Hello Monaco #09 Spring–Summer 2020 | Page 140

KEEPING MONACO HEALTHY
© depositphotos.com
Include these nutrient-dense foods in your
daily diet to automatically ensure your skin
gets all the nutrients it needs to maximize
your beauty potential and get you really
glowing for next spring!
l Avocado
Avocados are rich in vitamin E, an antioxidant
that helps quench inflammation and
protect your cells from premature aging. Vitamin
E is also essential for glowing skin and
hair. Plus it’s an alkalizing food — perfect to
counteract today’s highly acidic diets.
Clever Tip: Rich in monounsaturated fats,
avocados help you absorb fat-soluble antioxidants
from other foods too. Combine with
other healthy foods for maximum effect!
l Walnuts
An excellent source of Omega 3 fatty Acids,
melatonin and Vitamin E, all of which have
potent anti-aging and antioxidant properties.
Research shows that walnuts destroy
harmful free radical chemicals implicated
in dementia, preserve mental skills and may
help delay or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s
disease.
Clever Tip: Take care not to exaggerate, as
they are high in calories. Just four walnuts,
three times a week, is enough to reap their protective
benefits.
l Broccoli
Broccoli, especially young sprouts, is one of
the best sources of a chemical called «sulforaphane»,
a compound that prevents free
radicals from breaking down the body and
causing premature aging. Sulforaphane
stimulates a wide range of antioxidant defenses
and may also help prevent age-related
decline in immune function, helping
protect against age-related conditions like
cardiovascular disease, arthritis and cancer.
Clever Tip: Eat 3 cups a day of sulphur-rich
vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower,
onions, Brussels sprouts, turnips, radishes, collards,
kale, garlic, leeks, chives and asparagus.
l Blueberries
Famous for being one of the top «anti-aging
foods», blueberries are packed with anthocyanins
— compounds that help to keep all
our body cells from aging. They also have
strong anti-inflammatory properties — and
inflammation is the major cause of skin aging
and wrinkles. Loaded with vitamin C
needed to make collagen to give your skin
structure and keep it firm. Need a memory
boost? Blueberries have been shown to help
stimulate neural regeneration in our brains
and enhance mental health.
Clever Tip: Blueberries are low on the glycemic
scale and won’t affect your blood sugar levels
like many other fruits. Eat lots!
almost always combined with refined sugar
and saturated fat. Make sure your chocolate is
made from raw cacao, cacao butter and unrefined
sweeteners.
l Kidney Beans
High in protein, fibre, folate, magnesium,
potassium, and much more. Kidney beans
(and most beans), have been called a «superfood»
because they are full of antioxidants,
particularly flavonoids, which are known to
have anti-aging properties. Just one cup of
cooked red kidney beans provides a third
of the daily recommended intake for folate,
effective in improving the firmness of the
human skin and helping reduce the signs
of skin aging. Folic acid works with other
antioxidants in the body to remove toxins
from our body. Reducing toxins in the body
will result in reduction of acne from the face.
Clever Tip: Add to salads and soups or make
vegetarian chili. Kidney beans can be used to
make wonderful brownies too!
l Red Cabbage
The rich red colour of red cabbage reflects
its concentration of anthocyanin polyphenols,
which means that red cabbage contains
significantly more protective phytonutrients
than green cabbage. Interest in
anthocyanin pigments continues to intensify
because of their anti-aging, anti-inflammatory
and skin protective benefits.
© depositphotos.com
© depositphotos.com
l Cinnamon
Spices have tremendous health and skin
benefits. They increase blood flow and circulation,
are packed with vitamins and minerals,
fight inflammation, improve your body’s
ability to fight free radicals and promote the
production of collagen. Recent studies have
found that cinnamon extract promotes collagen
synthesis in skin, rejuvenating cells
and activating growth hormone. Cinnamon
stimulates your cells to function better!
Clever Tip: Add to porridge, smoothies, yogurt
and cookies. Baked apples with cinnamon
make a delicious low calorie treat.
Clever Tip: Shred and add to salads or make
your own dazzling red cabbage coleslaw with
carrots and tahini dressing.
l Pomegranates
This nutrient dense, antioxidant rich fruit has
been revered throughout history in many
cultures as a symbol of health, fertility and
eternal life. Pomegranate seeds are bursting
with flavour and are a veritable powerhouse
of anthocyanins and ellagitannins, both of
which are powerful antioxidants. Pomegranate
seed oil has also been found to help promote
regeneration of skin cells, reducing the
visible effects of aging on the skin.
l Dark Chocolate
Cocoa, the major ingredient of dark chocolate,
contains the flavonoid «epicatechin»,
which has nearly twice the antioxidant content
of red wine and up to three times that
of green tea. It helps your skin glow by promoting
healthy blood flow and protecting
against damaging UV rays. Studies have
also found that dark chocolate helps protect
heart health, regulates blood pressure
and helps prevent age-related dementia.
Clever Tip: In commercial chocolate, cocoa is
Clever Tip: Adding the seeds to smoothies and
salads is a delicious way to improve your skin
health.
l Garlic
The antioxidant properties of garlic protect
the skin from the effects of free radicals and
slow down the depletion of collagen which
leads to loss of elasticity in aging skin.
Clever Tip: Garlic can lose much of its nutritional
value when heated. Adding fresh garlic
to salad dressings is a healthy alternative.
138 / Hello Monaco Spring–Summer 2020
www.hellomonaco.com