EATING FOR BEAUTY & BODY THIS FALL
Autumn/Fall is my favorite time of the year! The days shorten, sunlight wanes, the air gets crisp, and cooler temps set in. If the summer’s intense heat and UV exposure took a toll on your skin and hair, fall is the ideal time to repair and revive your beauty. The good news: the foods in your autumn beauty basket reduce damage, fight signs of aging, and address autumn skin concerns. Did you know pumpkin, a must-have fall veggie, is packed with vitamin A to boost cell turnover and nourish your hair, nails, skin, bones, and teeth?
Getting out of bed may be harder, as the days get darker, and on autumn mornings you probably don’t feel like the bundle of energy you were during the sunnier months. Continue to start each day with a cup of warm lemon water to support healthy liver function and good digestion, which keeps a bright, healthy glow to your skin.
Fall piques your appetite for warmer, heartier dishes and the following foods are full of grounding qualities and beauty nutrition to feed your radiant beauty and warm up your body.
ACORN SQUASH:
high in minerals and the iron keeps your hair and nails from becoming brittle and thin; offers plenty of B vitamins like niacin, key for circulation and DNA repair, and thiamine which is important for healthy metabolism; calcium and magnesium are two minerals in acorn squash that are important for healthy bones and teeth.
APPLES:
apple skins contain the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory pigment quercetin, which is a powerful defense against free-radical and UVB damage. Apples are a great source of pectin, which fills you up, helps detoxify the body, and can even lower cholesterol.
BROCCOLI:
an amazing source of collagen-building, wrinkle-preventing vitamin C; bone-reinforcing calcium and potassium; and vitamin K to strengthen capillaries and prevent dark circles and varicose veins.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH:
filled with beta-carotene which converts to vitamin A, a powerful vitamin to heal and smooth your skin, decrease UV sensitivity, and protect your eyes. Complex B vitamins in butternut squash are excellent for hair health, plus contain vitamin E, iron, and omega-3s which are also important for healthy hair.
LEEKS:
leeks are a member of the Allium genus, along with garlic, onions, scallions, and chives, whose phytochemical stimulate the production of glutathione, the body’s most critical antioxidant. Glutathione protects our cells, prevents and repairs DNA damage, lessens sun damage, and boosts the body’s elimination of toxins. Leeks also contain anti-cancer photochemical kaempferol and helps stop collagen-digesting processes that cause wrinkles and signs of aging skin.
PUMPKIN:
One cup of pumpkin puree provides enough beta-carotene to deliver 7x the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin A. An antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, pumpkin can protect eyes from aging free-radical damage and its high fiber and natural diuretic properties helps detoxify and reduce water retention.
SWEET POTATOES:
this tasty root vegetable is full of beta-carotene, an antioxidant pigment that converts to powerful vitamin A, also provides doses of vitamin C and B and B6. Vitamin A keeps skin smooth, regenerates collagen. This complex carbohydrate keeps you feeling satisfied with a glycemic spike.
Nature may be turning inward to prepare for the months ahead, but your new autumn nutrition will keep your beauty energetic and radiant. The beauty foods this season will warm your kitchen; feed your skin, hair, and nails; and deeply ground and sustain your body during this season.
Vegan Creamy Potato, Leek & Kale Soup