Is it true that we are what we eat"

Yes it's true, Mom was right we are what we eat, and so is our skin. If we eat over processed foods our skin will have many of the same characteristics as over processed hair! It will be dull and brittle. There will be no spring, and no life in it. It's simple, junk food equals junk skin and junk hair. On the other hand, if we nourish and care for our skin well, it will reward us by becoming supple, resilient and moist with a lovely healthy glow.

If it sounds easy to do, you must try it for yourself. It is honestly that easy. We just need to avoid prepackaged prepared foods that have a long shelf lives, shun white breads and white pastas, stay away from refined sugars and excessively fatty proteins like rich meats and full fat cheeses.

We need to eat more real whole grains. Sadly "whole wheat" is a misnomer in most cases, bread with this "whole Wheat" label has just enough of the wheat bran to give it color but far too much of the processed white flour to be of much use to your body as a whole grain. Choose true whole grains, seven or fifteen grains or more as long as they are whole grains in the bread. Look for breads containing flax, barley and millet along with "cracked Wheat" instead of "whole wheat". They will contain more of the whole seed, not the hulled, separated, and refined of it's natural goodness, pasty, white flour.

Of all of the whole grains I find that flax is the most important. So much so that I add it, freshly ground, to my breakfast daily! For years I suffered with cracked bleeding lips, cuticles and knuckles every winter. I started taking flaxseed because it was heart healthy. As a wonderful surprise side effect, it has improved my skin, cuticles and lips enormously. I am enjoying velvety soft lips in the winter for the first time in my memory and my hands no longer bleed every time my fingers bend. Winter is no longer my archenemy.

Instead of the corn syrups and other refined sugars that are available in processed foods and drinks, we should find our sweets in fruits, and occasionally small amounts of honey or molasses. Our beverages should be green tea, water, rarely coffee but never soda or commercial iced teas as most of these are sweetened with artificial or processed sweeteners.

We should get our proteins from lean meats and naturally low fat cheeses with only an occasional bit of butter or hard cheese or Brie. We should cook with Canola oil and add Olive oil to our salads and sauces when they are finished cooking. Both of these fats, when used in small amounts, are beneficial to your skin and your health.

Our primary beverage should be water, the secondary drink should be tea, preferably green tea. Almost every commercially prepared drink on the market contain preservatives and corn syrup, both create havoc with our immune system and in turn our skin.

Smile, be healthy, be beautiful.

If you take just one concept away from this article it should to be drink plenty of water. If there is room for a second, eat whole grains especially flax seed, your skin will thank you.

Stay healthy and be beautiful.

Learn more about this author, A. C. O'Brien.
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