Foods to Create Glowing Skin

In today’s world, the price for flawless skin is quickly growing. From cleansers to serums to at-home face masks, the amount spent by the average New York woman in her lifetime to achieve the fiercely sought-after “youthful glow” is close to $300,000!

But you don’t need to spend a fortune to give your skin some love. There are plenty of ways to support healthy skin from the inside out through diet. Overall, including a variety of fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats, limiting processed foods, and keeping hydrated will support healthy skin.

Here are some of our favorite ways to use diet to support skin health!

Grapefruit
Grapefruit is an excellent source of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that helps keep early signs of aging at bay. As a necessary component of collagen, vitamin C also helps keep skin resilient and supple. Try grapefruit with shredded coconut, cinnamon, and chopped pecans for a satisfying snack.
Other great sources of vitamin C include bell peppers, strawberries, kiwi, and papaya.

Green Tea
Green tea is a fantastic way to decrease inflammation and support hydration, both of which are essential for good skin. Green tea contains powerful polyphenols that help support health in a variety of ways – research shows that green tea helps reduce the risk of cancer and support the immune system as well as reduce signs of premature aging.
Other great sources of polyphenols include red wine, black tea, and dark chocolate.

Walnuts
Walnuts are a fantastic way to support the skin through healthy fats, like omega-3 fatty acids. Similar to vitamin C, omega-3 fatty acids work to reduce inflammation or oxidative damage that can lead to skin imperfections. 
Other sources of omega-3 fatty acids include chia seeds, salmon, and flaxseeds.
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Almost as important as the food you do include in your diet to support healthy skin is the food you don’t include – evidence shows that a diet high in sugar can lead to signs of premature aging, like wrinkles, fine lines, and decreased skin elasticity. Excess sugar in the diet may also lead to acne or breakouts. While it can be nice to enjoy a treat, be mindful of portion sizes of sugary foods (and drinks!) and take note of the role these foods play in your diet to best support skin and overall health.

Body Positivity in 5 Simple Steps

The body positivity movement has gained some serious steam over the past decade. According to a report by the American Psychological Association, body dissatisfaction for American women (and men) began to decline in the early 2000s, following an unfortunate peak in the 1990s.

Body positivity refers to an acceptance and love of all body types, including your own, and we’re glad to see it catching on. In light of this shift, many fashion brands are beginning to feature more diversity and body inclusivity in their advertisements and among their models. This is a significant step toward cracking the concept of an ideal body type, but there’s still quite a way to go.

Try these five valuable steps to further embrace body positivity.

1. Take a compliment.
Accepting compliments with grace is an almost universal challenge! Too often, we answer compliments with “Thank you, but…” When you receive compliments, it’s okay to simply say thank you without providing an excuse or explanation. When you learn to accept compliments by saying thank you (and just thank you!), you’ll start to believe them.

2. Have a fitness goal that has nothing to do with appearance.
Forget the scale and the measuring tape. Fitness is a great way to feel strong and powerful, but if your focus is only on burning calories, you’re more likely to resent it as an activity. Rather than linking exercise solely with physical appearance, have fun by challenging yourself to squat your highest weight, run your fastest mile, or bike your longest distance. Seeing your body accomplish these incredible things will make you truly proud.

3. Stop comparing.
Accept differences in people and just focus on your own healthy path. Know that we all have different strengths and limitations. Focus on your assets and your potential by using positive affirmations and setting realistic goals. Celebrate wins, however small, and remember that beauty comes in different shapes and sizes; body positivity is inclusive of everyone, and there is absolutely no wrong way to have a body!

4. Use social media wisely.
What we expose ourselves to online, in magazines, and on TV has a huge impact on how we feel about ourselves. Consider avoiding shows and social media accounts that feature limited diversity. Be particular about the magazines, websites, and social media pages you view and the messages they may be subtly (or not so subtly) sending you.
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5. Embrace your “flaws.”
Being body positive is not just about weight. It’s about accepting all aspects of your body, from body hair to acne to cellulite, no matter what society deems acceptable or beautiful. Your “flaws” make you who you are, so embrace them! Body positivity means recognizing that all bodies (yours included!) are worthy of acceptance and praise, and that all bodies are of equal value and beautiful in their own right.

Cauliflower Rice

Fancy a gluten-free, low-carb version of your favorite meal?

Look no further.

If you’re following a low-carb diet and missing rice, we have just the solution for you: rice made from cauliflower. That’s right – a low-carb, grain-free side that uses champion ingredient cauliflower in place of the starchy, high-carb rice.
How is this possible? All it takes is ten minutes, a head of cauliflower, and the S blade of your food processor to turn this cruciferous vegetable into “rice.” If you don’t have a food processor, simply grate the cauliflower head on a box grater.
Cauliflower is rich in health-promoting phytochemicals, has a high level of anti-inflammatory compounds, and can ward off cancer, heart disease, brain disease, and even weight gain. There isn’t much cauliflower can’t do.
Cauliflower, along with broccoli, cabbage, kale, and brussel sprouts, is a member of the cruciferous vegetable family. Cruciferous vegetables are an excellent source of natural antioxidants, due to their high levels of various phytochemicals, and are good suppliers of essential vitamins, carotenoids, fiber, soluble sugars, minerals, and phenolic compounds. One cup of cauliflower contains:

• 29 calories
• Close to 0 grams of fat, sodium, and sugar
• 73% daily value of vitamin C
• 19% daily value of vitamin K
• 15% daily value of folate 14%
• 13% daily value of pantothenic acid
• 12% daily value of vitamin B6
• 11% daily value of fiber
• 9% daily value of omega-3 fatty acids

If you’re shopping at your local farmers market, look for cauliflower that is tightly packed with its pieces pressed firmly together, not splayed open. While most cauliflower is found in white varieties, purple, yellow, and green cauliflowers, found in certain parts of the world, are just as nutritious.

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower, separated into 1-inch florets
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Trim the cauliflower florets, cutting away as much stem as possible. Break up the florets in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles grains of rice.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan on medium-high, add cauliflower, and stir to combine. Add salt and continue to cook, stirring frequently until the cauliflower has softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Spoon the cauliflower into a large serving bowl and salt to taste; serve warm. 

But it doesn’t end there – this versatile recipe can easily adapt itself to become a quick risotto, a tasty and comforting pizza crust, a gut-healthy cauliflower mash with probiotic rich yogurt, a Mexican-style rice with black beans and chili chicken, lunch box–friendly sushi rolls, or a simple fried rice with plenty of crunchy fresh veggies.​
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Five of the Best Heart-Healthy Foods

If you want to keep your heart in tip-top shape, your diet is a great place to start.Here are five of our favorite heart-healthy foods.

Fish
A mainstay of the Mediterranean diet, research shows that consuming fish a few times a week can have a significant effect on the heart. Fatty fish, like salmon, tuna, and mackerel, are particularly good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce inflammation and promote a healthy heart.
In fact, not only do omega-3 fatty acids help reduce the risk of heart disease by decreasing overall inflammation, but they also help support healthy cholesterol levels and keep arterial walls flexible, making a cardiac event less likely.

Ancient Grains
As excellent fiber sources, ancient grains are just what the doctor ordered to keep your heart happy and healthy. Fiber is important for digestive regularity but also essential to cardiac health because it helps keep cholesterol low and weight down – two major risk factors for heart disease.
Most people don’t get enough fiber in their diets (some don’t even get half the daily recommended 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men), but increasing ancient grains in the diet can help! Check out ancient grains like barley, millet, sorghum, and bulgur; brown rice and quinoa are also great high-fiber options.

Nuts
Nuts are packed with protein and healthy fats, which can lower inflammation in the heart and decrease the risk of disease and stroke.
Tree nuts, like almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, and walnuts, may help reduce the risk of heart disease by helping reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and even body weight. It may not seem like much, but even a handful of nuts can help reduce the risk. Try sprinkling nuts over salads, oatmeal, yogurt, and soups or blending them into nut butters.

Beans and Legumes
Beans and legumes are low in cost and easy to prepare. These heart-healthy foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and even protein. Research shows that regularly eating beans and legumes may be a great way to keep a healthy weight and feel more satisfied with your diet, which may help reduce cravings and weight gain over time.
Replacing animal-based proteins with plant-based proteins, such as beans, a few times a week may help keep your heart healthy by lowering saturated fat in the diet. The American Heart Association recommends no more than about 13 grams of saturated fat per day.
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Vegetables
It may come as no surprise, but the more veggies you eat, the less likely you are to suffer from diet-related diseases, like obesity, some cancers, and heart disease. Vegetables offer tons of great vitamins and minerals to support proper heart function. In fact, leafy greens are not only a great source of anti-inflammatory compounds but also offer an impressive amount of calcium, a crucial nutrient for the heart to pump effectively.
If you’re looking to add more veggies to your diet, try blending them into a smoothie or soup. New trends like cauliflower rice and zoodles can also help bump up servings.


How do you enjoy your favorite heart-healthy foods? Please share below!