It’s National Nutrition Month, making it the perfect time to talk to your nieces and nephews about the power of the food they put into their bodies. Instead of focusing on what not to eat, take this time to talk to them about all the great benefits of eating the right foods – especially for your pre-teen and older nieces, where food can be part of their beauty routine!
 
Here are 5 of my favorite beauty boosting foods to get you started…
 
Banish Blemishes with Carrots.
Sure, carrots help protect our precious peepers, but that’s not all they are good for. Rather, carrots are packed with blemish-busting vitamin A, a vitamin that helps to prevent the buildup of dead, pore-clogging cells on the skin's outer layer. This means fewer breakouts and less dull complexions! Plus, vitamin A reduces the development of skin-cancer cells and even supports a healthy scalp (aka shiny hair!). Chomp, chomp.
 
Improve Skin Texture with Dark Chocolate
Finally, a reason to keep chocolate in your desk at all times (and to indulge daily!). A study from the Journal of Nutrition found that women who drank cocoa fortified with a chocolate bar's worth of flavonols had improved skin texture and provided even more sun protection – and no, they weren’t more likely to break out! (It is a myth that chocolate causes pimples).
 
Reduce Redness with Avocados
This stone fruit (yup, it’s actually a fruit) is so loaded with essential oils and B- complex vitamins that you may as well think “avocados” when you think healthy skin. With their anti-inflammatory properties, avocados assuage irritated, red and blotchy skin while their monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids help to maintain skin pH and hydrate skin from the inside out, respectively. Suddenly guacamole at every meal seems like a good idea, huh?
 
Stay Forever Young with Berries
Blueberries, blackberries and strawberries are all high in fiber, low in sugar and beautifying too! Antioxidants in blueberries can protect you from premature aging. The high concentration of Vitamin C in strawberries promotes skin elasticity, boosts collagen production and combats the effects of sun exposure. Lastly, blackberries are an excellent source of folic acid (vitamin B9), vital to maintaining healthy skin. Keep washed berries in your fridge for age defying snacking all day long.
 
Reverse Sun Damage with Green Tea
Sipping on green tea won’t just protect our coveted complexions with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Rather, studies have shown that drinking 2 to 6 cups a day of green tea not only helps prevent skin cancer (as if that weren’t reason enough to brew!) but also helps to reverse sun damage. Swap out that morning cup of Joe for green tea and you’ll thank us!

Photo: SweetOnVeg via Flickr cc
Published: March 12, 2014