Looking for ways to keep your skin looking youthful, fresh and radiant? We can’t control genetics, but we do hold the reins of our diet. Here are some great-tasting foods you would be wise to munch on that are also skin-loving and healthy.

To preface, a diet rich in a wide variety of nutrients, vitamins and minerals is key to healthy-looking skin. It isn’t fired foods, chocolate and sugar per se that make you skin look less than appealing, but rather it’s because diets high in these foods lack skin-healthy nutrients! Remember, anything is good in moderation… even food. So don’t be afraid to indulge in some fried chicken once in awhile.

The fountain of youth within foods

Colorful vegetables. That means red bell peppers, yellow squash, carrots and even eggplant! Vegetables offer a wide variety of skin-essential nutrients and wrinkle-deterring antioxidants.

It’s always better to consume vegetables raw, as cooking leeches all the important nutrients away from your veggies. A great way to get a wide assortment of raw vegetables in one sitting is to have yourself a salad.

Dark, leafy greens like spinach, cabbage, kale and other dark vegetable are a great source of vitamins A, C, E and iron, all nutrients that are vital for healthy, glowing skin. Use a dark, leafy green in lieu of iceberg lettuce (which practically has no nutritional value) on a sandwich or in a salad.

Berries of all kinds can help turn back the hands of time with their high antioxidant and vitamin C content. This includes strawberries, blackberries and blueberries.

Whole grain foods like bread, muffins, bagels and cereal offer selenium, which plays a vital role in the health of skin cells. When you can, refuse “white” breads and opt for a whole grain alternative instead.

Fish, especially salmon, has recently been touted as not just brain food but skin food as well. Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and reduces the body’s production of inflammatory substances which can damage skin. Salmon is also high in protein and Q-10, a powerful antioxidant that your skin craves.

Nuts and seeds like walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds and flax seeds are a great little treat for your skin, giving it tons of vitamins A and E to snack on.

Say no to your morning coffee and yes to green tea! Green tea is brimming with antioxidants that may help prevent certain kinds of cancer and slow the process of aging.

The vitamin A found in dairy products is essential for healthy skin. Yogurt is a great and delicious way to get the vitamin A you need into your system. Plus many brands also contain live active cultures that keep your digestive track functioning optimally.

Water is like magic. Keeping your body hydrated throughout the day plays a big role in healthy skin. Coffee, cola, soup and other liquids don’t count toward your water count for the day. It’s a good idea to just carry a water bottle around with you to sip on when you’re bored. The amount of water a person needs varies by weight, but if you do this you’re guaranteed to get the amount of water your body needs.

–Magdalena

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Food poisoning is common. It’s also inconvenient and sometimes even deadly. When food isn’t handled correctly, undercooked or is left out too long without proper heating or refrigeration, there is cause for concern.

There are more than 250 strains of bacteria that can produce food poisoning. However, the most common forms of food poisoning in the US include: Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria and Campylobacter.

How do you get Salmonella poisoning?

Salmonella most commonly comes from undercooked pork, chicken, turkey and eggs. Forget eating raw cookie dough; it could be tainted with salmonella.

Some of the symptoms of salmonella include fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Salmonella usually clears up on its own within a few days. However a doctor should be consulted when the young, the elderly or immune deficient are suspected of having salmonella poisoning.

How do you get E. coli infections?

According to the Center of Disease Control, an estimated 73,000 cases of E. coli occur in the US every year. E. coli infections commonly result from consuming undercooked ground beef, drinking or swimming in sewer-contaminated water or drinking unpasteurized milk.

The tell-tale sign of E. coli sudden bloody diarrhea. If you suspect you have and E. coli infection see a doctor right away.

How do you get Listeria?

Listeria is a bacteria commonly found in tainted soil, water or manure. As a result, vegetables grown in soil or fertilized with tainted manure can also become tainted with Listeria. Unpasteurized foods, like milk and cheese, can also become infected with Listeria.

Symptoms of Listeria include fever, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea. If Listeria spreads to the nervous system, symptoms can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, convulsions and loss of balance. If you are pregnant, have a weakened immune system, are elderly or have a serious illness and suspect you have Listeria, see a doctor right away.

How do you get Campylobacter?

is usually transmitted by consuming contaminated food, water or unpasteurized milk products. The most common symptoms include sudden diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and fever.

Campylobacter usually clears on its own in a few days. However if you suspect you have been exposed to Campylobacter, see your doctor. He may prescribe you an antibiotic to make your recovery time shorter.

How to avoid food poisoning

Always cook your meat until it is all the way done, especially chicken, pork and ground beef.

Don’t consume raw eggs. That means no eggnog or raw cookie dough!

Don’t use the same cutting board for raw meat and vegetables.

Always wash your hands after handling raw meat.

Consume only milk products that have been pasteurized.

If you’re eating at a picnic or any other function where there is a lot of food left out unheated or unrefrigerated, don’t eat any of it if it’s been sitting out longer than two hours.

Don’t eat leftovers more than 5 days old.

Wash your fruits and vegetables before you eat them.

–Magdalena

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With all the different types of yogurt and many claiming to hold nutritional benefits, how does the average person know which kind and which brand to purchase? Is yogurt really as beneficial as marketers and advertisers claim it to be? The answer to the second question is yes and no. Depending on what kind of yogurt you buy, it is definitely a health food. The first question will be answered in the bulk of this post.

What is Yogurt?

Yogurt is milk or cream that has been cultured with active live cultures. These active cultures are what provide the greatest health benefit. The active cultures are good bacteria that your body needs to function at its best by keeping the body in balance by preventing an overgrowth of the bad bacteria that cause infections and disease. Healthy levels of good bacteria also keep the body’s yeast levels balanced so the probability of developing various types of yeast infection is lessened. Good bacteria in healthy balanced levels also aid in digestion and boost the immune system. The active live cultures reduce lactose levels as well, so yogurt is a safe alternative to milk, cheese and other dairy products for lactose intolerant people.

Properties of Yogurt

Because yogurt is made from milk, it is a good source of calcium. Calcium is good for bone and teeth health, and aids in the prevention of bone density loss and osteoporosis.

Protein, an important building block for many of the systems in your body (including your muscles) is also in yogurt. Protein helps to curb your appetite, and keeps you feeling better for a longer period of time.

What Kind of Yogurt is best?

As with all types of food, organic yogurt is the most beneficial and nutritional. The thing to look for if you’re looking for healthy yogurt is active ingredients. The more active live cultures there are in the yogurt, the more benefits you will receive.

Natural products are always best, so look for yogurt low in sugar, and without added high fructose corn syrup and trans fat. Many brands of yogurt come in low-fat or no-fat versions for those of us on a low-fat diet.

Yogurt is made from pasteurized milk. Know that any pasteurizing done after the culturing process can kill the active live cultures. Make sure that the yogurt you buy isn’t pasteurized after culturing so you may reap the health benefits.

Above all, read the labels. The longer the list of ingredients, the more calories the yogurt may contain as well as detrimental ingredients instead of beneficial nutrients.

Uses of Yogurt

Yogurt is an extremely versatile food. It can be incorporated into your diet in a variety of ways. My favorite is alone as a snack, or as a part of a balanced healthy lunch. But yogurt can also be used to make low calorie dips, substituted for milk in many recipes such as pancakes, waffles or pumpkin pie. By adding chocolate chips, nuts or granola, it can be a healthy alternative for dessert. Eat healthy and stay active.

-Anne

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Flu season has come and gone, but to keep your immune system running high throughout the year is going to require a little maintenance.

Why buff up your immune system?

The immune system does more than just protect your body from the most current strains of cold and flu. It also helps combat other pathogens like parasitic worms, life-threatening strains of bacteria in your uncooked cookie dough and even tumor cells.

QUICK FACT: Warts are actually benign tumors, which is why if you let one alone, your body’s immune system will eventually destroy it without any outside intervention!

Not only is a strong immune system practical and helpful it also makes life a bit easier for you. It’s always a relief to make it through the year with without many colds, despite the fact you share close quarters with family, friends and co-workers constantly coughing and sneezing lord only knows what all over you.

What you can do to strengthen your immune system

A great way to boost your immune system is to partake in a healthy, balanced diet. Simple in theory, hard to apply. It takes a lot of will to give up the junk foods you love in favor of more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, but your body will thank you when you make the switch. Believe me, you’ll get sick a lot less when you do!

Make sure to incorporate vegetables of all colors (green, red, yellow and orange), fruits, nuts, seeds, roots, whole grains and meats if you’re not a vegetarian.

Vitamin C is a great way to boost immunity. It’s why you drink orange juice while you’re sick. Vitamin C is best consumed in the form of a fruit, as your body will absorb it better. However, if you’re pressed for time or don’t like fruit much, you can take a Vitamin C capsule once a day.

Green tea is rich in antioxidants, which not only sweep away free radicals from the body but also stimulate the immune system. Try to incorporate 3 glasses into your daily routine: morning, noon and night.

Echinacea is an herb that also stimulates the immune system and jumpstarts the production of immune-boosting cells in your body. It is available as a root, the whole plant and easy to swallow capsules.

Ginseng is another herb which may improve immune function. Ginseng has been shown to improve the immune system of those with bronchitis, chronic fatigue syndrome and even AIDS. You can purchase ginseng caplets from any drugstore.

Garlic, with its irresistible yet pungent aroma, is also chock full of immune boosting selenium. I’m convinced that garlic is a panacea. I can’t think of anything it doesn’t fix!

Zinc also improves overall immune function. Foods that are high in zinc include oysters, poultry, red meat, beans, nuts and whole grains. Zinc is also available in pill or lozenge form.

Drink water. Enough said. Not sure how much you should drink during the day? Check out this site and you’ll have the answer!

Perhaps one of the best things you can do to improve immunity (especially when you’re fighting off illness) is to rest. The average adult only gets 5-6 hours of sleep a night when they should be getting about 8 for optimal functioning. If you’re sick, you need even more. Give yourself time to rest and see how much better you feel!

–Magdalena

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Of the foods that are touted as being excellent sources of iron and minerals, blackstrap molasses isn’t the first substance that comes to mind. Blackstrap molasses is an excellent source of iron as well as magnesium, copper, calcium, manganese, potassium, vitamin B6 and selenium. The best part is it is sweet, and the recommended daily dose of 2 tsp. a day only contains 32 calories and 0 grams of fat.

What is Blackstrap Molasses?

Molasses is a byproduct of sugar cane made by boiling the sugar syrup to crystalline form. Blackstrap molasses refers to the third boiling of the syrup, and is the sweetener that contains the most nutritional properties, particularly iron. Molasses in general is dark, thick, bittersweet syrup used to sweeten many recipes, and gives ginger bread that bittersweet taste and dark brown hue.

2 teaspoons of blackstrap molasses contains 10% of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of iron, manganese, potassium, copper, calcium, and slightly lower than 10% RDA of magnesium, vitamin B6 and selenium. It can be added to a variety of dishes including hot cereal, milk, baked beans and of course gingerbread. It can also be taken as a daily therapeutic dose—2 tsp. added to a cup of warm water.

What Molasses Cures

• Molasses helps cleanse the blood, so it’s good for iron deficient anemia related to menstruation.
• Helps with constipation, helps the body to have regular movements.
• Mixed with a small amount of baking soda, a spoonful will help settle an upset stomach and diarrhea.
• Migraine
• Fatigue
• Swelling of the ankles due to low potassium levels

Recipes using Blackstrap Molasses

Ham and Beans

• 3 lbs. smoked bear ham or pork ham
• 2 lbs. dried pinto or Great Northern beans
• 2 dried peppers, hot variety
• 2 wild onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 c. blackstrap molasses
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. mustard, salad type
• Liquid smoke (optional)
• Cayenne pepper (optional)
• Fill Dutch oven with water and cook dry beans after rinsing them well. Add meat and all ingredients when beans are half cooked. Liquid smoke can be used if meat is fresh. Cayenne pepper can also be added for flavor. When cooking in Dutch oven or roaster, keep water at least 1 inch deep in pan at all times to prevent scorching.

Glazed Carrots

• 2 lbs. carrots
• 1 tbsp. raw honey
• Chicken stock
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. Blackstrap molasses
• Fresh ground pepper
• Peel carrots and slice into 2-3 inch pieces. Place in a large saucepan and add other ingredients, using enough stock to cover carrots halfway up. Bring to a boil, cover, maintain at a gentle boil until carrots are nearly done. Stir occasionally. Uncover and cook 15 minutes more until carrots are tender and the liquid is reduced to syrup. Just before serving, reheat. If glaze becomes too dry, add a little water.

Baked Beans

• 2 c. dried beans (kidney, yellow eyed, pea beans or soldier beans)
• 1/2 lb. salt pork (fat & lean)
• 3 tsp. salt
• 3 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/3 c. dark blackstrap molasses
• 2 c. boiling water
• Wash and pick over the beans. Discard imperfect ones, or small bits of pebbles you might find. Soak the beans overnight. Drain. Put in pot, fresh water to cover, and parboil until some of the skins burst. Scald the pork, slice it thin. Now in a bean pot (yes, you must have a bean pot, no substitutions will do) alternate layers of beans and pork, sprinkling each layer with a mixture of salt, brown sugar, sprinkling each layer with a mixture of salt, brown sugar and mustard. Over each layer add a part of the blackstrap molasses. Pour at least two cups of boiling water over all. Bake in a 275 degree oven for at least six hours, replacing the water as it boils away. A half hour before serving, remove the cover and let the top brown. Serves 6.

-Anne

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