As a model, I care a lot about my skin (I probably would care if I wasn't a model, now that I think about it) and try to take care of it from a holistic perspective. I know that when I drink a lot of alcohol my skin looks dull and my eyes get dark circles, and if I eat a lot of sugar I tend to break out. If I'm eating a lot of leafy greens, my skin glows.
This is an easy dinner that I like to make at least once a week, particularly the night before a shoot. Every food on the plate contains nutrients that are known to benefit the skin. Not only that, but foods that help the skin also tend to be those same food that prevent cancer and inflammation in the body. So even if vanity is your motivation for eating healthy, you'll still be doing your body a service.
So what are we making already?! It's a sweet potato with blackened tofu. The blackened tofu is so good you can serve this dinner to the most ardent meat eater and make a tofu lover out of them. The secret?
This shit. This shit right here.
My ex graciously gave me a shaker of this a few weeks ago after a conversation that essentially went like this: "You know what I miss about our time together? That blackened seasoning from Omaha Steaks you used to get." Dating a meat-eater had its perks.
Anyway, to make this lovely dinner, start to cook your sweet potato. Since baking it would take hours, this is what I do instead: microwave for 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size, then finish it in the toaster oven. While the sweet potato is cooking, throw some spinach on your plate and arrange it prettily.
SPINACH:
I used raw spinach here but you might want to try it lightly steamed or sautéed. Why? Raw spinach contains oxalic acid, which binds with certain essential nutrients, making it harder for your body to absorb them. If you eat it raw, you will still get plenty of potassium, Vitamin C, and folate. BUT if you eat it cooked, you will get Vitamin A, iron, calcium, and Vitamin E. To get the most iron, add a squeeze of lemon juice. The extra Vitamin C increases the bioavailability of iron. Spinach is a great beauty food because it is high in the antioxidants you've heard of (Vitamins A, C, and E) but also in flavonoids and carotenoids you may not have heard of. Vitamin C is essential to the production of collagen, and the zinc and selenium in spinach may help prevent acne.
Split your cooked (or halfway cooked) sweet potato lengthwise and drizzle with some olive or walnut oil. Or throw some goat cheese on there like I did (because life is too short to not put goat cheese on everything). Our bodies need fat to absorb many of the nutrients in plants, so always eat your sweet potatoes with some fat. Top with chopped walnuts.
WALNUTS:
The secret to smooth, supple skin? Lots of good fats in the diet! DO NOT BE AFRAID OF FAT! One of the best vegetarian sources of good fats are walnuts. Walnuts contain Omega-3 fatty acids (in particular alpha-linolenic acid, skin superstar), which are anti-inflammatory. Inflammation in the body has been linked to everything from cancer to alzheimer's disease, and it also contributes to acne and wrinkles. By adding walnuts to your diet you can reduce redness, acne, and dry skin. Walnuts are a must!
Slice some extra-firm tofu into little squares, thoroughly coat both sides with the blackened seasoning, and throw the tofu and sweet potato together into the toaster oven at 375 F for about 15 minutes. Turn the tofu halfway through and re-coat with the seasoning. If you can't get your hands on blackened seasoning, you have my pity. Replace it maybe with some cayenne?
TOFU:
First of all, I plan to do a post dedicated to the pros and cons of eating soy in the near future, so I'm not going to get into all that here. I want to focus instead on tofu's protein and isoflavones. Protein is absolutely essential to beautiful skin. Collagen, the framework of the face, is made of protein, and at 10g per half-cup, tofu is an excellent source of protein. The isoflavones unique to soy are thought to prevent collagen breakdown. A study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that mice who were fed isoflavones then exposed to ultraviolet light exhibited fewer wrinkles and smoother skin than their non-isoflavone-eating counterparts.
SWEET POTATOES:
One medium sweet potato contains almost 400% of the DV for Vitamin A in the form of beta carotene. Beta carotene is what gives sweet potatoes their bright orange color, and eating lots of beta carotene can actually make the skin look mildly tan? A 2011 study at the University of Nottingham found that volunteers who ate more fruits and vegetables had more carotenoids in their skin, which led to increased pigmentation which was perceived as healthier looking. I know for a fact that this is true because when I was a baby the only baby food I would eat was carrots, and eventually my nose turned orange!
When your sweet potato and tofu are done, arrange them on top of the spinach. Serve with half an avocado on the side, and enjoy!
AVOCADOS:
Remember I said fat is the key to healthy skin? Avocados are one of the best sources of skin-friendly fats, and you should eat them all the time. They have the much-touted monounsaturated fats, which most people do not get enough of in their diet. Avocados contain the famous beauty nutrient biotin, as well as Vitamins E, C, and K. Half a cup of avocado will provide 20% of your daily fiber requirement, making these pretty much the perfect food.
Eat this, wake up pretty.
This is one of my favorite topics, so expect plenty of "beauty food" posts to come. Let me know what your favorite beauty foods are in the comments!
No comments:
Post a Comment