HEALTHFUL SKIN RECIPES
Has your skin gone from looking dewy and fresh to gray and blotchy? Maybe you constantly fight breakouts of acne or are starting to notice age spots and discolorations caused by the sun and years of exposure to environmental toxins. Regardless of your skin issue, chances are pretty good that it can be improved by drinking enough water and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Your body has only three means of ridding itself of toxins: your digestive tract, your respiratory system, and your skin. It stands to reason, then, that if you aren’t healthy on the inside, you’re not going to look healthy on the outside.
If you’re constantly overloading your system with processed junk, it’s no wonder you have complexion problems. To compound the problem, there are toxins in your foods, in the things you touch, and even in the air you breathe that create tissue-damaging, disease-causing free radicals. Because you’re constantly exposed, it’s vital that you give your body what it needs to fight those free radicals if you want to remain healthy inside and out.
Though you can improve your complexion by simply replacing your junk food habit with healthful fruits and vegetables, there are some specific nutrients that can really give your skin a boost. Look for collagen-boosting vitamin C and magnesium, as well as the super antioxidant and restorative vitamin A. B vitamins help your skin rejuvenate, omega-3 fatty acids are also extremely beneficial, and fiber helps keep your digestive tract healthy, which contributes to healthy skin as well. Generally speaking, a smoothie is the perfect way to get several servings of skin-healthful nutrients on the run! Here are some great recipes to get you started.
Potato Head xxx
Potatoes are often used as an alternative treatment for acne, and the vitamin A in tomatoes really helps your skin to glow.
• 2 potatoes
• 6 basil leaves
• 1 tomato
Cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces.
Blend all ingredients together and enjoy. Feel free to throw some parsley in, too, if you’d like.
Yield: About 2 cups.
The Dish on Potatoes
The Good: Potatoes are alkalizing and therefore help balance your pH. High acidity is
associated with acne, so potatoes are often used in natural acne cleanses.
The Bad: Potatoes are extremely high in starch, which converts straight to glucose. Use with care, especially if you’re diabetic.
Green with Envy xxx
Adding this drink to your juicing schedule a couple of times per week will have everyone green with envy over your stunning complexion!
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 cucumber, quartered
• 1 kale leaf
• 1 green bell pepper, de-stemmed
• 1 tomato
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 cup water
Blend all ingredients together. The chlorophyll, antioxidants, and vitamins A and C in these vegetables will have your skin glowing in no time.
Yield: About 3 cups.
See Your Way to Beauty xxx
This juice combines produce that’s rich in vitamins A and C. It’s great for both your skin and eyes, and fights disease and aging, too. The lemongrass and arugula add zing in addition to a huge nutritional boost. Its flavor is refreshing, earthy, and a bit peppery.
• 1/2 sweet potato
• 1 cucumber, quartered
• 1 carrot with greens
• 1 cup arugula
• 1/4 pound lemongrass
Cut the sweet potato into 1-inch pieces.
Blend all ingredients together well. The leafy greens combined with the beta-carotene in the carrots and sweet potatoes really give this juice a boost that will make your skin radiant and your eyes dazzling. Plus it tastes delicious, too. Feel free to toss in some cinnamon, if you like, for an additional kick of nutrition and flavor!
Yield: About 3 cups.
Passionberry Orange xxx
Passion fruit and orange juice contain large amounts of vitamins A and C, while berries add antioxidant power that stops the free radicals that cause wrinkles. Look younger and more radiant by adding this juice into your smoothie for breakfast or a pick-me-up.
• 1 orange, peeled
• 1 cup passion fruit
• 1 cup mixed berries
• 1 carrot with greens
Blend ingredients together well and drink immediately, because the delicate nutrients in this particular smoothie will start to deteriorate quickly.
Yield: About 3 cups.
The Dish on Carrots
The Good: In addition to boosting eye health and preventing disease, carrots are great for your cleansing smoothies because the fiber helps clean out your digestive tract, and vitamin A (beta- carotene) is essential for proper liver function.
The Bad: The beta-carotene in carrots and other produce can actually affect the color or your skin. Though this side effect is thought to be harmless, you may want to avoid eating an entire basket of carrots at a time unless you are fond of that orange hue. As with everything, moderation is the key!
Has your skin gone from looking dewy and fresh to gray and blotchy? Maybe you constantly fight breakouts of acne or are starting to notice age spots and discolorations caused by the sun and years of exposure to environmental toxins. Regardless of your skin issue, chances are pretty good that it can be improved by drinking enough water and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Your body has only three means of ridding itself of toxins: your digestive tract, your respiratory system, and your skin. It stands to reason, then, that if you aren’t healthy on the inside, you’re not going to look healthy on the outside.
If you’re constantly overloading your system with processed junk, it’s no wonder you have complexion problems. To compound the problem, there are toxins in your foods, in the things you touch, and even in the air you breathe that create tissue-damaging, disease-causing free radicals. Because you’re constantly exposed, it’s vital that you give your body what it needs to fight those free radicals if you want to remain healthy inside and out.
Though you can improve your complexion by simply replacing your junk food habit with healthful fruits and vegetables, there are some specific nutrients that can really give your skin a boost. Look for collagen-boosting vitamin C and magnesium, as well as the super antioxidant and restorative vitamin A. B vitamins help your skin rejuvenate, omega-3 fatty acids are also extremely beneficial, and fiber helps keep your digestive tract healthy, which contributes to healthy skin as well. Generally speaking, a smoothie is the perfect way to get several servings of skin-healthful nutrients on the run! Here are some great recipes to get you started.
Potato Head xxx
Potatoes are often used as an alternative treatment for acne, and the vitamin A in tomatoes really helps your skin to glow.
• 2 potatoes
• 6 basil leaves
• 1 tomato
Cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces.
Blend all ingredients together and enjoy. Feel free to throw some parsley in, too, if you’d like.
Yield: About 2 cups.
The Dish on Potatoes
The Good: Potatoes are alkalizing and therefore help balance your pH. High acidity is
associated with acne, so potatoes are often used in natural acne cleanses.
The Bad: Potatoes are extremely high in starch, which converts straight to glucose. Use with care, especially if you’re diabetic.
Green with Envy xxx
Adding this drink to your juicing schedule a couple of times per week will have everyone green with envy over your stunning complexion!
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 cucumber, quartered
• 1 kale leaf
• 1 green bell pepper, de-stemmed
• 1 tomato
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 cup water
Blend all ingredients together. The chlorophyll, antioxidants, and vitamins A and C in these vegetables will have your skin glowing in no time.
Yield: About 3 cups.
See Your Way to Beauty xxx
This juice combines produce that’s rich in vitamins A and C. It’s great for both your skin and eyes, and fights disease and aging, too. The lemongrass and arugula add zing in addition to a huge nutritional boost. Its flavor is refreshing, earthy, and a bit peppery.
• 1/2 sweet potato
• 1 cucumber, quartered
• 1 carrot with greens
• 1 cup arugula
• 1/4 pound lemongrass
Cut the sweet potato into 1-inch pieces.
Blend all ingredients together well. The leafy greens combined with the beta-carotene in the carrots and sweet potatoes really give this juice a boost that will make your skin radiant and your eyes dazzling. Plus it tastes delicious, too. Feel free to toss in some cinnamon, if you like, for an additional kick of nutrition and flavor!
Yield: About 3 cups.
Passionberry Orange xxx
Passion fruit and orange juice contain large amounts of vitamins A and C, while berries add antioxidant power that stops the free radicals that cause wrinkles. Look younger and more radiant by adding this juice into your smoothie for breakfast or a pick-me-up.
• 1 orange, peeled
• 1 cup passion fruit
• 1 cup mixed berries
• 1 carrot with greens
Blend ingredients together well and drink immediately, because the delicate nutrients in this particular smoothie will start to deteriorate quickly.
Yield: About 3 cups.
The Dish on Carrots
The Good: In addition to boosting eye health and preventing disease, carrots are great for your cleansing smoothies because the fiber helps clean out your digestive tract, and vitamin A (beta- carotene) is essential for proper liver function.
The Bad: The beta-carotene in carrots and other produce can actually affect the color or your skin. Though this side effect is thought to be harmless, you may want to avoid eating an entire basket of carrots at a time unless you are fond of that orange hue. As with everything, moderation is the key!