Nutrition for Natural Beauty

I attended an evening class this week, instructed by Dr. Cindy Quach, on Nutrition for Natural Beauty. I always believe that health and beauty are connected, what's showing on the outside is a reflection of how healthy you are from the inside. I was really impressed by the topics she covered. They are simply just every day nutrition that can help you achieve healthy skin, hair and nails. I'd like to share the key learnings here with you.

Natural Skincare
Causes of Acne:

• hormonal during your periods
• diets high in refined carbs
• stress
• low stomache acid
• medications
• cosmetics

Vitamins to give nice healthy skin:

• Vitamin A & Betacarotene - food sources: pumpkins, squashes, carrots, peppers
• B Complex - anti-stress - food sources: greens, any veggies that's bitter, whole grains
• Vitamin C - to produce collagen - food sources: oranges, green tea, peppers
• Vitamin D - stay in the sun for 20 mins in short sleeves - food sources: cod oil and salmon
• Vitamin E - food sources: olive oil, eggs, wheat germs, seeds, nuts. *** Take vitamin E with vitamins A, D, and K for higher potency

Minerals for good skin:

• Sea weeds - soften the skin and even get rid of cysts. Food sources: Agar agar is a good source of sea weeds
• Iodine in small doses - food sources: sunflower seeds and fish
• Silica for sparkling and glowing skin - food sources: horsetail from tea, dandelion root, alfalfa, black seeds, oat straws, barley grass, wheat grass, cucumber, peppers
• Sulphur for clear complexion - food sources: cabbage, cauliflower, onion and garlic
• Zinc to support the immune system and heal wounds - food sources: pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds

Natural Hair Care
To treat thinning hair:

• Massage your scalp with 2 parts almond oil mixed with 1 part roesemary oil
• Eat liver friendly foods like beets, lemons, yams, cabbage and bitter melons
• Detox - exercise to sweat, regular urination, regular bowel movement
• Take protein
• Adequate stomach acid - to improve stomach acid, take 2 tsp of Apple Cider Vinegar before each meal
• Avocados
• Healthy sources of fat - nuts, seeds, coconut, olive oil, hemp seeds, flax oil, salmon, sardines

Nutrition for Strong Nails

• Good stomach acid
• Adequate protein

And finally, the number one beverage for healthy skin is water. The formula to calculate how much water you should drink is your weight in pounds/2 = # of ounces of water per day

Hope you find that interesting and useful! :)