These Foods Will Take 10 Years Off Your Face

What if you could “eat yourself pretty“? Well, you know what? You can! I am 49 years old, and my skin hasn’t aged too much over the last 15 years.  I believe that my food choices play a major part in this. You can achieve a healthy young glow, even erase wrinkles and sagging skin at any age by putting the right nutrients in your body. I have noticed dramatic changes in my skin, hair, and body when I started taking up an anti-aging diet after being struck by a severe burn-out 15 years ago. Living in Los Angeles, I had overworked myself up to a point of complete exhaustion. I was a chainsmoker, drank way too much alcohol on a daily basis, and was dealing with major stress. I eventually had to move back to my home town Amsterdam, to rest and start healing. I quit smoking and drinking alcohol cold turkey, ready for a healthier version of myself. It was around this time when I started researching how to heal the mind and body with food, herbs, vitamins, and supplements. Learning about the impact of foods on my overall health was a huge eye-opener. I started experimenting with different foods, and not only did I notice a major difference in my energy levels, but I also ended up looking more radiant and youthful at 34 than I did in my 20’s. I was stunned with the effects on my appearance with the right diet. I was really onto something.  So what did I do?

How can the right foods take ten years of your face?

Solution:

The sugar-aging connection

Adding anti-aging power foods to my diet also meant cutting certain foods out. For example; I don’t eat meat and apart from an occasional cup of Greek yogurt, I rarely eat dairy products. Did you know that there are specific foods that can age you more rapidly? When I learned about this, I started to cut these foods out, or at least minimize them as much as possible. So, what are these foods? Let me name the most important here. Sugar! I will be blunt here and cut right to the chase. Sugar causes wrinkles. Yep, you heard that right. Sugar causes wrinkles. Let me explain how it works. When we consume sugar, our blood sugar rises very rapidly. This explains a burst of energy after we eat sugary foods. This rapid blood sugar spike creates inflammation in our bodies and inflammation is bad news. Studies have shown that imflammation causes disease, premature aging, and therefor wrinkling and sagging of the skin. Yikes! Cutting out sugar slows down the aging process dramatically. Try quiting refined sugar for a few weeks and see how it works for you and your skin. When your sweet tooth can’t handle it anymore and you feel like you’re going crazy, try to find cookies, candy and chocolate sweetened with stevia or raw honey at your local health food store. Unlike sugar, stevia doesn’t raise the blood sugar rapidly. Blood sugar rises in a steady way that is healthy for our bodies making Stevia a healthy sugar substitute.

Tip 1- Start your day with lemon water

The best way to start your day is by drinking warm lemon water. I’ve honestly been doing this for years and the benefits are endless. Drinking lemon water on an empty stomach has been highly touted as one of the simple things you can add to your daily routine which can have a large impact on the health of your skin. Lemon is a great source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, folate, calcium and, potassium just to name a few. When you drink lemon water in the morning you are feeding the skin with an important dose of the vitamin folate. Found in all citrus fruits and juices, this vitamin (also known as folic acid) helps to eliminate toxins from your body which helps prevent acne and can even give your skin a natural glow. Squeeze half a lemon in warm not hot water. Hot water will destroy the health properties of the lemon. I always boil water and fill my cup for about two-third and than I will add cold water before squeezing half a lemon in.

Tip 2- Celery juice

Another great way to start the day is by drinking fresh celery juice in the morning. The best way to consume this miraculous superfood is on an empty stomach and wait at least 15 minutes before eating your breakfast.  Celery juice is one of the most powerful green juices available. I usually drink celery juice 10 minutes after drinking my warm lemon water. Celery juice is most powerful when you drink it solo. While it’s great to consume other green juices or vegetable juices and add in items like spinach, kale, parsley, cilantro, and apples, drink those mixed juices at a different time than your straight celery juice. The benefits of celery juice on your skin are mind-blowing, but not only that the health benefits are amazing. Here a few points:

1- Celery juice contains fiber, potassium, vitamins C, A, K, folate, and over a dozen other antioxidants. It is much lower in calories than other green juices.

2- Works Wonders On Your Skin And Hair. Celery juice is one of the best detox drinks one could ask for! It is refreshing and alkalizing. When your body is free of toxins, it reflects on your skin. When combined with the necessary exercise and diet, celery juice can aid hair growth. It may also help in clearing acne, blemishes, pimples, and other signs of aging on your skin. I always notice much brighter and more supple skin whenever I stick to my morning celery juice.

Other important benefits are that fresh celery juice maintains acid-base balance in your body, may improve sleep and overall brain health, reduces liver damage and diseases, possesses anti-inflammatory properties, relieves constipation and digestive disorders, and promotes cardiovascular health. All factors that contribute to an overall better health and will radiate through your appearance.

tip 3- Wild Alaskan Salmon

Wild Alaskan Salmon is thé king of superfoods for fighting wrinkles and sagging skin. I eat wild salmon as frequently as possible for many reasons including:

1- Salmon is the heart-healthiest high-protein food of all.

2- Salmon is unique among protein foods in that it is anti-inflammatory. This is because salmon is by far the best source of long-chain omega -3 essential fatty acids (EPA, DHA, and others)

3- Salmon is a rare dietary source of DMAE, the natural human neurochemical proven to help improve muscle tone in the face, thereby reducing wrinkles.

I am aware that eating salmon is not for all my vegan friends out there. I have been on a 100% vegan diet for six months, and noticed by leaving out fish, my hair was becoming limp and thin and my skin started to show signs of aging that I hadn’t seen before. My hair and skin quickly corrected itself when I started getting back to eating lots of fresh wild-caught salmon

tip 4- Blueberries

Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cherries, acai—all berries are wonderful for your skin and the prevention of aging. The darker the berries the better, as the darkest berries tend to contain the most anti-oxidants. Anthocyanins are the chemical compounds that give berries their dark pigmentation. According to a study published by Tufts University, anthocyanins not only prevent aging but assist in the improvement of overall mood. Regular berry consumption can also reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, and chronic inflammation.

tip 5- Avocados

Avocados are high in inflammation-fighting fatty acids that promote smooth, supple skin. They also contain a variety of essential nutrients that may prevent the negative effects of aging including:

• vitamins K, C, E, and A
• B vitamins
• potassium

The high content of vitamin A in avocados can help shed dead skin cells, leaving you with gorgeous, glowing skin. Their carotenoid content may also assist in blocking toxins and damage from the sun’s rays and also help to protect against skin cancers.

Whenever I eat a lot of avocados, I totally notice it in my skin. I have eaten avocados daily since 2002 totally believe in it’ts benefits.

Besides throwing them in a salad or mashing them on toast with wild salmon, I like to add them to my smoothies.

Try one my favorite avocado smoothies:

• Half a glass of oat milk or any plantbased milk you like.
• 1 banana
• 1 half of an avocado
• 1 scoop of protein powder
• 1 scoop of Greek yogurt (leave out if you are a vegan)
• Blend in a blender until creamy.
• Add Stevia or raw honey if you need more sweetness

tip 6- Broccoli Sprouts

tip 7- Coconut Water

Coconut water holds a healthy amount of cytokinins, which are plant hormones known to have anti-aging and anti-cancer effects. These hormones, along with other vitamins, significantly slow down the rate of skin aging. This allows your skin to work its magic and properly restore itself from the usual wear and tear of daily life.

Additionally, the natural liquid contains vitamin C, which aids in protecting your skin against the sun and environmental hazards. The sun’s ultraviolet rays age the skin by reducing its elasticity and causing uneven pigmentation and wrinkles. Vitamin C helps to slow these destructive effects, allowing your skin to maintain a more youthful look. So feel free to apply some coconut water to your face before going out for the day.

If there is one skincare rule that any human being should live by, it is to stay hydrated. Coconut water has a ton of electrolytes, such as sodium, magnesium, calcium, and potassium, which means that it is good at hydration. It possesses very similar hydrating properties to that of water, only one of the greatest hydrating substances ever. It can hydrate the skin without adding excess oil, perfect for those who have oily skin or dehydrated skin.

Ten Superfoods:

*

1- Acai

2- The Allium Family: Garlic, onions, leeks, scallions, shallots, and chives

3- Parsley (I juice it, and drink it fresh- great when you feel bloated)

4- Green foods: Barley grass, Spirulina, and Chlorella

5- Buckwheat (better than grains)

6- Beans and Lentils

7- Hot peppers

8- Nuts and seeds

9- Sprouts

10- Yogurt and Kefir -works as a probiotic (you can choose a vegan option too)

Remember the saying; you are what you eat? When you eat fresh and “clean” foods, you will automatically look fresh, vibrant, and healthy. If you fill your body with sugar-laden sodas, junk food, dairy products, red meat, fast carbs, and heavily processed foods on a daily basis, it will show on your face and no amount of make-up can hide it. I can always tell when someone doesn’t eat healthy and I can also tell when they do. When someone eats healthily, their skin is even-toned and glowing.  Don’t get me wrong, I do eat a some sugar and the occasional junk food sometimes. The difference is that you should consider it a treat and not a lifestyle. In order to get the best results you should stick to a clean and healthy lifestyle as much as possible. The great thing is that you will start feeling better too. When you start eating powerfoods and cutting out the “bad” stuff, you will notice dramatic results in your skin in just a few weeks. Wrinkles will look less noticeble, your face will look and feel firmer and enlarged pores will appear smaller. Your eyes will look brigher and your friends will start noticing the diference. You and your skin can thank me later my friends!

 I hope you guys enjoyed reading. Do you have questions about anything? Let me know in the comment section or just shoot me an e-mail. I will be happy to help or provide more tips for you.

Thanks for reading!

xo Tamara chloé