Every woman longs for glowing, radiant skin. It speaks of health, vitality and beauty.
Red Shoe Beauty Expert Patricia Asmar always has great tips for achieving glowing skin in your 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and beyond. In case you missed her latest posts find them here.
How to achieve beautiful skin in your 50’s
Summer brings an abundance of yummy wholesome skin food
What we eat also plays a key role in creating ageless radiance
Wholesome foods with an emphasis on plant based eating is easy and oh-so-yummy in the summer months with the abundance of fresh garden produce. Try incorporating the very best skin foods into your diet and watch the glow begin.
DRINK WATER AS SOON AS YOU GET UP
Your body becomes dehydrated after a night of sleeping. In order to keep skin silky soft and muscles highly functioning, it’s important to gulp down some H2O in the a.m. (ideally 8- to 12 ounce glass of room-temperature water) before coffee or breakfast. Add the juice of 1/2 a fresh lemon to give the immune system a boost, reduce inflammation and aid digestion. Years ago my Naturopath recommended adding a tablespoon of greens powder (look for one that includes chlorella and/or spirulina) to the warm lemon water to establish an optimal alkaline (ph) level to start the day. It’s an acquired taste but worth it!
DIG INTO SUMMER’S BOUNTY
Eating fresh, wholesome foods will not only help you get the glowing, radiant skin you’re after, but it will also provide many other health benefits. All those nutrient-rich foods can help enhance your skin’s appearance, boost its wrinkle-fighting ability, and even help protect against skin cancer. Summer is here—here’s how to get your skin ready for it now.
Be a green machine
Summer’s vegetable bounty is skin treat
The more fresh and (preferably) organic leafy greens you can incorporate into meals, the more resilient your skin will be.
Go heavy on nutrient-dense leafy greens because they’re loaded with antioxidants, including lutein and zeaxanthin, which research indicates are beneficial not only for overall skin health but also for their protective benefits against UV rays.Remember, however, that while eating more anti-inflammatory greens supports skin health—that doesn’t replace sunscreen.So, how much leafy green goodness do you need? Even just a 1-cup serving of spinach, Swiss chard, or kale a few times a week will do the trick. Try adding your greens to juices and smoothies. It’s super easy and Yummy!
Juicing is one of the best anti-aging strategies
Add a super food
Chlorella is a blue green freshwater algae and a powerful super food that benefits the entire body. It’s goodness is endless it boosts energy, helps the body detox heavy metals and has amazing benefits for hair and skin. I’ve been adding it to my morning smoothie for years. Check out how chlorella benefits hair and skin
Feed your skin good fat
Another big way to improve skin health is to eliminate all sugar and processed and make room for healthy fats. A skin-savvy summer plate will include plenty of good fats to hydrate and nourish your skin (and the rest of you) with fatty acids, which also help protect against sun damage. Delicious, skin-supporting options include:
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Avocado’s provide essential fatty acids
Avocados: a tasty, creamy, and rich source of healthy fatty acids
- Chia seeds: tiny seeds, big benefits. They’re packed with inflammation-taming omega-3s and can help tame hunger, too.
- Coconut oil: A spoonful in your morning smoothie adds medium-chain fatty acids to help fuel the formation of new skin and prevent sun damage.
- Olive oil: a staple of the Mediterranean diet and a heart-healthy fat
- Fatty fish: Wild salmon and sardines come complete with omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation and protect skin from damage.
FOCUS ON ANTIOXIDANTS
Cherries are a great skin food
To boost the health of your skin, look for foods that pack in the antioxidants, like carotenoids and catechins. To take advantage of as many of these health-enhancing, collagen-boosting, protective antioxidants as possible experts recommend eating the rainbow. Rich, green leafy veggies, deep purple, dark red, bright red, yellow, and orange veggies and fruits raw or cooked—all should have a place in your skin-supportive menu. These include:
- Greens: leafy greens like spinach, kale, arugula, turnip greens, and collard greens, plus broccoli, Brussels sprouts, etc.
- Blue/Purple: eggplant, purple asparagus, blackberries, black currants, blueberries, plums, etc.
- Red: beets, red cabbage, red onions, tomatoes, pomegranates, strawberries, cherries, cranberries, etc.
- Orange/Yellow: carrots, yellow onions, butternut squash, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, apricots, peaches, etc.
Enjoy a tall glass of iced polyphenols.
Want to fit even more skin protection into those hot summer days? Enjoy polyphenol-rich green, white, black, or red teas, preferably organic. For thousands of years, tea has been known for its positive effects, due in part to the significant amount of antioxidant polyphenols found in every cup. More recently, studies have linked tea drinking to lower skin cancer rates and protection from premature skin aging. Drink up all summer long.
Boost skin from within.
Summer’s bounty is yummy and luscious
By eating antioxidant-rich produce and drinking antioxidant-rich teas throughout the season, you’ll be boosting summertime skin health as well as your skin’s ability to protect itself from sun damage. Add to that a well-chosen sunscreen that’s low in toxins, and you’re well on your way to healthier summer skin—inside and out.
But don’t stop there. Consider adding even more skin support with these three great supplements for summer skin:
- Krill oil, supports brain, cardiovascular, joint and skin health
- Alpha lipoic acid, the antioxidant that helps protect skin collagen and combats signs of cellular aging.
- Vitamin D3, to boost levels and help make your skin more prepared for sun exposure by producing melanin faster to better protect itself.
What do you do to create beautiful glowing skin? Please add your tips to the comments below.
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