Add these 5 Power Greens to Your Meal List!
This time of year, as spring approaches, let’s remedy our dry and dull skin from those harsh winter months by taking a look at our diets. As we trade out our parkas for sun dresses, let’s put nutrient-rich greens on our plates and see our skin transform from the inside out! By adding in these veggies listed below, and trying some really tasty recipes we have suggested, we can not only bring joy to our bellies but to our glowing skin!
1. Collard Greens
[caption id="attachment_798" align="alignright" width="300"] Look at those luscious collard greens![/caption]Collard Greens are a much-loved vegetable from the south. Found on your southern relative's table (right next to the mashed potatoes and fried okra), this vegetable has a ton of skin healing properties! Rich in sulfur and peptides, collards will give you a nice detox and protect from environmental toxins. Add this skin protector into your diet for bright, fresh skin with each bite!
Nutrients: Vitamin K, Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Glutathione, Glucosinolate, Folate
Try it tonight: Throw your collard greens in with your favorite pasta, mozzarella, and ricotta. Bake this dish and impress your guests with an untraditional blend of collard Lasagna.
2. Watercress
Watercress may be an uncommon vegetable but it is a must when adding to your palate. With more Vitamin C than oranges and more antioxidants than both apples and broccoli, this leafy green will help give your skin a clear, shining glow as it fights free-radicals with all those antioxidant rich properties and builds up your connective tissues.
Nutrients: Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Manganese
Try it tonight: Mix watercress in a bed of spinach or romaine lettuce, top it off with pears, cashews, and some soy sauce for a light, refreshing afternoon meal. Also, add an extra layer of relaxation and skin glow with a face rinse and our topical Organic Watercress Oil for maximum results!
3. Rapini (Broccoli Rabe)
Rapini, another unknown veggie, has tons of benefits for both skin and body! This broccoli look-alike is an incredible hormone balancer for both men and women (and a defender from candida). This vegetable will help fight acne and rough skin patches that come from hormone imbalances. Also, rapini has anti-inflammatory properties that help fight heart disease, increase blood flow, and bring that glow that you have been looking for!
Nutrients: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Potassium, Fiber, Calcium
Try it tonight: Try breakfast for dinner tonight as you add in rapini, peppers, onions, garlic, and some cracked pepper to an omelette, to make for a delicious dinner alternative!
4. Turnip Greens
Turnip Greens are known for their large amounts of iron. If you struggle with pale, dull skin, you actually might have low iron, or be anemic (low red blood cells). Adding turnip greens will help rebuild those low red blood cells and give your skin a fresh vibrant look that you might have been lacking!
Vitamins: Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Calcium, Iron, Potassium
Try it tonight: Add onions, red pepper, and your turnip greens on the skillet! Mix with some olive oil and salt to taste and enjoy a spicy mix tonight! !
5. Dandelion Greens
[caption id="attachment_797" align="alignright" width="300"] Dandelion Greens photo credit by: Heaven's Harvest Farm. See them for more recipe ideas![/caption]That is right! The very dandelion weeds found outside on your lawn (or at your local market). Rich in antioxidants and potassium, this weed helps build up your cells and even skin tone. Also, with more Vitamin A than our beloved spinach, this weed has a lot to offer for beautiful, glowing skin!
Nutrients: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Potassium
Try this tonight: For a delicious sandwich, steam these greens in butter, salt and pepper for about ten minutes. With a taste similar to Arugula (another great green for the skin), dandelion greens put on top of some toasted whole grain toast and finished with a fried egg makes for a delicious warm, skin-transforming meal!
Honorable Mention: KALE YEAH!
So many kale, so little time!
A cousin to the much-loved collards, kale is a superfood for the skin (and the heart, eyes, brain, and so many more parts of the body). Rich in Vitamin K, A, and C, this dark, leafy green is a great way to smooth skin and give yourself that beautiful summertime glow. Add kale to your favorite salad or stir-fry and see clearer, healthier skin, as well as benefits throughout your entire body.
Nutrients: Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Try this tonight: Add Kale to your favorite stir-fry! Mix it in with some already cooked sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts. Add in whatever other yummy vegetables you desire like peppers or zucchini. Top it off with some pumpkin seeds or cashews, all cooked in olive oil and sea salt on a hot skillet! This delicious meal goes a long way and adds the warm, healthy comfort food needed on a crisp spring night!
Adding in these delicious vegetables to our diet each day, will give that healthy glow and get us all ready for summer and swimsuits! Combining this with some daily skin-love from our Organic Tamanu Oil, the winter wonder solution, will bring out that golden glow we have all been looking for!
Are you a lover of greens for skin health as well? Tell us in the comments below some delicious veggies you use to keep your skin healthy and fresh!
Check out a list of all of our glow-giving oils for an even fresher and more radiant look!