it tight and wrinkle free.

How to consume: You need 200 mg of Vitamin C per day. There's enough in one orange for your entire day's needs. It's better to consume the whole fruit than just have the juice. Smoking is a no-no as it decreases the absorption of Vitamin C into the system. Conditions it helps: Bleeding and tender gums, wounds, dull skin from exposure to the sun.

Papayas
What they do: This delicious, lowcalorie fruit is not just a dieter's delight; it comes packed with carotenoids that release Vitamin A. Vitamin A has an antioxidant effect; it protects your skin from damage and keeps it young. It is also known to decrease the risk of cancer. How to consume: About 200 gm (a big bowlful) is adequate. The part near the seeds is the richest in nutrients, so it should not be discarded. Instead, just lightly flake off the seeds with a fork.

Conditions it helps: Dry skin and dry mucosa (the lining of your mouth and eyes).

Whole grains
What they do: These are full of vitamins of the B group; these vitamins are essential for normal skin functioning, growth of new cells to replace dead ones and to maintain the skin's strength against infections and stress. Niacin in whole grains also helps skin cells to absorb nutrients from the blood and break them to release energy.

How to consume: Select breads, biscuits and pastas that mention 'whole grain' instead of just wheat flour in the ingredients. Try to eat unpolished rice (brown rice). You could also add wheat bran (husk of wheat) to your chappatti dough.

Conditions it helps: Peeling, cracked skin, rough hands and feet, mouth ulcers, sore tongue, rawness at the angles of the mouth.

Sunflower seeds
What they do: These light, crisp, nutritious morsels are filled with the goodness of essential fatty acids. They help your skin secrete natural oils that lubricate it and prevent water loss, keeping your skin soft. They improve hair texture and decrease blackheads. How to consume: A few teaspoons once or twice a week is enough. Alternately, use sunflower oil for cooking.

Conditions it helps: Psoriasis, scaly patches on your skin and cracked soles, atopic dermatitis, rashes, acne.

Green tea
What it does: Green tea is loaded with flavinoids and antioxidants. Drinking it is the best gift you could give your skin. Sunlight, UV rays and free radical (chemicals) in the atmosphere can damage your skin cell's structure and leave it incapable of repairing itself, making you look older and wrinkled. It may also cause skin cancer. Antioxidants in green tea battle these agents, helping your skin stay younger.

How to consume: Soak a tea bag or a teaspoon of tea leaves in a cup of hot water for at least three minutes to get the full extract. This is available at any pharmacy. Adding milk neutralizes the antioxidants, so it is best to have it black.