Berries Recipes for Beauty
“From the inside out, foods add pleasure to our day and health to our life. Although I do not believe in ruling out certain foods while only eating others, there are a certain few that you should make sure to include regularly for optimum health and disease prevention.” In this article, Holly Clegg gives us her expert insight on some delicious recipes! Holly Clegg has sold over 1 million cookbooks and counting!
In my cookbook, Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle at Any Age, I include berries to boost the nutrition from salad to desserts! Berries are one of those deliciously healthy foods that help to reduce the risk of cancer and disease, while also minimizing the effect of aging. Whether you choose strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, or blackberries, these little jewels are packed with fiber and antioxidants that help slow the aging process from the inside out. From memory protection, reduced risk of cancers, and decreased infections, make sure you eat berries daily to benefit from all they have to offer. My Healthy Cooking Blog gives you healthier options for easy, everyday recipes!
Nutritional information per serving: Calories 106 Calories from fat 65% Fat 8g Saturated Fat 1g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 42mg Carbohydrate 8g Dietary Fiber 3g Sugars 4g Protein 2g Dietary Exchanges: 1/2 fruit, 1 1/2 fat
Nutritional information per serving: Calories 220 Calories from fat 36% Fat 9g Saturated Fat 5g Cholesterol 36mg Sodium 172mg Carbohydrate 32g Dietary Fiber 2g Sugars 17g Protein 4g Dietary Exchanges: 2 other carbohydrate, 2 fat
According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), we have influence over extrinsic aging when it comes to our skin. Environmental and lifestyle choices can cause our skin to age prematurely. The AAD recommends taking preventative actions like protecting ourselves from sunlight, regular exercise, a balanced diet, and avoiding things like smoking can have a profound effect in preventing aging with our skin.
While it may not be possible to literally change skin types, per se, our skin itself does change and adapt over time. Let’s explore some of these environmental and internal changes, and the way your skin can be affected as we grow older.
What Determines Our Skin Type?
Simple Genetics – The biggest one is your genes, which decide how dry/oily or sensitive your skin will be.
Diet/Allergies – Your daily noshes can definitely affect your skin for better or for worse. Talk to your doctor if you think a food allergy might be the source of your skin woes.
Hormones – Our hormones fluctuate at different times in our lives which can affect our skin’s behavior.
The Havoc of Hormones
Ask any woman about her hormones, and there is little doubt you’ll find one who hasn’t felt the effects of them in multiple ways. Our complexions in particular, however, usually fall victim to hormone-related fluctuations and imbalances.
The ‘glow’ of pregnancy can be attributed to the production of estrogen and progesterone, which can give skin a healthy look. Some women find the opposite to be true. It really just depends on your overall skin type.
The Dermal Institute attributes increased female life expectancy as one reason why hormones are having a more drastic effect on our skin as we age. Since more women are living in a hormone-deprived state (post-menopause) longer than ever before, developing proper skincare habits is becoming increasingly important.
Depending on the phase of life you find yourself in, sensitive skin may be prone to hormonal breakouts, while dry skin may see an increase in cracks and dry patches. Menopause causes a decrease in estrogen and sebum, which makes your skin more susceptible to dryness.
Environmental Effects of Aging
A variety of environmental factors can have an effect on your skin. Exposure to chemicals, oils, and other materials can cause tissue to break down over time, or fluid to build up within your skin. Skin pigments also tend to change as we get older, showing up in the form of melasma or sun spots.
Physical factors, like the weather or extreme temperatures, also play a part in how our skin may change as we age. Long-term exposure to humid climates can cause buildup and irritation from sweat. On the opposite end of the spectrum, dry air or cold air can cause dry patches, irritation, and flaky skin and hair.
The National Institute of Health uses examples of dermatitis, acne, depigmentation, connective tissue disease, and even skin cancer as prime examples of skin conditions that occur due to varying environmental influences like sunlight, chemicals, and toxins.
As early as our thirties, noticeable changes start to happen with our skin and continue on through our forties, fifties, and so on. You may notice your skin getting drier or duller in pigment – this is due to the slowing growth of new cell production.
The tone of our skin changes due to the weakening of the elastic support from our lymph glands, which is also responsible for flushing out toxins.. This can cause puffiness around the eyes and a duller complexion overall.
Prolonged sun exposure during our younger years can have a huge effect on our skin in our later years. In addition to a variety of negative effects sun damage has on our skin, it can also cause our skin to take on a grey or yellow pallor. Uneven skin tone and blotchiness can increase with age due to sun exposure.