Superfoods for Super Beauty

Every day, you’ll see tons of ads for creams, makeup and other beauty potions that talk about how they’ve added the latest, trendiest superfood to their list of ingredients. The natural beauty trend is big right now, and that’s something I’m fully on board with!

However, there’s a cheaper, easier, and even more beneficial way to jump on the beauty superfood bandwagon; eat your superfoods instead of slathering them on your skin!

The produce section is always going to be a way cheaper place to shop for beauty products than the cosmetics counter.

And when you eat beauty superfoods, you’re nourishing every single cell in your body, not just the top layers of skin cells, so you’ll glow from the inside out!

Sure, we all loved our cinnamon-flavoured lip balms back in junior high, but it’s cinnamon’s blood-sugar balancing benefits that make it a real beautifier. When your blood sugar is properly balanced, your body is better able to keep its hormone levels on an even keel, and as anyone who’s ever experienced teenage or stress-related acne breakouts (and who hasn’t?) can attest, balanced hormones are a boon if you’re after clear, healthy, glowing skin.

Try sprinkling cinnamon over your next nut milk latte, adding it to your favourite smoothie, or try making my Cinnamon Almond Butter recipe!

It turns everything it touches a very distinctive shade of yellow, but that’s okay. Turmeric’s a beauty food, not a beauty product, so keep it off your skin and in your belly! Turmeric contains really powerful anti-inflammatory compounds that can be just as effective as hydrocortisone. So adding turmeric to your diet is way more beneficial in soothing dull, puffy or inflamed skin than any topical cream will be!

Turmeric gives many curry recipes their characteristic yellow colour. It’s also another great smoothie additive, or you can try making my Organic Crunchy Snack: Turmeric Sea Salt Popcorn recipe!

Walnuts have been held to be a brain health food since Roman times because once their shelled, they kind of look like, well, little brains. It turns out walnuts are good for brain health, but it’s because they’re high in omega-3 essential fatty acids. These same omega-3s are also a great beauty nutrient, too. They’re great at fighting inflammation and are the kind of healthy fat that will support the production of the natural oils that keep your skin feeling soft and smooth.

Grab a handful of walnuts as an on-the-go snack, mix them into your favourite granola recipe, or try making my Mochaccino Extra Energy Smoothie.

We’ve all seen those scenes in movies with the rich socialite sitting at the spa with the cucumber slices on her eyes. She’s doing that for a good reason! Cucumbers are almost entirely water, so if you eat them, you’re hydrating your skin from the inside out, which is a way more efficient way to go about it! The parts that aren’t water are rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients. Antioxidants help fight the free radical damage, and as we’ve seen with the foods above, you can never have too many anti-inflammatories!

Hydrating cucumbers are a perfect ingredient for any fresh juice recipe, they’re right at home in chilled soup recipes, or you can make my Strawberry Cucumber Salad with Toasted Almonds.

I’ve talked at length about my love of lemon and water as a joyous health (and beauty) habit, but it’s time for limes to get some love! Just like lemons, limes are an excellent source of vitamin C, one of your body’s most used antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight the free radical damage that can happen when you’re exposed to toxins in your environment. Over time, this damage can contribute to visible skin damage and aging, so antioxidants are crucial for healthy skin.

Use limes instead of lemons for a twist on the usual lemon and water morning ritual. They’re also a great way to add a tangy twist to any juice recipe, or try this Key Lime Avocado Tart.

Do you have any favourite beauty superfoods you would add to this list?