Nutrition                   

Did you know that many healthy, natural ingredients proven to fight free radicals and keep the body healthy also improve your skin?

When consumed, natural antioxidants, like green tea, pomegranate, citrus and olive oil, neutralize free radicals and may help to prevent oxidative cell damage from the inside.  But, many skin care specialists also tout the benefits of antioxidants when used as part of a skin care regimen to protect the skin from free radical damage from the outside.

What are antioxidants?

Antioxidants fight premature aging caused by the sun and other harmful environmental factors by protecting the skin from free radicals.  Free radicals are harmful to skin because they attack collagen, the skin's basic support structure, causing it to deteriorate prematurely.

Antioxidants are found naturally in the body and in plants.  Common examples of antioxidants include: vitamin C and E, which have a photoprotective effect; pomegranate, which has been shown to protect against heart disease, cancer and problems associated with aging; and green tea, which protects against harmful inflammation and UV-induced immunosuppression.

The right foods and beverages will help prevent age-related diseases and degenerative conditions.     

By following an anti-inflammatory diet, our food choices ensure that our skin will look youthful, supple and radiant, our mental states positive and upbeat, our energy levels high and our thinking clear and sharp.

The anti-inflammatory diet consists of the following components:

• high-quality protein, like that found in fish, shellfish and poultry;

• low-glycemic carbodydrates including colorful fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains such as old-fashioned oatmeal, legumes such as beans and lentils;

• helathy fats, such as those found in cold water fish (especially wild Alaskan salmon, halibut, sardines, herring, anchovies, etc.), nuts, seeds, and olive oil;

• 8-10 glasses of purified water per day;

• Anti-oxidant rich beverages such as green tea

These foods and beverages act as natural anti-inflammatories and help maintain normal levels of insulin and blood sugar.