5 Ways to Fight Winter Skin With Food
Winter skin is upon us. Was that a collective sigh I just heard? When the temperature drops, we all love rocking cozy sweaters, colorful scarves, and fuzzy earmuffs. But the flaky skin, scaly patches, and hard-to-reach itches are the not-so-beloved aspect of this season. Rather than succumbing to winter’s wrath, try combatting winter skin from the inside out. Eating certain healthy foods and applying others topically can give your skin a smooth, rosy glow no matter how cold it gets. 5 Ways to Fight Winter Skin With Food 1. Tea Baby, it’s cold outside! So why not curl up with a warm cup of tea? While you might not be as thirsty in winter as you were during the summer heat, staying hydrated in the cold is equally essential. Drinking 8–10 glasses of water or tea per day can help flush out toxins, prevent the skin from drying, increase cell turnover, and keep your skin young and fresh. Just be sure to combine drinking plenty of water and/or tea with applying plenty of moisturizer. Moisturizers help hold water in the skin’s top layer, so they work hand in hand with water. This translates into great, glowing skin despite the harsh winter weather. 2. Orange and Green Food No, we don’t mean M&Ms! Orange veggies, such as carrots, squash, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes, are full of carotenoids. Carotenoids increase our defense against the sun’s damaging UV rays (remember, it’s important to always use sunscreen for protection, even in winter). They also help prevent acne breakouts and flare-ups that can make your skin blemished and blotchy. Try a pumpkin yogurt mask for a little winter skin pampering. Green foods, such as kale and spinach, are full of vitamin C, which can act as a food equivalent of the fountain of youth. Vitamin C helps repair skin by building collagen that wards off those pesky wrinkles. Eat at least one orange and one green food every day and your skin will thank you! 3. Healthy Fats We love fat. We aren’t talking about the kind you find in pie and french fries, but rather the healthy fats found in salmon, avocados, and chia seeds. These foods contain omega-3 fatty acids, which aid in heart health and weight loss. But did you know they also give you healthy skin? They help reduce inflammation and prevent collagen breakdown (translation: less wrinkles). Looking for some healthy snacks? Simply mix 2 tablespoons of chia into your yogurt for an added 5 grams of omega-3s, or sprinkle some flax into a midday cup of oatmeal. One food that’s as good in your belly as it is on your face is avocado. Avocados contain monounsaturated fat and are rich in vitamins A and E. Vitamin E enhances your skin’s collagen production (leading to smoother skin) while sealing in vital moisture. Try this avocado face mask and let this double-duty powerhouse work its magic on your dry winter skin! 4. Colorful Fruit Fruits such as blueberries, blackberries, and cranberries are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants not only fight damaging free radicals in your body, but they also can fight those winter skin blues! Antioxidants help protect your skin against damage caused by the sun and harsh cold weather conditions. Blueberries have the added benefit of containing compounds that slow wrinkles and the effects of aging. Think of antioxidants as your youth elixir, keeping you beautiful, ageless, and energized no matter what the weather has in store. 5. Salmon Not only is it a delicious source of protein, but salmon is also full of skin-enhancing omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s allow the skin’s ceramides to hold onto water more effectively. Ceramides act as the glue that keeps cells locked together, forming a barrier that keeps hydration in. When ceramides deplete, skin grows dry and irritated. The healthy fats in salmon moisturize the skin from the inside out, reducing the inflammation that leads to dry skin and psoriasis. Salmon is also packed with vitamin E and zinc—both vital nutrients for maintaining supple skin (and strong hair and nails!). Consuming salmon just twice weekly helps your skin hold onto its natural moisture, plumps your fine lines, speeds up the healing of breakouts and rashes, and prevents dehydration and roughness during harsh winter weather. (Image: Shutterstock)
5 Amazing Health Benefits of Cantaloupe
Of all the delicious summer fruits, this super juicy melon is one we love to talk about. With so many health benefits, cantaloupe is the perfect ingredient to any nutrient-dense fruit salad you might fix for yourself or bring to a gathering of friends and family. Sure, you can enjoy the health benefits of cantaloupe any time of year, but it’s best to eat fruits when they’re in season because that’s when they’re freshest and tastiest—and pack the maximum amount of nutrients. So grab one while you can! Adding This Sweet Super Fruit to Your Diet Federal guidelines suggest we eat an average of 1 1/2-2 cups of fruit each day. While everyone’s needs are going to be slightly different (that goal might even be too much for some people), we do know that most of us are not consuming enough fruit. If you’re looking to add fruit to your breakfast or mid-afternoon snack to make it one that’s packed with nutrients and that helps your body function at its best, cantaloupe is definitely on our list of favorites, and here’s why. Top Health Benefits of Cantaloupe 1. It’s loaded with antioxidants, especially vitamin A and vitamin C. Many of us know how important antioxidants are to a healthy diet. They’re known to reduce cell damage and inflammation, which can lead to health conditions like heart disease, cancer, and more. With a serving offering more than 100% of your recommended daily value of vitamin A, and just about 100% of your recommended daily value of vitamin C, cantaloupe is an easy way to get in your antioxidants at breakfast, lunch, or even an afternoon or evening snack. Vitamin C helps with maintaining and repairing body cells and tissue, which can prevent health conditions like heart disease and cancer, and it has been known to reduce symptoms of the common cold. Meanwhile, the vitamin A found in cantaloupe keeps your immune system functioning at its best, promotes healthy vision, glowing skin, and much more. If that’s not enough reasons to love this fruit—hang on, there’s more! 2. It’s high in beta carotene and lutein, and zeaxanthin. When consumed, beta carotene either acts as an antioxidant or is converted to vitamin A, which helps maintain healthy eyesight and keeps your skin looking vibrant. Healthier, better-looking skin? Yes, please! Cantaloupe also contains a couple of other powerful antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin, which help further prevent chronic eye diseases like cataracts. This amazing fruit just keeps getting better, right? 3. It’s rich in potassium, which promotes optimal muscle function. At 10% of your recommended daily value of potassium per cup, cantaloupe provides a flavorful way to get this nutrient that you need for your heart, muscles, and everything in between. Snacking on cantaloupe is also a great way to restore some of those electrolytes you lost during your morning sweat sesh. 4. It contains 6% of the recommended daily value of fiber. When it comes to fiber, studies show Americans are not getting quite enough. With the recommended amounts at 20 to 30 grams of fiber per day (ideally directly from food), most Americans only get about 50% of that. What’s so great about fiber? Well, for starters, it’s beneficial for improving digestion and preventing constipation, diverticular disease, diabetes, and even heart disease. Pretty great, right? It can also be a powerful tool for weight loss since a high-fiber diet can make you feel fuller for longer, leading to lower calorie consumption. Translation: eating more cantaloupe (and other foods high in fiber) may help promote weight loss. 5. Like many fruits, it’s high in water content. Hello, hydration! Cantaloupe is a whopping 90% water! Being hydrated makes it easier for your heart to do its thing, to pump blood to all the systems in your body that depend on it. Adding cantaloupe to your diet is a great way to get even more water into your body throughout the day, without having to drink more. (Psst: You should be doing that, too, drinking lots of water.) But that’s not all. We could go on and on about why we love cantaloupe so much. For example, it also contains high levels of folate, which is beneficial for expecting mothers. Plus, it’s full of a bunch of other important nutrients, such as vitamin B6, magnesium and more. Take Advantage of Cantaloupe Benefits with These Recipes Yes, cantaloupe can be super-refreshing and absolutely delicious all by itself. But why not pair it with some other tasty, healthy foods and make it an ultra-nutritious meal? Here are a few recipes to get you started. Roasted Cantaloupe You can roast cantaloupe? Of course, you can! Cold, fresh cantaloupe is delicious, but have you ever tried roasting it? Check out this minimal ingredient recipe from The Joy Kitchen. Roasted Cantaloupe Salad If you like roasted cantaloupe all by itself, you’ll love this sweet and savory summer salad recipe even more. This salad tastes as wonderful as it looks, and it’s quick and easy to prepare. Cantaloupe Smoothie For a more refreshing summer meal, or any time of year, this cantaloupe smoothie is full of flavor and nutrients and can be whipped up in no time. It makes a simple, but nutritious breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, or even dessert! Yum! Cantaloupe Salad with Mint, Lime, & Pepitas It doesn’t get more refreshing, or fulfilling, than this flavorful summer dish. It takes less than 30 minutes to prep and will be the talk of the potluck, for sure. Add a little more of this orangey fruit to your plate this season, and all year long, for better hydration, better skin, and better overall health!
How to Strengthen Your Immune System Every Time You Eat
Got a runny nose that won’t quit? If you’re wondering how to strengthen your immune system, here’s a simple strategy: add immunity-boosting foods to every meal. (Duh!) No, we’re not just talking about citrus fruits and ginger. In this video, we share nutrient-dense foods that may help you avoid getting a cold or the flu—and you may not have heard about their special powers before. You’ll meet the vegetable that has twice the vitamin C of an orange, discover which mushrooms are the best for your immune system, and find out whether chicken soup is really the effective remedy your Grandmother promised it was. Watch the video to get smart about avoiding illness—and recovering faster when you’re already sick—now. How to Strengthen Your Immune System With Food
Should You Exercise With a Cold?
You’ve been kicking booty at the gym and are finally in the habit of daily exercise when ka-BOOM, you wake up with a sore throat and a stuffy nose. You feel deflated because you were finally starting to see the results of your hard work. You sit on the edge of your bed, holding a box of tissues, thinking to yourself, “Should I exercise with a cold?” The docs will tell you that if your symptoms are above the neck like a sore throat and a stuffy nose, it’s okay to workout. If your symptoms are below the neck, like a fever, a cough, body aches or worse, the docs want you to stay home and chill. As a Pilates Instructor who has had plenty of clients show up for class with a cold, I have some added advice. When you have a cold, it’s a sign that your body is trying to cleanse itself. It’s looking for rest and rehab vs. the rigors of your usual workout. Does that mean that you need to sit at home? No way. My favorite ways to exercise with a cold: Go outside for a heart-pumping walk or easy jog. Do an online yoga class in your living room. Bounce on your trampoline in the backyard. Take your bike out for a spin. Keep up your usual healthy eating habits and add more fluids to help flush the congestion from your nose. These low-intensity workouts will allow you to exercise with a cold while you body’s trying to recover. Do you notice what else these types of workouts have in common? They involve NOT going to the gym, the indoor cycling studio or the barre class. That’s right! While rehabbing your body, you’re keeping your germs to yourself. And because not everyone has good manners like you do, here are my top ways to avoid catching a cold in the first place: Carry antibacterial wipes and wipe down the spin bike or other equipment before using it. I used to think that I looked crazy, but when my friends started to ask me for a wipe, I knew I was smart. Drink tons of water and add some fresh, vitamin C-containing lemon slices to it now and then. Take a probiotic daily. Get 7-8 hours of sleep. Make it a priority. Meditate daily to quell your stress level. Workout regularly! When you exercise, your circulation and blood flow is increased. This means that your immune system is also circulating and working at its peak. If you still feel like you’re dragging, and the above suggestions don’t feel right, it’s OK to give your body a few days off from all workouts. A short break won’t unravel all of your efforts. You should feel empowered that you listened to your body and return to your usual plan with positive energy both mentally and physically when the time is right. About Cassie: Cassie Piasecki, NLC is a Pilates Method Alliance, Certified Pilates Teacher, personal trainer, and Nutritious Life Certified Nutritionist based in Newport Beach, California. With over 24 years of experience, Cassie has taught fitness to over 10,000 people! She now connects with clients both in the studio and online via her website. Her favorite quote comes from Joseph Pilates, “Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.”
3 Healthy Foods To Eat That You Probably Haven’t Tried
Many people can relate to food boredom. We eat what we know, because familiarity is comfortable, safe and well, reliable…and for you, there may be plenty of healthy foods to eat that you know and love. Still, eating the same foods day in and day out can lack some excitement and compromise good nutrition. Translation: one too many basic green salads with grilled chicken may lead you to diving into a basket of curly fries. Let’s break the monotony and spark some new deliciousness on your plate. Why not try a new vegetable every week? Yes, I am challenging you! What about finding a recipe with an unknown ingredient and having a little adventure in your kitchen? The possibilities are endless, try one of these three foods below and I am pretty sure, you’ll be glad you did! 3 Healthy Foods To Eat That You Probably Haven’t Tried Fiddleheads: You do not make music with them, you eat them! A fiddlehead is a baby fern that is cut before it matures. Just 10 calories per ounce, or 40 calories per half cup, fiddleheads are a pretty good source of protein, zinc, vitamin A and vitamin C. Choose ones that are tightly curled, small, firm and bright green. Add them to salads, use as garnish or sauté quickly with vegetables. They are so pretty, you’ll love having them on your plate! Nutritional yeast: It is not a homeopathic remedy. Nutritional yeast looks like a ground coarse flour. It is a pure yeast strain called Saccharomyces cerevisiae and is in the same family as mushrooms. It is yellow-brown in appearance and is generally purchased in the bulk food section of health food stores. It is a nutty, cheesy-like flavored food that can be added to foods such as popcorn, stir fries, breads or pastas and is an excellent plant source of B12. It is recommended that vegans incorporate nutritional yeast to best meet their B12 needs. Try it a few times, it will grow on you, well, like yeast. Lemongrass: Even the name sounds too healthy to be yummy. Commonplace in Thai and many Asian cooking pantries, lemongrass is renowned for immunity boosting and disease fighting properties. When used fresh, it is a gorgeous source of fiber and healing properties. In America, we eat chicken soup when we are ailing, in Thailand, they eat lemongrass laden Tom Yum soup – it is said to heal headaches, flus, fevers, arthritis, stomachaches and more. You can also use fresh lemongrass in stir fries, and as a spice in entrees and side dishes. Buy it fresh at Asian markets or dried in the spice isle, your body will thank you. Now, come up with your own list of exotic fare and be adventurous in your eating!
