Eat Your Way Into a Healthier Body Inside and Out

You are what you eat.

I’m sure you have heard that saying many times before and dismissed it twice as much.

While you won’t turn into a tomato just because you ate one, there is still some truth to it/

Fact: The body functions almost purely on the nutrients that we supply it.

–        Protein keeps muscle mass on, helps to protect the immune system, heals damaged cells and tissues, stimulates hormone production, and is a last resort source for energy.

–        Carbs are the primary source of energy for the body, assist with the food digestion process, regulating blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar levels.

–        Fats are the secondary source of energy for the body, assist with insulating to regulate body temperature levels, protecting vital organs like the kidneys, producing hormones, structuring cell walls, and properly absorbing vitamins.

…and these are just the three macronutrients that everyone obsesses over. There are still many other nutrients, vitamins and minerals that the body needs to get on a daily basis and they all play their part.

So how can you restructure your diet to give you a healthier body, inside and out, to better your skin and body?

There are two things to consider:

1)     Are you meeting all your daily requirements?

The minimum requirements as issued by the FDA for all different types of nutrients, vitamins and minerals are put in place to ensure that everyone gets the appropriate amount each day. This is because most people end up with eating habits that do not ensure that these numbers are met. However, meeting them will ensure that the body gets what it needs.

2)     Are you living a healthy life?

The body doesn’t just respond to what you put in, it responds to what you put out too. You know the saying “Too much of a good thing…” it applies to energy as well. Even if you eat really well, too many calories will negatively impact your health if you aren’t burning some of them off whether they’re coming from vegetables or McDonalds.

 

The List of 7 Super Foods to Improve Your Skin and Body Health

Here is a list containing seven amazing foods you can eat to improve the health of your body inside and out.

1.     Yogurt

Greek yogurt will provide you with the most benefits and one serving per day will be sufficient. Plus, it’s yummy and is great when mixed with fresh fruits…which are also great for your skin and body!

2.     Pomegranates

Pomegranates are full of polyphenols, which are known for attacking free radicals. These antioxidants can also assist with blood flow in the skin and extremities (yes, even THAT extremity). A single pomegranate or about two cups a day of pomegranate juice is recommended.

3.     Walnuts

These are one of the healthier nuts out there and they’re packed with omega-3 essential fatty acids. Omega three fatty-acids are known for their skin benefits and heart health. Copper, a collagen-creating mineral is found in walnuts as well. Just snack on as many as you can grab in a day and you’re good to go.

4.     Oatmeal

Steel cut oatmeal – not the flavored and boxed kind – is very good for your skin and body. It is not nearly as processed as the flavored alternatives, which means it is richer in vitamins. When consumed, the body will also slowly digest it instead of force it all to turn to energy or get stored right away which means you will feel fuller longer, you won’t be pressuring your digestive system, and you will be able to regulate your blood sugar levels. Preventing dramatic increases of sugar in the blood also means a lower risk of androgen increasing in the body, which lessens the chance of hormone-induced wrinkles.

5.     Lemons

Lemons are rich in vitamins. In fact, you can get in excess of a whole day’s worth of vitamin C in a single lemon. This results in heightened levels of good cholesterol and stronger bones. The flavonoids in lemons are also known to restrict cancer cell development and serve as an anti-inflammatory when and where needed.

TIP: It has been found that lemon nutrient absorption increase by upwards of 80% when consumed through tea, so add it into some green tea for an extra metabolism boost.

6.     Garlic

Garlic is known for being able to fight off and prevent E. coli and other bacterial growths. Due to the allicin compound, garlic will also serve the body as an anti-inflammatory and assist with decreasing both blood pressure and cholesterol levels and increasing blood flow over-all.

We didn’t say you would love all the foods on the list! Still, there are workarounds…get the benefits by crushing a fresh garlic and cooking with it for no more than 10 minutes on high heat or supplementing with a quality garlic supplement.

7.     Broccoli

An average-sized stalk of raw or steamed broccoli will contain nearly two days’ worth of vitamin C and over a day’s worth of vitamin K. These vitamins are both needed to help with building healthy and strong bones and they assist with cancer prevention as well.

While the idea of eating “healthy” seems like a task most find daunting, most of us do feel great once we get into the healthy eating and living lifestyle. We feel better because it changes your body. The build-up of toxins in the food we eat causes us to slow down and age, and who has time for that nowadays?

 

Get a jumpstart on these little changes and reap the benefits sooner than you think!