The Beauty Diet (12 page)
Authors: Lisa Drayer
Drink water before and after meals and snacks.
Add slices of lemon, lime, or orange to water for a hint of flavor.
Eat more soup.
Enjoy water breaks instead of coffee or tea breaks.
Take a water bottle with you to work and when running errands. Definitely remember to bring water when you're taking an airplane flight, as the air in the cabin is drying.
Keep a mug of water on your desk to sip as you work at the computer.
Whenever you pass a water fountain, stop and take a drink.
At social gatherings, substitute sparkling water for alcoholic drinks, alternate them, or choose drinks that include water, club soda, or tonic.
Water is the number-one calorie-free drink that does wonders for your health. It purifies your system and keeps the cells in your body filled with nutrients. Water not only helps your internal organs perform at its best—safeguarding you from many diseases—but also works externally by providing moisture to your skin and ensuring a bright and radiant glow.
Green tea is a multipurpose drink that is a great substitute for coffee, giving you a caffeine kick while at the same time offering you a generous dose of powerful beauty agents. This calorie-free and antioxidant-rich wonder drink helps protect your skin from the dangerous effects of the sun, giving you a wrinkle-free, smooth complexion.
Green tea is the only tea that contains a significant amount of the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). (Both green and black tea have about eight times the polyphenols found in fruits and vegetables, but green tea, unlike black and oolong tea, is not fermented, so the active ingredients remain unaltered.) This wonder nutrient hunts for cell-damaging free radicals in the body and detoxifies them. The potential health benefits of EGCG include improved cardiovascular health, enhanced weight loss, and protection from the damage caused by ultraviolet light. Increased consumption of green tea has been shown to reduce the risk of skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal, and bladder cancers.
While I recommend consuming green tea for its health and beauty benefits, green tea can be applied topically too. One recent study from the University of Alabama notes that
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The "Dirty Dozen" |
All produce offers nutrients that can enhance beauty, but unfortunately some fruits and vegetables are particularly susceptible to contamination from pesticides, making them less desirable than others. The following list was compiled by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, a Washington-based lobbying and advocacy organization, and was based on nearly 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration between 2000 and 2004. These fruits and vegetables have thin skins that make it easier for pesticides to penetrate. Pregnant women and children under two should choose organic versions of these foods when available. |
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BEAUTY BITEtopical treatment of green tea polyphenols and EGCG
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oral consumption of green tea polyphenols resulted in prevention of UVB-induced inflammatory responses, immunosuppression and oxidative stress, the biomarkers of several skin
The good news is that some produce is consistently cleaner—the clean dozen! The thicker skins on this group of produce are tough for pesticides to penetrate. |
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Organic strawberries and corn appear to have higher levels of antioxidants than their conventional counterparts, according to a recent study. Another study found that organic produce has higher levels of vitamins and minerals—specifically vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus. More studies need to be performed, however, before definitive conclusions on the nutritional status of organically grown foods can be drawn. |
